7 SEC Players Who Are Under the Most Pressure Entering Offseason Workouts
National championships aren't won or lost in the fall. They're won or lost in the offseason.
For many players who are getting ready for spring practice around the SEC, the next few months will dictate whether they become stars, or regress to anonymity as other talented players pass them on the depth chart.
Which players around the SEC are under the most pressure heading into spring practice?
Our picks based on opportunity, age, talent and competition are in this slideshow.
LSU QB Brandon Harris
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From promise to disappointment to frustration to transfer rumors, quarterback Brandon Harris' freshman season for LSU was an up-and-down roller coaster that ended with the car being stuck on the tracks.
It doesn't have to stay that way for long, though.
Harris will again enter the offseason in a quarterback battle with Anthony Jennings, who completed just 48.9 percent of his passes last season (111-of-227). Harris has to make a move.
Whether it was a lack of trust from the coaching staff, the inability to grasp the offense or something that transpired behind the scenes, Harris was unable to unseat Jennings despite Jennings' consistent struggles in 2014.
Now's the time for Harris to take that giant step forward that LSU fans have been waiting for since he enrolled last January. The opportunity is there, the continuity with key pieces including running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Travin Dural exists and the coaching staff has been forced to hit the reset button after last season's woeful performance in the passing game.
If Harris can't win the job this offseason, he might as well start looking elsewhere.
Auburn RB 'Roc' Thomas
2 of 7
Auburn running back "Roc" Thomas has gone from changeup back as a freshman to veteran as a sophomore.
That's great, right?
Considering the former 5-star stud was impressive in limited action last season with 214 yards and two touchdowns behind Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant, sure.
There's a problem, though. Thomas is a Ferrari being chased by a Lamborghini and a McLaren.
Junior college transfer Jovon Robinson enrolled in January with his sights set on the top spot on the running back depth chart. The 5'11", 227-pounder from Memphis rushed for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns at Georgia Military College in 2013, and has the size and strength to be the every-down force that Tre Mason was for the 2013 Tigers.
Behind both of them, Kerryon Johnson—the reigning Mr. Football in the state of Alabama—will join the fray this summer. At 6'0", 200 pounds, Johnson is a Thomas clone. He's got the jets to take it to the house but is big enough to take the punishment. He could (and, as I said in a video posted this week on B/R, "should") play safety, but will likely get a chance at running back once he steps foot on campus.
Thomas will likely get the first crack to be the feature back, but there's plenty of competition on the Plains.
Georgia LB Lorenzo Carter
3 of 7
Georgia got good news this offseason, when outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins decided to stick around in Athens after flirting with the NFL.
That does leave some traffic in front of rising sophomore Lorenzo Carter, though. Carter came on strong late, notching eight tackles in each of Georgia's final two games—the second of which, vs. Louisville, was in place of an injured Floyd.
The 2015 season is Carter's time to shine.
Jenkins dropped down from his "Jack" linebacker spot and played with his hands in the dirt at times last season, and if that's the path Georgia is going to go again in 2015, it's going to be Carter who dictates it.
Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt routinely finds ways to get his best linebackers on the field, and Carter is certainly one of those. If he can show the staff that he has learned from his freshman season, can play within the structure of the defense and play as consistent as he was down the stretch, he's going to be a superstar in 2015.
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Florida QB Will Grier
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You'd think that Treon Harris would be the quarterback at Florida with the most pressure on his shoulders, after Harris took over for Jeff Driskel as the No. 1 player on the depth chart in 2014 and helped lead Florida to the Birmingham Bowl.
He's not.
The quarterback with the most pressure on his shoulders in Gainesville is redshirt freshman Will Grier.
The former 4-star prospect from Davidson, North Carolina, was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2014, and is the best fit on the roster for what head coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier want from their quarterback.
It's up to Grier to impress the coaches this spring, take leadership of offseason workouts and prove that he can be the guy for a Gator program that has been unstable at quarterback ever since Tim Tebow left. If he doesn't, don't discount the possibility of Florida hitting the free-agent graduate transfer market this summer.
Tennessee DE Derek Barnett
5 of 7
Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett sneaked up on people in 2014, notching 72.0 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks for the resurgent Vols defense.
He's not going to sneak up on people anymore.
Barnett's breakout season has made him "the man" in Knoxville, and the attention that he didn't get early last year will be there in droves from the moment toe meets leather in the season opener vs. Bowling Green.
What's more, Barnett has plenty of new teammates joining him this spring, including defensive end Kyle Phillips and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle. If Barnett can take the next step and welcome the attention with open arms, it's going to free up his teammates to do some damage one-on-one against opposing offensive linemen.
Arkansas DT Bijhon Jackson
6 of 7
Arkansas is known for its punishing running game, but what set the Razorbacks apart down the stretch in 2014 was a tremendous defensive line that featured defensive end Trey Flowers and defensive tackle Darius Philon.
With those two players gone, somebody has to step up.
Enter: Bijhon Jackson.
Jackson played a reserve role last year, notching nine tackles and one tackle for loss. He was a 4-star prospect in the class of 2014, and at 6'2", 324 pounds, is the perfect man to clog the middle and keep that Hog defense stout against the run.
There's plenty of competition along the defensive front, including nose guard Taiwan Johnson, but Jackson has the most upside and needs to become a force inside for head coach Bret Bielema.
Alabama QB Jake Coker
7 of 7
It's up to Jake Coker to rewrite the script for the sequel to Alabama's quarterback battle.
Coker transferred to Alabama last summer from Florida State, and was expected to win the job over then-senior Blake Sims. Instead, the staff went with Sims and he led the Crimson Tide to an SEC title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Coker, meanwhile, took a backseat. He completed 38-of-59 passes for 403 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a reserve role, but will again enter the offseason as the favorite to win the job. There are talented players behind him, including Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell and true freshman Blake Barnett, an early enrollee.
Unlike last year, Coker doesn't have to adjust to the offense on the fly, and should have a firm grasp of what offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin wants to do. Furthermore, several of the wide receivers he worked with last year like ArDarius Stewart, Robert Foster and Chris Black will be running with the "ones" early in spring practice, so there will be some friendly faces for Coker to connect with.
It's Coker's last shot at college football glory, and the path is clear for him to become a star. It's up for him to take it.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
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. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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