ESPN College Football

2011 record: 11-2
2011 conference record: 6-2

Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 0

Top returners:
WR Ace Sanders, OG A.J. Cann, QB Connor Shaw, RB Marcus Lattimore, CB Akeem Auguste, DE Jadeveon Clowney, DE Devin Taylor, DT Kelcy Quarles, LB Shaq Wilson, Spur DeVonte Holloman, S D.J. Swearinger

Key losses:
WR Alshon Jeffery, OT Rokevious Watkins, OG Terrence Campbell, Spur Antonio Allen, DE Melvin Ingram, CB Stephon Gilmore, DT Travian Robertson

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Marcus Lattimore* (818 yards)
Passing: Connor Shaw* (1,448 yards)
Receiving: Alshon Jeffery (762 yards)
Tackles: Antonio Allen (88)
Sacks: Melvin Ingram (10)
Interceptions: Stephon Gilmore (4)

Spring answers

1. Shaw's development: The goal for quarterback Connor Shaw this spring was to work on the passing part of the position. The run-first quarterback showed flashes of transformation in his mindset toward the end of last season and it bled over to this year. He seems to be more confident in his passing and that will go a long way for the Gamecocks offense, as the downfield passing game was missing for most of South Carolina's season in 2011.

2. Running back depth: With Lattimore sitting out the spring, South Carolina turned to reserves Brandon Wilds and Kenny Miles. Both performed well, but Miles was named the offensive player of the spring. He wrestled with returning to the Gamecocks, and still seems to be creating some drama about his return this fall, but if he comes back he'll be the No. 2 back. Miles made major strides in his game and his return would mean South Carolina has some insurance at running back if Lattimore struggles. Even if he returns at full health, having Miles there will give the Gamecocks a solid option to keep Lattimore fresh.

3. Shell's development: South Carolina's coaches were anxious to see what redshirt freshman Brandon Shell could do and he didn't disappoint. He ended spring as the starter at left tackle -- the same position that Rokevious Watkins manned last season. The Gamecocks lost two starters along the offensive line, but Shell provided a nice spark at the most important position along the line.

Fall questions

1. Lattimore's health: While word out of South Carolina's camp is that Lattimore was ahead of schedule with his knee rehab, it's still unknown if he will be back to his old self. It's hard to believe that anyone could come back from an ACL injury in this amount of time and be as effective and as good as Lattimore was, but his coaches think he can do just that. Until we see him play, there will still be some uncertainty. A healthy Lattimore makes this an SEC contender and maybe more.

2. Secondary: South Carolina has veterans Akeem Auguste and D.J. Swearinger returning in its defensive backfield, but both dealt with injuries in the spring and the Gamecocks must replace three of its top four cornerbacks from last season. The injuries gave young guys the opportunity to get more reps, but questions still remain. Victor Hampton, listed as a starter, might be South Carolina's most athletic returning corner, but he has limited experience and a history of off-field issues. Brison Williams should enter the fall as a starter at strong safety, but has just one career start. He's one of two players at strong safety with game experience. Jimmy Legree and Cadarious Sanders are the only other corners with game experience. Expect redshirt freshman Ahmad Christian to compete for time as well.

3. Wide receiver: The Gamecocks will start the summer still wondering about the wide receiver position. Ace Sanders returns as the team's most productive receiver, but after that there isn't a lot of production. The good news was that Bruce Ellington returned to football this spring, but the bad news is that even with him back, Sanders is still the only receiver returning with 20 or more catches (29). Speedster Damiere Byrd showed progress and the coaches expect to get more from D.L. Moore, but the position is still a mystery. Incoming freshman Shaq Roland will be relied on a lot when he reports in the summer.

Devin Taylor is noticing all the attention surrounding South Carolina’s program, and he likes it.

It means people are expecting big things from the Gamecocks, and some might even be a little fearful of them.

“It’s almost like a target on our backs,” South Carolina’s senior defensive end said.

But that target didn’t just appear in Columbia, S.C. It started to form after South Carolina’s first trip to the SEC championship game in 2010, and Taylor said he could sense it every week last season. He could tell that the perception of South Carolina’s team had changed around the league and more respect was thrown the Gamecocks’ way.

“You could just feel it,” he said.

It’s not hard to believe that the team that once struggled to make upward moves in the SEC's Eastern Division is now linked to divisional favorite talk. In coach Steve Spurrier’s seven seasons at South Carolina, he has compiled 55 wins (leaving him nine away from tying Rex Enright’s school record for career wins), took South Carolina to Atlanta, and led the Gamecocks to their first 11-win season in 2011.

The next step? An SEC championship.

It’s a goal that Spurrier said he expects, and so do his players. Taylor said winning the East is no longer the No. 1 goal. They want to be showered with celebratory confetti inside the Georgia Dome in December.

And South Carolina has the parts in place to make such a run. The offense loses star receiver Alshon Jeffery and returns a cluster of unproven receivers, but the plus is that there is a ton of depth there. Also, much-ballyhooed incoming freshman WR Shaq Roland will be in town this summer, and a lot is expected of him.

On the offensive line, Rokevious Watkins and Terrence Campbell are gone (both were seniors in 2011). But South Carolina returns three starters, and the coaches expect redshirt freshman Brandon Shell to step right in at left tackle for Watkins. Get him going and South Carolina’s line should be fine.

Quarterback Connor Shaw returns after really starting to come into his own as more of a passer at the end of last season. He’ll always run the ball, but he showed he can be disciplined and lead with his arm.

Running back Marcus Lattimore (knee) won’t practice in the spring, but he certainly hasn’t been ruled out for the regular season. A healthy Lattimore, who has racked up 2,015 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in 20 career games, is an obvious Heisman Trophy candidate.

Defensively, Taylor can’t help but get excited. While South Carolina enters spring camp down in numbers in the secondary -- especially with injuries to Akeem Auguste and D.J. Swearinger -- Taylor said he’s seen younger players (such as cornerback Victor Hampton) make improvements during offseason workouts. And Taylor has really been impressed with DeVonte Holloman, who is transitioning back to the spur position from safety.

When it comes to the front seven, Taylor knows the key names are Jadeveon Clowney -- who was seventh in the SEC in sacks (eight) and 11th in tackles for loss (12) -- along with Kelcy Quarles, Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens. But you can’t sleep on defensive tackle Byron Jerideau or linebacker Damario Jeffery, who moves to middle linebacker from the spur.

Taylor said South Carolina isn’t rebuilding on defense, it’s reloading, which is a scary thought. South Carolina was third nationally in total defense in 2011, and Taylor thinks the Gamecocks are equipped with just as much talent to have a similar year in 2012.

Even with the skill that returns on both sides for South Carolina, Taylor still expects the Gamecocks to be overlooked at times -- maybe not by opposing teams, but by those on the periphery.

And he’s fine with that.

“We can do the underdog thing and then come back and bite them in the butt,” he said.

Taylor hopes that “underdog thing” will take South Carolina to the top of the SEC in 2012. From where this program has been to where it is now, a win in Atlanta in early December would show just how big a turnover the Gamecocks have made, Taylor said.

“That would mean a lot, and it would let this entire program shine [and show] how much it’s grown and how much it’s willing to grow for future players coming here,” he said.

“I’ve worked hard over all these summers, and all this work actually paid off to do something great.”

Schedule: South Carolina opens spring camp at 4:15 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Bluff Road Practice Fields. The Gamecocks will conclude spring with the Garnet & Black Spring Game on April 14, beginning at 1 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium. All 15 of practices are open to the public, unless determined otherwise.

What's new: Four of South Carolina's nine assistants are new. John Butler, Jay Graham, Jeep Hunter and Ellis Johnson are all gone. Lorenzo Ward was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator, replacing Johnson. Ward will still focus on the cornerbacks this season. Head coach Steve Spurrier also added Kirk Botkin to coach linebackers/Spurs, Grady Brown to coach the secondary, Joe Robinson to coach special teams/tight ends, and Everette Sands to coach running backs. Joe Connolly also replaces Craig Fitzgerald as South Carolina's strength and conditioning coach. Also, South Carolina will be looking to replace kicker Jay Wooten and punter Joey Scribner-Howard. Walk-ons Landon Ard and Adam Yates will compete at kicker this spring, and sophomore Patrick Fish should be No. 1 at punter.

On the move: Safety DeVonte Holloman is looking to transition back to the Spur position after spending 2011 at safety. He worked at the Spur last spring, but the departing Antonio Allen played there last season. Also, Damario Jeffery is slated to move from the Spur to Will linebacker this spring. Jimmy Legree is moving back to cornerback after making a couple of starts at free safety last season.

On the mend: The Gamecocks will be without star running back Marcus Lattimore, who is still recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered halfway through the 2011 season. Running back Shon Carson is also out and recovering from a knee injury suffered last season. Sophomore offensive lineman Mike Matulis will sit out the spring after recovering from shoulder surgery, and senior cornerback Akeem Auguste will be limited as he tries to get over a foot injury that kept him out of all but one game last season. Safety D.J. Swearinger will miss the spring after having an operation on his foot. Offensive lineman Brock Stadnik will sit out the spring following shoulder surgery.

Questions: Auguste and Swearinger are dealing with injuries, South Carolina must replace three of its top four cornerbacks, and Holloman is moving back to the Spur, meaning the Gamecocks' secondary is loaded with questions. Sophomore Victor Hampton is expected to take one of the cornerback spots. He's talented, but has had off-field issues. He has the potential to be a key player for the Gamecocks. Depth behind him is a question, as Legree and Cadarious Sanders are the only other cornerbacks with game experience. A big spring from redshirt freshman Ahmad Christian could put him in the thick of it for a starting cornerback spot. Sophomore-to-be Brison Williams takes over at strong safety after playing in eight games last season, but depth behind him is a concern, as rising sophomore Kadetrix Marcus, Edward Muldrow and Sheldon Royster enter spring with six games of experience, all from Marcus. South Carolina must also find players at free safety.

Key battle: With Alshon Jeffery taking his talents to the NFL, and Bruce Ellington sticking to basketball, South Carolina enters the spring with little experience at wide receiver. Ace Sanders is the only returning receiver with 20 or more catches (29), and Nick Jones is the only other one with 10 or more catches (12). There are bodies, but not production. D.L. Moore and DeAngelo Smith should enter the spring as starters, along with Sanders. Both showed promise in the past, but they combined for just 11 catches last season. Lamar Scruggs is a junior, but didn't catch a pass last season. Speedster Damiere Byrd is back after missing four games last season because of NCAA issues. Also, redshirt freshmen Shamier Jeffery (Alshon Jeffery's brother) and K.J. Brent will need to have big springs. South Carolina is expected to get good use out of incoming freshman Shaq Roland, but the Gamecocks need to find at least two solid options before he arrives this summer.

Don't forget about: South Carolina's front seven should be solid again in 2012. Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor will man the defensive end positions, while rising sophomore Kelcy Quarles, who enjoyed a tremendous freshman season, will help ease the loss of Travian Robertson inside. At linebacker, South Carolina only lost Rodney Paulk, and returns seniors Reginald Bowens and Shaq Wilson, who combined for 96 tackles in 2011. Seniors Damario Jeffery and Quinn Smith will also get time at the Will spot.

Breaking out: The coaches are very excited about the potential redshirt freshmen offensive tackle Brandon Shell possesses. He was a standout high school player, and will have every chance to earn the starting spot at left tackle this spring. He has supposedly had a good offseason so far, and has gotten stronger. If he's as good as the coaches say, he'll help shore up a line that has to replace two starters, including left tackle Rokevious Watkins.

All eyes on: Quarterback Connor Shaw saw vast improvements in his game as the 2011 season went on. He started to develop into more of a passer than a runner. While he still likes to run at times, you could tell that Shaw was making a conscious effort to rely on his arm first. In his last three games, Shaw averaged 219 yards and threw eight touchdowns to one interception. Now is the time for him to really come into his own as a passer. For South Carolina's offense to be successful, Shaw has to play smarter, and has to boost the Gamecocks' passing game. He'll also need to create better chemistry with his unproven receivers. South Carolina's offensive players will feed off Shaw's spring.

The NFL has released its list of invites to this years NFL combine. Of the more than 300 prospects taking part in the pre-draft shenanigans starting Feb. 22, 62 are from the SEC (for fun we are including Missouri and Texas A&M).

Here are the SEC representatives:

• Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
• Antonio Allen, S, South Carolina
• Justin Anderson, OT, Georgia
• Ryan Baker, LB, LSU
• Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State
• Mark Barron, LB, Alabama
• Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas
• Brandon Bolden, RB, Ole Miss
• Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
• Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
• Ron Brooks, CB, LSU
• Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M
• Drew Butler, P, Georgia
• Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama
• Orson Charles, TE, Georgia
• Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
• Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
• Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
• Jeff Demps, RB, Florida (Demps decided earlier this year that he will not pursue a career in football and will focus on professional track)
• Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
• Terrence Frederick, CB, Texas A&M
• Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
• Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
• Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia
• Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• A.J. Greene, OT Auburn
• Winston Guy, S, Kentucky
• Dom Hamilton, DT, Missouri
• Darius Hanks, WR, Alabama
• Josh Harris, LS, Auburn
• Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
• Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
• Jaye Howard, DT, Florida
• Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
• Jerrell Jackson, WR, Missouri
• Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee
• Jordan Jefferson, QB, LSU
• Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
• Ben Jones, C, Georgia
• Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M
• Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
• Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss
• Marquis Maze, WR, Alabama
• Quan Menzie, CB, Alabama
• Charles Mitchell, S, Mississippi State
• Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn
• DeAngelo Peterson, TE, LSU
• Tauren Poole, RB, Tennessee
• Chris Rainey, RB, Florida
• Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
• Sean Richardson, S, Vanderbilt
• Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
• Quentin Saulsberry, OG, Mississippi State
• Jacquies Smith, DE, Missouri
• Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
• Brandon Taylor, S, LSU
• Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky
• DeAngelo Tyson, DE, Georgia
• Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
• Blair Walsh, K, Georgia
• Rokevious Watkins, OT, South Carolina
• Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas

School breakdown:

• Alabama: 9
• Arkansas: 4
• Auburn: 3
• Florida: 3
• Georgia: 8
• Kentucky: 2
• LSU: 8
• Missouri: 4
• Mississippi State: 4
• Ole Miss: 2
• South Carolina: 5
• Tennessee: 2
• Texas A&M: 6
• Vanderbilt: 2

The first batch of big uglies are on the ranking slab Monday. No offense can operate without offensive linemen and the SEC has its share of talented big men.

Here's a look at our preseason rankings when it came to offensive lines. Let's just say we overestimated when it came to a couple of groups.

Here's what we though of after the 2011 season:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide line pushed around its opponents all year long. Alabama was first in the SEC in rushing (and had the Doak Walker winner in Trent Richardson) and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Alabama was equipped with Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones, who played just about every position up front and the top SEC in William Vlachos. Alabama got tremendous play out of D.J. Fluker and got a pleasant surprise out of Alfred McCullough. Alabama ranked first in the league by allowing just 17 sacks.

2. LSU: The Tigers' offense went as its running game went. And for 13 games the running game was great. The offensive line should take a lot of credit for that. With two Associated Press All-SEC members -- Will Blackwell and Chris Faulk -- LSU averaged 200.9 rushing yards against conference foes. Alex Hurst should also become a more familiar name in 2012. LSU allowed just 18 sacks and totaled only 234 negative rushing yards.

3: South Carolina: South Carolina put only one player on the All-SEC list, in Rokevious Watkins, but the Gamecocks' line had a pretty good season. Even after losing top running back Marcus Lattimore midway through the season, South Carolina finished the season third in the SEC in total rushing and rushing against conference opponents. South Carolina had to deal with Kyle Nunn's absence for most of the year as well, but found a budding star in A.J. Cann. Pass protection dipped, as South Carolina allowed 30 sacks.

4. Georgia: Before the season, the offensive line seemed to be held together by tape, but this line stayed together nicely through 14 games. The Bulldogs were fifth in the conference in rushing against SEC foes and had two All-SEC performers in Cordy Glenn, who might be a first-round draft pick, and center Ben Jones. Where Georgia's line came up short was in pass protection, as the Bulldogs were 11th in the league allowing 33 sacks.

5. Vanderbilt: The Commodores didn't put anyone on the All-SEC teams, but there's no question that this was the most improved line in 2011. Wesley Johnson proved to be one of the most underrated linemen in the league and the Commodores' offense was much more explosive than past years. Vandy was sixth in the league in rushing and had the league's No. 3 rusher in Zac Stacy. The Commodores gave up 18 sacks in SEC games.

6. Arkansas: The Razorbacks were dealing with a young line, but saw improvements as the season went on. Without Knile Davis in the lineup, the running backs were pretty inconsistent individually, but the Hogs averaged 134.3 yards in conference games. In each of Arkansas' two losses, the Razorbacks averaged just 32 rushing yards. Alvin Bailey was a second-team All-SEC member and should be star in 2012. Arkansas allowed 28 sacks, but also allowed quarterback Tyler Wilson take some punishing hits throughout the year.

7. Auburn: The Tigers could run the ball for most of the year. Auburn was fourth in the league in rushing and averaged 4.1 yards per carry against SEC play. Michael Dyer finished the year second in the league with 1,242 yards. Brandon Mosley was the only returning starter, but the Tigers got solid play out of freshman center Reese Dismukes and saw the reemergence of A.J. Greene after injury cut his 2010 season short. However, Auburn's passing game and pass protection struggled. The Tigers gave up 32 sacks in 2011 and were overwhelmed by more athletic defensive lines.

8. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs had to deal with a rash of injuries along their offensive line in 2011. Tobias Smith went out early and the Bulldogs watched as Quentin Saulsberry and James Carmon deal with injuries toward the beginning of the season. The Bulldogs were able to deliver a 1,000-yard running back in Vick Ballard, but ranked ninth in the league in rushing against SEC teams. Mississippi State gave up just under two sacks a game.

9. Tennessee: This was supposed to be a strong point for the Vols last fall, but Tennessee struggled all year to run the ball. The Vols ranked 116th nationally in rushing and averaged just 63.5 yards per game in SEC play. While Tennessee never generated much of a running game last season, its pass protection was one of the best in the league. The Vols gave up just 18 sacks on the season, despite playing three different quarterbacks.

10. Florida: The Gators experienced another year of sub par line play in 2011. With a relatively young group up front, Florida really struggled to provide much comfort in the pocket for its quarterbacks and rarely outplayed opposing SEC defensive lines. Florida's line was also flagged a bunch last fall. Florida gave up just 23 sacks, but 21 came in SEC play and Florida averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and scored nine rushing touchdowns against SEC defenses.

11. Kentucky: Before the season, we thought the Wildcats would be much higher on this list, especially considering the fact that they returned four starters. However, injuries ruined Kentucky up front. Larry Warford was Kentucky's best lineman, but for the first part of the season, the Wildcats failed to play its five original starters because of injuries. Kentucky gave up 21 sacks through the first five games and gave up a league-high 35 sacks on the year. The Wildcats also ranked 11th in the league in rushing.

12. Ole Miss: Here's another line that returned so much but did so little last fall. We look pretty silly now after ranking Ole Miss' line second in our preseason rankings because the Rebels' line didn't do much protecting all year. Ole Miss' line didn't have the injury issues that Kentucky had and was still 10th in the SEC in rushing and scored just four rushing touchdowns in league play. The Rebels also gave up 31 sacks on the season, with a league-high 26 coming against SEC defenses.

Even as we turn our attention to the 2012 football season, there's always time to check back with the past from time to time.

The SEC released its last set of notes from the 2011 season this week, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the interesting facts and figures from the previous season.

For starters, how about a look at the SEC players of the week?

Week 1 (Games of Sept. 1-3): Offense - Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Rokevious Watkins, OT, South Carolina; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Luke McDermott, DT, Kentucky; Co-Freshman - Trey Depriest, LB, Alabama; Tre Mason, RB/RS, Auburn.

Week 2 (Games of Sept. 10): Offense - Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee; Defense - Mark Barron, S, Alabama; Special Teams - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Offensive Lineman - Alvin Bailey, OG, Arkansas; Defensive Lineman - Rob Lohr, DT, Vanderbilt; Co-Freshman - Josh Clemons, RB, Kentucky; Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.

Week 3 (Games of Sept. 15-17): Co-Offense - Chris Rainey, RB, Florida; Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina; Defense -Trey Wilson, DB, Vanderbilt; Special Teams - Caleb Sturgis, PK, Florida; Offensive Lineman - Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Bennie Logan, DT, LSU; Freshman- Odell Beckham, WR, LSU.

Week 4 (Games of Sept. 24): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Defense -Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Barrett Jones, OT, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Freshman- Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.

Week 5 (Games of Oct. 1): Co-Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas; Defense - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia..

Week 6 (Games of Oct. 8): Offense - Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Mike Gilliard, ILB, Georgia; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas.

Week 7 (Games of Oct. 15): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Co-Defense - Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn; D.J. Swearinger, FS, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - Chris Faulk, OT, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Co-Freshman - Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina; Ray Drew, OLB, Georgia.

Week 8 (Games of Oct. 22): Offense - Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Ryan Seymour, OG, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU; Freshman - A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee.

Week 9 (Games of Oct. 29): Offense - Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn; Co-Defense - Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas; Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia; Special Teams - Zach Hocker, K, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Brandon Wilds, RB, South Carolina.

Week 10 (Games of Nov. 5): Offense - Jeff Demps, RB, Florida; Defense - Eric Reid, S, LSU; Special Teams - Dennis Johnson, RS/RB, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas; Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Maxwell Smith, QB, Kentucky.

Week 11 (Games of Nov. 12): Offense - Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Travian Robertson, DT, South Carolina; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.

Week 12 (Games of Nov. 19): Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Co-Defense - Ron Brooks, DB, LSU; Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Co-Defensive Lineman - Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee; Abry Jones, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee.

Week 13 (Games of Nov. 25-26): Co-Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Ryan Tydlacka, P, Kentucky; Co-Offensive Lineman - Kyle Fischer, OT, Vanderbilt; William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Co-Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Garrison Smith, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU.

SEC Championship Game MVP: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

BCS (Yes, the SEC has won six straight)

• Since 2006, more than half of the slots in the BCS National Championship Game have been taken by SEC teams (7 of 12). The Big Ten and the Big 12 have two each and the Pac-12 has one.

• An SEC team has led or tied for the lead at the end of 20 of the last 24 quarters of BCS National Championship Game play.
• Since 2006, an SEC team has been ranked first in the weekly BCS standings in 26 of the 48 weeks, with four different teams holding the top spot. Florida was first for seven weeks, Alabama for six weeks, Auburn for three and LSU for 10 weeks, including all eight polls of this season.
• The SEC has had more teams ranked in the BCS standings for the most times than any other conference since 2006. The league has had 11 of its 12 teams ranked at one time or another since 2006 for a total of 238 times. The SEC breakdown: LSU (45), Alabama (35), Florida (33), Auburn (29), Georgia (23), Arkansas (23), South Carolina (21), Tennessee (14), Mississippi State (8), Kentucky (4) and Ole Miss (3).
• Since 2006, the SEC has posted a 9-3 record in BCS bowl games, more wins and a higher winning percentage (.750) than any other conference. The win total equals that of the next two highest conferences.

Bowls

• Since 2006, the SEC has accrued more bowl wins (36) and appearances (55) than any other conference. The conference’s .655 bowl winning percentage is third behind the Big East (23-10, .697) and Mountain West (20-9, .690) during that time.
• In January bowl games, the SEC is 22-10 (.688) against nonconference competition. Since 2008, the league is 16-6 (.727) against nonconference opponents in January bowls.
• In seven 2011-12 bowl games against nonconference teams, SEC defenses held opponents to less than its scoring average in five of those games. One of the two other games were in overtime (Michigan State-Georgia) and the other was Auburn holding Virginia to 24 points, when the Cavaliers season average was 23.2 points per game.

Random

• Over the last five seasons, Alabama owns the SEC's best winning percentage with a 50-12 record (.806). LSU has the most wins with 53, while Vanderbilt owns the league's lowest winning percentage (.355). LSU owns the best winning percentage over the last 10 years (.795) with a 105-27.
• SEC teams were 20-28 on the road against SEC opponents last season. Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt failed to win on the road against conference opponents.
• LSU led the SEC with a touchdown efficiency on drives of 34.8. Alabama led in scoring efficiency (46.8). Ole Miss was last in scoring efficiency (20.1) and Kentucky was last in touchdown efficiency (13.2).
• LSU led the SEC with 129 fourth-quarter points and a fourth-quarter scoring margin of plus-95. Ole Miss was last with 41 points and a scoring margin of -36.
• Arkansas led the SEC in yards per scoring drive (61.9).

South Carolina has welcomed back a familiar face to the offensive line as the Capital One Bowl draws near.

Senior tackle Kyle Nunn is back practicing after suffering a serious back injury and having a blood clot removed from his leg. Nunn started the first four games of the season at left tackle for the Gamecocks, but suffered his back injury in Week 3 against Navy. His final game came against Vanderbilt a week later.

Nunn later underwent surgery to remove the blood clot, putting his chances of returning for any part of the 2011 season in even more doubt.

It appeared as if Nunn was going to apply for a sixth year of eligibility, but now, Nunn could be ending the season playing in his South Carolina uniform.

"My first couple days (of practice) were kind of shaky, but I’m back now," Nunn said Thursday. "The back injury caused my leg not to work as it was supposed to because it was pinching on the nerve. It’s really scary when you wake up and can’t feel your leg. As soon as the surgery was over, all the feeling came back and everything was back. It was good.”

Nunn, who has been practicing at left tackle, is trying to play against Nebraska Monday, but if he does, he won't be eligible for a medical hardship waiver that would grant him another year.

“I feel really good about myself right now," he said.

South Carolina's line is much better with Nunn out there, so his return would certainly boost the Gamecocks' offense. If he were able to play left tackle, Rokevious Watkins could move back to right tackle, where he started the first five games of the season.

Having Watkins on the right side would provide the line with a little more stability. Freshmen Cody Gibson and Mike Matulis have switched off at right tackle since Watkins moved to left tackle.

Editor’s Note: Tune into the “AT&T ESPN All America Team Show” on Saturday (ABC, 1:30 p.m. ET) to see who ESPN’s writers and experts selected.

Constructing an all-conference team is never easy. There are always players you second-guess or just remember at the last minute.

The tough decisions have to be made and that means not everyone can make the team.

We just don't have enough room for hundreds of players.

We struggled with a couple of decisions, starting with the quarterback position. We gave the nod to Aaron Murray over Tyler Wilson. We understand that Wilson led the SEC in yards (3,422), but Murray did more with less. Wilson was working with four top-tier wide receivers, while Murray simply wasn't. He still led the SEC with 33 touchdown passes, threw 19 them in the last six games and led Georgia back to the SEC title game.

It was also hard to leave Zac Stacy off this list. Michael Dyer was Auburn's most valuable player, and that 7-5 record might not have been possible without him. He was second in the SEC in rushing (1,242) and was the only back besides Trent Richardson to average more than 100 yards in SEC games. But Stacy was great, too. He averaged a yard more per carry (5.7) than Dyer in SEC play, had more total touchdowns (13) and averaged 126 yards in each of his last six games.

We also decided to go with a 3-4 defense because we felt linebackers deserved a little more love this year.

Here's our team:

OFFENSE

TE - Orson Charles, Georgia
OL - Barrett Jones, Alabama
OL - Will Blackwell, LSU
OL - Cordy Glenn, Georgia
OL - Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina
C - William Vlachos, Alabama
WR - Jarius Wright, Arkansas
WR - Rueben Randle, LSU
QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia
RB – Trent Richardson, Alabama
RB – Michael Dyer, Auburn
AP - Chris Rainey, Florida

DEFENSE

DL - Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
DL - Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
DL - Sam Montgomery, LSU
LB - Jarvis Jones, Georgia
LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
LB - Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
LB - Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
DB - Morris Claiborne, LSU
DB - Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
DB - Mark Barron, Alabama
DB - Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK - Caleb Sturgis, Florida
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Joe Adams, Arkansas

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was named the 2011 Associated Press All-SEC Offensive Player of the Year Monday.

The junior was the heart of Alabama's offense and led the conference with 1,583 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. He also had 27 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

In SEC play, Richardson averaged 137 rushing yards a game and had 10rushing touchdowns. He also averaged 6 yards per carry against SEC defenses.

In 12 games, Richardson eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark nine times and had five games with more than 160 yards, including a 203-yard performance against Auburn in the season finale.

Here some other honors for SEC players:

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

COACH OF THE YEAR

Les Miles, LSU

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

RB Isaiah Crowell, Georgia

Here's a look at the AP's All-SEC First Team:

FIRST TEAM

Offense
WR Jarius Wright, Arkansas, 5-10, 180, Sr.
WR Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee, 6-3, 215, So.
OL *Barrett Jones, Alabama, 6-5, 311, Jr.
OL Will Blackwell, LSU, 6-4, 290, Sr.
OL Cordy Glenn, Georgia, 6-5, 348, Sr.
OL Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina, 6-4, 340, Sr.
C William Vlachos, Alabama, 6-1, 294, Sr.
TE Orson Charles, Georgia, 6-3, 241, Jr.
QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas, 6-3, 220, Jr.
RB *Trent Richardson, Alabama, 5-11, 224, Jr.
RB Michael Dyer, Auburn, 5-9, 210, So.
K Caleb Sturgis, Florida, 5-11, 183, Jr.
All-Purpose Joe Adams, Arkansas, 5-11, 190, Sr.

Defense
DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, 6-4, 295, Jr.
DT Malik Jackson, Tennessee, 6-5, 270, Sr.
DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, 6-2, 276, Sr.
DE Sam Montgomery, LSU, 6-4, 245, So.
LB *Jarvis Jones, Georgia, 6-3, 241, So.
LB Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, 6-1, 232, Sr.
LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, 6-2, 265, Sr.
CB *Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, 5-9, 175, So.
CB Morris Claiborne, LSU, 6-0, 185, Jr.
S Mark Barron, Alabama, 6-2, 218, Sr.
S Bacarri Rambo, Georgia, 6-0, 218, Jr.
P Brad Wing, LSU, 6-3, 184, Fr.

* -- Unanimous selection

You can check out the second team selections and the honorable mentions here.

Here are the SEC players of the week as the league announced Monday:

SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

RB Vick Ballard (Mississippi State) -- Ballard rushed for a career-high 166 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries in Mississippi State’s 59-14 win at Memphis, making it the fifth time in 13 career games that he has scored three touchdowns.

SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

CB Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) -- Mathieu had a team-high 10 total tackles, forced a fumble, which he returned for a 3-yard touchdown, broke up two passes, and had a tackle for loss in LSU’s 40-27 win against Oregon. He also returned three punts for a total of 26 yards, including a long of 15 yards.

SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

WR Joe Adams (Arkansas) -- Adams tied an SEC record with two punt returns for touchdowns in Arkansas’ 51-7 win over Missouri State. The last SEC player to accomplish the feat was Kentucky’s Derek Abney against Mississippi State in 2002. Adams scored from 61 yards and 69 yards. Adams also had a school-record 174 yards on six punt returns and also caught an 11-yard pass.

SEC OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK

OT Rokevious Watkins (South Carolina) -- Watkins made his first-career start at right tackle for the Gamecocks after playing guard in 2010 and helped South Carolina to a 56-37 win against East Carolina. South Carolina's offense generated 351 yards of total offense against ECU. The Gamecocks had just one lost yardage play on 65 plays. Watkins recorded eight knockdowns, four pancakes, allowed no sacks and no quarterback pressures.

SEC Co-DEFENSIVE LINEMEN OF THE WEEK

DT Jaye Howard (Florida) -- Howard had four tackles, 1.5 for losses, and a 12-yard sack in Florida's 41-3 win over Florida Atlantic. The Gators gave up just 30 rushing yards to FAU on 30 attempts.

DT Luke McDermott (Kentucky) -- McDermott had four tackles, including a 5-yard sack in Kentucky’s 14-3 win against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers had just 234 total yards in the game.

SEC Co-FRESHMEN OF THE WEEK

LB Trey DePriest (Alabama) -- DePriest led Alabama with 10 total tackles, had 0.5 for loss and a quarterback hurry in the Crimson Tide's 48-7 win over Kent State. The Tide defense held Kent State to 90 total yards, including -9 on the ground.

RB/RS Tre Mason (Auburn) -- Mason had 176 kickoff return yards on four attempts, including a 97-yard touchdown, in Auburn’s 42-38 win over Utah State. His return yardage is tied for third in school history.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS:

WR/RS Marquis Maze (Alabama) -- Totaled 253 all-purpose yards against Kent State including 118 on eight catches, 96 yards on eight punt returns and 39 yards on a kickoff return.

QB Tyler Wilson (Arkansas) -- In his first career start he completed 18-of-24 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri State.

WR Travante Stallworth (Auburn) -- Had four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against Utah State.

RB Chris Rainey (Florida) -- Scored three touchdowns, all different ways -- a 14-yard rushing score, a 22-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown and a 14-yard receiving score -- against Florida Atlantic.

TE Orson Charles(Georgia) -- Had six catches for career-high 109 yards and a touchdown against Boise State.

S/LB Winston Guy (Kentucky) -- Had 10 tackles, including 2.5 for losses and two interceptions against Western Kentucky.

DB Charles Sawyer (Ole Miss) -- Returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown and had seven tackles against BYU.

DB Marvin Bure (Mississippi State) -- Posted five tackles on kickoff coverage as Bulldogs held Memphis to just 17 yards per return on 10 kickoffs.

QB Stephen Garcia(South Carolina) -- Came off the bench against East Carolina and accounted for three touchdowns -- two on the ground (32 yards and 10 yards) and one through the air.

QB Tyler Bray (Tennessee) -- Completed 17-of-24 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns against Montana.

LB Daryle Vereen (Tennessee) -- Led the Vols with a career-high and team-best six tackles against Montana.

LB Chris Marve(Vanderbilt) -- Led the Commodores with 12 total tackles, including two for losses (-3 yards) against Elon.

It's never too early to talk about next year's NFL draft, right? Of course not.

Well, ESPN colleague Mel Kiper recently made a list of his top-five juniors and seniors at each position and 12 SEC seniors made Kiper's list -- it would have been 13 if not for the dismissal of former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who is rated as the No. 3 corner on Kiper's list.

Here is the list of SEC seniors on Kiper's list:

Running backs:

• No. 5: Jeffery Demps, Florida

Offensive guards:

• No. 3: Cordy Glenn, Georgia
• No. 4: Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina

Centers:

• No. 2: William Vlachos, Alabama
• No. 3: Ben Jones, Georgia

Inside linebackers:

• No. 5: Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

Outside linebackers:

• No. 1: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

Cornerbacks

• No. 4: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt

Safeties

• No. 1: Mark Barron, Alabama
• No. 3: Tramain Thomas, Arkansas

Kickers

• No. 1: Blair Walsh, Georgia

Punters

• No. 2: Drew Butler, Georgia

My thoughts:

• It's interesting to see Demps on this list. Yes, he has incredible speed and there isn't a player in the country that can catch him after he hits a hole and finds some space, but he has size (5-8, 190 pounds) and durability issues. He injured his foot last season against Tennessee when he carried the ball more than 20 times and was never the same in 2010. Demps needs to stay healthy and excel in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense this fall in order to stay on this list. Also, I expect Ole Miss' Brandon Bolden to creep onto this list. He's one of the most underrated players in the SEC.

• Tennessee's Malik Jackson and South Carolina's Travian Robertson have the ability to nudge their way into the list of top defensive tackles with solid seasons this fall. Also, Arkansas' Jerry Franklin and Kentucky's Danny Trevathan will push get in on the action at linebacker. I think Franklin has, like, 1,000 career tackles at this point.

• I like the love Hayward got. He hasn't gotten a ton of national attention, but he would start on just about any team in the SEC.

Now for the juniors:

Quarterbacks

• No. 5: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Running backs

• No. 1: Trent Richardson, Alabama
• No. 2: Knile Davis, Arkansas

Wide receivers

• No. 1: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
• No. 5: Rueben Randle, LSU

Tight ends

• No. 2: Orson Charles, Georgia
• No. 4: Michael Williams, Alabama

Offensive tackles

• No. 5: Xavier Nixon, Florida

Offensive guards

• No. 2: Barrett Jones, Alabama
• No. 5: Larry Warford, Kentucky

Centers

• No. 5: T.J. Johnson, South Carolina

Defensive ends

• No. 4: Devin Taylor, South Carolina

Inside linebackers

• No. 4: Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

Cornerbacks

• No. 1: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
• No. 4: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
• No. 5: Morris Claiborne, LSU

Safeties

• No. 2: Robert Lester, Alabama
• No. 3: Janzen Jackson, Tennessee

Kickers

• No. 5: Bryson Rose, Ole Miss

My thoughts:

• Well, this junior class sure is stacked. There are 19 SEC juniors on Kiper's list and all of them are impact players in this league. I won't argue many of the players on this list, but I'm going to hold off on putting Wilson on here. He played in just one game last season, and while he did pretty well, I need to see more of him before I place him on a draft list. Cue his 4,000-yard performance this fall ...

• I saw where my Big 12 blog compadre David Ubben disagreed with Kiper for his decision to put Jeffery ahead of Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Sure, Blackmon has the killer speed that Jeffery doesn't, but Jeffery is a physical beast on the field and was the best in one-on-one situations last season. He'll catch anything, no matter who's around him. I'll take Jeffery as well and he should be just fine at the next level.

• Five of Kiper's 10 defensive backs reside in the SEC. Memo to all the quarterbacks in this league: throw with extreme caution. One player to keep an eye on this season is Claiborne. He has all the tools to be the top corner in the league this fall and could end up being the top corner in the country.

Today, we delve deeper into the South Carolina coaching staff.

Coach: Shawn Elliott

Position: Running game coordinator and offensive line

Experience: He's entering his second season on the South Carolina staff. Elliott, 38, had spent his entire coaching career at Appalachian State before coming to South Carolina in 2010. He was the Mountaineers' offensive line coach from 2001-09, and they won three straight national championships from 2005-07. During that same three-year span, Elliott coached three consecutive Southern Conference Jacobs Trophy recipients as the best blocker in the league. After earning his bachelor's degree from Appalachian State in 1996, Elliott worked for two seasons as a defensive assistant and then for two seasons as the Mountaineers' tight ends coach.

Of note: This will be the first time since 2008 that South Carolina has gone into a season with the same offensive line coach two years in a row. Elliott replaced Eric Wolford, who left following the 2009 season to become the head coach at Youngstown State. Wolford replaced John Hunt, who was let go by Steve Spurrier following the 2008 season. ... Elliott brought with him from Appalachian State his version of the zone-read package to the South Carolina offense, a blocking scheme that paved the way for Marcus Lattimore to set a South Carolina freshman rushing record with 1,197 yards. ... The Gamecocks averaged 154.4 rushing yards last season after averaging 112.5 yards over the previous three seasons and never averaging more 121.2 yards on the ground in any of those three seasons. ... Elliott grew up in Camden, S.C., and used to attend games at Williams-Brice Stadium as a kid with his father, Charles, who worked the Gamecocks' home games as a state highway patrolman. ... Elliott played collegiately at Appalachian State and was a co-captain and all-league player as a senior on the Mountaineers' 1995 team that finished 12-1.

His challenge: South Carolina's offensive line play had been a sore subject with Gamecocks fans ever since Steve Spurrier arrived in 2005, but Elliott stepped in last season and added a degree of toughness and consistency that had been missing up front. Of course, it also helps to add a talent like Lattimore to the backfield. The bottom line is that the Gamecocks were much better at running the ball last season and also did a better job of protecting the quarterback. In addition to coaching the offensive line, Elliott oversees the Gamecocks' running game, which looked like a real-life SEC running game a year ago. Defenses will key on Lattimore more than ever this coming season, and the offensive line will also include some new faces. Redshirt freshman A.J. Cann was impressive in the spring at left guard. Junior college transfer Kaleb Broome will also push for playing time at both guard and tackle, and the Gamecocks need a big senior season out of Kyle Nunn, who returns at left tackle. The same goes for Rokevious Watkins on the right side. He's kept his weight down and will enter fall camp as the starter at right tackle, but could also slide inside to guard. Junior T.J. Johnson is one of the better centers in the league. It's an offensive line that should again be solid when it comes to run blocking. The challenge could be pass protection.

In the spirit of next week's MLB All-Star Game, we've decided to get in on the fun with our own shot at building all-star teams in the SEC.

I'll go first, while fellow SEC blogger Chris Low will unveil his team later today.

Since there are two divisions, we're going East versus West. Like MLB, the school from the winning division will be the home team in the SEC championship game. As a bonus, the winning representative will also get unlimited Chick-fil-A during its stay in Atlanta.

(Supplying unlimited amounts of food from The Varsity would leave the team sluggish and bloated before the big game, so we went lighter.)

Without further adieu, here are my East and West all-stars:

EAST

OFFENSE


QB - Aaron Murray, Georgia, So.
RB - Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina, So.
RB - Tauren Poole, Tennessee, Sr.
WR - Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, Jr.
WR - Justin Hunter, Tennessee, So.
TE - Orson Charles, Georgia, Jr.
C - Ben Jones, Georgia, Sr.
OL - Cordy Glenn, Georgia, Sr.
OL - Larry Warford, Kentucky, Jr.
OL - Ja'Wuan James, Tennessee, So.
OL - Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina, Sr.

DEFENSE

DE - Devin Taylor, South Carolina, Jr.
DE - Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, Sr.
DT - Jaye Howard, Florida, Sr.
DT - Malik Jackson, Tennessee, Sr.
LB - Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, Sr.
LB - Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, Sr.
LB - Ronald Powell, Florida, So.
CB - Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, Jr.
CB - Casey Howard, Vanderbilt, Sr.
S - Janzen Jackson, Tennessee, Jr. (consider this like the wacky fan vote because he has yet to return to the team)
S - D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina, Jr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K - Blair Walsh, Georgia, Sr.
P - Drew Butler, Georgia, Sr.
RET - Andre Debose, Florida, So.

WEST

OFFENSE

QB - Tyler Wilson, Arkansas, Jr.
RB - Trent Richardson, Alabama, Jr.
RB - Knile Davis, Arkansas, Jr.
WR - Greg Childs, Arkansas, Sr.
WR - Joe Adams, Arkansas, Sr.
TE - Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn, Jr.
C - William Vlachos, Alabama, Sr.
OL - Barrett Jones, Alabama, Jr.
OL - Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss, Sr.
OL - Josh Dworaczyk, LSU, Sr.
OL - Brandon Mosely, Auburn, Sr.

DEFENSE

DE - Jake Bequette, Arkansas, Sr.
DE - Kentrell Lockett, Ole Miss, Sr.
DT - Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, Jr.
DT - Josh Chapman, Alabama, Sr.
LB - Dont'a Hightower, Alabama, Jr.
LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr.
LB - Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, Sr.
CB - Morris Claiborne, LSU, Jr.
CB - Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, Jr.
S - Mark Barron, Alabama, Sr.
S - Tramain Thomas, Arkansas, Sr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K - Zach Hocker, Arkansas, So.
P - Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss, Jr.
RET - Joe Adams, Arkansas, Sr.

The big uglies up front on the offensive side are our focus today. There are some quality veterans out there, but teams all across the league are looking to replace some quality linemen in the trenches.

Here's how we see the league stacking up:

1. Alabama: Four of Alabama’s five linemen from a year ago return, making this one of the team’s strongest units. The returners have combined for more than 70 starts at Alabama. Barrett Jones is the star of the show. The junior has been the Tide’s starting right guard each of the past two seasons, but took reps at left tackle and could be asked to move. William Vlachos is back at center and could be the best at his position in the league. Fellow starters D.J. Fluker and Chance Warmack are back and took reps at left tackle this spring.

2. Ole Miss: The Rebels’ offense isn’t getting much respect this offseason, but its offensive line returns All-SEC candidates in tackles Bradley Sowell and Bobby Massie. Seven of Ole Miss’ linemen started two or more games each on the offensive line in 2010. Last season, the Rebels were first in the league in sacks allowed, giving up just 14. Alex Washington should stay at left guard after starting eight games there and A.J. Hawkins will likely get the nod at center after playing eight games there as well. Arkansas transfer Matt Hall will compete for time at center.

3. LSU: Joseph Barksdale might be gone, but the Tigers have a very talented group of linemen returning. Tackle Alex Hurst seems primed to be a star in the league and senior Josh Dworaczky is arguably the Tigers’ top lineman with 25 career starts. Patrick Lonergan is solid at center, while T-Bob Hebert is valuable at both center and guard. Sophomore Chris Faulk has the tough assignment of replacing Barksdale, but made quite the impression on his coaches this spring.

4. Kentucky: The Wildcats return four starters on their line. Right guard Larry Warford headlines the group after gaining second-team All-SEC honors a year ago. Kentucky also returns two-year starter Stuart Hines at left guard and Matt Smith at center, who was solid in his first year there. Left tackle Chandler Burden missed spring practice, but is expected back by fall practice. Finding a suitable right tackle is the next step for Kentucky.

5. Tennessee: This group could be one of the most impressive units for the Volunteers this season. It’s deeper and more experienced in Derek Dooley’s second year and he was very pleased with its performance this spring. Junior Dallas Thomas is solid at left tackle, and sophomore Ja’Wuan James really came on strong in his first year and is one of the top linemen in the SEC. James Stone also returns at center. The surprise of the group was true freshman Marcus Jackson, who held down the left guard spot for most of the spring.

6. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs must replace All-American left tackle Derek Sherrod, but most of the line is somewhat on point. Center Quentin Saulsberry will anchor the line and is versatile enough to play just about every position on the line. Left guard Gabe Jackson and right tackle Addison Lawrence return and the Bulldogs will have junior Tobias Smith lining up at right guard. Blaine Clausell and James Carmon, who moved from defensive tackle, will compete at left tackle.

7. Georgia: This was supposed to be one of the strongest offensive line units in the league, but the Bulldogs lost tackle Trinton Sturdivant to a season-ending knee injury this spring and fellow tackle A.J. Harmon transferred. Georgia’s most-reliable options are Cordy Glenn, who moved from guard to left tackle and Ben Jones at center. Kenarious Gates is at left guard, but he’s athletic enough to play tackle if needed. Former defensive lineman Justin Anderson will start off at right tackle. Right guard is the next area of business and the depth all around is a problem.

8. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have questions here, but there is talent across the line. Rokevious Watkins is one of the most talented guards in the league and he’ll be assisted by returning starter at center T.J. Johnson. Senior Kyle Nunn has made strides at left tackle and redshirt freshman A.J. Cann took over duties at left guard this spring. Still, the younger linemen will be counted on to contribute this fall.

9. Arkansas: The Razorbacks must replace three starters on the offensive line. Center Travis Swanson and left guard Alvin Bailey are the only returning starters. Just a sophomore, Bailey impressed his coaches last season and will be one of the top linemen in the league this fall. After that, the Hogs will have to turn to youth for help. True freshman Brey Cook could be thrust into the starting role at right tackle, while sophomore Anthony Oden could get the job at left tackle.

10. Florida: Florida’s offensive line struggled throughout the 2010 season -- and that was with a senior-laden group. This fall, the Gators will start over with a ton of inexperience. Right guard Jon Halapio and right tackle Xavier Nixon are the only returning starters. Halapio struggled at times last season and Nixon battled injuries. Florida’s line spent most of the spring in the infirmary, so little is known about the overall talent. Freshman Chaz Green left spring as the starter at left tackle, Jonotthan Harrison will battle former Notre Dame lineman Dan Wenger at center. He transferred in after spring, but has health concerns.

11. Auburn: The Tigers will go from having one of the top offensive line groups in the country to having a major work in progress in 2011. Senior Brandon Mosley is the lone returning starter, and while he was solid on Auburn’s line last season, he came from junior college as a defensive end/tight end. The good news is that tackle A.J. Greene should be fine this fall after sustaining a season-ending leg injury last year. The rest of Auburn’s linemen are very young and inexperienced. Don’t expect many redshirts from this group.

12. Vanderbilt: The Commodores might return all five starters, but this unit had trouble keeping things together last year. The offense needs this group to improve mightily. Wesley Johnson is Vanderbilt’s best option, despite only being a sophomore at left tackle. There will be size on the right side, with 300-plus pounders Kyle Fischer and Ryan Seymour over there. Simply put, this unit has the experience, but it requires a lot of improvement.

Now that the 2011 NFL draft is over, it's time to take an early look at some of the top eligible prospects for next year's draft.

ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper provides us with a position-by-position breakdown of those players by ranking his top five prospects at their respective positions for the 2012 draft.

Not surprisingly, the SEC is well represented, with 17 players on the list. Georgia led the way with five representatives.

Five SEC players, including Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn and Alabama linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, ranked first at their positions.

What should draw an interesting debate from fans is that former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who would be a senior this fall, is ranked as the No. 1 cornerback. Jenkins was dismissed from Florida's football team last week after his second marijuana-related arrest of the year. It's still unknown if he will enter the supplemental draft, which is typically held in July, or if he will pursue a final year of college eligibility this fall.

Here's a look at how the SEC fared on Kiper's list:

RUNNING BACKS

No. 5 -- Brandon Bolden, Ole Miss

RECEIVERS

No. 4 -- Greg Childs, Arkansas

OFFENSIVE GUARDS

No. 1 -- Cordy Glenn, Georgia

No. 4 -- Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina

CENTERS

No. 2 -- William Vlachos, Alabama

No. 4 -- Ben Jones, Georgia


DEFENSIVE TACKLES

No. 4 -- Jaye Howard, Florida

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

No. 1 -- Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

No. 4 -- Jerry Franklin, Arkansas

No. 5 -- Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

No. 1 -- Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

CORNERBACKS

No. 1 -- Janoris Jenkins, Florida

No. 4 -- Casey Heyward, Vanderbilt

No. 5 -- Brandon Boykin, Georgia

SAFTIES

No. 2 -- Mark Barron, Alabama

KICKERS

No. 1 -- Blair Walsh, Georgia

PUNTERS

No. 2 Drew Butler, Georgia