ESPN College Football

College Football Live's panel of experts discusses the upcoming season for the Crimson Tide.

Schedule: Alabama opens spring practice on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET and will then take the next week off for spring break before resuming practice on March 19. The A-Day spring game is scheduled for April 14 at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised live by CSS.

What’s new: Doug Nussmeier comes over from Washington as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He replaces Jim McElwain, who left for the head coaching job at Colorado State. Lance Thompson returns for his second stint on the Alabama staff as outside linebackers coach. He replaces Sal Sunseri, who left to take the Tennessee defensive coordinator’s job.

On the mend: Running back Eddie Lacy (turf toe) and offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio (knee) will miss the spring while recovering from surgeries. Linebacker C.J. Mosley has been cleared to practice after dislocating his hip in the BCS National Championship Game, but will be limited in contact situations.

On the move: Redshirt freshman Brent Calloway will spend the spring at weak side linebacker after playing running back last season. Barrett Jones, who won the Outland Trophy last season as the Crimson Tide’s left tackle, will get some work at center. If Cyrus Kouandjio is as good as Alabama thinks he is and takes care of business at left tackle, Jones may end up staying at center. Defensive end Jesse Williams is likely to get a look at nose guard. Finding a nose guard will be a priority for the Tide with Josh Chapman departing.

Key battle: The Crimson Tide will be looking for playmakers at receiver. Junior Kenny Bell is the leading returning pass-catcher, and he caught 17 passes last season. Alabama will also look for more consistency from sophomore DeAndrew White, who’s shown flashes of big-play ability. Junior Kevin Norwood played well in the BCS National Championship Game, and highly regarded freshmen Chris Black and Omari Cooper graduated high school early and will go through spring practice. Duron Carter’s status is up in the air. He remains suspended. Quarterback AJ McCarron likes the potential of this group. The Tide may look to throw it down the field a little more next season, but they need a go-to guy or guys to emerge.

New faces: The Crimson Tide have eight early enrollees, counting junior college players, who will be participating in spring practice. Travell Dixon and Deion Belue are a pair of junior college cornerbacks who will compete for playing time right away. The 6-1, 191-pound Dixon was rated among the top junior college cornerbacks in the country last year. Running back T.J. Yeldon headlines the true freshmen who will be out there this spring for the Tide. He was ranked by ESPN as the No. 4 running back prospect in the country last year. In addition to Yeldon, Black and Cooper, linebackers Dillon Lee and Ryan Anderson were also ESPNU 150 members, while Alphonse Taylor is a newcomer that will get a look at nose guard.

Breaking out: Courtney Upshaw and Dont’a Hightower made a ton of plays at linebacker last season for Alabama, and they both lined up as pass-rushers on third down. Sophomore Adrian Hubbard is a guy who could replace Upshaw in that “Jack” linebacker role. At 6-6 and 240 pounds, Hubbard has the tools to be a very good pass-rusher. The same goes for sophomore Xzavier Dickson.

Don’t forget about: With Lacy out for the spring, it will be interesting to see who emerges at running back. Junior Jalston Fowler, sophomore Blake Sims and redshirt freshman Dee Hart will get plenty of reps this spring. And so will Yeldon, who has that ideal mix of size and speed. Lacy’s poised to be the go-to back in the fall, but the No. 2 job is wide open. And the No. 2 back at Alabama has been a big part of the offense the past few seasons.

All eyes on: The secondary was the most improved part of Alabama’s team last season. The Crimson Tide were talented and disciplined back there. That’s after mental errors plagued them the year before thanks mostly to inexperience. With safety Mark Barron and cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie moving on, there will be some key spots to fill in the fall. Junior Dee Milliner returns at one cornerback, and don’t be surprised if he develops into an All-SEC player. Senior safety Robert Lester is the veteran of the group. It’s a big spring for junior cornerback John Fulton, and the addition of both Dixon and Belue will make for some serious competition at cornerback. Sophomore Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the front-runner at the other safety, but Alabama routinely plays five and six defensive backs. Sophomore Vinnie Sunseri and juniors Jarrick Williams and Nick Perry will all be vying to crack that rotation.

The SEC's dominance in college football was seen once again with the conference's sixth straight national championship back in January, but it all begins with a solid foundation.

That means teams have to go out and get a decent group of players. Well, in a recent project between ESPN The Magazine and RecruitingNation that complied recruiting classes from the last five years (2007-11), the SEC showed its muscle ... again.

The mad scientists behind the project "re-tallied the scores after signing day and ranked the schools based on total number of ESPNU 150 recruits (there have been 900) hauled in over the past six years" and came up with the top 10 recruiting programs. Four of the 10 came from the SEC.

Florida took the No. 1 spot, getting 66 ESPNU signees since 2007. Forty-two of them came from the state of Florida. Alabama ranked fourth, grabbing 51 ESPNU 150 members. Alabama has done the most with its ESPNU talent, winning two national championships (2009, 2011) since 2007, while Florida has one (2008) and has a 15-11 record in the last two seasons.

Note: ESPNU 150 prospects ATH Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz.), ATH Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md.) and OT Jordan Diamond (Chicago, Ill.) remain unsigned as of the publication of this insider story.

Here's a look at the four SEC programs that made the top 10:

1. Florida (66 ESPNU 150 signees since 2007)

"Over the past six years, Florida has been without question the No. 1 destination for elite prospects. The Gators have grabbed 66 ESPNU 150 recruits from 13 different states, none more surprising than Pennsylvania, where they signed the state's top recruit in 2010 (DT Sharrif Floyd of Philadelphia) and the nation's No. 2 TE in 2012 (Colin Thompson of Warminster). This year also marked a first for UF, when Will Muschamp ventured into North Carolina for the Gators' top two commits, No. 1 OT D.J. Humphries (Charlotte) and No. 4 DE Jonathan Bullard (Shelby)."

4. Alabama (51)

"The Tide signed the most ESPNU 150 recruits in 2012 (13), but they actually didn't gain the most ground from Year 5 to Year 6 (check the Seminoles). Still, Nick Saban's domination of the Southeast (43 of his 51 signees came from seven SEC states) is unmatched. He's also managed to expand his reach into Maryland for the nation's No. 3 (2011 OT Cyrus Kouandjio of Hyattsville) and No. 20 (2012 ATH Cyrus Jones of Baltimore) prospects. Beating out Les Miles for 2012's No. 1 S Landon Collins (Geismar, La.) was just another day at the office."

T-7. Georgia (40)

"Mark Richt doesn't have to go outside the Peach State often, but North Carolina once again proved to be fertile recruiting ground for an out-of-state program. The nation's No. 2 RB Keith Marshall (Raleigh, N.C.) joined four Georgia natives and No. 5 OT John Theus (Jacksonville, Fla.) to help form the Bulldogs' second consecutive top-10 class. As for those two recruits from Missouri (QB Logan Gray and TE Aron White, teammates from Columbia), they never quite lived up to their billing."

T-7. LSU (40)

"The Tigers' three-year run of top-10 classes ended in 2012, though they were only down one ESPN 150 recruit from 2011 to 2012. Miles saved face by convincing No. 3 OLB Kwon Alexander (Oxford, Ala.) to leave behind Auburn and Alabama. But surprisingly, LSU was shut out of Texas for the first time in the six years we've kept score."

The coaches have spoken with their own SEC All-Freshman team, so we here at the SEC blog decided to come up with our own team.

We couldn't fit all of the youngsters on the list, and some tough cuts had to be made.

Honestly, our list wasn't much different from the coaches' list. There were a couple of changes, but nothing extreme.

One tough cut we made was Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd. He was Vandy's second wide receiver, catching 29 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a very solid first year in Nashville, Tenn., but we decided to go with LSU's Odell Beckham, who caught seven more passes and had 33 more yards. Although, Boyd had five more touchdowns. In the end, we felt he was more valuable to LSU's offense this season.

LSU also led the way with five selections, while Tennessee was second with four selections.

Here's our freshman team:

OFFENSE

QB -- Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB -- Kenny Hilliard, LSU
RB -- Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
WR -- Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR -- Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU
TE -- Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL -- Chaz Green, Florida
OL -- Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL -- Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
C -- Reese Dismukes, Auburn

DEFENSE

DL -- Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL -- Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL -- Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina
DL -- Trey Flowers, Arkansas
LB -- A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB -- Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB -- Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
CB -- Marcus Roberson, Florida
CB -- Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas
S -- Brian Randolph, Tennessee
S -- Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- James Hairston, LSU (He handled kickoff duties for the Tigers.)
P -- Brad Wing, LSU
RS -- Tre Mason, Auburn

The SEC coaches announced their selections for the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team Thursday.

LSU led the way with five selections, while Tennessee and Arkansas both had four selections.

The coaches also made Arkansas tight end Garrett Uekman, who died suddenly last month, Honorary Captain.

South Carolina placed three on the team, including SEC Freshman of the Year Jadeveon Clowney.

Here is the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team:

OFFENSE

HONORARY CAPTAIN
Garrett Uekman, Tight End, Arkansas

TE - Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL - Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OL - Chaz Green, Florida
C - Reese Dismukes, Auburn
WR - Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
QB – Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB – Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
RB – Kenny Hilliard, LSU
AP - Bruce Ellington, South Carolina

DEFENSE

DL - Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL - Trey Flowers, Arkansas
DL - Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL - Kaleb Eulls, Mississippi State
LB - A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB - Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB - Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
DB - Brian Randolph, Tennessee
DB - Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama
DB - De'Ante Saunders, Florida
DB - Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK - James Hairston, LSU
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Marquel Wade, Arkansas

• I'm actually surprised to see Saunders get the nod over teammate Marcus Roberson. Roberson was easily Florida's best cornerback this season. He has the makings of being a talented cover corner, but he did get overly aggressive throughout the season. I guess coaches paid attention to flags he earned.
• It had to be tough when the coaches looked at the quarterback position. Smith was probably the best of the bunch, and even he threw just four touchdowns to four interceptions. Still, Kentucky's offense moved down the field much better when he was on the field.
• Remember when all the talk in Oxford, Miss., before the season centered around how great true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson was going to be? Well, he had a solid first year, but it was Bryant who really came on as one of the young guys on defense. He saw tremendous playing time and was fourth on the team with 61 tackles.

Losing backup offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio for the season will make keeping Alabama’s starting offensive line healthy a major priority.

“It doesn’t affect our starters, so we keep that continuity,“ coach Nick Saban said Wednesday, “but it does affect our depth.”

The true freshman left tackle went down with a season-ending knee injury against Tennessee on Saturday.

Saban said he could use Alfred McCullough, who has moved around the line during his long career, as a backup to senior Barrett Jones at left tackle. McCullough started at right guard for Anthony Steen, who was out with an injury, against Tennessee. Steen should return for the LSU game and Saban said he could also play tackle if needed.

The Crimson Tide also has options at tackle in junior Tyler Love and redshirt freshman Austin Sheperd, who have both gotten playing time this season.

Regardless, Saban said losing Kouandjio is a big hit for the Tide’s line.

“When you lose guys it always affects your depth, and Cyrus was a very good player,“ he said. “We had looked at him as a guy, even though he’s a young player, just like a starter. He gave us some other flexibility and options because Barrett Jones could play some many different places. We don’t have that now, so hopefully -- God willing -- we’ll be able to stay health and other players will have an opportunity and I’m sure they’ll do a good job for us.”

Alabama true freshman offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, who had been working as the Crimson Tide's third tackle, will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury last week against Alabama.

Coach Nick Saban said Monday that senior outside linebacker Alex Watkins would also miss the next two to three weeks after breaking his arm. Watkins wasn't a regular starter, but did start two weeks ago against Ole Miss and was a contributor on special teams.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- We are all set down here inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, where temperatures could deep into the 40s tonight.

Both teams are making adjustments to their offensive lines tonight. For Alabama, right guard Anthony Steen is out after suffering a concussion against Ole Miss, so we'll see Alfred McCullough start in his place.

We could also see some of freshman Cyrus Kouandjio at left tackle tonight. Starter Barrett Jones missed time at practice this week, so Kouandjio could get more action tonight.

Tennessee has moved Alex Bullard, who transferred from Notre Dame, from left guard to center. James Stone moves from center to left guard. The Vols worked with this setup during the week — and Stone has had snapping issues all year.

The interesting thing about this move is that Bullard has yet to play center in an organized football game in his life. Well, what a time to make the move.

We could also see Prentiss Waggner play some corner tonight for the Vols, which would mean that freshman Brian Randolph would play in Waggner's place at safety. Waggner is Tennessee's best defensive back and is so versatile that he's also the Vols' best cover guy.

Tennessee will no doubt load the box to try and slow down Alabama running back Trent Richardson, so if someone's going to be on an island back there it might as well be Waggner.

Meanwhile, former Alabama quarterback Joe Namath is the honorary captain for the Crimson Tide tonight.

Some SEC linkage on a Wednesday:

• Alabama true freshman Cyrus Kouandjio is pushing for a starting job at left tackle.
• The NCAA denies Mike Blakely's appeal to be eligible at Auburn this season.
• Mister Cobble and Donte Rumph are primed to man the middle for Kentucky.
• A dream comes true for Ole Miss freshman receiver Donte Moncrief.
• Brandon Wilson goes from walk-on to starter for Mississippi State.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley dials down his mother's radio persona.
• Georgia's Aaron Murray has more than a little admiration for his Boise State counterpart, Kellen Moore.
• Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is raving about his co-starters at running back -- Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps.
• Arkansas' De'Anthony Curtis is thankful for another chance at running back.
• LSU's Craig Loston is poised for a breakout season.

Barrett Jones will open at left offensive tackle, and redshirt freshman DeAndrew White is a starter at receiver, according to the depth chart released Monday by Alabama.

White moves into a starting role at receiver with senior Darius Hanks unavailable for the first two games. In accordance with NCAA rules, Hanks has to sit out the first two games against Kent State and Penn State in order to be eligible the remainder of this season. Hanks played in one game in 2007.

Jones, a junior, was an All-SEC selection at right guard last season for the Crimson Tide, but has worked at both guard spots, center and left tackle this preseason. There's still a chance that Jones will go back to guard if true freshman Cyrus Kouandjio continues to develop at left tackle. It's probably just a matter of time before the 6-6, 322-pound Kouandjio cracks the starting lineup. He's been very impressive in preseason camp, and even Jones has said that Kouandjio is one of the most talented players he's seen at this level.

Sophomore guard Anthony Steen has also been one of Alabama's most improved players and is listed as a starter at right guard. Alabama coach Nick Saban said he feels like the Tide have six or seven players up front that he considers starters. Jones is also listed at left guard on the depth chart alongside Chance Warmack. Saban said Jones would probably end up playing both tackle and guard Saturday in the opener against Kent State and that Kouandjio would play some at left tackle.

AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims are bracketed as the No. 1 quarterbacks, and both will play. That's going to be the plan for at least the first few weeks of the season.

On defense, junior college newcomer Jesse Williams is listed as the starter at one of the defensive end spots. Nico Johnson and C.J. Mosley are bracketed as co-starters at weak side linebacker.

Some of the best news for the Crimson Tide on Monday involved touted junior college receiver Duron Carter. Saban said it looks like the transcript issues that had prevented Carter from joining the team earlier this preseason have been resolved. Carter was on the practice field Monday with the rest of his Alabama teammates.

Saban said it was unlikely that Carter would play in the opener and that Alabama would use this week and the next to get him up to speed. Alabama travels to Penn State the second week of the season. The 6-4, 210-pound Carter, the son of former NFL receiver Cris Carter, is expected to make an immediate impact in the Tide's passing game. He started his career at Ohio State before leaving school and going to junior college.

We kick it off in the SEC in 10 days. For now, we'll settle for a little linkage:

• Don Kausler, Jr. of The Birmingham News examines how many true freshmen will play for Alabama this season.
• Cornerback Jonathan Jones of Carrollton, Ga., commits to Auburn. Jones is ranked by ESPN as the No. 22 cornerback prospect in the country.
• Auburn's Trovon Reed is ready to make an impact this season.
• Arkansas' Jerico Nelson is a valuable part of the Hogs' defense no matter where he lines up.
• Florida coach Will Muschamp says he supports receivers coach Aubrey Hill 100 percent. Hill was mentioned in the Yahoo Sports story concerning violations at Miami.
• Melvin Ingram is South Carolina's forgotten man in the defensive line.
• Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf hopes to build on his late surge from a year ago.
• Stuart Hines is the quiet leader of Kentucky's offensive line.
• A former baseball player, Tennessee safety Brent Brewer is becoming the Vols' "power hitter."
• Vanderbilt's players form their own scooter club.
• The lawyer for the four LSU players implicated in last week's bar fight has delayed their meeting with police.
• LSU's Barkevious Mingo is racing to get after the quarterback.
• The early reviews on Alex Ogletree's move to safety are all good for Georgia.

Looking back at some of the scrimmage highlights from this past Saturday:

ALABAMA

Alabama coach Nick Saban would like to see more of his second-team players playing at a higher level, but he was pleased with his first units in last Saturday's scrimmage. In particular, he said the quarterbacks threw the deep ball well, and the Crimson Tide made more explosive plays down the field than they did the week before. Don't be surprised if senior receiver Marquis Maze emerges this season as one of the top big-play threats in the league. Saban continues to say that both quarterbacks, AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims, are going to play, although Alabama is not releasing any quarterback statistics from the closed scrimmages. The Crimson Tide are still searching for their best combination in the offensive line. True freshman Cyrus Kouandjio has been everything Alabama thought he was and is making a legitimate run at the starting left tackle job. It's also been a very good preseason camp for sophomore offensive guard Anthony Steen.

AUBURN

The Tigers' scrimmage last Saturday focused more on the younger players, so true freshman Kiehl Frazier took the snaps at quarterback. One of the stars of the scrimmage was true freshman receiver Quan Bray. He's not the only first-year playmaker who's made a name for himself this preseason. It's also been a big camp for true freshman running back Tre Mason. Two other true freshmen expected to contribute right away are center Reese Dismukes and safety Erique Florence. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said after the scrimmage that it was the toughest decision he's had in picking a starting quarterback. Junior Barrett Trotter helped separate himself with his mental and physical toughness, according to Malzahn. Freshman receiver Sammie Coates will have foot surgery this week.

GEORGIA

Back from a groin injury, true freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell was impressive last Saturday during the scrimmage part of the Bulldogs' practice. Coach Mark Richt told reporters that Crowell had a "couple of great runs" and also had a "great run after the catch" for a touchdown. It was the first time Crowell had gone full speed since injuring his groin on Aug. 12. True freshman receiver Malcolm Mitchell sat out Saturday with a pulled leg muscle, but is making a strong bid to be one of the Bulldogs' top three receivers. One of the surprises this preseason for Georgia has been that junior college newcomer John Jenkins hasn't been able to overtake Kwame Geathers at nose guard. Jenkins sat out Saturday after pulling his hamstring Friday in practice.

KENTUCKY

Coach Joker Phillips liked the aggressiveness of his defense in last Saturday's scrimmage. He said the Wildcats are running to the ball and attacking from different angles. One of first-year defensive coordinator Rick Minter's priorities was to create more turnovers. The first-team defense gave up a couple of big plays early in the scrimmage, but settled down after that, Phillips said. Quarterback Morgan Newton continues to play with confidence this preseason, and Phillips really likes Newton's command of the offense right now. The Wildcats are still trying to settle on their starting receivers, although Phillips felt like they caught the ball as a team better on Saturday.

OLE MISS

The Rebels' first-team defense was missing some key players nursing injuries in last Saturday's scrimmage, including linebacker Joel Kight and safety Damien Jackson, but defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was still pleased with some of the turnovers they were able to create. Wesley Pendleton and Tanner Burns both had interceptions, and true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson had another big scrimmage. There's still no word on Ole Miss' starting quarterback, and coach Houston Nutt is content to let the competition play out. Randall Mackey started out with the first team and was intercepted by Pendleton on his first play, but came back later in the scrimmage and threw a 53-yard pass to Donte Moncrief.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Coach Steve Spurrier was anything but pleased with his offense following last Saturday's scrimmage. But the defense? That was a different story. "The defense took charge," said Spurrier, noting that the offense had trouble making a first down when they put the ball on the 30. Quarterback Stephen Garcia struggled through a 3-for-11 day passing and was also intercepted once. Backup quarterback Connor Shaw, who played extremely well in the last scrimmage, didn't participate in this scrimmage after injuring his thumb. He hopes to return this week. The Gamecocks held out star running back Marcus Lattimore and star receiver Alshon Jeffery from the full-field part of the scrimmage. Once again, freshman defensive end Jadeveon Clowney made his presence felt. This should be the Gamecocks' best defensive line in a long time.

TENNESSEE

The offense and defense differed as to who won last Saturday's scrimmage, but coach Derek Dooley felt like there was improvement across the board. The first-team offense put together a pair of drives that were at least 10 plays. Quarterback Tyler Bray had his most efficient performance of the preseason scrimmages, going 10-for-20 for 144 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass to true freshman Vincent Dallas. Dooley feels like the Vols will be better equipped to run the football this season. True freshman Marlin Lane's speed has helped. Defensively, true freshman outside linebacker Curt Maggitt has been one of the stories of preseason camp. He had four tackles in Saturday's scrimmage.

VANDERBILT

The defense forced five turnovers, and it was an overall sloppy performance by the Commodores' passing game in last Saturday night's scrimmage. Dropped passes plagued Vanderbilt on offense. It wasn't a live scrimmage, and the whistle blew when defenders touched the offensive player. Still, coach James Franklin was pleased with his defense's performance. Cornerback Trey Wilson intercepted a Larry Smith pass and returned it 35 yards. Backup quarterback Jordan Rodgers was intercepted on back-to-back passes. The offense managed just two touchdowns in the 99-play scrimmage. The Commodores are still looking for somebody other than Jordan Matthews at the receiver position to emerge as a consistent playmaker.

On Wednesday, we highlighted the three players we feel like will be the top impact true freshmen in the SEC this season as well as the three sophomores we feel like will have the biggest impacts.

That’s a perfect segue to picking the teams in the league that have the best young talent. And in young talent, we’re talking about players who will be sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen in 2011.

No. 1 on our list is an easy choice -- LSU. The Tigers might have as much talent in their freshman and sophomore classes as any team in America.

Here’s a look at how our top 5 teams stack up:

1. LSU: Check out that LSU defense. The Tigers have at least 10 players who are sophomores or younger that will play key roles this season, and most of those have star potential. In the secondary alone, you’ve got sophomores Tyrann Mathieu, Tharold Simon, Eric Reid and Craig Loston, not to mention redshirt freshman Ronnie Vinson. And up front, defensive coordinator John Chavis can’t wait to turn redshirt freshman Ego Ferguson and true freshman Anthony Johnson loose at tackle, while sophomore Michael Brockers also returns inside. Chavis has said sophomore defensive end Barkevious Mingo will be one of the premier pass-rushers in the league, and don’t forget that sophomore Sam Montgomery is back at the other end. Montgomery started the first five games as a redshirt freshman and had six tackles for loss before injuring his knee. Sophomore Kevin Minter is the favorite to replace Kelvin Sheppard at middle linebacker. On offense, there aren’t as many talented underclassmen that stand out -- yet. But sophomore tailback Spencer Ware is primed for a huge season and might be the SEC’s top breakout player. Sophomore guard Josh Williford was one of the team’s most improved players in the spring, and the Tigers like their entire crop of young offensive linemen. True freshman receiver Jarvis Landry has dynamic playmaker written all over him, although a broken foot will cause him to miss the first three weeks of camp. Last but not least, the Tigers’ quarterback of the future, former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger, is only a sophomore and has three years of eligibility remaining after spending last season at junior college. Don’t be surprised if Mettenberger plays some this season.

2. Florida: It’s hard to beat the Gators’ young collection of talent in both the offensive and defensive lines. On offense, sophomore guard Jon Halapio is one of three underclassmen who could wind up in the starting lineup or at least be in the rotation. And on defense, the second time around for Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley should be a lot better. All three are supremely talented. Sophomore safety Matt Elam leads a secondary that is full of promising newcomers. Coach Will Muschamp thinks true freshman cornerbacks Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson both have a chance to be special, and watch sophomore Jelani Jenkins take off this season and become an All-SEC caliber player at linebacker. Redshirt freshman receiver Quinton Dunbar has had an excellent start to camp, and true freshman Ja’Juan Story is another receiver the Gators think will provide more plays down the field. Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed and sophomore running back Trey Burton have already proven that they have what it takes to make plays in this league (at a number of different positions), and true freshman Jeff Driskel was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country last year.

3. Auburn: The Tigers’ past two recruiting classes have ranked among the top 5 nationally, and you’re going to see a ton of those players on the field this season. The sophomore class will be especially important. Guys like defensive ends Nosa Eguae, Corey Lemonier and Craig Sanders, defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker and running back Mike Dyer will be the heart and soul of this team. Redshirt freshman receiver Trovon Reed would have made a big impact last season had he not had the knee problems, and coach Gene Chizik is already on record as saying the true freshmen would be playing and not watching this season. The ones who might play the quickest are Reese Dismukes and Christian Westermann in the offensive line, Jermaine Whitehead at cornerback, Robenson Therezie at safety and Kiehl Frazier at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Chad Slade and sophomore Blake Burgess have been working some with the first-team offensive line, and true freshman Quan Bray is one of those guys who just makes plays no matter where he lines up.

4. Tennessee: The Vols were one of the youngest teams in the SEC last season and will be again this season. They started three true freshmen in the offensive line – tackle Ja’Wuan James, guard Zach Fulton and center James Stone – and then added to that base with Notre Dame transfer Alex Bullard, a sophomore, and true freshmen Marcus Jackson and Antonio Richardson. Second-year coach Derek Dooley thinks it’s an offensive line that has a chance to be dominant. There’s also sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray, who threw 18 touchdown passes as a true freshman, and his top two targets are sophomores Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers. Already immensely talented, Rogers was one of the Vols’ most improved players in the spring. The Vols brought in several reinforcements on defense. Junior college nose guard Maurice Couch will be just a sophomore. The same goes for junior college defensive backs Byron Moore and Izauea Lanier. The guy the Vols’ defensive staff thinks might really break out this season is sophomore defensive end Jacques Smith, and true freshman running back Marlin Lane could be that breakaway threat Tennessee was missing a year ago.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide probably deserve to be ranked even higher. But they’ve been so talented over the past few seasons that the younger players simply haven’t had a chance to play. We’ll see more of them this season, guys like sophomore cornerback Dee Milliner, sophomore running back Eddie Lacy, sophomore defensive end Ed Stinson, sophomore safety Jarrick Williams, sophomore safety Nick Perry and redshirt freshman receiver DeAndrew White. Sophomore offensive tackle D.J. Fluker was a starter last season, and so was sophomore linebacker C.J. Mosley. Coach Nick Saban has yet to make a decision at quarterback, but the thinks he has two he can win with -- sophomore AJ McCarron and redshirt freshman Phillip Sims. True freshman Cyrus Kouandjio was the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the country last year, and even though true freshman running back Dee Hart was injured this offseason, he’s certainly going to be heard from in the future. On defense, true freshman end LaMichael Fanning has been impressive to this point in camp, and that’s a position the Tide could use some help at this season.

One of the top priorities for Alabama when fall camp opens Friday is to settle on its best combination in the offensive line.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said All-SEC performer Barrett Jones would work at both left tackle and right guard to begin camp.

"We’ll work him at both positions until we can determine who’s the best fifth player in the offensive line," Saban said.

In other words, if prized true freshman Cyrus Kouandjio demonstrates that he can get the job done at left tackle, Jones will stay at guard. The same goes for senior Alfred McCullough, who played some left tackle in the spring. McCullough, though, is probably best suited to play guard.

In an ideal world, the Crimson Tide would like to keep Jones inside. That way, they keep their interior intact with senior William Vlachos at center and junior Chance Warmack at left guard. Sophomore D.J. Fluker returns at right tackle, and he's probably going to stay on the right side.

Sophomore guard Anthony Steen is in that mix, too. If he plays well during preseason camp and gives the coaches confidence that he can hold up there in the middle, they might be more inclined to leave Jones at left tackle.

The good news for the Crimson Tide is that the 6-foot-5, 311-pound Jones is talented enough, versatile enough and smart enough that he's going to be a force wherever they put him in that offensive line. He's started in 25 games at right guard his first two seasons and earned third-team All-America honors a year ago as a sophomore.

True freshmen have been rolling onto SEC campuses this month to get a jump on summer school, and more are on the way for the second session of summer school.

Every year about this time, it’s the same question: Who among the true freshmen will make the biggest impact?

We’ll take our stab at it, breaking it down by division.

We’ll start with the West. One thing to keep in mind is that we’re only including true freshmen who weren’t on campus early and didn’t go through spring practice, so you’re not going to see guys like LSU’s Anthony Johnson, Arkansas’ Brey Cook, Auburn’s Reese Dismukes and Florida’s Jeff Driskel on this list.

We’ll do our impact newcomers (freshman early enrollees, junior college players, transfers, everybody) at a later date.

For now, here’s a look at who among the incoming true freshmen in the West might contribute right away. Edward will do the same with the East later today:

ALABAMA

Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, S: Alabama boasts one of the best safety tandems in the league in Mark Barron and Robert Lester, but the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Clinton-Dix has the size and skill set to come in and make the Crimson Tide even stronger on the back end of their defense.

Cyrus Kouandjio, OT: One of the top offensive tackle prospects in the country last year, Kouandjio could provide some immediate depth. The Tide were already looking at moving All-SEC guard Barrett Jones to left tackle.

ARKANSAS

Tevin Mitchel, CB: The Hogs ended the spring a cornerback short in their secondary, which is where Mitchel comes in. He’ll get a chance to show what he can do this fall both as a lock-down cover guy and potentially as a return specialist. It was a real coup for Arkansas to get him away from Nebraska.

AUBURN

Erique Florence, S: The Tigers were hit hard in the secondary by personnel losses, and Florence was one of the most coveted safety prospects in the country last year. He’s a big-time talent with the size (6-2, 190 pounds) to come in and contribute right away.

Kiehl Frazier, QB: It’s never easy for a quarterback to go straight from high school to the SEC without the benefit of enrolling early and going through spring practice. But the Tigers haven’t settled on a quarterback, and Frazier is the type of run-pass threat Gus Malzahn is looking for in his offense.

Jermaine Whitehead, CB: There should be some fierce competition at cornerback this fall on the Plains, and Whitehead will be one to watch. Auburn was able to sway him late in the recruiting process, and he’s expected to vie for a starting spot from the time he walks onto the practice field.

LSU

Jarvis Landry, WR: If the Tigers are going to make a run at a national championship in 2011, they’re going to need a lot more production from their passing game than they got a year ago. Landry is dynamic in the open field and should complement Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard nicely.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Joe Morrow, WR: Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has been outspoken about the Bulldogs’ need for more receivers. The 6-4, 200-pound Morrow gives them a different dimension with his size and ability to make plays over the middle.

OLE MISS

C.J. Johnson, LB: As long as Johnson stays away from Twitter, he’s poised to play a major role at linebacker for the Rebels in 2011. Losing D.T. Shackelford to a knee injury threw the door wide open for Johnson, who could play in the middle or outside.

Tobias Singleton, WR: A lot of the attention in Oxford has been concentrated on who’s going to be throwing passes for Ole Miss this coming season. Singleton, who says he qualified academically, is one of those sure-handed, athletic receivers who could help spruce up any passing game.