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Arkansas will have six captains for the 2012 season.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis were chosen as captains for the second consecutive year and are joined by center Travis Swanson, defensive tackle Alfred Davis and linebackers Alonzo Highsmith and Tenarius Wright. The group was selected by a team vote after spring practice.

Wilson is the only Razorback in school history to be named first-team All-SEC quarterback, an honor he earned in 2011 after leading Arkansas to a school-record-tying 11 wins in his first season as a starter. The senior from Greenwood, Ark., holds nine school records, including career completion percentage, and has produced three of the top-five single-game completions marks in school history. He finished the 2011 season 277-of-438 passing for 3,638 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions, becoming just the second Razorback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season, and leading the SEC with the eighth-highest single-season passing yards total in conference history.

Knile Davis was a first-team All-SEC performer by the Associated Press in 2010, when he led all SEC running backs with 1,322 yards on the ground, the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. The junior from Missouri City, Texas, was named to numerous preseason All-America and All-SEC teams as well as watch lists for the Doak Walker, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards before suffering an injury during a preseason scrimmage that forced him to miss the 2011 campaign.

Swanson has started all 26 games of his Razorback career and blocked for consecutive seasons with a 3,000-yard passer, including the first season in school history with a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher in 2010. Alfred Davis has appeared in 37 games with eight starts in his career. The senior from College Park, Ga., saw action in all 13 games and recorded 14 tackles with 0.5 for loss in 2011.

Highsmith started all 13 games of his first season at Arkansas and finished 2011 first on the team and 10th in the SEC with 12.5 tackles for loss. The senior from Missouri City, Texas, recorded 80 tackles, including 12.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and one pass breakup. Wright enters the 2012 season as Arkansas' active career leader in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles and tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries. The senior from Memphis, Tenn., started all eight games in which he appeared in 2011 and recorded 25 tackles, 5.0 for loss with 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His quarterback hurry total tied for the team lead despite him being injured early in the game at No. 3 Alabama and missing the next five games.

The fall watch list craze is in full swing and the SEC is getting a ton of love on each one that comes out.

Tuesday, the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list came out, with 16 SEC players making the list. The award is given annually to college football's best lineman. Eligibility for the award is limited to "down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, and linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage."

The high number of SEC contenders is a testament to the strength of the lines in this league. Many coaches outside of the SEC have repeatedly said that the main difference between the SEC and the rest of the country is the strength of the lines. The battles in the trenches are so key in the SEC.

The SEC has won the award twice in the last four years, with Auburn's Nick Fairley taking it home last year.

Alabama had the most representatives from the SEC with four -- Dont'a Hightower, Barrett Jones, Courtney Upshaw and William Vlachos. Arkansas was right behind the Tide with three players -- Alvin Bailey, Jake Bequette and Jerry Franklin.

Here is the complete list of SEC players on the Lombardi watch list:

• OG Alvin Bailey, Arkansas
• DE Jake Bequette, Arkansas
• LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
• OT Cordy Glenn, Georgia
• LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
• DT Jaye Howard, Florida
• DT Malik Jackson, Tennessee
• OL Barrett Jones, Alabama
• C Ben Jones, Georgia
• OL Quentin Saulsberry, Mississippi State
• OT Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss
• DE Devin Taylor, South Carolina
• LB Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
• LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
• C William Vlachos, Alabama
• OG Larry Warford, Kentucky

Today, the Rimington Trophy watch list was announced. The award is given annually to the nation's best center and the SEC had the most candidates on the list with seven. The Big Ten checked in second with six players.

Here are the SEC representatives:

• A.J. Hawkins, Ole Miss
• T.J. Johnson, South Carolina
• Ben Jones, Georgia
• P.J. Lonergan, LSU
• Matt Smith, Kentucky
• Travis Swanson, Arkansas
• William Vlachos, Alabama

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.

Seven of the SEC's 12 starting centers are on the 2011 Rimington Trophy spring watch list.

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the top center in college football. There are a total of 42 players on the spring watch list.

Making the cut from the SEC were Ole Miss' A.J. Hawkins, South Carolina's T.J. Johnson, Georgia's Ben Jones, LSU's P.J. Lonergan, Kentucky's Matt Smith, Arkansas' Travis Swanson and Alabama's William Vlachos.

The SEC landed six players on the Rivals.com Freshman All-America team, including a pair of offensive line starters at Arkansas.

Center Travis Swanson and guard Alvin Bailey, a pair of redshirt freshmen, both made first team. South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, who led all SEC running backs in rushing with 1,198 yards, was also selected to the first team on offense.

On defense, Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley and LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu were named to the first team. Both are true freshmen. Florida's Andre Debose was selected as the kick returner. Debose, a redshirt freshman, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season.

The SEC players making second team included Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, Auburn running back Mike Dyer, Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, Tennessee center James Stone, Florida linebacker Jelani Jenkins and Mississippi State safety Nickoe Whitley.