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Tennessee stocked up on talented linebacker prospects in this past recruiting class, and it’s a good thing.

Junior Herman Lathers, the Vols’ only returning starter at linebacker, fractured his ankle last week and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. He could be out even longer. Lathers missed the spring with a shoulder problem.

Also, the long-term availability of junior backup Greg King remains up in the air. He’s been saddled with knee problems each of the past two seasons and recently underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a torn meniscus in his right knee. King should be back for the start of preseason practice in August, but it’s anybody’s guess how healthy he’ll be.

What all this means is that the door is open as wide as ever for true freshmen A.J. Johnson, Christian Harris and Curt Maggitt.

Even before for Lathers’ injury, Tennessee coach Derek Dooley told me toward the end of spring practice that at least two of the freshmen would be heavily involved in the linebacker rotation. Dooley felt like all three were talented enough to play right away.

Now, the Vols have no choice.

Lathers, projected as the starter at weakside linebacker, was the second leading tackler on the team a year ago behind middle linebacker Nick Reviez, who graduated. Also gone is strongside linebacker LaMarcus Thompson, who was fourth on the team in tackles.

Getting junior safety Janzen Jackson back is more critical than ever now. Jackson, who was third on the team in tackles last season, withdrew from school last semester to deal with personal issues and didn’t go through spring practice. Dooley said last week at the SEC spring meetings he’s hopeful that Jackson will be able to rejoin the team sometime in July.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- They gathered from all corners of the college football world on Sunday night to say goodbye to Aaron Douglas.

And that was just a small sampling of the overflow crowd that squeezed into Cokesbury United Methodist Church’s Epworth Hall, all trying to make sense of a tragedy that rips at your heart in more ways than you ever thought imaginable.

The 21-year-old Douglas, who had just started to rekindle a promising football career at Alabama, was found dead this past Thursday morning in Fernandina Beach, Fla. Authorities are still investigating the cause of death.

There are sure to be a multitude of questions surrounding Douglas’ death. But as Dr. G. Steven Sallee so eloquently reminded those in attendance at Sunday’s Celebration of Life service for Douglas, those questions are best left to be wrestled with by Douglas’ family.

Douglas’ college football career never completely took off. He was a freshman All-American at Tennessee in 2009 before transferring to Arizona Western College following Lane Kiffin’s departure and then resurfacing in the SEC this spring at Alabama. He was battling for the Crimson Tide’s left tackle job.

Those who knew Douglas best -- family members, friends, coaches and teammates -- all tell a similar story, that his heart was as big as his hulking 6-foot-7, 280-pound body.

His parents, David and Karla, were both athletes at Tennessee. David was an offensive lineman on the Vols’ 1985 SEC championship team and played several seasons in the NFL. Karla was a member of the 1987 Lady Vols’ national championship basketball team.

In some small way, their grief had to be eased by seeing how many different people’s lives their son had touched despite such a short life of his own.

In attendance were three men who’ve won national championships as head coaches -- Nick Saban, Phillip Fulmer and John Majors. They all sat up front with the family.

It hardly stops there, either.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe, a longtime assistant at Tennessee, was there. So was former Tennessee assistant Dan Brooks, who’s now at Clemson and recruited Douglas to Tennessee.

Tennessee defensive line coach Lance Thompson was on hand along with former Vol great and current assistant athletic director Condredge Holloway, associate athletic directors David Blackburn and Carmen Tegano and Tennessee radio broadcaster Bob Kesling.

Alabama, still dealing with the fallout from the devastating tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa earlier this month, brought two planes full of people.

In addition to Saban, athletic director Mal Moore, offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and former offensive line coach Joe Pendry made the trip.

Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran left a family vacation in Florida and drove to Tuscaloosa so he could fly to Knoxville with the Alabama contingent and be at the service.

That’s not even counting the more than 30 members of the Alabama football team who carpooled together and drove on their own dime to pay their last respects to a fallen teammate they'd known for less than six months.

There were also several of Douglas’ former Tennessee teammates in attendance, including Nick Reveiz, Chris Walker, Jonathan Crompton, Cody Sullins, Cory Sullins and Josh McNeil, not to mention Douglas’ Maryville, Tenn., high school coach, George Quarles, and scores of his former high school teammates.

Arkansas assistant coach Steve Caldwell, also a former Tennessee assistant, had a conflict and couldn’t be at the service Sunday, but Caldwell flew in Saturday to visit with the family.

Agent Jimmy Sexton, who represented Douglas’ father when David was playing in the NFL, was there. So were members of Alabama’s academic and training staff, members of Tennessee’s equipment staff along with current and former team managers for the Vols.

Even Douglas’ first babysitter was there.

They were all there to say a tearful goodbye to a young man who was taken from us much too soon.

I think I speak for all of us in the SEC when I say this is an area where we’re all on the same team.

No matter where you live or who your allegiances are to in the fall, when you get home tonight, hug your kids a little longer and a little tighter.

It’s time for our annual “Recruiting Nobody Dream Team” in the SEC.

These are guys who weren’t prep All-Americans, and in most cases, weren't very highly recruited all, but wound up being outstanding players this season. Several of them earned All-SEC and even All-America honors.

It’s a reminder to all the recruiting junkies out there not to dismiss those two- and three-star prospects your school signs on Wednesday.

Once you get on the practice field, stars don’t mean anything.

Here’s a look at our 2010 team, consisting of 15 players:

Auburn receiver Darvin Adams: The Tigers’ leading receiver the past two seasons, pulling in a combined 16 touchdown catches. Coming out of high school, Adams was ranked as the No. 90 wide receiver prospect in the country by ESPN. His only official visit was to Auburn.

Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard: He had 19 rushing touchdowns and led the Bulldogs in rushing with 968 yards. He was unranked at his position coming out of high school by ESPN. He had an offer from Houston pulled late and signed with Jackson State. He ended up going to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to Mississippi State.

Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette: The Hogs’ sack leader with seven this season and a second-team All-SEC selection. Bequette was unranked at his position by ESPN coming out of high school. Kansas State was his only other scholarship offer.

Ole Miss running back Brandon Bolden: He just missed 1,000 yards rushing this season and also led the Rebels with 32 catches. Bolden was unranked at his position by ESPN coming out of high school, and even though he was from Baton Rouge, La., LSU’s only interest in him was as a defensive player.

South Carolina offensive guard Garrett Chisolm: A former walk-on who emerged this season as the Gamecocks’ best offensive lineman and a second-team All-SEC selection by the coaches. Chisolm attended South Carolina in 2008, but didn’t play football.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb: A star quarterback in high school who lived about 15 minutes from Neyland Stadium. Tennessee didn’t seriously recruit him until the very end. Cobb set an SEC record this season with 2,396 all-purpose yards and was second in the SEC with 84 receptions. He earned several first-team All-America honors.

LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu: One of the best freshmen in the SEC this season, Mathieu was ranked as the No. 36 cornerback prospect nationally in the 2010 class. LSU picked up on him at one of its camps. The other schools recruiting him at the time were Tulane, SMU, Miami (Ohio), Southern Miss, Louisiana-Monroe and Florida International.

Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley: The Lombardi Award winner this season and most dominant defensive tackle in college football. Fairley was ranked as an offensive tackle coming out of high school in 2007, No. 32 nationally. He didn’t qualify academically and went to junior college for two years before returning to Auburn.

Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward: Tied for second this season in the SEC with six interceptions, Hayward will be one of the top returning cornerbacks in the league next season. He was unranked at his position by ESPN coming out of high school. His other offers were Southern Miss, Troy and Middle Tennessee.

Alabama safety Robert Lester: In his first season as a starter, Lester tied for second nationally with eight interceptions. He was ranked as the No. 39 safety in the 2008 class, and a lot of people thought he might have been more of a throw-in to help get his high school teammate, Julio Jones.

Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love: A first-team All-SEC selection, Love was the anchor of the Hogs’ offensive line at left tackle. Coming out of high school in Dallas, he was ranked as the No. 78 offensive guard prospect in the 2006 class and chose Arkansas over Kansas.

Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz: A former walk-on who earned a scholarship at Tennessee, Reveiz was a team captain each of the past two years and tied for fifth in the SEC this season with 108 tackles.

South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor: A first-team All-SEC selection, Taylor led the Gamecocks with 13 tackles for loss. He was ranked as the No. 72 defensive end prospect coming out of high school and chose South Carolina over Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Duke and Kentucky.

Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan: The SEC’s tackles leader this season with 144. Trevathan was also a first-team All-SEC selection. But coming out of high school, he was unranked at his position by ESPN. His other official visits were Purdue and Central Florida.

Mississippi State linebacker Chris White: A first-team All-SEC selection, White led the Bulldogs this season with 15.5 tackles for loss. He was unranked at his position coming out of high school and attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. South Florida and South Alabama were his only other offers.

Some SEC linkage for your viewing pleasure:

• Auburn coach Gene Chizik's use of profanity, the 'D' word, is wrong, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News.
• Linebacker C.J. Johnson, one of the state of Mississippi's top prospects, says he plans to sign with Ole Miss. Johnson is rated by ESPN as the No. 9 inside linebacker prospect in the country.
• A healthy Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant is dreaming about spring practice.
• Florida center Mike Pouncey has decided not to play in the Senior Bowl.
• Senior Bowl veteran Preston Dial is playing this year and not watching.
• Former Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz prepares for his shot at the NFL.
• Mississippi State lands a commitment from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy running back Derrick Milton.

As we wind down the season and point toward the bowl games, I wanted to pay homage to the seniors in this league.

Yes, there are a ton of talented underclassmen in the SEC, many of whom are destined to leave early for the NFL.

But seniors are important in every program, and senior leadership is critical.

Here’s my tribute to the 12 seniors on each team in the league who rose above and beyond this season in terms of on-the-field performance, leadership and sacrificing for the good of the team.

We’ll call it our SEC’s Super Seniors, and it’s something we hope to do every season:

Ahmad Black, S, Florida: Not even Urban Meyer was sure Black was going to make it at Florida when he first arrived. He wasn’t very big, nor exceptionally fast. But he’s proven to be a staple in the Gators’ secondary for the last three seasons. Black led Florida with 102 tackles this season, leading all SEC defensive backs. He was third on the team with 10 tackles for loss and also had three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Josh Bynes, LB, Auburn: You talk about instant energy. Bynes was Mr. Pick Me Up all season for the Tigers, who fed off his intensity and his passion. He was the guy who rallied the defense all those times when Auburn fell behind by big margins, and he was an invaluable presence in the locker room. A three-year starter, Bynes led Auburn this season with 71 total tackles and also had three interceptions, including two big ones in the Arkansas game.

Jonathan Cornell, LB, Ole Miss: He’s not real loud. In fact, he’s pretty quiet. But Cornell did his talking with his play this season, putting up All-SEC numbers and winning the respect of everybody on his team by the way he went about his business each day. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt called him the “backbone,” and Cornell was indeed a steadying presence in what was a tough season for the Rebels. He led the team with 80 total tackles and was fifth in the league with 14 tackles for loss.

Akeem Dent, LB, Georgia: Without a doubt, Dent was one of the more underrated players in the SEC this season. He was second in the league with 122 total tackles. First-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will tell you that Dent was invaluable to that defense this season from his middle linebacker position. He called all the signals, made the checks and made one key stop after another for the Bulldogs.

Mike Hartline, QB, Kentucky: Despite his arrest early Friday morning, Hartline came through with the most productive season of his career and was a rock for the Wildcats both on and off the field. The first part of his career had been marred by injuries and inconsistency, but Hartline stayed the course and put up huge numbers this season. He was second only to Ryan Mallett in the SEC with 3,178 passing yards and also threw 23 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Spencer Lanning, PK/P, South Carolina: Lanning was more than just a kicker for the Gamecocks. He was a strong voice in the locker room and demonstrated the kind of work ethic that was infectious. As a kicker, he was one of the best dual-threats in the country. He was 16-of-23 on field goals, ranking him fourth in the league, and was fifth in punting with a 44.2-yard average. Not bad for a guy who started his career without a scholarship and wound up becoming a captain.

Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama: One of the smartest guys you’re ever going to meet on a football field, McElroy had his most productive season of his career. His 19 passing touchdowns broke Alabama’s single-season record, and with 2,767 passing yards, he has a chance in the bowl game to break the single-season record for passing yards. McElroy has been a leader ever since he stepped into the starting quarterback role last season, compiling a 23-3 record as a starter.

Nick Reveiz, LB, Tennessee: Here’s another guy who started his career without a scholarship. But he quickly went from playing on the scout team to leading the Vols in tackles. A true inspiration with how he fought back from a serious knee injury last season, Reveiz piled up 94 total tackles this season and was the defensive quarterback on the field. He made big plays, got teammates in position to make plays and made a profound impact on everyone around him with the way he competed on every down.

Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU: The Tigers had a few veteran players to build around on defense, but they were also very young in a lot of spots. Sheppard was the centerpiece of the defense in every way. A fiery leader, he brought out the best in all of his teammates and wasn’t afraid to get in guys’ faces when it was warranted. His 108 total tackles ranked him third in the SEC. Included were 11 tackles for loss.

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State: The names have changed in Mississippi State’s backfield the last two seasons, but the Bulldogs’ productivity in the running game just keeps churning along. Sherrod has been a big reason why. One of the best left tackles in college football, he was a multiple winner of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors this season and is one of those guys everybody on the team looks up to for guidance.

John Stokes, LB, Vanderbilt: Headed to medical school, Stokes has been the quintessential student-athlete during his career at Vanderbilt. He also had the best season of his career on the football field. Injuries had plagued him in previous seasons, but he came fighting back to finish third on the team with 78 total tackles. With Vanderbilt being such a young team, Stokes was there every step of the way providing his senior leadership.

D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas: The recipient of the Disney Spirit Award as college football’s most inspirational player, Williams had a dream senior season. The Hogs are going to the Sugar Bowl, and he also won the Mackey Award as the top tight end in the country. He leads the team with 49 catches and has become a much more complete tight end over the last couple of seasons. Moreover, he’s been the consummate team guy and is a big reason Arkansas’ team chemistry has been so good.

As Tennessee’s third head coach in as many years, Derek Dooley took on the job with his eyes wide open. He knew what a major rebuilding project he was facing, and he wasn’t expecting any miracles right out of the gate.

Well, there wasn’t one this season, and he probably thought it was a bad dream back in October when the Vols (6-6) lost all four games and were treading water just to stay afloat. It’s about that time that Dooley made a switch at quarterback, inserting true freshman Tyler Bray into the starting lineup, and the likes of Alabama and LSU were replaced on the schedule by Memphis and Vanderbilt.

It all added up to a four-game winning streak to end the season and a bowl trip that wasn’t secured until the final weekend of the regular season when the Vols beat Kentucky for the 26^th straight time.

Tennessee was brimming with first-year starters everywhere you looked this season, and that was especially apparent on offense. Most of the people blocking for Bray were freshmen, and a lot of the people he was throwing to were also freshmen.

Offensive MVP: Receiver Denarius Moore. Bray would get some votes here, too, with his 12 touchdown passes in his four starts, but Moore was there all season long for the Vols and made one big play after another. He averaged 21.2 yards per catch, which was tops among the national leaders, and caught nine touchdown passes.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Nick Reveiz. He was the heart and soul of the entire team with his leadership and the way he approached every practice and every game. Reveiz was also plenty productive on the field. He led the Vols with 94 total tackles after working his way back from a serious knee injury the year before.

Turning point: Tennessee lost a 38-24 game at South Carolina on the final weekend in October, but in the process, found its quarterback. Bray came off the bench to throw two touchdown passes that day and has been the Vols’ quarterback ever since.

What’s next: As fate would have it, Tennessee faces North Carolina in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville. Just prior to this season, Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton bought his way out of that two-game series, which was supposed to begin next season, because he didn't want to load the schedule up so early in Dooley's tenure. With the Vols being so young, it’s a huge plus for them just to be able to practice a few extra weeks.

Who’s up for a little Hot and Not in the SEC?

Ready or not, here goes:

EN FUEGO

SEC parity: Just when we think a couple of teams are ready to run away and leave everybody in this league, we’re all brought back to reality. Between them, Alabama and Florida lost seven league games this season. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, they lost a total of three, and two of those were to each other. The cyclical nature of this league doesn’t change. There might be stretches were one or two teams dominate, but the overall grind of the league eventually catches up with everybody. It’s the reason the SEC hasn’t had a repeat champion since 1997 and 1998 when Tennessee won back-to-back titles.

HOT

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett: His stock dropped when he threw those second-half interceptions against Alabama back in September, but he finished this season like a champ and became only the fourth quarterback in SEC history to pass for 3,000 yards and throw 30 touchdown passes in back-to-back seasons.

NOT

LSU’s defense: The LSU defense had to carry too much of the burden this season because the passing game was non-existent until these last few games. But the Tigers also slipped on defense here at the end, allowing an average of 433.8 total yards and at least 19 first downs in their last four SEC games.

HOT

Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod: He’s been an absolute rock for the Bulldogs in every way this season. Not only that, but he’s made a strong case as the best offensive lineman in the league.

NOT

Alabama’s poise: This is a program built on discipline, toughness and poise. All three were nowhere to be found in the second half, as Auburn asserted its will and rallied from 24 points down to win 28-27. Rarely do you see a Nick Saban-coached team unravel across the board the way Alabama did in the second half Friday.

HOT

Auburn’s resolve: If you want to know what it takes to win a championship, put on the tape of Auburn’s last 12 games. This is a team that never stops believing, never stops competing and never stops thinking that it’s going to win the game. The Tigers’ comeback from 24 points down on the road at Alabama was one for the ages.

NOT

Punting from the 37: You could point to a lot of plays Saturday that assured Kentucky of losing its 26^th straight game to Tennessee, but none was more telling than Joker Phillips’ decision to punt the football away on fourth-and-2 at the Vols’ 37 early in the fourth quarter. That was game, set and match for the Wildcats, especially considering that Randall Cobb is one of the best players in college football in those kind of situations.

HOT

Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz: He’s one of those Tennessee seniors who’s been through three coaches and a little bit of everything the past three years. But Reveiz’s leadership and the example he set both on and off the field were a big reason the Vols were able to persevere this season and get to a bowl game.

NOT

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt: He’s gone from winning nine games in back-to-back seasons, including a pair of Cotton Bowl victories, to the kind of season that can land a coach on the hot seat in a hurry. It can’t get much worse for the Rebels, who lost to FCS foe Jacksonville State, lost at home by two touchdowns to Vanderbilt and then lost for the second straight year to the “school down south.”

FREEZER BURN

Florida: Where do you start with the Gators? The obvious place is the offense, which reached a level of ineptitude this season that’s mind-boggling when you consider the talent the Gators have raked in the past few years. It’s safe to say no coaching staff in America did less with more than the Gators this season. A lot of it seemed to be pure stubbornness (or maybe arrogance). Come on, running the spread offense with John Brantley? What happened to building the offense around what he does best? Something has to give, and there were rumblings all season that several of the players in the Gators’ touted freshman class weren’t happy. Urban Meyer conceded earlier this week that he faces a major rebuilding job. He has some tough choices to make, too -- the kind of choices that often aren’t popular ones with his coaches or players.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Record: 2-4 (0-3 SEC)

The forecast was that Derek Dooley would be in for a rough ride this first season, and so far, that’s exactly what it’s been for the Vols. Their youth, inexperience and lack of depth across the board has been glaring. They’ve been in some games, but simply haven’t been able to finish them. The exception was this most recent 41-14 beatdown by Georgia. Tennessee was never in that game and didn’t seem real interested in competing once the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead. That could be an ominous sign for the rest of the season. The Vols, who’ve allowed more sacks (23) than anybody else in the FBS ranks, have a bye week to regroup before taking on Alabama on Oct. 23. They’ve shown some signs of breaking through, playing Florida tough for most of the game and having that LSU game won had they not committed the substitution blunder at the end of the game. Of course, the other way to look at it is that they could very easily be 1-5 right now had UAB not missed five field goals.

Offensive MVP: RB Tauren Poole. He’s had to fight through some injuries, but is seventh in the SEC in rushing, averaging 79.7 yards per game. Poole has 478 yards and five touchdowns through the Vols’ first six games, and while he’s not an explosive breakaway threat, he’s one of those guys who will fight for yards on every play and will keep fighting the entire game.

Defensive MVP: LB Nick Reveiz. In a lot of ways, Reveiz has been the heartbeat of this entire team. He’s one of the leaders in the locker room and also leads the Vols with 54 tackles, including four for loss. He’s tied for fourth in the SEC with his average of nine tackles per game and is Tennessee’s defensive quarterback on the field as far as making all the checks and getting everybody lined up correctly.

Chris Low talks about Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz.

It's Friday, and the biggest SEC weekend yet awaits. I'm headed out to Fayetteville, but first a little linkage:

• Already the best tandem in Alabama history, where will Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson rate with the best ever?
• Florida coach Urban Meyer says his confidence in his offense is finally starting to rise.
• Running the football -- not throwing it -- has been South Carolina's forte so far this season, and the Head Ball Coach is the first to admit it.
• Georgia's Kris Durham is healthy, and he's putting up career numbers in his final season.
• Arkansas students are camped out in anticipation of Saturday's big showdown.
• A more seasoned Kentucky team says its recent road success will come in handy Saturday at the Swamp.
• Patrick Junen, a walk-on freshman, will start at one of the offensive guard spots for Ole Miss against Fresno State.
• LSU's spot-on kickoff coverage is led by special teams daredevil Daniel Graff.
• Tennessee senior linebacker Nick Reveiz has kept his health and kept a positive outlook.
• South Carolina's receivers present a tall task for Auburn's secondary.
• Mississippi State is looking for more consistency from its offensive line.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With both offenses struggling mightily, Florida took a 7-3 lead over Tennessee into halftime Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Here’s a quick halftime analysis:

Turning point: Tennessee was threatening to take the lead midway through the second quarter after Florida’s Janoris Jenkins mishandled a punt and gave the Vols great field position. With it third-and-goal at the 3, Matt Simms tossed a pass into the end zone that was intercepted by Florida linebacker Jon Bostic.

Player of the half: Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz was everywhere in the first half for the Vols, almost single-handedly keeping them in the game. He had seven tackles a few plays into the second quarter and also recovered a fumbled punt.

Stat of the half: The two teams were a combined 4-of-13 on third down in the first half.

Hey, we can’t kick off the season without acknowledging the walk-ons.

Even in a league like the SEC, where teams spend an obscene amount of money to go all over the country and recruit players, occasionally a few guys slip through the cracks and make big impacts as walk-ons.

South Carolina’s Spencer Lanning is a prime example.

He enters his third season as the Gamecocks’ punter. In fact, he punted his sophomore season without a scholarship before later earning one.

It’s one of the best investments the Gamecocks could have made. Lanning is now their place-kicker and punter, the only player in the league last season to handle both roles, and is an All-SEC candidate at both spots as he enters his senior season.

He’s also emerged as one of the most respected leaders on the team, and his head coach no longer has trouble remembering his name. When Lanning first showed up, Steve Spurrier was prone to refer to him as "Lanning Spencer."

Now, Spurrier simply refers to him as clutch.

“Spencer Lanning may be one of the toughest kickers you’ll ever see,” Spurrier said. “In the weight room, he’s one of the best lifters (strength coach Craig Fitzgerald) has seen. He’s kicked beautifully. He’s at the top of his game right now. Hopefully, he didn’t peak in preseason, but he makes virtually everything in practice each day.”

Lanning was 17-of-20 on field-goal attempts last season and also averaged 41.9 yards a punt. He made 12 straight field goals at one point without a miss.

He’s not the only former walk-on in the league poised to have a big impact this season.

Kentucky has had an incredible run of success with walk-ons, at least one regular starter for seven years in a row. Junior Luke McDermott is slated to start at defensive tackle this season. Nick Melillo was the Wildcats’ starting tight end until he was injured.

At Mississippi State, Patrick Hanrahan is listed as the starting fullback, and Emmanuel Gatling is pushing for a starting job at outside linebacker.

Nick Reveiz is Tennessee’s starting middle linebacker and one of the Vols’ most inspirational leaders. Garrett Chisolm is penciled in to start at offensive guard for South Carolina, while James Stampley is LSU’s starting fullback.

Here’s a sampling of walk-ons around the league who’ve gone on to become starters or will play key roles as backups or special teams players this season:

• Seth Armbrust, DB, Arkansas
• Garrett Chisolm, OG, South Carolina
• John Fairbanks, DS, Florida
• Reuben Faloughi, OLB, Georgia
• Ty Frix, DS, Georgia
• Emmanuel Gatling, OLB, Mississippi State
• Daniel Graff, DB, LSU
• Patrick Hanrahan, FB, Mississippi State
• Richard Kent, P, Vanderbilt
• Will Lowery, S, Alabama
• Luke McDermott, DT, Kentucky
• Craig McIntosh, K, Kentucky
• Nick Melillo, TE, Kentucky
• Spencer Lanning, PK, South Carolina
• Nick Reveiz, LB, Tennessee
• James Stampley, FB, LSU
• Carson Tinker, DS, Alabama
• Jay Wisner, WR, Auburn

Schedule: Practice starts Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. ET for the first group and 7:45 p.m. ET for the second group. The first day in full pads is Sunday (Aug. 8).

What’s new: What isn’t new? Derek Dooley is the Vols’ third head coach in as many seasons. He brought in Justin Wilcox from Boise State to run the defense, meaning Wilcox will be the Vols’ third different defensive coordinator in as many years. Jim Chaney was retained from Lane Kiffin’s staff and will coordinate the offense. The difference is that Chaney will call the plays this season, whereas Kiffin was the play-caller a year ago. This will be the fourth straight year that a different coach has called Tennessee’s offensive plays. David Cutcliffe had those duties in 2007, Dave Clawson in 2008, Kiffin in 2009 and now Chaney.

Sidelined: Four signees are still waiting to be cleared academically -- defensive tackle John Brown, linebacker Martaze Jackson and defensive backs Eddrick Loften and Marcques Dixon. Redshirt freshman defensive back Naz Oliver is out while rehabilitating an ACL tear. Senior defensive end Ben Martin had arthroscopic knee surgery in June and will be limited.

Key battle: Junior Cody Pope will start out No. 1 at center, but junior college newcomer Darin Gooch and senior Victor Thomas, who moved over from defensive tackle, will also take their shots this preseason.

New on the scene: Get ready to see a ton of new faces in orange this fall. True freshman Ja’Wuan James is the starting right tackle, and redshirt freshman JerQuari Schofield is the starting left guard. The Vols are eager to see what true freshman Jacques Smith can do at defensive end. True freshman receivers Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter look like they have what it takes to be big-play threats, and pair of true freshmen may wind up handling the kicking chores -- Michael Palardy as the place-kicker and Matt Darr as the punter.

Breaking out: Junior tailback Tauren Poole never got a chance last season. He wasted away on the bench while Bryce Brown got all the second-team snaps behind Montario Hardesty. Hardesty’s in the NFL now, and Brown’s back in Kansas. Poole has endured and is hungry to make up for lost time. Several of his teammates felt like he should have been playing ahead of Brown last season.

Don’t forget about: Senior middle linebacker Nick Reveiz has feverishly worked his way back from a knee injury that ended his season a year ago in the fourth week. From a leadership, knowledge and production standpoint, Reveiz is one of those guys who’s extremely difficult to replace.

All eyes on: Junior quarterback Matt Simms. He’s the starter going into preseason camp, and Dooley has made that clear. Simms, who started his career at Louisville before stopping over at El Camino (Calif.) Community College, has gone out of his way this offseason to be a leader. Now, he’s got to prove it on the field and fend off a challenge from true freshman Tyler Bray, who went through spring practice. Bray has a nice upside, but still has some maturing to do before he’s ready to lead a team.

Quoting: "I think people on our team feel good about our program, and that’s important. If the team doesn’t feel good about where you are and the plan to get where you want to be, then you’ve got real problems. But I feel like our team does feel that way." -- Tennessee coach Derek Dooley

Who in the SEC can claim the Linebacker U. moniker this season?

Here’s a rundown:

1. Alabama: How many teams lose a player the caliber of Rolando McClain in the middle and replace him with somebody just as talented? Dont’a Hightower made an amazing recovery from a serious knee injury and was going through contact in the spring. He’ll play in the middle of the Crimson Tide’s base defense and will rush the passer from the “jack” linebacker position on passing downs. Courtney Upshaw, Jerrell Harris, Chris Jordan and Nico Johnson are also back, and all four have star potential.

2. Georgia: With the Bulldogs going to a 3-4 scheme this season, that means junior pass-rushing specialist Justin Houston now falls into the linebacker category. Houston had 7.5 sacks last season from his end position. Sophomore Cornelius Washington also shifts from end to outside linebacker after collecting four sacks a year ago. The Bulldogs have moved senior starter Darryl Gamble from inside to outside linebacker, while senior Akeem Dent and junior Marcus Dowtin are also back. Dent and Dowtin were part-time starters last season.

3. Ole Miss: Two of the more underrated linebackers in the SEC are Ole Miss seniors Jonathan Cornell and Allen Walker. Cornell started all 13 games in the middle last season and was third on the team with 79 tackles, including eight for loss. Walker started 11 games last season at strongside linebacker. Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix also likes his younger talent, including D.T. Shackelford, Joel Kight and Mike Marry. Shackelford, in particular, could be poised for a breakout season. This is a productive and versatile group.

4. Auburn: The Tigers will line up with a pair of senior All-SEC candidates in Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens. They both finished among the top 10 tacklers in the league last season, combining for 199 total tackles. The only problem was that they had to play just about every meaningful snap. The Tigers hope to have more depth this season. They didn’t have any last season and are moving Daren Bates from safety to a hybrid outside linebacker position. Bates led all SEC freshmen a year ago with 70 tackles. He wasn’t able to go through spring, though, because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.

5. Florida: Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper were major cogs in the Gators’ linebacker corps a year ago and made a ton of plays. Life without them will be different, but not impossible. That’s what happens when you recruit talented players like Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic, both of whom had big springs. There’s also some experience returning. Senior A.J. Jones has 30 career starts and started the first 11 games a year ago at outside linebacker before injuring his knee. Senior Brandon Hicks has also been a part-time starter each of the past two seasons. There’s a lot of speed in this group.

6. South Carolina: The Gamecocks might have a little more depth than they had a year ago at linebacker, but what they don’t have is that proven playmaker on the outside. Eric Norwood filled that role as well as anybody the past two seasons, but now he’s gone. Junior Shaq Wilson was the team’s leading tackler last season, and he’s moving to one of the outside spots from middle linebacker. Senior Rodney Paulk returns in the middle after suffering through season-ending knee injuries each of the past two seasons. Senior Josh Dickerson is another guy who can move around and play different spots.

7. Tennessee: One of the most experienced positions on Tennessee’s team is at linebacker. The Vols had several players playing at a high level there last season only to be injured. They’re all back, including senior Nick Reveiz in the middle. Tennessee’s defense was never the same after he left the lineup with a knee injury. Senior LaMarcus Thompson is also back after battling through injuries a year ago, and the same goes for senior Savion Frazier. Sophomore linebacker Greg King is currently suspended, but he also showed promise last season as a freshman.

8. LSU: Senior Kelvin Sheppard returns as one of the top middle linebackers in the SEC. He’s a tackling machine who was fourth in the league in tackles a year ago with 110. He’s one of those defenders who’s a factor on every play. The key for the Tigers will be how quickly the players around him grow up now that veterans Jacob Cutrera, Harry Coleman and Perry Riley have all moved on. Sheppard thinks junior Ryan Baker is ready to shine at weakside linebacker after being a force on special teams the past two seasons. Junior Stefoin Francois is the top candidate to step in on the strong side after starting his career as a safety.

9. Vanderbilt: Linebacker has been one of the Commodores’ strong suits for several years now, and that shouldn’t change this season with junior Chris Marve manning the middle. A first-team preseason All-SEC selection, Marve has racked up more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons. Senior John Stokes, who’s already been accepted into Vanderbilt’s medical school, returns at one of the outside linebacker spots. The Commodores could use a healthy Tristan Strong, who tore his ACL last season as a redshirt freshman.

10. Mississippi State: Gone is hard-hitting Jamar Chaney, who came back from an injury last season and helped anchor the Bulldogs’ defense. Senior Chris White will move over to play in the middle after starting all 12 games and recording 75 tackles last season. Senior K.J. Wright returns as one of the best big-play defenders on the team after finishing with 6.5 tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles last season. After White and Wright, the Bulldogs will be counting on several younger players at linebacker.

11. Arkansas: The Hogs need to improve across the board on defense, and linebacker is no exception. Junior Jerry Franklin has started since he was a freshman and finished with 94 tackles last season. He’s capable of playing in the middle, but Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino wants to leave him at weakside linebacker and give him a chance to make more plays against both the run and pass. The Hogs still need to settle on a middle linebacker. Senior Jermaine Love and sophomore Terrell Williams were battling it out in the spring.

12. Kentucky: Junior Danny Trevathan returns at weakside linebacker. He’s the Wildcats’ leading returning tackler. But after Trevathan, there’s not much game experience at linebacker. Redshirt freshman Qua Huzzie made a big impression on the coaches last preseason before hurting his shoulder. Sophomore Ridge Wilson is another younger player who needs to come through for the Wildcats at linebacker.

Chris Low talks with Tennessee’s Nick Reveiz at SEC media days.