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Every year, I'm surprised at who goes in the NFL draft and how high they go and who never gets that call.

The biggest surprise for me this year was that Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard went undrafted.

Granted, he doesn't have ideal size for an interior defensive lineman (280 pounds), but you'd be hard-pressed to find a defensive lineman in the SEC who was more consistent than Sheppard the past two seasons. He recorded 24.5 tackles for loss over his last two years at Arkansas and collected more than 10 tackles for loss in each of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

He's played both end and tackle in his career, has a great work ethic and plays hard on every down. Just ask the guys at Florida and Alabama who tried to block him last season.

The thing that killed him was a shoulder injury he suffered in the Liberty Bowl. He tore ligaments and didn't undergo surgery. That led to a poor showing at the NFL combine, and as recently as March, Sheppard said the shoulder was still only about 80 percent.

If he gets back to 100 percent, the Houston Texans may have gotten a steal in free agency. His challenge is going to be finding a position. He's not really an end, and it remains to be seen if he's big enough to play inside in the NFL.

One of the other big surprises in the SEC was that somebody didn't take a shot on Auburn's Antonio Coleman, who led the league in sacks and tackles for loss last season. Coleman, too, is in between positions. He played defensive end in college, but will probably have to shift to outside linebacker in the NFL. Coleman signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills, who are switching to a 3-4 defense.

Other prominent SEC players who weren't drafted included LSU tight end Richard Dickson, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead, Ole Miss receiver Shay Hodge, South Carolina safety Darian Stewart, Tennessee linebacker Rico McCoy, Alabama tight end Colin Peek and Vanderbilt safety Ryan Hamilton.

Snead's decision to turn pro early was puzzling when he made the announcement. Now it's to the point where it's almost sad how far he's fallen.

Going into last season, the feeling by many NFL analysts was that he was a first-round pick and possibly one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. But when you throw 20 interceptions in a season and look jittery in the pocket every time you feel pressure, things change in a hurry.

If you want to have a little fun at my expense, go back and look at my Top 30 players in the SEC heading into last season.

Not that I was the only one, but I didn’t even have the Heisman Trophy winner anywhere on the list. Mark Ingram didn’t make the cut. Talk about coming from nowhere to win college football’s most prestigious individual award.

Some of the other things that stick out is that I obviously had Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster (No. 28) too low and Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead (No. 3) too high.

I also whiffed on Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez. I knew soon after completing that list that leaving Hernandez off was a bad mistake.

Others like Ole Miss’ Greg Hardy and Kentucky’s Trevard Lindley were injured and didn’t have big seasons, so I had them ranked too high.

In short, if we were doing a postseason Top 30 list in the SEC, it would look a lot different.

How different?

Let’s sketch one out and see.

Beginning today, I’ll unveil picks No. 30 through No. 26, and we’ll count it down to the top player in the SEC this season.

Keep in mind that this ranking is based on this season only, including the bowl games.

So here goes:

No. 30: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama: He was a top-5 player on the preseason list and deserved every bit of it based on a fabulous freshman season. But this season, Jones suffered a knee injury in the second game that held him back during the first half of the season. He came on once he got healthier and made a huge play in the LSU game to turn that game around. He's still a great player with great upside. He just didn't have a great sophomore season.

No. 29: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU: Consistency was the name of the game for LaFell, who was also a member of the preseason list. LaFell led the SEC with 11 touchdown catches. That's after catching eight touchdowns as a junior. In reality, he was about the only semblance of offense the Tigers had most of the season, and they probably should have gotten him the ball even more than they did.

No. 28: Terrence Cody, NG, Alabama: He had one of the plays of the year with his blocked field goal as time expired to save the Tennessee game, and he's unquestionably a load when it comes to stopping the run. But Cody wasn't an every-down player and was probably overrated when you consider all the first-team All-America honors he raked in. There's still no denying his presence in the middle.

No. 27: Mark Barron, S, Alabama: One of the breakthrough players of the season in the SEC, Barron led the league with seven interceptions on his way to first-team All-SEC honors. His emergence helped to solidify an Alabama secondary that proved to be one of the best in the country.

No. 26: Malcolm Sheppard, DT, Arkansas: One of the bright spots for the Hogs on defense, Sheppard was a force in the middle and finished second among SEC interior defensive linemen with 11 tackles for loss. He was also effective at pushing the pocket in pass-rushing situations. He had two of his best games against the two best teams Arkansas faced -- Alabama and Florida.

Now we turn our attention to the defensive players in the SEC over the last five seasons who weren’t necessarily big names during the recruiting process, but wound up playing big where it counts – on the field:

DL Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas: Most recruiting services didn’t even rate him because he was a slow 205-pound receiver coming out of high school. He grew into a defensive end who led the SEC with 13.5 sacks in 2006 and was selected with the eighth overall pick of the 2007 NFL draft.

DL Antonio Coleman, Auburn: With all the sacks Coleman racked up during his career at Auburn, it’s hard to believe he was only a three-star prospect. However, he didn’t even weigh 220 pounds coming out of high school, which no doubt hurt his rating.

DL Malcolm Sheppard, Arkansas: A three-star prospect who chose among Arkansas, South Carolina and Southern Miss, Sheppard wasn’t ranked among the top prospects in the state of Georgia. All he did the last two seasons was lead SEC interior linemen with 24.5 tackles for loss.

DL Dan Williams Tennessee: Williams is another three-star prospect who may end up going in the first round of April’s NFL draft. When he came to Tennessee in 2005, he was considered by some to be the throw-in along with his higher-rated high school teammate, Malcolm Rawls.

LB DeMeco Ryans, Alabama: Ryans remains one of the top linebackers in the NFL and was the Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC as a senior at Alabama. But coming out of high school, he was a three-star prospect, and nearly 40 other linebackers were rated ahead of him nationally.

LB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss: Like Ryans, Willis is one of the top linebackers in the NFL. But he wasn't even seriously recruited by his home-state school, Tennessee, and instead went to Ole Miss, where he carved out a brilliant career. He was a two-time All-American and won the Butkus Award in 2006 as the nation's top linebacker.

LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina: He played high school football in Acworth, Ga., but wasn't recruited by Georgia. In fact, his only other visit besides South Carolina was to Oklahoma State. Norwood set the career sacks and tackles for loss record at South Carolina and earned All-SEC honors each of the last three seasons.

DB Javier Arenas, Alabama: Florida Atlantic and Florida International were battling it out for Arenas until Alabama decided to take him late. Not only did he become one of the most feared punt returners in college football history with seven taken back for touchdowns, but he developed into a first-team All-American at cornerback this past season.

DB Captain Munnerlyn, South Carolina: A two-star player whose finalists were Kansas State, West Virginia and South Carolina, Munnerlyn was both a productive cornerback and return specialist for South Carolina and just finished his rookie season in the NFL after turning pro early.

DB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt: Clemson and South Carolina are both still wondering how they let Moore get out of state to the Commodores. Nobody questioned his athletic ability. They just questioned where he would play in college. It was an easy answer once he got to Vanderbilt. He developed into a two-time All-SEC selection at cornerback and is now in the NFL.

DB Rashad Johnson, Alabama: Johnson was such an unknown that he and his father sent out recruiting tapes to colleges just hoping to get a look. He ended up walking on at Alabama after turning down a scholarship offer to The Citadel and was a two-time All-SEC selection. Johnson intercepted 11 passes his last two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Here’s a look at the SEC seniors invited to participate in the NFL scouting combine Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. There will also be some underclassmen invited once the deadline passes for early entry into the draft.

LSU had the most players invited in the SEC with 11. Alabama was second with eight:

ALABAMA

CB Javier Arenas

NG Terrence Cody

DE Brandon Deaderick

OL Mike Johnson

TE Colin Peek

K Leigh Tiffin

DE Lorenzo Washington

S Justin Woodall

ARKANSAS

OL Mitch Petrus

DT Malcolm Sheppard

AUBURN

RB Ben Tate

FLORIDA

WR Riley Cooper

DE Jermaine Cunningham

RB/RS Brandon James

LB Brandon Spikes

QB Tim Tebow

GEORGIA

DT Geno Atkins

KENTUCKY

FB John Conner

LB Micah Johnson

CB Trevard Lindley

LB Sam Maxwell

DT Corey Peters

LSU

DE Rahim Alem

DT Charles Alexander

OT Ciron Black

LB Harry Coleman

CB Chris Hawkins

RS Trindon Holliday

WR Brandon LaFell

LB Perry Riley

RB Charles Scott

RB Keiland Williams

DT Al Woods

MISSISSIPPI STATE

RB Anthony Dixon

OLE MISS

CB Marshay Green

DE Greg Hardy

WR Shay Hodge

OL John Jerry

S Kendrick Lewis

RB Dexter McCluster

SOUTH CAROLINA

LB Eric Norwood

S Darian Stewart

TENNESSEE

RB Montario Hardesty

OT Chris Scott

DT Dan Williams

VANDERBILT

CB Myron Lewis

OT Thomas Welch

A look at what's making headlines around the SEC:

• Former Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta says SEC games were the worst officiated games he saw all season.
• Ole Miss is seeking heirs to top offensive threats Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge.
• Georgia coach Mark Richt says his search for a defensive coordinator could now extend into the latter part of January, and he says Rodney Garner is not a candidate.
• Legion Field brings back memories for Steve Spurrier, writes Ron Morris of The State newspaper.
• Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said the Vols don't need any extra motivation for Thursday's Chick-Fil-A Bowl matchup with Virginia Tech.
• Arkansas' Malcolm Sheppard hopes to get a few more chances to rush the passer in the Autozone Liberty Bowl.
• Auburn receiver Darvin Adams is catching everything but acclaim, writes Jay G. Tate of The Montgomery Advertiser.

If you don’t have all your Christmas shopping done, you better hurry. We’re a week away.

So before I hit the mall (yikes!), let’s empty out the SEC mailbag:

Jamie in Louisville, Ky., writes: Who in the SEC faces the toughest task in the bowl game, and who has the easiest task?

Chris Low: I think Tennessee is in for a real fight in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Virginia Tech is stout defensively (14^th nationally in total defense), has a super freshman running back in Ryan Williams (fifth nationally with 1,538 rushing yards) and is always a load on special teams. The Hokies won their last four games and didn’t give up more than 13 points along the way. Plus, they really want to beat an SEC team after losing their last four games to SEC foes. The other thing that’s a concern for the Vols is that they weren’t the same defense the final month of the season. As for who has the easiest task, I’ll go with Georgia over Texas A&M in the Advocare V100 Independence Bowl. I know the Bulldogs had their struggles on defense this season, but the Aggies gave up an average of 49 points in their six losses. Georgia might win this game something like 52-35.

Robert in Mobile, Ala., writes: Does Alabama and Mark Ingram have anything to worry about with the Heisman jinx? It seems like nobody ever plays well in the bowl game after winning the Heisman. Do you think that will affect the national championship game?

Chris Low: It’s a fact that the last four Heisman Trophy winners and five of the last six have lost in their bowl games, but four of those guys were quarterbacks. Ingram could have a so-so game, and I still think Alabama is balanced enough offensively to win. The Crimson Tide’s performance in the SEC championship game was an offensive clinic, and their line is playing at an extremely high level right now. All that said, I’ll try to ask coach Saban about his take on the Heisman jinx when I’m in Tuscaloosa next week. Then again, maybe I won’t.

Will in Little Rock, Ark., writes: In your blog about SEC bowl records, Alabama has a 3-3 record in bowl games this decade, winning in 01, 05 and 07 and losing in 04, 06 and 08. They didn’t play in 00, 02 and 03. So it’s not a 3-4 record. Thank you.

Chris Low: To clear up any confusion, I counted any game that was played from 2000 on as part of this decade. Alabama lost 35-34 to Michigan in overtime in the 2000 Orange Bowl, which is where the extra loss comes from. I realize that game came at the tail end of the 1999 season, but it was played on Jan. 1, 2000, which is the reason it was included. The same goes for Florida’s 37-34 loss to Michigan State (and Plaxico Burress) in the 2000 Citrus Bowl or Tennessee’s 31-21 loss to Nebraska in the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.

Stan in North Augusta, S.C., writes: Hi Chris. Now that Coach Wolford has left South Carolina for the Youngstown State job, who do you think are the leading candidates for the offensive line job at South Carolina?

Chris Low: For starters, I don’t think coach Spurrier is real thrilled to be in the market for an offensive line coach for the second year in a row. I also don’t think he’s real thrilled with Wolford being one-and-done at South Carolina. The offensive line is the one aspect of that team you still wonder about. But if the Gamecocks can be a little more consistent up front and protect Stephen Garcia better next season, I think they have a chance to have their best season under Spurrier. The pieces seem to be in place everywhere else. The guy I would go get (and the guy Spurrier tried to hire last year) is Vanderbilt assistant head coach/offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, who’s a heck of a coach and a Pageland, S.C., native. Caldwell may be hard to pry away, though. He’s been with Bobby Johnson for a long time. Another guy to keep an eye on is Syracuse offensive line coach Greg Adkins, who was at Tennessee under Phillip Fulmer. Spurrier may take his time with this hire. He knows how important it is.

John in Lexington, Ky., writes: Why have you left Corey Peters off all of your All-SEC lists?

Chris Low: I wouldn’t take that as an indictment of Peters, who had his best season at Kentucky for sure. It’s just that there are so many quality defensive linemen in this league, and I felt Arkansas’ Malcolm Sheppard and Tennessee’s Dan Williams were a little better this season as interior linemen. If you noticed, I also didn’t have Alabama’s Terrence Cody or Florida’s Carlos Dunlap on my first team. Both guys are great players, but they didn’t necessarily have great seasons.

In his second season at Arkansas, Bobby Petrino has the Razorbacks (7-5, 3-5) in a bowl game. They will face East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

It could have been the AT&T Cotton Bowl had they been able to hold onto a late lead against Arkansas the final weekend of the regular season. Defensive issues plagued the Hogs most of the season, especially when it came to shutting down the pass.

They lost to Georgia at home despite scoring 41 points and lost the finale despite scoring 30. Perhaps their best defensive moment came in a 23-20 loss at Florida.

What the Hogs did right was move the football and score points with the best of them. Ryan Mallett was a perfect fit for Petrino’s system and took turns spreading the ball around to the playmakers on this team. Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright combined for 18 touchdown catches.

Arkansas won four of its last five games. Included were impressive victories over South Carolina and Mississippi State. But the one that will stick with them was that overtime loss at LSU when they allowed the Tigers to drive down the field in regulation and force the extra period.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Mallett, QB. Mallett was so good that the Hogs are worried about him turning pro after just one season at Arkansas. The transfer from Michigan led the SEC with 3,425 yards passing and 29 touchdowns and just got better and better as the season progressed.

Defensive MVP: Malcolm Sheppard, DT. He was one of the most underrated players in the SEC a year ago, but there’s nothing underrated about Sheppard after his second straight All-SEC caliber season. He was one of the top interior linemen in the league, and his 11 tackles for loss tied Kentucky’s Corey Peters and Ole Miss’ Jerrell Powe as the most by a defensive tackle in the SEC.

Turning point: The 44-23 win over Auburn the fifth week of the season was the key victory for the Hogs. They were 2-2 at that point, but had lost both of their SEC games, one of those at home. They couldn’t afford another home loss that early in the season.

What’s next: So much rides on whether Mallett decides to turn pro or stay in school. He’s trying to get an accurate gauge on where he would go if he does elect to enter the draft. If he comes back, when you look at all the returning talent around him on offense, the Hogs have a chance to contend in the West if they can solve some of their defensive problems.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

With Halloween just around the corner and all the goblins sure to be out on Saturday night, I’ll take a stab at the 12 scariest players in the SEC.

These are guys you wouldn’t want to make mad and certainly wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley if they had an issue with you.

Here’s my list (Hope none of them are mad at me):

1. Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain

2. Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes

3. Mississippi State defensive end Pernell McPhee

4. Arkansas defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard

5. Kentucky linebacker Micah Johnson

6. Florida safety Major Wright

7. Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Trahan

8. Arkansas offensive guard Mitch Petrus

9. Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve

10. Tennessee offensive guard Vladimir Richard

11. Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba

12. LSU defensive tackle Drake Nevis

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said his team officially closed the book on its bitter 23-20 loss to Florida this past Monday night.

But unofficially, the fallout from that game has lingered all week.

There was the unprecedented move on Wednesday by the SEC announcing that the officiating crew that worked the game would be suspended for the next several weeks. Arkansas’ Malcolm Sheppard was called for a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Florida’s game-tying drive that should have never been called.

There were several other calls in the game that also went against the Hogs, and Petrino vented enough about those calls that he was publicly reprimanded by the SEC on Thursday for publicly criticizing the officials.

So as Arkansas gets set to go to Ole Miss on Saturday, it will be interesting to see if the Hogs can build off their performance at the Swamp last weekend or are still wallowing in what might have been.

“One of the things I try to talk to our players about is that it’s not about what happens to you in life, but how you deal with it,” Petrino said. “We have to deal with it properly.”

One thing that’s clear about this Arkansas team is that it’s a different defense than we saw back in September. The Hogs are playing with more confidence, more poise and more understanding of what they’re trying to get done on that side of the ball.

Petrino said the key has been the defensive staff not panicking, and instead of tinkering with schemes, continuing to work fundamentals and techniques.

“We’ve made sure we were in our run gaps and were using our hands,” Petrino said. “Our linebackers are attacking down the field. It’s helped us that our linebackers understand blocking schemes and are attacking the run instead of sitting back and waiting for it. Our safeties have done a nice job of reading when it’s run and reading when it’s pass. It’s just kind of been the overall package.

“Our guys are understanding better, are getting better at technique and I think know a lot more about what our opponents are trying to do. They’ve learned football a lot better.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low


The toughest part of what was a brutal schedule would appear to be behind Arkansas, which has managed to hang in there pretty well. The Hogs (3-3, 1-3) were a couple of missed field goals and a couple of brutal calls by officials away from knocking off No. 1 Florida last week in the Swamp. The game Arkansas would love to have back is that 52-41 loss to Georgia at home the third week of the season. But since that game, the Hogs’ defense has improved dramatically. They sacked Florida quarterback Tim Tebow six times last Saturday in their 23-20 loss to the Gators. Some injuries on offense have watered down their stable of playmakers, but they’re still third in the SEC in total offense and averaging 34.5 points per game.

Offensive MVP: QB Ryan Mallett. He’s been the top newcomer in the SEC and has taken Arkansas’ passing game to new heights. Mallett leads all SEC quarterbacks with 1,646 passing yards and 14 touchdowns and has only thrown three interceptions. He’s a great fit for Bobby Petrino’s system and should only get better the second half of the season.

Defensive MVP: DT Malcolm Sheppard. While he doesn’t have huge total tackle numbers, there’s no denying Sheppard’s presence in the middle of that Arkansas defense. He leads the SEC with eight tackles for loss and is one of those dominant interior defensive linemen that makes everybody else around him more effective.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

As the fallout continues from several questionable calls that went against Arkansas in its 23-20 loss to Florida last week, the SEC has issued a statement saying that the 15-yard personal foul penalty on Arkansas defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard shouldn’t have been called.

Sheppard and Florida’s Marcus Gilbert collided in the fourth quarter away from the ball, and Sheppard was hit with a 15-yard personal foul penalty. That’s despite Gilbert looking like he was the one who initiated the collision.

The statement from the SEC office read: "After video review, there was no evidence on the video to support the personal foul penalty called on Arkansas midway through the fourth quarter. The other calls that were referenced are judgment calls and a review of those calls have been communicated to Arkansas."

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said he spoke by phone with SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding about the penalties.

The Gators were given a first-and-goal at the 10 following the personal foul penalty on Sheppard and scored a touchdown on the next play to tie the game at 20-20. Just before the penalty on Sheppard, Arkansas cornerback Ramon Broadway was called for pass interference on Florida's Deonte Thompson.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

For the third straight Monday, the residue from some questionable calls by officials in games is lingering around the SEC.

If you’re not a Florida fan (and even if you are a Florida fan), you can’t feel good about the two 15-yard penalties called against Arkansas on the Gators’ game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

The pass interference call on Arkansas cornerback Ramon Broadway was bad enough, but the personal foul penalty on defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard was completely bogus. That’s one of those calls that drives coaches crazy.

Let the players on the field decide the game.

It’s the fourth quarter and one team’s driving. The official in that situation simply has to show some discretion there.

For what it’s worth, the crew that worked the Arkansas-Florida game was the same crew that worked the Georgia-LSU game when all the controversy flared up about the excessive celebration penalty on A.J. Green. Afterward, Rogers Redding, the SEC’s coordinator of officials, came out and said there was nothing on the tape that he saw that warranted a penalty being called on Green.

There was also the blunder with the fourth-down play not being reviewed last week in the Mississippi State-Houston game, but those weren't SEC officials working that game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Now we're getting down to where you win and lose games in the SEC. The defensive linemen in this league are outstanding:


1. Ole Miss: Ed Orgeron recruited a few talented defensive linemen before he left Ole Miss, didn't he? The Rebels go about nine or 10 deep, and they all can play. Tackle Jerrell Powe is in great shape and wreaking havoc inside, while Greg Hardy is one of the most feared pass-rushers in the college game.


2. Florida: In any other league, the Gators would be at the top. Junior end Carlos Dunlap is a 285-pound pass-rushing machine. He and fellow end Jermaine Cunningham combined for 15.5 sacks last season. The Gators are also imposing in the middle with tackle Lawrence Marsh, but there's great competition up and down the line.


3. Alabama: Looking at the Alabama defensive front now is reminiscent of what LSU looked like up front when Nick Saban left the Bayou. Nose guard Terrence Cody is the ultimate run-stuffer, but 296-pound sophomore end Marcell Dareus may be the best of the bunch.


4. LSU: Just because the Tigers are fourth, don't discount them moving up in these rankings by the end of the season. Tackle Charles Alexander looks to be healthy, and big Al Woods (all 325 pounds of him) is finally playing up to his potential. Junior Drake Nevis is LSU's best all-around tackle, and senior end Rahim Alem is coming off an eight-sack season.


5. Georgia: The Bulldogs have the best tandem of tackles in the league in Jeff Owens, who's back from a season-ending knee injury a year ago, and Geno Atkins. The problem is finding someone to get to the quarterback off the edge. There's not a proven pass-rusher on the team.


6. Tennessee: The most underrated defensive line in the league may belong to the Vols. Tackle Dan Williams is as solid as they come, and end Chris Walker is poised to have a breakout season. Watch Gerald Williams at the other end, too. He and Walker are the kind of bookends the Vols have lacked the last few seasons on the outside.


7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are ranked a little higher than some of their numbers from a year ago suggest they should be, but this ought to be the most improved defensive line in the league. The addition of junior college tackle Pernell McPhee gives Mississippi State a dominant presence in the middle along with senior Kyle Love.


8. South Carolina: If the Gamecocks can keep everybody out of the training room and the court room, they should be OK. Tackle Ladi Ajoybe is suspended for the first three games. End Clifton Geathers has been suspended indefinitely, and tackle Nathan Pepper has knee problems. How much will we see Eric Norwood at end this season?


9. Auburn: Depth is the biggest problem for the Tigers. They simply don't have any up front. We know senior end Antonio Coleman can play, but the Auburn defensive staff is having to move people around to plug holes. Michael Goggans may have to play both inside and outside this season.


10. Vanderbilt: Losing end Steven Stone (broken foot) for at least the first four games was a downer. Stone tied for the team lead in sacks with five last season. Vanderbilt's other starting end, Broderick Stewart, has also battled injuries. The Commodores can't afford for anybody else to go down.


11. Arkansas: Tackle Malcolm Sheppard is an All-SEC-caliber player, but he can't do it alone. Arkansas has to get more production and more consistency out of its guys up front this season. The Hogs were last in the league a year ago in rushing defense and didn't get to the quarterback much.


12. Kentucky: One player doesn't make a team, but the loss of senior end Jeremy Jarmon was a crippling blow for the Wildcats up front. They don't have an end on their roster who's ever recorded a tackle in a college game. Inside at tackle, they need junior college newcomer Mark Crawford to have a big year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

HOOVER, Ala. -- Arkansas' Malcolm Sheppard had one of the most productive seasons a year ago of any defensive lineman in the league.

He led all interior linemen with 7.5 sacks and was second to Ole Miss' Peria Jerry, a first-round draft selection, in tackles for loss with 16.

"I think he'll be even better this season," Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams said.

One thing you won't hear from Sheppard is any excuses. He's not an excuses kind of guy.

He's been partially blind in his left eye since he was 7 years old. His brother accidentally shot him with a bow and arrow.

"It's not a disability," Sheppard said. "It happened so long ago that I don't remember it."

Sheppard described his vision in his left eye as "real blurry" and has undergone two different surgeries.

"I probably have half the vision I should have in that eye," he said.

Williams said Sheppard's undying work ethic is an inspiration to everybody on the team and that he's always doing something to help make himself or the team better.

"He's 290 and has a six-pack," Williams said. "He's probably walking around here on his tip-toes just to help build up his calves."

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

HOOVER, Ala. -- A few updates on some of the Arkansas players:

• Quarterback Ryan Mallett is down to 238 pounds. That's after coming to Arkansas weighing 265 pounds last January. "That's a great thing," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. "It will help him move and stay healthy."

• Tight end D.J. Williams has gone from 245 pounds to 252 pounds, bulking up to become a better blocker. He led all SEC tight ends with 61 catches last season. "But I still ran a 4.5 (40-yard dash) this spring, and it wasn't a 4.59, either," Williams said. "It was a 4.56."

• Defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard is tipping the scales at 291 pounds. His goal is to play this season at 295 after playing at 273 last season. He'll line up primarily at tackle, but will still slide outside some to end depending on the situation. "I think the biggest difference for me will be handling the double teams when they come," said Sheppard, whose 16 tackles for loss last season were second among SEC defensive tackles. "You've got to have quickness and speed to play up there, but you also need strength and size. I'm bigger, and I'm stronger than I was last year."