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A lot of votes were cast and it came down to the wire, but the fans have spoken and South Carolina has won the poll battle of the defenses.

With nearly 12,000 votes cast, South Carolina barely claimed first place with 24 percent of the vote. Alabama was second with 23 percent, while LSU grabbed 21 percent. Georgia got 13 percent of the vote while the category of "Other" received 19 percent.

South Carolina is a solid pick when you look at who returns. Defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor are back alongside tackle Kelcy Quarles. Clowney and Taylor combined for 20.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. Quarles really progressed as the season went on and provided a nice big, disruptive body against the run.

Veterans return at linebacker, with seniors Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens in the middle and DeVonte Holloman is back at the Spur, where he's at his best. Seniors D.J. Swearinger (safety) and Akeem Auguste (cornerback) are back in the secondary, as well.

Most of the questions for this defense lie in the secondary, with sophomores-to-be Victor Hampton (cornerback) and Brison Williams (safety) expected to start this fall. Williams collected a start against Florida last year, while Hampton did most of his damage on special teams. Expect offenses to key in on them early.

At this moment, I'd have to go with LSU. The Tigers return one of the best defensive lines in the country, with two potential first-rounders in ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery. And LSU's staff is very excited about what Bennie Logan and Anthony Johnson can do at the tackle spots. This line should be the strength of this team and it will make it hard to run and throw on the Tigers. It'll take pressure off the linebackers, which lose two starters.

The secondary loses Morris Claiborne and Brandon Taylor, but the Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) is back and so is Eric Reid, who might be the league's top safety. Keep an eye on Tharold Simon at cornerback. He should be a solid cover corner this fall.

Alabama is down a handful of starters from last year, but don't think that will send this unit into a tailspin. Defensive tackle Jesse Williams is an animal and linebackers C.J. Mosley, Nico Johnson and Adrian Hubbard aren't slouches by any means. Yes, the secondary is a little green, but corner Dee Milliner and Robert Lester should help provide some stability. JUCO standouts Deion Belue and Travell Dixon impressed this spring and youngsters Vinnie Sunseri and Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix look ready to be big contributors.

And with nine starters returning for Georgia, the Bulldogs should have another solid defensive squad this fall. There has to be some worry with four starters suspended for the beginning of the season, but at full strength, this defense will be a handful, especially with one of the best linebacking corps in the country that includes All-American Jarvis Jones, speedster Alec Ogletree and work horse Michael Gilliard. Once Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings, Shawn Williams and Branden Smith are all back and together, Georgia's secondary will be potent.

We all know that defense wins championships and the SEC is very much a testament to that. Alabama possessed the nation's No. 1 defense last season and now possesses another national championship. Runner-up LSU ranked second nationally.

Alabama ran away with the crown as the nation's and the SEC's best defense, but that title is for the taking in 2012. Alabama is down key players from last year's squad, like linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower, defensive tackle Josh Chapman, and defensive backs Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, and DeQuan Menzie.

Alabama's defense isn't as green as the 2010 group, but it's still drawing some comparisons to it. That's exactly what the Tide wants to hear. Nico Johnson seems primed to be a true leader at linebacker, while Adrian Hubbard could be a budding star at Upshaw's old position. Defensive backs Robert Lester and Dee Milliner are back and will be joined by a couple of JUCO standouts and talented sophomores Vinnie Sunseri and Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix. Jesse Williams could be a real force at defensive tackle along with end Damion Square.

Then you have LSU. The Tigers lost All-World cornerback Morris Claiborne to the NFL draft and two starting linebackers. Michael Brockers is gone at defensive tackle as well. But LSU is still loaded. The Tigers return Heisman finalist Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon, who should be fine with an expanded role at cornerback. Junior Kevin Minter really stepped up at linebacker last year and should pick up right where he left off. Even without Brockers, the line is solid with future first-rounder Sam Montgomery at one end position and the underrated Barkevious Mingo at the other. The two combined for 17 sacks last season.

Bennie Logan and Anthony Johnson should provide some meat nastiness in the interior, while the very talented Eric Reid is back at free safety.

Georgia and South Carolina both finished the 2011 season ranked in the top five nationally in total defense. South Carolina was third, while Georgia was fifth, respectively. The Gamecocks lost first-round defensive end Melvin Ingram, but return freshman standout Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor, who many thought would be better than Ingram last season. Kelcy Quarles is back at defensive tackle and the coaches think he'll be even better in his second year.

Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens, who combined for 96 tackles last year, will grab time at linebacker again, while the very athletic DeVonte Holloman returns to the Spur for his senior year. There are questions in the secondary, but seniors D.J. Swearinger (safety) and Akeem Auguste (cornerback) return.

Georgia returns nine defensive starters. Brandon Boykin is gone at corner, and the Bulldogs will enter the fall with a lot questions in the secondary, especially with starters Branden Smith, Sanders Commings and Bacarri Rambo suspended to start the season. Star freshman receiver Malcolm Mitchell moved to corner this spring and fits right in, but there are depth issues at the position.

Other than that, the Bulldogs are still pretty stacked. Inside linebacker Alec Ogletree will serve a suspension to start the year, but Georgia will fill his spot by committee. Mike Gilliard, Cornelius Washington, Christian Robinson, Amarlo Herrera and Ramik Wilson provide Georgia with a very solid linebacking unit alongside star Jarvis Jones, who racked up 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Georgia's defensive line should also be pretty stout with the massive John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers battling in the middle. Abry Jones really progressed at end as well this spring.

Or maybe someone else will step up and take the crown ...

We're starting a new series today called "Spring shoes to fill." We'll be taking a look at one key player who must be replaced on each of the 14 teams in the SEC and how these teams will go about it this spring.

We're going to go in alphabetical order so that means that Alabama is up first. Coincidentally, Alabama starts up spring practice again today.

OUT: S Mark Barron: Why Barron and not Heisman finalist Trent Richardson? Well, for starters, Richardson's understudy, Eddie Lacy (turf toe), is out for the spring as he recovers from surgery. There are other running backs that will be completing this spring, but Lacy is the one who will get the bulk of the carries this fall. Plus, Alabama does just fine running the ball, regardless of who carries the rock. So, why not go with someone who was extremely valuable on the other side of the ball? Barron was arguably the top safety in all of college football last season. He was an All-American and an All-SEC performer after recording 68 tackles (including five for loss), intercepting two passes and defending seven in 2011. Barron was physical enough to play the run and instinctive enough to take away the deep ball. Barron could play all over the field for the Crimson Tide, so replacing him on the field won't be easy. Linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower got most of the credit and attention on defense, but Barron might have been Alabama's best defender for most of the season. It also won't be easy to replace his leadership skills inside the locker room, either so this will be quite the job in 2012.

IN: Ha'Sean (Ha Ha) Clinton-Dix, Nick Perry, Vinnie Sunseri or Jarrick Williams: This one should be fun to watch this spring. Clinton-Dix is the one everyone is excited about in Tuscaloosa. He was one of the top prospects coming out of the 2011 class and was a real high-flyer in the secondary in high school. The coaches are excited about what Clinton-Dix can do when it comes to playing the pass and the run, so he'll certainly have the chance to take over Barron's spot. Sunseri is someone who will also have a shot. He got some time last year when Barron was injured and has played with fellow safety Robert Lester before. That will really go a long way when it comes to knowing plays and where each other is on the field. Familiarity is a plus. Sunseri proved his worth when he was on the field last season and he does have more experience than Clinton-Dix. Perry and Williams are both juniors, but played sparingly in 2011. Neither registered eye-popping stats, but have been around the program and the defense a while. You certainly can't count either out. Regardless of which player takes Barron's spot, he will greatly benefit from having Lester by his side.

Schedule: Alabama opens spring practice on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET and will then take the next week off for spring break before resuming practice on March 19. The A-Day spring game is scheduled for April 14 at 3 p.m. ET and will be televised live by CSS.

What’s new: Doug Nussmeier comes over from Washington as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He replaces Jim McElwain, who left for the head coaching job at Colorado State. Lance Thompson returns for his second stint on the Alabama staff as outside linebackers coach. He replaces Sal Sunseri, who left to take the Tennessee defensive coordinator’s job.

On the mend: Running back Eddie Lacy (turf toe) and offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio (knee) will miss the spring while recovering from surgeries. Linebacker C.J. Mosley has been cleared to practice after dislocating his hip in the BCS National Championship Game, but will be limited in contact situations.

On the move: Redshirt freshman Brent Calloway will spend the spring at weak side linebacker after playing running back last season. Barrett Jones, who won the Outland Trophy last season as the Crimson Tide’s left tackle, will get some work at center. If Cyrus Kouandjio is as good as Alabama thinks he is and takes care of business at left tackle, Jones may end up staying at center. Defensive end Jesse Williams is likely to get a look at nose guard. Finding a nose guard will be a priority for the Tide with Josh Chapman departing.

Key battle: The Crimson Tide will be looking for playmakers at receiver. Junior Kenny Bell is the leading returning pass-catcher, and he caught 17 passes last season. Alabama will also look for more consistency from sophomore DeAndrew White, who’s shown flashes of big-play ability. Junior Kevin Norwood played well in the BCS National Championship Game, and highly regarded freshmen Chris Black and Omari Cooper graduated high school early and will go through spring practice. Duron Carter’s status is up in the air. He remains suspended. Quarterback AJ McCarron likes the potential of this group. The Tide may look to throw it down the field a little more next season, but they need a go-to guy or guys to emerge.

New faces: The Crimson Tide have eight early enrollees, counting junior college players, who will be participating in spring practice. Travell Dixon and Deion Belue are a pair of junior college cornerbacks who will compete for playing time right away. The 6-1, 191-pound Dixon was rated among the top junior college cornerbacks in the country last year. Running back T.J. Yeldon headlines the true freshmen who will be out there this spring for the Tide. He was ranked by ESPN as the No. 4 running back prospect in the country last year. In addition to Yeldon, Black and Cooper, linebackers Dillon Lee and Ryan Anderson were also ESPNU 150 members, while Alphonse Taylor is a newcomer that will get a look at nose guard.

Breaking out: Courtney Upshaw and Dont’a Hightower made a ton of plays at linebacker last season for Alabama, and they both lined up as pass-rushers on third down. Sophomore Adrian Hubbard is a guy who could replace Upshaw in that “Jack” linebacker role. At 6-6 and 240 pounds, Hubbard has the tools to be a very good pass-rusher. The same goes for sophomore Xzavier Dickson.

Don’t forget about: With Lacy out for the spring, it will be interesting to see who emerges at running back. Junior Jalston Fowler, sophomore Blake Sims and redshirt freshman Dee Hart will get plenty of reps this spring. And so will Yeldon, who has that ideal mix of size and speed. Lacy’s poised to be the go-to back in the fall, but the No. 2 job is wide open. And the No. 2 back at Alabama has been a big part of the offense the past few seasons.

All eyes on: The secondary was the most improved part of Alabama’s team last season. The Crimson Tide were talented and disciplined back there. That’s after mental errors plagued them the year before thanks mostly to inexperience. With safety Mark Barron and cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie moving on, there will be some key spots to fill in the fall. Junior Dee Milliner returns at one cornerback, and don’t be surprised if he develops into an All-SEC player. Senior safety Robert Lester is the veteran of the group. It’s a big spring for junior cornerback John Fulton, and the addition of both Dixon and Belue will make for some serious competition at cornerback. Sophomore Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the front-runner at the other safety, but Alabama routinely plays five and six defensive backs. Sophomore Vinnie Sunseri and juniors Jarrick Williams and Nick Perry will all be vying to crack that rotation.

The coaches have spoken with their own SEC All-Freshman team, so we here at the SEC blog decided to come up with our own team.

We couldn't fit all of the youngsters on the list, and some tough cuts had to be made.

Honestly, our list wasn't much different from the coaches' list. There were a couple of changes, but nothing extreme.

One tough cut we made was Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd. He was Vandy's second wide receiver, catching 29 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a very solid first year in Nashville, Tenn., but we decided to go with LSU's Odell Beckham, who caught seven more passes and had 33 more yards. Although, Boyd had five more touchdowns. In the end, we felt he was more valuable to LSU's offense this season.

LSU also led the way with five selections, while Tennessee was second with four selections.

Here's our freshman team:

OFFENSE

QB -- Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB -- Kenny Hilliard, LSU
RB -- Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
WR -- Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR -- Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU
TE -- Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL -- Chaz Green, Florida
OL -- Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL -- Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
C -- Reese Dismukes, Auburn

DEFENSE

DL -- Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL -- Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL -- Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina
DL -- Trey Flowers, Arkansas
LB -- A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB -- Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB -- Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
CB -- Marcus Roberson, Florida
CB -- Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas
S -- Brian Randolph, Tennessee
S -- Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- James Hairston, LSU (He handled kickoff duties for the Tigers.)
P -- Brad Wing, LSU
RS -- Tre Mason, Auburn

It was a big year for freshmen in the SEC, and some of the most hyped newcomers turned out to be the most productive.

Here’s our ranking of the top 15 true freshmen this season based on their productivity and overall impact on their teams:

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: The nation's No. 1 prospect coming into the season made a big splash with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, leading all SEC freshmen in both categories. His five forced fumbles tied him for second in the league among all players.

2. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia: Had it not been for injuries and durability issues, Crowell was on his way to a 1,000-yard season. He had only 36 carries in his past five games but still managed 837 rushing yards and had 100-yard games against four SEC opponents -- Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

3. A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee: He started in 10 of the Vols’ 12 games and led all SEC freshmen with 80 tackles, which was second on Tennessee’s team. He had his best games against the best teams with 11 tackles against LSU, 12 against South Carolina and 13 against Alabama.

4. Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia: One of the most explosive players on Georgia's team, Mitchell emerged as the Bulldogs' top deep threat, catching 38 passes for 614 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.

5. Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn: A mainstay on Auburn's offensive line, Dismukes started all 12 games at center and helped pave the way for the Tigers to rush for 2,097 yards this season, ranking them fourth in the SEC.

6. Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee: One of the more promising big-play defenders in the league, Maggitt tied for third on Tennessee’s team with 56 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. He started in eight games.

7. Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU: His numbers weren't eye-popping, but part of that is because the Tigers rotate so many defensive linemen. Johnson was a force in the middle and has three tackles for loss heading into the national title game.

8. Brian Randolph, S, Tennessee: He started in eight games and led all Tennessee defensive backs with 55 total tackles. Randolph was a safety for most of the season but started at cornerback against Alabama.

9. Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss: One of the Rebels' top playmakers, Moncrief led the team in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown receptions (4). He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.

10. Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU: The Tigers didn't really unleash Hilliard until the Auburn game on Oct. 22, but he's been LSU's best power back since. He has nine touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

11. Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas: With Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright both suffering through injuries, Flowers stepped up in a big way with 5.5 tackles for loss, including a sack.

12. Vinnie Sunseri, DB, Alabama: He jumped right in as a valuable cog in an Alabama secondary that was one of the best in the country. Sunseri ranks eighth overall on the team with 31 total tackles.

13. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: He suffered an injury late in the season but held down one of the Gators' starting cornerback jobs up until that point. Roberson has all the tools to be a great one in this league.

14. Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas: He emerged as one of the Hogs’ starters at cornerback late in the season and wound up sixth on the team with 53 total tackles. He had 13 in the comeback win over Texas A&M.

15. De'Ante Saunders, S, Florida: One of two true freshmen in the Gators' starting secondary, Saunders intercepted two passes and broke up two passes this season from his safety position.

The SEC coaches announced their selections for the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team Thursday.

LSU led the way with five selections, while Tennessee and Arkansas both had four selections.

The coaches also made Arkansas tight end Garrett Uekman, who died suddenly last month, Honorary Captain.

South Carolina placed three on the team, including SEC Freshman of the Year Jadeveon Clowney.

Here is the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team:

OFFENSE

HONORARY CAPTAIN
Garrett Uekman, Tight End, Arkansas

TE - Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL - Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OL - Chaz Green, Florida
C - Reese Dismukes, Auburn
WR - Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
QB – Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB – Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
RB – Kenny Hilliard, LSU
AP - Bruce Ellington, South Carolina

DEFENSE

DL - Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL - Trey Flowers, Arkansas
DL - Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL - Kaleb Eulls, Mississippi State
LB - A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB - Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB - Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
DB - Brian Randolph, Tennessee
DB - Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama
DB - De'Ante Saunders, Florida
DB - Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK - James Hairston, LSU
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Marquel Wade, Arkansas

• I'm actually surprised to see Saunders get the nod over teammate Marcus Roberson. Roberson was easily Florida's best cornerback this season. He has the makings of being a talented cover corner, but he did get overly aggressive throughout the season. I guess coaches paid attention to flags he earned.
• It had to be tough when the coaches looked at the quarterback position. Smith was probably the best of the bunch, and even he threw just four touchdowns to four interceptions. Still, Kentucky's offense moved down the field much better when he was on the field.
• Remember when all the talk in Oxford, Miss., before the season centered around how great true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson was going to be? Well, he had a solid first year, but it was Bryant who really came on as one of the young guys on defense. He saw tremendous playing time and was fourth on the team with 61 tackles.