ESPN College Football

Our look at the SEC's most productive returning players in 2012 continues with a look at the league's top returning punters.

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The SEC returns seven of the top 10 punters from last season. We're going by average yardage per punt. Note: To qualify, a punter must have at least 2.5 punts per team's games played. The top punter returns, but he'll surely have some tough competition this fall.

Here's a look at the top returning punter by kick average:

Dylan Breeding, Arkansas: He averaged 45.3 yards per punt last fall, with a long of 70 yards. Breeding pinned 16 of his 53 punts inside opponents' 20-yard line and had 17 punts of 50 or more yards. Breeding has one of the best legs in the league, but is also pretty accurate. His leg became another defensive weapon for the Razorbacks and he returns as one of the school's top punters. With a new defensive coordinator and some missing defensive parts from last year, Breeding will be even more important for the Hogs when the offense falters.

The SEC returns six more of the top 10 punters:

• Brad Wing, LSU: He averaged 44.4 yards per punt, with a long of 73 yards. He also pinned 27 kicks inside the 20-yard line and had 20 punts of 50 or more yards.
• Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss: He averaged 43.6 yards per punt, with a long of 73. He also pinned 28 kicks inside the 2o and had 16 punts of 50 or more yards.
• Richard Kent, Vanderbilt: He averaged 42.5 yards per punt, with a long of 67. He also pinned 23 kicks inside the 20 and had 18 punts of 50 or more yards.
• Baker Swedenburg, Mississippi State: He averaged 41.8 yards per punt, with a long of 58. He also pinned 19 kicks inside the 20 and had 14 punts of 50 or more yards.
• Steven Clark, Auburn: He averaged 40.8 yards per punt, with a long of 58 yards. He also pinned 33 kicks inside the 20. (Punts of 50 or more yards not available.)
• Cody Mandell, Alabama: He averaged 39.3 yards per punt, with a long of 52 yards. He also pinned 11 kicks inside the 20 and had two punts of 50 or more yards.

Punting can be a little more predictable than place-kicking, so Breeding has a pretty good shot of retaining his crown. If Arkansas' offense didn't eat into his production last year there might not be concern of it happening again. Campbell should challenge Breeding because Ole Miss' offense is looking to install a new offense this fall, and that will take some time for players to get used to.

Obviously, Wing is someone who could push for the top average as well. He has a cannon for a leg and has pinpoint accuracy. He's also the most entertaining kicker out there.

Definitely keep an eye on Missouri's Trey Barrow. He was second in the Big 12 in punting average (44.8) and had a long of 74 yards last season. He also pinned 10 kicks inside the 20 and had 18 punts of 50 or more yards.

Florida's Kyle Christy averaged 40.9 yards per punt last year, but didn't meet the criteria of having at least 2.5 punts per his team's games. He also struggled to crack the starting lineup at first before starting the last seven games of the season. If he can start things off as the Gators' starter, he could push for the crown.

Texas A&M's Ryan Epperson could also challenge for the throne after he averaged 41.2 yards per punt and pinned 19 kicks inside the 20. He had a long of 68 yards and booted 10 punts for 50 or more yards.

Keep an eye on Joe Mansour and Jay Willmott at Kentucky, as they battle for the starting spot.

2011 overall record: 2-10
2011 conference record: 0-8
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners
RB Jeff Scott, WR Ja-Mes Logan, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Randall Mackey, C Evan Swindall, DE C.J. Johnson, LB Mike Marry, S Charles Sawyer, P Tyler Campbell

Key losses
RB Brandon Bolden, OT Bobby Massie, OT Bradley Sowell, DE Kentrell Lockett, DE Wayne Dorsey, S Damien Jackson

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jeff Scott* (529 yards)
Passing: Randall Mackey* (1,112 yards)
Receiving: Donte Moncrief* (454 yards)
Tackles: Mike Marry* (81)
Sacks: Wayne Dorsey (3)
Interceptions: Charles Sawyer* (4)

Spring answers

1. Secondary strength: With questions swirling surrounding Nickolas Brassell’s eligibility, some of the best news this spring for the Rebels centered around the play of cornerbacks Dehendret Collins and Wesley Pendleton. They were junior college teammates and look like they will be manning the starting corner positions this fall for Ole Miss. Add junior safety Charles Sawyer to the mix, and it’s a unit that should be much improved, especially if Brassell makes it academically and heralded true freshman Trae Elston is everything the Rebels think he is.

2. Kicking and screaming: It’s hard to find a team in the SEC that kicks it much better than the Rebels do with their combination of senior place-kicker Bryson Rose and senior punter Tyler Campbell. Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals last season and made 17 straight field goal attempts between 2010 and 2011, which was one shy of the SEC record. Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt and was second in the league with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

3. Freezing them out: First-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze spent much of the spring and offseason putting his stamp on the program. Not only do the Rebels have a new spread offense, but several of the players said there’s a new mindset, specifically when it comes to discipline and accountability. The players split into accountability groups, and they policed themselves. If one member of that group did something wrong or ran astray, they all were punished. Freeze exited the spring feeling as if everyone were on the same page in terms of knowing what the expectations were.

Fall questions

1. Making the grade: Junior running back Jeff Scott and Brassell are on the border academically and still have work to do to be eligible. Both players played in the spring game, but missed some practice time. The Rebels are in need of big-play guys on offense. Scott provides that with his speed. Brassell will play cornerback, but the Rebels also plan to use him situationally on offense. Tobias Singleton has moved from receiver to running back. If Scott and Brassell aren’t around this fall, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on Singleton in the backfield.

2. Shackelford’s health: The Rebels could desperately use D.T. Shackelford’s production and leadership on defense in 2012, but there’s no guarantee that he will be fully recovered from a second knee surgery this past March. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL two springs ago. His knee didn’t respond to that first surgery, and he had to undergo a second procedure just prior to the start of this spring practice. Shackelford, a junior linebacker, led the Rebels with five sacks in 2010. More importantly, he’s the kind of player everybody rallies around. Getting him back would be huge for the Rebels.

3. Offensive line development: It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback or who’s running the ball if the offensive line doesn’t jell and play with more consistency than it did a year ago. The anchor is junior center Evan Swindall, but the Rebels need guys such as senior A.J. Hawkins and junior Emmanuel McCray to keep progressing. They moved some players around this spring up front, and several of them have starting experience. But they were still adjusting to the new spread offense, so finding the right combination will be critical in the fall.

The good folks over at the SEC office delivered a plethora of post-spring notes for us to dive into as summer creeps closer and closer.

I've split it up by division, so you all aren't overwhelmed. We'll start with the SEC West:

ALABAMA

• The attendance for A-Day was 78,526 (1st in the SEC and 2nd nationally this year to Ohio State) which was the fifth-largest in school history. Each spring game under coach Nick Saban has had an attendance of 78,200 (2008) or higher.
• As an SEC head coach (beginning in 2001 at LSU and 2007 at Alabama), Saban has totaled 73 NFL draft picks with 20 first-round selections and 10 among the top 10 overall.
• During the last academic year, Alabama’s football program led the SEC (in what is believed to be a conference record) with a total of 38 student-athletes on the Academic All-SEC Honor Roll. A total of 22 players were on the bowl roster who had already earned their degrees, which was tied for first nationally in terms of graduates on bowl rosters.
• Of Alabama’s 13 starters lost, all were either drafted or signed free -agent contracts with the NFL. Included among those 13 were the four first-rounders along with LB Courtney Upshaw (2nd round), NG Josh Chapman (5th round), DB DeQuan Menzie (5th round) and TE Brad Smelley (7th round). OG Alfred McCullough, WR Marquis Maze, WR Darius Hanks, C William Vlachos and LB Jerrell Harris each signed as free agents following the draft.

ARKANSAS

• Arkansas is the only team in the SEC to return a quarterback (Tyler Wilson) with a 3,000-yard passing season in his career and a running back (Knile Davis) with a 1,000-yard rushing season.
• Arkansas has been ranked in 32 straight Associated Press polls, tied for the seventh-longest active streak in the nation, and in the top 10 for nine straight polls, which also ranks seventh among active streaks in the country.
• Arkansas finished the 2011 season undefeated at home for the first time since 1999. With seven home victories in 2011, the Razorbacks have 19 wins at home in the past three years, which is tied for the fourth-highest total in the NCAA. Arkansas enters the 2012 season with an 11-game home winning streak, the fifth-longest active streak in the country.
• Kicker Zach Hocker enters his junior season as Arkansas' record holder for career field goal percentage with his success rate of 80.4 percent. He also ranks in the top 10 in school history in six other categories and finished the 2011 season second in the SEC in points per game, field goals made per game and touchback percentage.

AUBURN

• Auburn returns 48 lettermen (20 offense, 26 defense, 2 specialists). Of the 68 scholarship players who participated in spring drills, 61 percent (38) were underclassmen.
• The Tigers start the 2012 season in the same location as they finished the 2011 campaign, playing in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. On Sept. 1, Auburn opens with Clemson in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game. The Tigers completed the 2011 season with a 43-24 victory over Virginia in the Chick-fil-a Bowl on Dec. 31. Auburn’s 2012 schedule features eight games against bowl participants from a year ago, including five that played in traditional New Year’s games.
• Junior punter Steven Clark, one of three finalists for last year’s Ray Guy Award, is one of two returning first team All-SEC honorees for Auburn, along with junior defensive end Corey Lemonier. Returnees Philip Lutzenkirchen (senior tight end) and Onterio McCalebb (senior all-purpose back) were second team all-SEC selections in 2011.

LSU

• The Tigers have four running backs coming back who had seven or more rushing touchdowns (Spencer Ware 8, Kenny Hilliard 8, Michael Ford, Alfred Blue 7).
• LSU has five returning offensive linemen with starts to their credit, led by C P.J. Lonergan with 26 and OG Josh Dworczyk with 26. Other linemen with career starts to their credit include LT Chris Faulk (13), RT Alex Hurst (23) and RG Josh Williford (9). A sixth offensive lineman – La’el Collins – came out of spring practice as possibly the starter at left guard.
• Defensively, LSU returns its top two tacklers (Tyrann Mathieu 76, Eric Reid 76) and its top two leaders in both tackles for loss (Barkevious Mingo 15.0, Sam Montgomery 13.5) and sacks (Montgomery 9.0, Mingo 8.0).
• LSU returns 11 players on defense that started at least one game a year ago, including five defensive linemen.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Mississippi State is one of only two SEC teams to bring back all 10 on-field coaches from last season. The entire staff continuity is a first in more than a decade (1999-2000) for the Bulldogs.
• Dan Mullen enters the 2012 campaign with 21 wins in his first three seasons, the second most in school history (Alllyn McKeen, 26, 1939-41). Mississippi State had only won 21 games over any three-year stretch eight times prior to Mullen’s arrival.
• Wide receiver Chad Bumphis enters the season with 101 career receptions, good for eighth in school history and 61 shy of David Smith’s (1968-70) record of 162. The Tupelo native needs five touchdowns to reach the school record of 17 held by Eric Moulds (1993-95) and Justin Jenkins (2000-03).

OLE MISS

• Five returning offensive linemen have each started five or more games in their career, including junior starting center Evan Swindall. Senior A.J. Hawkins and sophomore Aaron Morris settled in at the guards during the spring, while a pair of potential first-time starters, junior Emmanuel McCray and mid-year JUCO transfer Pierce Burton, have taken the lead at the tackles.
• Special teams remains a strength of the Rebels, led by 2010 NCAA punting champion and two-time All-SEC senior Tyler Campbell. In addition, senior K Bryson Rose has made 25 of 29 career field goals and 65-of-67 PATs.
• In the return game, junior running back Jeff Scott has established himself as a weapon during his career, ranking 20th in the country in kickoff returns in 2010 and helping Ole Miss finish third as a team nationally in punt returns in 2011.

TEXAS A&M

• Senior Dustin Harris enters the 2012 football season as the reigning punt return average statistical champion. The cornerback from Livingston, Texas, led the NCAA with a 18.9 average on 18 returns in 2011, with a 72-yard touchdown return against Kansas. Against the Jayhawks, Harris set a school record with 162 punt return yards.
• Senior Ryan Swope, from Austin, Texas, has career numbers of 180 catches for 2,204 yards and is chasing Jeff Fuller’s school records of 233 catches for 3,092 yards. Fuller’s records would appear to be within range after Swope’s record-setting junior season that saw him set school standards with 89 catches for 1,207 yards.
• The Aggies led the nation with 51 sacks in 2011 (six more than the second-best team), and A&M’s top two pass-rushing threats return in 2012. In fact, Texas A&M is the only team in the nation with two returnees that posted 8.5 or more sacks in 2011. Senior Sean Porter led the Big 12 with .73 sacks per game (No. 19 nationally), while junior Damontre Moore chipped in .71 per game (No. 21 nationally).
• Despite attempting the ninth most pass attempts in the NCAA FBS, the Aggies did a remarkable job of protecting their quarterback in 2011. In 13 games, A&M allowed just nine sacks for a NCAA-low 44 lost yards. Four of five starters return from the 2011 offensive front, including juniors-to-be OTs Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, who have been mentioned as first-round draft picks in several early 2013 mock drafts.
• The offensive line was penalized for holding just twice in 2011 and enters 2012 with a streak of 11 straight games without a holding call against a lineman.

We've come to the end of our postseason position rankings. Special teams don't get a ton of credit when things go right, but we all know how much grief they get when things go wrong. Just look at all those shanks we saw from kickers last season.

Fortunately, there are other aspects of special teams that involve more exciting plays, like returns that can change the dynamic of a game or are just really easy on the eyes (just take a look at what Joe Adams did to Tennessee last fall).

You can see how we ranked the SEC's special teams units before the season here.

Here are our final rankings:

1. LSU: All-American punter Brad Wing averaged 44.4 yards per kick, had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and pinned 27 kicks inside the opposing 20-yard line. His long of 73 yards completely changed LSU's first game with Alabama. Tyrann Mathieu had two clutch punt returns for touchdowns against Arkansas and Georgia at the end of the season and was fifth nationally averaging 15.6 yards per return. Morris Claiborne also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and averaged 25.1 yards per return. Opponents averaged 3.7 yards per punt return and just 20 yards per kickoff against LSU. Drew Alleman led the SEC in field goal percentage (88.9), hitting 16-of-18 kicks.

2. Arkansas: Adams was one of the best punt returners in the country, averaging 16.9 yards per return and taking four to the house for scores. The Hogs were just as dangerous on kickoffs, as Dennis Johnson and Marquel Wade both returned kicks for touchdowns and ranked in the top five in the SEC in return average. Zach Hocker hit 21-of-27 kicks and led all kickers by averaging 9.1 points per game. Dylan Breeding led the SEC in punting (45.3) and downed 16 inside the 20. Arkansas was one of the best in the SEC in kickoff coverage, but did allow two punt returns to go for scores in the two biggest games of the season.

3. Auburn: Auburn had Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason take kickoffs back for touchdowns, as the Tigers led the SEC in kickoff return average (24.7) and also in kickoff coverage. Auburn wasn't great returning punts, but punter Steven Clark was a Ray Guy Award finalist and pinned 33 punts inside the 20. Cody Parkey ranked sixth in the league in field-goal kicking, connecting on 13-of-18 kicks (72.2).

4. Florida: Even without Urban Meyer running the show, the Gators were still pretty successful in this department. Florida was first in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally with six blocked kicks. Two punt blocks went for touchdowns. Caleb Sturgis was a Lou Groza Award finalist, hitting 22-of-26 field goals, including three from 50-plus yards. Florida was also solid in kickoff coverage and got kickoff touchdowns of their own from Andre Debose, who was third in the league in return average, and Jeff Demps. Florida averaged 7.2 yards per punt return and averaged 39.8 yards per punt.

5. Ole Miss: If not for special teams, Ole Miss would have been even worse in 2011. Tyler Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt on his 72 attempts and pinned 28 inside the 20. The Rebels also had two different players -- Nickolas Brassell and Jeff Scott -- return punts for touchdowns and Ole Miss was near the top of the league in kickoff coverage and had a net punting average of 38 yards. Bryson Rose also hit nine of his 11 field-goal attempts.

6. Vanderbilt: It was a mixed bag for the Commodores when it came to special teams. Vanderbilt was second in the league in opponent punt return average (3.9), but allowed a touchdown, and gave up another touchdown on kickoff coverage. Vanderbilt also blocked two kicks. Missed field goals haunted Vanderbilt, as the Commodores missed two in the six-point loss to Tennessee and one at the end of regulation in a three-point loss to Arkansas. Andre Hal logged a kickoff touchdown, but Vandy was 11th in the league in punt return average.

7. Alabama: Before the national championship game, Alabama's field-goal kicking game received a ton of criticism, especially for the four misses in the 9-6 loss to LSU. But Jeremy Shelley redeemed the unit by hitting 5-of-7 in the rematch. Alabama's kickers missed 13 kicks. Marquis Maze only had 12 kickoff returns, but averaged 28.5 yards per return, was third in the SEC in punt return average (13.2) and had that nifty touchdown against Arkansas. However, Alabama was 11th in the league in kickoff coverage and 10th in punt average.

8. Kentucky: Punter Ryan Tydlacka was fourth in the league in punting (43.6), had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and had 19 of his punts downed inside the 20. Craig McIntosh connected on 12-of-14 field-goal attempts (.857). Kentucky was in the middle of the pack in kickoff coverage. The Wildcats weren't so good at returning kicks, ranking 11th in the SEC in kickoff returns and last in punt returns, averaging 1.8 yards per return.

9. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were last in the league in kickoff returns and were the only team to average fewer than 20 yards a return. The Bulldogs were better on punts, getting touchdowns from Chad Bumphis and Johnthan Banks, and ranked fifth in the league in punt return average. Punter Baker Swedenburg ranked seventh in punting and pinned 19 punts inside the 20. Derek DePasquale hit 12-of-18 field goals.

10. Tennessee: The Vols didn't record any special teams touchdowns, but were fifth in the league in kickoff returns and seventh in punt returns. As far as defending returns, Tennessee allowed just 18.1 yards per return, but was 10th in punt return coverage and gave up a touchdown. Michael Palardy hit of nine of his 14 field-goal attempts and punter Matt Darr was 10th in the SEC in punt average (38.1).

11. South Carolina: The Gamecocks struggled in the kicking game, but did have a bright spot in Ace Sanders recording a touchdown on a punt return and South Carolina blocked two kicks. However, South Carolina was seventh and eighth in the SEC in kickoff and punt returns, respectively. South Carolina was last in kickoff coverage and gave up a touchdown. Jay Wooten missed four field goals and three extra points, while punter Joey Scribner-Howard was ninth in the SEC in punting, averaging 38.9 yards per punt.

12. Georgia: Outside of Brandon Boykin's 92-yard touchdown return in the Outback Bowl, his 22.4-yard average on kick returns and Drew Butler's 44.2 yards per punt, Georgia didn't do much at all on special teams. The group that was supposed to be first in the league allowed two kickoffs and punts to go for touchdowns and allowed a fake punt for a touchdown against South Carolina. Blair Walsh entered the season as one of the nation's top kickers, but hit just 21-of-35 kicks, including missing two in overtime in the bowl loss to Michigan State.

Mel Kiper, ESPN's NFL draft expert, has compiled his list of the top 5 players by position of the returning seniors in college football for the 2012 season.

Here's a look at the SEC players on the list:

TOP RETURNING SENIORS BY POSITION

• Arkansas' Tyler Wilson, No. 3 quarterback
• Arkansas' Knile Davis, No. 2 running back
• Arkansas' Cobi Hamilton, No. 4 wide receiver
• Arkansas' Chris Gragg, No. 1 tight end
• Alabama's Michael Williams, No. 2 tight end
• LSU's Alex Hurst, No. 3 offensive tackle
• Tennessee's Dallas Thomas, No. 4 offensive tackle
• Alabama's Barrett Jones, No. 1 offensive guard
• Kentucky's Larry Warford, No. 2 offensive guard
• Alabama's Chance Warmack, No. 3 offensive guard
• Georgia's Abry Jones, No. 4 defensive end
• South Carolina's Devin Taylor, No. 5 defensive end
• Alabama's Jesse Williams, No. 2 defensive tackle
• Georgia's John Jenkins, No. 3 defensive tackle
• Texas A&M's Sean Porter, No. 4 outside linebacker
• Missouri's Zaviar Gooden, No. 5 outside linebacker
• Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks, No. 1 cornerback
• Georgia's Sanders Commings, No. 5 cornerback
• Georgia's Bacarri Rambo, No. 2 safety
• Alabama's Robert Lester, No. 4 safety
• Florida's Caleb Sturgis, No. 2 kicker
• Ole Miss' Tyler Campbell, No. 4 punter

Thoughts: Look at the returning firepower for Arkansas on offense. The Hogs have a player in the top 5 at quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end. Gragg has a chance to be one of the breakout players in the league next season. He was third on Arkansas' team this past season with 41 catches. Barrett Jones is Kiper's No. 1-rated senior prospect at guard, but could end up playing center for the Crimson Tide next season. Jones has already earned All-SEC honors at both tackle and guard and was the Outland Trophy winner in 2011. Banks thought about turning pro this year, but made a good decision in returning to Mississippi State. He has a chance to be one of the top cornerbacks in the country next season. Even though Alabama is losing a lot of talent from its 2011 national championship team, the Crimson Tide still lead the way in the SEC with five players on Kiper's list. Arkansas and Georgia are next with four apiece.

Here are some notes the SEC gave us that you might not know about as you enter Week 11:

• Alabama has not allowed an opponent to score more than 14 points during the first nine games of the 2011 season and 10 straight games dating back to the 2011 Capital One Bowl against Michigan State. The Crimson Tide defense leads the nation in scoring defense (7.1 ppg), total defense (187.0 ypg), rushing defense (56.3 ypg), pass efficiency defense (83.1 rating) and pass defense (130.7 ypg). The last time Alabama held its opponent to 14 points or less for at least 10 straight games was 1975-76 when the Tide did it in 14 straight games. The school record for consecutive games holding an opponent to 14 points or less is 31 from 1960-63. No other team in the nation has allowed an opponent to score no more than 14 points in every game this season.
• Arkansas has 16 touchdown drives of less than two minutes in 2011, bringing the total under coach Bobby Petrino to 78. Last season, Arkansas had 26 touchdown drives of less than two minutes. The Razorbacks have scored 11 touchdowns of more than 50 yards in 2011 and have scored at least one in all eight of their victories. Alabama and Arkansas are tied for the SEC lead with seven plays from scrimmage 50-yards-or-longer.
• Auburn junior running back Onterio McCalebb is tied for first among SEC running backs and is tied for 22nd nationally with 23 receptions. He is tied for 16th in the SEC in catches for all players. He has caught at least one pass in 12 straight games dating to Nov. 26 against Alabama in 2010. For his career, McCalebb is ninth in school history for receiving yards by a running back with 388. He is second on the team in receptions with 23. The last back to lead Auburn in receptions was Tucker Frederickson in 1964 with 14.
• Florida is one of three SEC teams -- Mississippi State and South Carolina the others -- who are tied for fourth nationally with only one play allowed on defense for more than 50 yards this season. Michigan, South Florida and Utah have not allowed a play of more than 50 yards this season. The longest play from scrimmage allowed by Florida this season was a 57-yard pass by LSU’s Jarrett Lee to Rueben Randle.
• At seven wins in a row, Georgia has matched its longest winning streak during a season in the Mark Richt era. During this streak, Georgia has outscored the opposition, 250-99. The Bulldogs have held their opponents to just eight offensive touchdowns in the past seven games. A win against Auburn would give the Bulldogs six straight SEC wins for the first time since 1982. In the Vince Dooley era, Georgia had a stretch of 23 consecutive SEC wins from 1980-83.
• Kentucky seniors Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy are the SEC’s top two tacklers. Trevathan has charted a career-high-tying 17 tackles in each of the past two games and is now the league’s top tackler with 111 this season. Guy trails Trevathan with 93. The duo rank fifth and tied for 16th, respectively, in the nation with 12.3 and 10.3 tackles per game. Trevathan and Guy are one of three teammate duos that are ranked nationally in tackles in the top 20 (Wisconsin’s Chris Borland and Mike Taylor; Ball State’s Travis Freeman and Aaron Morris).
• LSU goes into its Western Kentucky game this weekend with a 19-3 record in games played as the nation’s top-ranked team. LSU was 5-0 as the No. 1-ranked team in 1958, followed by a 7-1 record at the top spot in 1959. LSU was 2-2 as the No. 1-ranked team in 2007 and it is 5-0 this year. LSU is 7-2 under Les Miles in games as the nation’s top-ranked team. With a 9-0 mark this season, LSU is off to its best start since 1973 when the Tigers won their first nine. LSU is 9-0 for just the fourth time in school history. In addition to 1973 and this year, LSU’s other 9-0 starts came in 1958 when the Tigers won all 11 games, and in 1908 when they were 10-0.
• Ole Miss has excelled on special teams this season. The Rebels lead or are tied for the SEC lead in punt returns (25.11 ypr) and field goal percentage (100.00). Ole Miss is second in kickoff coverage (46.9 net average) and third in punting (43.91 ypp) and net punting (39.24 net). Tyler Campbell is third in the SEC and tied for 9th in the nation in punting (43.91 ypp) and Bryson Rose is tied for first nationally, hitting on all seven field goal attempts this season.
• Mississippi State’s defense has given up 17 touchdowns in nine games this season, which is tied for sixth nationally and third in the SEC. The Bulldogs have given up eight touchdowns on the ground and nine through the air. Alabama (six) and LSU (10) are first and second in least touchdowns allowed nationally this year. Also on defense, the Bulldogs are tied for 26th nationally and tied for fifth in the SEC with 11 passes intercepted.
• South Carolina has an SEC-leading 17 interceptions this season, including 13 over the past five games. Two have gone for “pick-sixes” with one from Antonio Allen against Georgia and one from Devin Taylor at Arkansas. The school record for interceptions in a season is 23, set three times: 1981, 1984 and 1987. The Gamecocks have matched their best season under Steve Spurrier with 27 turnovers forced through nine games. The previous mark of 27 under Spurrier was set during the 2008 season. The school record for turnovers forced in a season is 39, set in the 12-game 1987 campaign.
• Tennessee’s 2011 schedule ranks as the toughest in the nation in 2011, according to the NCAA’s toughest schedule rankings based on cumulative opposition. The combined records of UT’s 2011 opponents are 65-32 (49-21 past/16-11 future), which is 67.0 percent. LSU and Oklahoma are tied for second at 66.3 percent (65-33 overall) and Iowa State fourth at 66.0 percent (64-33). Kansas and Auburn are tied for fifth at 65.6 percent (63-33 overall).
• The Vanderbilt defense has limited seven of its eight FBS foes to less rushing yards than they average. Last week, Florida became the first FBS Vandy opponent to top its season rushing yardage when it totaled 197 yards on the ground. The unit has held four teams -- Elon, UConn, Ole Miss and Arkansas -- under 100 rushing yards. The unit limited its first seven FBS opponents to an average of nearly 80 yards below their game averages.
• This marks the seventh week this seaosn that the SEC has had at least six teams ranked in the AP poll. The SEC has had six teams ranked in the AP poll at least one week every year since 2003. Since 1992, the SEC has had at least five teams ranked in the AP Top 25 a total of 234 times, an average of 11.7 times per season.
• Going into Saturday’s LSU-Alabama game, the teams combined for 2.70 points per offensive drive and had scored on 48.7 percent (TD + FG) of its offensive drives. In the game, they combined for scores on 22.7 percent of its offensive drives (no TDs, 5 FGs) and averaged 0.68 points per drive.
• Going into Week 11, Georgia has posted the biggest turnaround from this time last season. The Bulldogs’ 7-2 mark this year is three games ahead of last season’s 4-5 mark at this time. Vanderbilt has the league’ second biggest turnaround at two games, advancing from 2-7 at this time last season to 4-5 this year.
• The SEC has six of the top 20 pass defenses in the nation, according to the latest NCAA statistics. Alabama leads the nation, giving up 130.67 yards per game, followed by South Carolina in third (154.00), LSU ninth (177.44), Florida 11th (182.78), Tennessee 17th (186.78) and Mississippi State 19th (188.11).
• The SEC has three of the top eight rushing defenses in the nation. Alabama leads the nation, giving up 56.33 yards per game, followed by LSU in second (78.78) and Georgia 8th (91.11).
• The SEC has five of the top 14 total defenses in the nation. Alabama leads the nation, giving up 187.00 yards per game followed by LSU third (256.22), Georgia seventh (282.00), South Carolina ninth (284.89) and Florida 14th (306.11).
• Other SEC team national statistical leaders: LSU is second in turnover margin (+1.67), Alabama (7.11) and LSU (10.89) are 1-2 in scoring defense, Ole Miss is first in punt returns (25.11), Arkansas is eightth in pass offense (318.67) and LSU is seventh in net punting (40.68).
• Among individual national leaders from the SEC: Florida’s Caleb Sturgis leads the nation in field goals per game, Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo is 2nd, Vanderbilt’s Casey Hayward and Mississippi State’s Johnthan Banks is sixth in interceptions, Arkansas’ Joe Adams is sixth in punt return average, Kentucky’s Danny Trevathan is fifth in tackles, Georgia’s Jarvis Jones is eighth in sacks and seventh in tackles for loss, and Alabama’s Trent Richardson is fifth in scoring, 10th in rushing an 13th in all-purpose rushing.
• This week’s SEC Community Service Team Players of the Week are Auburn junior defensive end Dee Ford (Odenville, Ala.) and Kentucky senior offensive lineman Stuart Hines (Bowling Green, Ky.). The honor recognizes football student-athletes who are active in their communities.
• The SEC is now 34-4 in non-conference games this season, an 89.5 winning percentage. The percentage is second highest among all conferences, behind the Big 12’s 89.7 percent (26-3). In years of 12-game schedules (2002-03; 2005-11), the SEC has won less than 37 non-conference games only once, in 2003 (31).
• In 62 regular season home games, SEC games have attracted 4,704,342 fans, an average of 75,876 fans per game. SEC stadiums have been filled to 95.47 percent of capacity this season.
• This weekend’s Georgia-Auburn game continues the SEC’s longest rivalry. These teams will meet for the 115th time on Saturday, with the first game dating to 1892. Auburn holds the series edge, 54-52-8. The teams are two of the winningest SEC teams of the past 10 seasons -- Georgia is second with a 95-32 mark (.748) and Auburn is fourth with a 92-33 mark (.736).
• Georgia and Tennessee are the only SEC teams to post shutouts during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The Vols' defense shutout Middle Tennessee, 24-0, this past weekend.
• Auburn is 19-2 when either Emory Blake or Philip Lutzenkirchen catches a touchdown pass, and 6-0 when they both catch one. Blake is finally healthy for the Tigers, and Lutzenkirchen has been one of Clint Moseley's favorite targets.
• The Kentucky-Vanderbilt rivalry is the seventh closest in the SEC since 2000. In the 11 games, the average win margin has been 11.09 points per game. Five of the 11 games have been decided by single digits and nine of the 11 by 19-points or less.

Get those calculators out and ready for some SEC numbers:

13: Since 1980, only 13 times have two SEC teams played against each other while ranked in the AP top 5. The most recent time this happened was the 2009 SEC Championship Game (No. 2 Alabama defeated No. 1 Florida 32-13). The most recent time this happened in the regular season was on Oct. 10, 2009, when No. 1 Florida defeated No. 4 LSU 13-3 in Baton Rouge.

10: The SEC has seen 10 of its 31 intra-conference games this season decided by 10 points or less; since 2004, the league has seen 176 of its 374 intra-conference games decided by 10 points or less — the same number in the ACC and Sun Belt.

307: SEC teams have scored 170 rushing touchdowns and 137 passing touchdowns this season. Every SEC team has scored a defensive touchdown except Georgia and every team has scored at least one non-offensive touchdown. South Carolina leads the SEC with four defensive touchdowns and five non-offensive touchdowns scored this season.

11:35: South Carolina’s 20-play, 98-yard, 11-minute, 35-second drive against Tennessee last Saturday for a touchdown is the longest in terms of plays in the SEC since 2008, when Arkansas had a 20-play drive against Kentucky and Auburn had a 20-play drive against West Virginia. It’s the longest drive by time since Kentucky had an 11:54 drive against South Carolina in 2004.

67: Arkansas is tied for second in the SEC in fourth-quarter scoring margin at plus-50. The Razorbacks have scored 67 points and allowed 17 in the fourth quarter this season.

28.2: SEC teams, collectively, are averaging 28.2 points per game this season and giving up an average of 20.8 points per game. Both are the lowest in the league since 2008 (25.6 scoring; 20.5 defensively). The national average for scoring offense is 28.9; the SEC 's 28.2 average is eighth in the nation. The Big 12, at 36.5 points per game, is the national leader.

7,644: Kentucky’s Ryan Tydlacka is SEC’s leading active career punting-yardage leader with 7,644. Ole Miss’ Tyler Campbell is second with 6,766.

8.54: Tennessee’s scoring drives average 8.54 plays, most in the SEC.

367: Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve is the SEC’s leading active tackler with 367.

12.73: Since 2000, the average winning margin in the South Carolina-Arkansas rivalry is 12.73 points per game. Five of the 11 games have been decided by 9 points or less.

Some notes about the SEC that you might not have known heading into Week 10:

• This season, the SEC has had eight teams ranked in the AP top-25 poll a total of 59 times after the first 10 weeks — above the league's average for the past five seasons.
• Using the latest published depth charts from the 12 SEC teams, South Carolina has the youngest offensive starting lineup and the most experienced defensive starting lineup in the league.
• Using a numerical formula of 1 point for freshmen, 2 points for sophomores, 3 points for juniors and 4 points for freshman, the Gamecocks average 2.33 on offense and 3.45 on defense.
• The most experienced offense is Kentucky at 3.25, the least experienced defense Florida at 2.36.
• On defense, there are just eight freshman starters in the SEC, three of them at Tennessee. On offense, South Carolina starts four freshmen and Ole Miss three.
• Mississippi State starts six seniors on offense, followed by Alabama, Kentucky and LSU with five each. On defense, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Carolina start five freshmen each.
• Alabama has started slowly in the first quarter this season, but has quickly turned things around and finished strong. The Crimson Tide have outscored its opponents 243-25 in the final three quarters of games this season after holding just a 72-30 edge in the first quarter. The disparity has grown even wider over the past six games, when Alabama owns a 44-27 scoring edge in the first quarter and a 196-10 edge in the final three quarters. Alabama has outscored its opposition in the second half of the past six games by a score of 142-7, but has not allowed a second-half point in the past four. Arkansas, in Week 4, was the last team to score against Alabama after halftime.
• Arkansas has won five consecutive games against opponents from the SEC Eastern Division, the longest winning streak against Eastern Division foes in school history and the third-longest current interdivision win streak in the SEC. Arkansas’ previous record for consecutive games won against the Eastern Division was three (1992-93 and 2006). Arkansas is off to its best start under Bobby Petrino and is 7-1 for just the third time since joining the SEC in 1992.
• With its victory over Ole Miss, Auburn has extended its Jordan-Hare Stadium winning streak to 13 games, its longest at home since winning 13 in a row from 1993-94. It is tied for the sixth-longest home winning streak in school history. The Tigers are 25-4 in night games (5 p.m. or later) at Jordan-Hare dating back to the 2000 season.
• Florida quarterback John Brantley returned from injury to start last week against Georgia, throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 20.4 yards per completion, the highest of his career as a starting quarterback. The mark is the highest in the SEC and eighth-best in the country this season for quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 completions). In his career, the fifth-year senior has completed 332 of 541 passes (61.4 percent) for 3,893 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 131.9.
• Georgia senior Brandon Boykin and junior Branden Smith are seeing action on defense, offense and special teams this season. Boykin has four career kickoff returns for touchdowns, and against No. 5 Boise State, he had an 80-yard rushing touchdowns on his first career carry. He had a school-record seven kickoff returns and tallied 198 all-purpose yards against No. 12 South Carolina. Smith and Boykin split time as punt returners while Boykin is one of the top kickoff returners in the nation.
• Kentucky seniors Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy are the SEC’s top two tacklers. Trevathan charted a career-high-tying 17 tackles last weekend and is now the league’s top tackler with 94 to Guy 's 83. The duo are tied for fifth and 16th, respectively, in the nation with 11.75 and 10.38 tackles per game.
• LSU went the entire month of October without a turnover. The Tigers have turned the ball over just three times this season (two fumbles, one interception), with their most recent turnover coming in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State in Week 3. LSU has gone 336 offensive snaps, 59 possessions and 174 minutes and 52 seconds of possession time since its last turnover. LSU has given up just 41 points in the first five SEC games, the fewest since 1985, when the Tigers also allowed 41 points in their first five league games. LSU has won 17 consecutive games when winning the turnover battle. Under Les Miles, LSU is 33-4 when forcing more turnovers than it gives up.
• Six true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen have started for Ole Miss this season. True freshmen have made a combined 18 starts, while redshirt freshmen have made a combined 10. Freshman wide receiver Donte Moncrief is tied for fifth in the nation among true freshmen with four touchdown receptions.
• Mississippi State has won nine consecutive non-conference games dating back to head coach Dan Mullen’s first season in 2009. Mullen’s teams have posted a 10-2 non-conference mark, with a pair of losses in 2009 to nationally ranked Georgia Tech and a Houston team that received votes in both polls the week of the game. The Bulldogs’ 10 consecutive out-of-league wins marks the longest such streak since an 11-game run from 1989-91.
• Junior wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (167 receptions for 2,748 yards) needs just 33 yards to match Kenny McKinley (2,781) as South Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards. He needs three catches to pass Sterling Sharpe (169) for second all-time in career receptions. He also needs three touchdown catches to tie Sidney Rice on the school’s all-time list for touchdown receptions at 23. Jeffery is also tied for first at South Carolina with 11 100-yard receiving games and is sixth in school history with 16.5 yards per reception.
• Three of Tennessee’s six leading tacklers are freshmen in A.J. Johnson (1st with 57), Curt Maggitt (fourth with 34) and Brian Randolph (sixth with 31), making the Vols the only team in the country with freshmen as three of its top six tacklers. Tennessee is the only team in the country with two true freshmen among its top four tacklers. In fact, there are only a pair of schools – Miami (Fla.) and Army – that even have two in their top six.
• Vanderbilt’s Casey Hayward knocked down six Arkansas passes last weekend – tied for most in any one game in the country this season with Duke’s Matt Daniels, who did it against Richmond. Hayward was named this week as one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Hayward is tied for fourth nationally with five interceptions and is the SEC active leader in career picks with 13.
• Mississippi State is 27-16 against non-conference foes since 2000 and has a nine-game win streak against out-of-SEC competition.
• South Carolina and Arkansas are 1-2 in the SEC in non-offensive touchdowns scored this season. Carolina has five (four defense/one punt return) while Arkansas has four (one defense/one kickoff return/two punt return) and tied with LSU and Vanderbilt.
• Florida leads the SEC with 291-game scoring streak. The last time Florida was shut out was Oct. 29, 1988, when it lost 16-0 to Auburn.
• South Carolina is 3-0 in SEC road games this season. The Gamecocks have never gone 4-0.
• Vanderbilt’s scoring drives average 6.77 plays, fewest in the SEC.
• South Carolina is 21-37 against the Western Division and Arkansas is 24-34 against the Eastern Division. Arkansas has won five in a row against the Eastern Division.
• Ole Miss’ Brandon Bolden is the SEC’s second active leading rusher with 2,426 yards, trailing active leader Trent Richardson of Alabama by only 14 yards (2,440).
• Georgia leads SEC with 21 scoring drives of less than two minutes.
• South Carolina is second in the SEC in holding opponents to three-downs-and-out at 42.5 percent (45 of 106).
• Georgia sophomore QB Aaron Murray is already SEC’s leading active player in total offensive yards (5,077), completions (344), TD responsibility (48), TD passe (42) and passing yards (4,871).
• Tennessee is one of four SEC teams not to allow a non-offensive touchdown this season (Alabama, LSU and South Carolina).
• Georgia has scored first in seven of its eight games this season, second in the league to LSU, which has scored first in all eight.

It's the middle of the week, so games are only days away. Check out some links while you wait.

• The grand jury will decide on the next step for LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson and linebacker Josh Johns in the bar fight case later today.
• Now that the SEC has its 13th member, the conference enters a whole new world with unanswered questions about expansion.
• Mike Herndon of The Mobile Press-Register writes that Alabama is just as impressive as LSU after the first four weeks of the season.
• Vanderbilt starting outside linebacker Tristan Strong is out for the season after suffering a knee injury against South Carolina over the weekend.
• Former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin claims to have no knowledge of alleged violation of former Vols assistant Willie Mack Garza.
• True freshman Quan Bray will get his shot at receiver with Trovon Reed out with an injury.
• Despite the weapons Arkansas has on offense, it is still searching for answers on that side of the ball.
• Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is keeping things fresh with his team heading into the Georgia game.
• Even with all the on-field troubles quarterback Stephen Garcia has had this season, his South Carolina teammates are still supporting him.
• Struggling Ole Miss is having to rely heavily on junior punter Tyler Campbell this season.
• Florida center Jonotthan Harrison is confident Florida will be able to run the ball against Alabama this weekend.
• The future of sophomore cornerback Derek Owens with Georgia's football program is uncertain.
• Despite some offensive struggles, Kentucky's offensive line is starting to come together.

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.

We're pulling double-duty with the kickers today. Instead of ranking 10 place-kickers and 10 punters, we're doing the top five for each position.

These aren't the workout warriors that grab all of the headlines, but try to find a team that would go through a season without using them. Last season, 15 games involving SEC teams were determined by three points or fewer.

Here are our top five place-kickers:

1. Blair Walsh, Georgia, Sr.: Walsh was very reliable for the Bulldogs last season, making 20 of 23 (87 percent) field goals. For his career, he’s hit 55 of 68 kicks in his career, including 22-of-29 from 40 yards and beyond. He has missed just two kicks within 30 yards in his career.

2. Zach Hocker, Arkansas, So.: He was only a freshman last season, but Hocker nailed 16 of 19 field goals, with seven from 40 yards or better. With the high-powered offense the Razorbacks have, Hocker will get plenty of opportunities again. Now that he’s gone through a year of learning in the SEC, he should be even better, which is scary.

3. Bryson Rose, Ole Miss, Jr.: Rose returns with the highest kicking percent in the league after connecting on 16 of 18 (89 percent) field goals in 2010. He only attempted two kicks from 40 or more yards last year, but he hit both and might see more long attempts this season if the offense is slow out of the gate.

4. Derek DePasquale, Mississippi State, Sr.: He shared time with Sean Brauchle last season, but was still 10-of-12 kicking with a long of 43 yards. The Bulldogs’ offense should get him more attempts this season and the coaches were pleased with his range this spring.

5. Jeremy Shelley, Alabama, Jr.: Shelley was used for kicks within 40 yards, while Cade Foster dealt with the long ball. The two should be utilized the same way this fall, but Shelley will again get more attempts to score points. He was 12-of-16 in 2010.

Here are our top five punters:

1. Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss, Jr.: Campbell led the nation with a punting average of 46.4 yards per kick in 2010. He had 19 punts of more than 50 yards and five were launched 60 or more yards. Campbell is the ultimate field-position changer.

2. Drew Butler, Georgia, Sr.: Butler completes the dynamic kicking duo in Athens. He ranked fourth in the league, averaging 44.5 yards per punt last season. Nineteen of his 50 punts landed inside the 20-yard line.

3. Dylan Breeding, Arkansas, Jr.: Breeding will help out Arkansas’ defense with his extremely strong leg. He pinned 18 punts inside the 20 a year ago and averaged 42.5 yards per kick, which the coaches expect to increase after a solid spring.

4. Ryan Tydlacka, Kentucky, Sr.: He’s been a kicker of all trades during his time at Kentucky. He started as a pooch punter, kicked a few field goals and has now been a two-year starter at punter. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt in 2010 with a net average of 35.3 yards.

5. Richard Kent, Vanderbilt, Jr.: It’s hard to believe he still has a leg after the year he had in 2010. Kent kicked a nation-leading 84 punts last season and had 27 downed inside the 20. He only had a 41.8 yard-per-kick average, but that’s to be expected with all those kicks.

We’re finally at the end of our position rankings and we’ll finish up with special teams. This group does a lot more than people think and teams are starting to put their best athletes out here.

Kickers and punters don’t get a lot of respect in the athletic department, but they are crucial assets to teams.

Let’s see how the SEC special-teams units stack up:

1. Georgia: It would be hard to find another special-teams unit better than the one in Athens. The Bulldogs return the dependable Blair Walsh at kicker, who nailed 20 field goals on 23 attempts (87 percent). Punter Drew Butler averaged 44.5 yards on 50 punts, with 19 landing inside the 20-yard line. Georgia also has a talented returning duo in Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith. Boykin is the school’s all-time leader in kick return yards and averaged 24.3 yards per return with a touchdown in 2010. Smith only returned 10 punts last year, but is dynamic in space.

2. Arkansas: Joe Adams might be one of the most fun guys to watch in the return game. He was fifth in the nation, averaging 15.6 yards per return last year, and is one of the shiftiest returners out there. He also had a touchdown. Dennis Johnson is back from injury and when he was healthy, he was one of the best kicker returners in the league. In the kicking game, sophomore Zach Hocker had an impressive freshman year where he connected on 16 of 19 field goals, with seven from 40 or better. Punter Dylan Breeding averaged 42.5 yards per kick and pinned 18 inside the 20.

3. Alabama: Trent Richardson not only heads the Tide’s offense, but he’s extremely dangerous as a kick returner. He averaged 26.4 yards per return and had a touchdown last year. Marquis Maze, who grabbed 21 punt returns last year, has great speed to break one at any time. Alabama actually returns two kickers in Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster. Shelley handled kicks within the 40-yard range, while Foster had long distance duty. The job at punter hasn’t been settled, with Cody Mandell and Jay Williams battling it out.

4. Florida: Caleb Sturgis is finally healthy after suffering a back injury last season. He was solid from farther out as a freshman, but struggled to stay consistent closer to the end zone. Ray Guy winner Chas Henry is gone, but freshman Kyle Christy enrolled early and immediately took over punting duties, launching a punt 55 yards in the spring game. Andre Debose was named the nation’s top kick returner by the College Football Performance Awards in 2010 after returning two kicks for touchdowns and Chris Rainey could be the slipperiest punt returner in the SEC. Florida also has been the best punt/kick blocking team around the last few years.

5. Ole Miss: Place-kicker Bryson Rose made 16 of 18 kicks last year and should be just as solid and might have to come up with even more kicks this fall. His kicking partner, punter Tyler Campbell, had a nation-leading 46.4 yards per punt average in 2010. He launched 19 punts over 50 yards and five of 60 or more yards. Jeff Scott was solid on kick returns, but Ole Miss’ staff will look to junior college transfer Philander Moore for kick and punt returns. Last season at Blinn (Texas) College, Moore had 811 total return yards and six touchdowns.

6. Vanderbilt: Kicker Ryan Fowler and punter Richard Kent return in 2011. Fowler was solid as a freshman, but took a few steps backward in 2010 kicking 8-of-13 and missing all of his kicks from beyond 35 yards. Carey Spear, who handled kickoffs last season, could push Fowler. Kent had one of the strongest and most durable legs in the country last season, leading the nation with 84 punts and averaged 41.8 yards per kick. Twenty-seven of them were downed inside the 20. Vanderbilt did, however, have four punts blocked. When healthy, Warren Norman is one of the most dynamic returners in the league. As a freshman, he took three kickoffs back for touchdowns and averaged 25.4 yards per return before his injury last season.

7. LSU: The Tigers had one of the most exciting place-kickers to watch in Josh Jasper because he not only kicked but he was the master of the trick play. LSU will now look to Drew Alleman, who has had issues with consistency. Jasper also punted here and there, but regular punter Derek Helton is gone, leaving redshirt freshman Brad Wing in charge. The Australian-born athlete has a lot to learn about the SEC. Now that Patrick Peterson is gone, LSU is starting over in the return game. No one on the roster is as dynamic, but the Tigers will look at Rueben Randle, Tyrann Mathieu and Ron Brooks to carry the load by committee.

8. Mississippi State: Kicker shouldn’t be an issue for the Bulldogs. Derek Depasquale has hit 20-of-24 field goals in his two seasons in Starkville and nailed a 54-yarder in the spring game. Mississippi State must replace punter Heath Hutchins, but Baker Swedenburg should fill in nicely. The Bulldogs have a lot of athletes to throw out into the kicking game this year. LaDarius Perkins, who is Mississippi State’s talented backup to running back Vick Ballard, will be used on kicks, along with receiver Brandon Heavens. Chad Bumphis returned punts last season, but Heavens could take over that role.

9. Kentucky: Returners Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke are gone, but there are some athletes ready to fill in. Randall Burden, Winston Guy and Martavius Neloms got looks at punt returner this spring and there are a few options at kick returner. Both Raymond Sanders and Jerrell Priester fielded a few last season. Both kickers are back. Walk-on Craig McIntosh made 11 of 15 field goals last season, with a long of 50, while punter Ryan Tydlacka averaged 43.8 yards per kick.

10.Tennessee: Kicker Michael Palardy only attempted seven kicks last year while backing up Daniel Lincoln. His only three misses were from beyond 40 yards. Tennessee will also be breaking in new punter Matt Darr this fall. The Volunteers were in the middle of the SEC pack in kick returns last year, but were 11th in the league in punt returns, totaling just 73 punt returns. Da’Rick Rogers will return punts and showed improvements there, while the Vols have yet to find their punt returner.

11. Auburn: Record-setting kicker Wes Byrum is finally gone, so the Tigers’ new kicker literally has big shoes to fill. That person should be Cody Parkey, who primarily kicked off last year. Auburn also lost punter Ryan Shoemaker. His replacement, Steven Clark had nine punts in 2010, with two dropping inside the 20. Onterio McCalebb should return more kicks this season and dynamic redshirt freshman Trovon Reed could be used on punt returns, where the Tigers averaged just 6.2 yards per return a year ago.

12. South Carolina: Gone is dual-threat kicker Spencer Lanning, who kicked field goals and punts. Jay Wooten impressed at times this spring and can place-kick and punt. There’s a chance the Gamecocks might end up having two kickers as Patrick Fish competed for the punting spot this spring. The Gamecocks were last in the SEC with a 3.4-yard average on punt returns, while the tiny Bryce Sherman averaged 20.4 yards on kicks, with a long of 37. The shifty Ace Sanders and newcomer Damiere Byrd could compete for time at punt returner.