Why Auburn DE Byron Cowart Will Be the 2015 SEC Freshman of the Year

The age of the redshirt is long gone for top-tier freshman. If you have four or five stars attached to your name coming out of high school, more likely than not, you're going to see the field as a true freshman.

Georgia's Nick Chubb took home SEC Freshman of the Year honors last year after he rushed for 1,547 yards in essentially a half-season as the Bulldogs' No. 1 running back. LSU running back Leonard Fournette wasn't bad himself, and Texas A&M's Myles Garrett (11.5) and Tennessee's Derek Barnett (10) both broke the SEC freshman sack record previously held by some guy named Jadeveon Clowney.

Who's going to take the title of the SEC's best freshman in 2015?

There are plenty of options.

Georgia defensive tackle Trent Thompson, Tennessee's dynamic duo of defensive tackles Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle, Missouri defensive tackle Terry Beckner, Jr., Florida defensive end CeCe Jefferson, Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley, Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk and Alabama running back Damien Harris are just a few of the talented newcomers who could burst onto the scene.

Combine those players with potential redshirt freshman impact stars like Alabama quarterback David Cornwell, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and LSU defensive tackle Travonte Valentine, and there are plenty of options for SEC Freshman of the Year.

Give me Auburn defensive end Byron Cowart as the favorite.

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At 6'4", 250 pounds, Cowart has the size and quick first step to establish himself as a true three-down defensive end from the moment toe meets leather this fall. The Seffner, Florida native has incredibly violent hands and a quick first step, and he is strong enough to hold his own against veteran tackles within the SEC.

"He's the prototype in terms of freakish pass-rushing defensive ends," said Sanjay Kirpalani, national recruiting writer for Bleacher Report. "He already possesses NFL size, and he's very strong at the point of attack, so he's that rare player who fits into the SEC right away from a physical standpoint."

Plus, he's in the perfect situation to shine.

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Auburn's remarkable absence of a pass rush was its Achilles Heel last year. The Tigers managed just 21 sacks and struggled to pressure quarterbacks—even in obvious passing situations. Former Florida head coach and well-respected defensive guru Will Muschamp was brought in to replace former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson to fix that problem.

"When you can’t put pressure on the quarterback, it makes it tough on everybody," head coach Gus Malzahn said in May. "Will has worked extremely hard. First of all, he had to evaluate our guys. The second part of spring, they started putting packages in and putting guys in different situations to see who can put some pressure on the quarterback."

Cowart can help Muschamp do that. 

With redshirt sophomore Carl Lawson back from an ACL injury that forced him out for the entire 2014 season and manning the "Buck" position in Muschamp's 3-4 defense, there's undoubtedly going to be pressure generated off one side of the line of scrimmage.

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He certainly seems excited about Muschamp's scheme.

"I rarely have to cross the tackle space, it's more one-on-one," he told Wesley Sinor of AL.com. "That's what I like because nine times out of 10 I'm going to beat the guy in front of me."

That means plenty of opportunities for Cowart to shine.

"I think [Cowart] could have a big impact," Malzahn said. "It’s going to be up to him. He’s going to have an opportunity. Carl Lawson made a big impact as a freshman, and I see a lot of similarities not only ability-wise, but also mindset-wise."

So what would Cowart need from a statistical standpoint to win the award?

Obviously, Auburn staying in the SEC West mix into late November will help his cause, but he's going to need to have a tangible impact.

Does he have to exceed Barnett and Garrett's numbers from last year? If the Tigers are contending, probably not. If he can notch six or more sacks, go north of 50 tackles and look more like a veteran than a freshman, he will have a pretty solid resume to present to SEC coaches when they vote after the season.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.