SEC Football: 10 Biggest Defensive Battles in 2015 Spring Practice
The pads are popping, whistles are blowing and spring football is in the air around the SEC.
On the defensive side of the ball, that means positions battles are raging among players who have the talent to develop into stars in the SEC.
What are the best position battles in the conference?
Our picks based on talent, opportunity and importance to a team's overall outlook are in this slideshow.
Auburn Defensive End
1 of 10
Auburn sorely missed defensive end Carl Lawson last year, as the sophomore missed the entire season recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the spring.
Now a redshirt sophomore, go ahead and write Lawson's name down in ink at one defensive end spot in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's defense. The other side, though, is anybody's guess.
Gimel President and DaVonte Lambert were starters down the stretch, but Lambert is out for the spring after undergoing surgery to repair a knee injury. Even when he comes back, at 293 pounds, he could be a candidate to move inside.
Will Elijah Daniel step up? Will President, who missed the early portions of the first practice, according to AL.com, become a force off the edge? Will somebody else jump into the mix?
Lawson will be the center of attention, which means everybody else up front will have to exploit one-on-ones in order to help the Tigers develop a truly consistent pass rush. After all, 5-star signee Byron Cowart is looming this summer, and if the other side isn't solidified this spring, Cowart may have to be an instant-impact freshman.
Georgia Defensive Line
2 of 10
In his second year as Georgia's defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt is charged with rebuilding a defensive line that lost Mike Thornton and Ray Drew to graduation in the offseason.
Who will step up?
The easy answer is 5-star defensive tackle signee Trent Thompson, who will come to Georgia with the No. 1 overall ranking in the class of 2015 in tow. Before he gets to the classic city, though, players like Josh Dawson, Sterling Bailey, John Atkins, Chris Mayes, James DeLoach and early enrollee Jonathan Ledbetter will begin to sort out their roles in Pruitt's three-man front.
Outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins put his hand in the dirt at times during the 2014 campaign as well, and while he won't switch positions, there could be packages for Jenkins to drop down and make room for sophomore Lorenzo Carter at outside linebacker to get some more speed on the field.
Texas A&M Secondary
3 of 10
Texas A&M safety Armani Watts is only a sophomore, but he is—by far—the centerpiece of new defensive coordinator John Chavis' secondary puzzle. Watts had 59 tackles and three picks last year and will again slide into the free safety spot.
Aside from him, it's a big question mark.
De'Vante Harris is a veteran with plenty of snaps under his belt but has been hit-or-miss at corner throughout his Aggie career. Will Victor Davis, Tavares Garner, Nick Harvey or somebody else step up. Next to Watts, will junior college transfer Justin Evans find immediate playing time, or will the door remain open when Justin Dunning and Larry Pryor arrive this summer?
We know the combination of Myles Garrett and Daylon Mack up front will force quarterbacks into mistakes, but if the Aggies can't take advantage on the back end, will it really matter?
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Alabama Cornerbacks
4 of 10
We are entering Year 3 of the Alabama cornerback crisis, and finally, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Cyrus Jones improved tremendously from Game 1 through Game 14 last season and will lock down one side for head coach Nick Saban. On the other side of the field, a medium-sized village of corners will again battle for playing time.
Bradley Sylve and Eddie Jackson have walked through that revolving door in each of the last two seasons and will be joined by Tony Brown, Marlon Humphrey, Anthony Averett, Jonathan Cook and others this spring, with Kendall Sheffield and Minkah Fitzpatrick looming this summer.
There is progress, though. Saban's hire of Mel Tucker as a dedicated defensive backs coach takes some pressure off of the head coach and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, who had been hands on with the secondary in years past. Now it's Tucker's show, and a fresh set of eyes could work wonders as the Crimson Tide look to solve their cornerback blues.
South Carolina Defensive Line
5 of 10
South Carolina released its spring depth chart on Thursday (via: 247Sports), and aside from one defensive end spot, it doesn't look much different than last year's.
Gerald Dixon and Gerald Dixon Jr. are still starters, with Phillip Dukes sliding in at the other defensive tackle spot that was formerly occupied by J.T. Surratt. The surprise is the other defensive end spot, where newcomer Marquavius Lewis is listed as the starter despite not taking part in a single practice with the Gamecocks.
Whether that's the way the depth chart stacks up when the season opens against North Carolina, or other players jump into more prominent roles, the Gamecocks simply have to be better up front. They finished last in the SEC in sacks last year (14), 13th in rush defense (212.23 YPG) and last in yards per play (6.22).
The secondary might garner more headlines, but if these players—both individually and as a unit—don't improve tremendously this spring, 2015 is going to be a lost cause in Columbia. Nothing is set in stone, which should make this position battle wildly intriguing this spring.
Mississippi State Front Seven
6 of 10
When you lose five starters off of a front seven that was instrumental in your team's double-digit win season, you have a lot of work to do. When two of those starters are named "Preston Smith" and "Benardrick McKinney," it's even more problematic.
That's the situation Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen and new/old defensive coordinator Manny Diaz are in this spring, as the duo looks to reconstruct a defense that, while inconsistent at times, was stifling on third down (34.95 conversion percentage) and in red-zone situations (63.34 score percentage).
Luckily, junior Chris Jones should develop into a more prominent role after serving more as a rotation guy last year. The 6'0", 308-pound former 5-star prospect is big enough to play 0-technique but quick enough to play all the way out at 9-technique (although that likely won't happen).
Who else will step up? Mississippi State has developed a reputation for being one of the most physical defenses in the conference, and the quest to keep it intact begins this spring.
Florida Linebackers
7 of 10
New Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins found plenty of talent when he moved into his new digs at the football offices in Gainesville.
Depth at linebacker, though, was more challenging to hunt down. The Gators are wildly thin at linebacker, with just six scholarship players at the position, according to OnlyGators.com.
Antonio Morrison is a known commodity who will undoubtedly start at middle linebacker after leading the Gators with 101 tackles. But he will miss spring practice, which will open the door for Collins to develop some depth with role players along with Morrison and junior Jarrad Davis
Will Alex Anzalone live up to the recruiting hype? Will Daniel McMillian step up? Rayshad Jackson is the only true linebacker new head coach Jim McElwain signed in the class of 2015, so it's not like there's an insurance policy coming this summer.
Collins can't count on 100 percent health throughout the year, and Collins needs his role players to prove that they can be starters at linebacker this spring, because he might need them this fall.
Missouri Defensive Line
8 of 10
"DL Zou" has become the moniker most closely associated with Missouri under head coach Gary Pinkel's watch, but after Shane Ray, Markus Golden, Kony Ealy, Michael Sam and Sheldon Richardson have all departed since the Tigers joined the SEC, you'd think that the cupboard would be getting bare.
It's not, although Pinkel and new defensive coordinator Barry Odom might have to get creative with the ingredients this season.
Harold Brantley has to step up and become a force inside. The 6'3", 290-pounder had 54 tackles, seven tackles for loss and five sacks last year. While he is a monster in the middle, he also has the quickness and speed to move outside in specific packages when needed.
If Brantley can establish himself as the next star, it will open things up for defensive tackle Josh Augusta, as well as defensive ends Charles Harris, Marcus Loud and the rest of big men outside. If Missouri can solidify its defensive line now, it could make the unit frighting when 5-star signee Terry Beckner Jr. arrives this summer.
LSU Defensive Ends
9 of 10
LSU finished last season with just 19 sacks, which is a departure from the norm for a program that's become synonymous with stellar defensive line play.
What's more, the Tigers lost defensive coordinator John Chavis and starting defensive ends Jermauria Rasco and Danielle Hunter.
New defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, you have a problem.
Tashawn Bower has all of the skills to become a force off of the edge but has been more of a rotational player during his first two seasons in Baton Rouge. Steele could incorporate some 3-4 looks into the defense as well, which could open the door for returning tackle Davon Godchaux to slide outside or Frank Herron to earn some looks.
Steele's primary job this spring is to sort out his defensive line and find a way to pressure the quarterback, because a pass rush was more myth than reality last year.
Arkansas Defensive Line
10 of 10
The foundation of Arkansas' late-season success in 2014 was a defensive line that featured defensive end Trey Flowers and defensive tackle Darius Philon. Unfortunately for head coach Bret Bielema, though, both of those players will be playing on Sundays this fall.
That means more pressure on defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson, nose guard Bijhon Jackson and defensive ends Deatrich Wise and JaMichael Winston. The Arkansas front four has to remain stout against the run and get pressure on the quarterback in order to prevent the offense—which is ultra-conservative—to stay on its game plan and not get forced into passing itself out of holes.
They have the right coach to do it.
Robb Smith was phenomenal in his first season in Fayetteville and is back for more in 2015. But he has to see starters get pushed by reserves this spring now that there's a little more pressure on the Hogs. After all, there are holes to fill up front and a big step in the SEC West sitting right in front of them.
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.
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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