SEC Football Top 150 Players: No. 65, Mike Marry, Ole Miss LB

The SEC Blog will be counting down the top 150 players in the SEC every day, concluding on Aug. 30, at the start of the college football regular season.

65. Mike Marry, No. 52, Ole Miss Linebacker

2011 stats: 103 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries

Strengths

Marry emerged as a star last year on an Ole Miss defense that was lacking star power. The 6'2", 248-pound rising junior locked down the Mike linebacker position last season for the Rebels and earned honorable mention sophomore All-American honors from CollegeFootballNews.com. 

Weaknesses

Marry had a breakout season in 2011, but the Rebel defense as a whole was abysmal. They finished last in the SEC in total defense (419.33 yards per game) and rush defense (224.92 ypg), as well as ninth in pass defense (194.42 ypg). Now that he's the unquestioned leader of the defense, the rest of the unit will need to improve around him.

2012 Prediction

Ole Miss has a daunting schedule, so finding wins may be difficult, but Marry is still set up to be a star. The move of C.J. Johnson to defensive end full-time will give the Rebels a big time threat off of the edge, and Marry might benefit the most from that in the middle. Expect an All-SEC-caliber season from Marry in 2012.

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