College Football 2011 Preview: Power Ranking the Top 5 SEC Defenses

Danny FlynnJul 21, 2011

When you look over the SEC conference right now, it’s easy to see which side holds the power.

The West division is easily the strongest and deepest division in all of college football this year, with four Top 20 caliber teams.

The conference is certainly shaping up to be a gauntlet this season and if a team really wants to be a true contender, it better have a quality defense to send out there game in and game out.

There doesn't appear to be any game-changing star quarterbacks like Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, who are going to come swooping in to carry their teams to a title.

Winning an SEC crown in 2011 will involve discipline, toughness and above all else, talent.

Let's have a look at the five SEC defenses that have the capability of setting the tone for their team.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

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Alabama has five linebackers who could legitimately start and be the star defender for nearly 90 percent of the defenses in college football.

Dont’a Hightower, Nico Johnson, Courtney Upshaw, C.J. Mosley and Jerrell Harris make up a linebacker corps that is one of the deepest and most talented we’ve seen since the turn of the millennium.

Out of the bunch, Hightower seems to be the most coveted pro prospect at this point, but all five will eventually be playing on Sundays someday soon.

Oh, and so will Alabama’s secondary. The safety combo of Mark Barron and Robert Lester is one of the top DB duos in the country.

Neither Barron nor Lester is actually the best player in the secondary, though.

Dre Kirkpatrick, a likely future first-round pick, could possibly be the most talented cornerback in college football. All Kirkpatrick has to do is show that he can take that final step to the elite level.

We know that Alabama obviously has more than enough talent in the back eight; the only thing that we’re unsure of is if the Josh Chapman-led three-man defensive line can control the line of scrimmage.

Former star defensive end Marcell Dareus, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, will be difficult to replace, but incumbent end Damion Square, who made six starts last year, has enough raw ability to patch up the hole.

Chapman and Square will be joined on the line by Ed Stinson and a few highly touted JUCO transfers, Jesse Williams and Quinton Dial.

This is a Tide defense that ranked No. 3 in the country in scoring defense and No. 5 in total defense, and that was a unit that returned just three starters.

This year, Alabama returns 10 players with starting experience and you’re not going to find a much better cast of seasoned veterans with the likes of Hightower, Barron and Chapman anywhere else in America.

2. LSU Tigers

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It’s very rare to see a defense lose its top three players and then proceed to improve and dominate the following year.

That’s a trend the LSU Tigers will be hoping to break in 2011.

The Tigers lose star CB Patrick Peterson, along with DT Drake Nevis and LB Kelvin Sheppard, two third-round draft picks.

It’s not so much about what LSU loses, though. It’s all about what the Tigers are bringing back.

There are reinforcements all over the field to make up for lost players like Peterson, Nevis and Sheppard.

Taking over for Peterson will be one of college football’s most dynamic cornerback combinations, Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu. Claiborne is finally ready to step out of his predecessor's shadow.

At linebacker, senior Ryan Baker, the team’s leading returning tackler, is now the go-to player for a group that will also include talented returning strong-side linebacker Stefoin Francois, a former 4-star recruit who has yet to live up to his high school billing.

LSU’s linebacker and defensive back units should both be among the best in the SEC, but the real key to victory will be winning the battle in the trenches and getting a consistent pass rush out of a loaded defensive end platoon.

DE Barkevious Mingo is the real name to watch out of the skilled defensive end group, which will also include proven options like Sam Montgomery and Kendrick Adams.

Defensive tackle will be the most intriguing position to watch, though, with sophomore Michael Brockers possibly in store for a breakout campaign and true freshman Anthony Johnson, one of the top recruits in the country, ready to show the SEC what he’s made of.

The LSU defense basically carried the Tigers to an 11-2 season and a berth in the Cotton Bowl last year, so they’ll now be hoping the offense, which was borderline putrid, can finally put it all together and take some of the burden off the talented Tigers defense.

3. Florida Gators

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The Florida defense may lose star CB Janoris Jenkins, a top pro prospect who new coach Will Muschamp booted after multiple marijuana troubles. But the unit happens to return another Jenkins who is definitely worth getting excited about.

LB Jelani Jenkins is one of the budding stars in the SEC and the 6’1’’, 230-pound redshirt sophomore appears ready to handle a major leadership role for the Gators this season.

Jenkins is the top returning tackler after tallying 76 total takedowns in his first season out on the field.

This season, the young defensive playmaker will be joining forces with teammate Jonathan Bostic to form one of the scariest linebacker duos in college football.

Jenkins and Bostic should have plenty of room to roam around and operate because the Florida defensive line is going to eat up double-teams this year.

DT Jaye Howard is a special specimen who possesses remarkable athleticism for his size. Howard had nine tackles for loss and three sacks in 2010 and he’ll be one of the most feared defensive hogs in the SEC this season.

Howard will likely have to defer a few snaps to members of a talented defensive tackle rotation that will include Dominique Easley, Omar Hunter and Shariff Floyd.

And let’s not forget about the defensive end position, where former top recruit Ronald Powell is readying for his second season.

Powell, who arrived in Gainesville with mighty big expectations to fill, didn’t live up to his 5-star status last year but the potential pass-rushing demon could be set to light up opposing backfields in 2011.

The only major question mark for the Florida defense will be the secondary, which loses both Jenkins and S Ahmad Black, the team’s leading tackler last season.

CB Jeremy Brown is the most talented member of the group and he’ll be counted on to keep things in order in the defensive backfield.

4. Arkansas Razorbacks

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Jake Bequette will likely enter the 2011 season as the face of the Arkansas defense, but don’t be shocked if the senior defensive end has to share some of the accolades with LB Jerry Franklin once the season kicks off.

Franklin may be getting a tad overlooked around a few SEC circles in favor of some more prominent linebacker names like Dont’a Hightower, Danny Trevathan and Jelani Jenkins. But there’s no doubt that the senior belongs in the conversation for the conference’s top linebacker.

Franklin finished with a nice, even 100 tackles and added 6.5 sacks in 2010.

The 6’1’’, 245-pound ‘backer led the team in takedowns but he had to watch teammate Jake Bequette take home the sack title.

Bequette racked up seven sacks in 2010 and the 6’5’’, 270-pound senior is poised to eclipse that number this year.

Bequette is already a known commodity to most SEC fanbases but his defensive linemates are flying a little under the radar this summer.

Senior Tenarius Wright, who finished the 2010 season with six sacks, is a perfect complement to Bequette at the other end position.

This year, the Bequette-Wright pass-rushing combo will cause havoc for opposing offensive lines as well as quarterbacks.

Also on the defensive line, the Jones tackles, Bryan and DeQuinta, have the potential to develop into a stout interior contingent, and they’ll have incoming JUCO star Robert Tomas behind them, ready to take some of the pressure off.

Bequette will be the leader of the defensive line, Franklin will lead the linebackers, but the secondary will have two main men this season.

CB Darius Winston, one of the best cornerbacks in the junior class, is an emerging star, while Tramain Thomas, who totaled 83 tackles and four interceptions last year, appears to be one of the most desirable safety prospects in a weak senior class.

Arkansas has a defense that will have at least five or six future NFL players out on the field this season, and I have a feeling that there aren’t many other teams in college football that can currently say that.

5. South Carolina Gamecocks

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If you heard legendary South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier speaking during his press conference at the SEC Media Days, you’ll know that the old ball coach isn’t very convinced about QB Stephen Garcia, but he does sound confident that his defense will get the job done in 2011.

Spurrier sounded most excited about DE Devin Taylor and CB Stephon Gilmore, who both have first-round potential, but he also didn’t hold back his excitement for incoming freshman sensation Jadeveon Clowney.

Clowney, one of the most highly rated recruits in decades, will be expected to play a major role in South Carolina’s pass rush this year, and the young end will have a great mentor to learn from in Devin Taylor.

Taylor, who finished with 7.5 sacks last season, has proven to be a young pass-rushing prodigy and there’s a chance he could be this year’s Da’Quan Bowers.

Taylor and Clowney will be joined on the line by Travian Robertson and Melvin Ingram, who should both be in the running for All-SEC honors.

Shaq Wilson, Antonio Allen and Rodney Paulk will all rotate at linebacker and they’ll be joined by linebacker/safety hybrid DeVonte Holloman, who will man the Spur spot.

With Holloman shifting positions, the real question of the defense will be the secondary, which ranked 10th in the SEC in pass defense last season.

Gilmore will be counted on to be the leader of the back end, but the junior corner will have some help from two other returning starters, Akeem Auguste and DJ Swearinger.

With Taylor, Gilmore, Holloman and Robertson all hoping to impress the NFL scouts, this unit should have enough motivation to make a big statement in 2011.