SEC Football: Top Candidates for 2015 Defensive Player of the Year
When it comes to candidates who'll fill the shoes of departed SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray of Missouri, there are five or six sure selections and everybody else.
That doesn't mean there will be a shortage of defensive difference-makers in the conference. Actually, it's quite the opposite.
There are so many uber-talented playmakers who've not yet taken a step forward into stardom that the race for the award is wide open.
Will the award again reside in Columbia, Missouri, as it has the past two seasons with Ray and Michael Sam? Or will another player from another team make his mark?
Ole Miss still has a roster full of defensive stars. LSU's defensive backs look loaded. Georgia and Alabama have stockpiled tons of talent. Florida and Tennessee even have a handful of guys who could have made the list.
There are candidates throughout the league.
Let's take a look at 10 contenders for the league's top defensive award who either have the talent, experience or load up the stat sheet enough to be included.
Derek Barnett, Tennessee Defensive End
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As much buzz as Texas A&M freshman beast Myles Garrett generated last year (and deservedly so), Tennessee's Derek Barnett had a better first season.
His 20.5 tackles for a loss were tied for seventh nationally, and though he had 1.5 fewer sacks than Garrett, his came against better competition.
Barnett registered a sack against Florida, three against Ole Miss and South Carolina, two against Kentucky and one against Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile, Garrett had one against the Gamecocks, two against Lamar, 2.5 against Rice, one each versus Ole Miss and Mississippi State, 3.5 against Louisiana-Monroe and half a sack against West Virginia.
Barnett's Freshman All-American campaign also included 72 tackles, which was the third-highest total for any freshman (behind Eric Berry and A.J. Johnson) in school history. Considering he plays on the defensive line, that's a pretty stout number.
Keeping that torrid pace as a sophomore will be difficult, but with better defensive tackles and Curt Maggitt (who narrowly missed this list) on the other side, opponents can't pay him the attention he deserves. He has the potential to be one of the most fearsome pass-rushers in the nation.
Harold Brantley, Missouri Defensive Tackle
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Death, taxes and stud Missouri defensive linemen.
If you don't believe those things are inevitable, just look at the laundry list that includes Shane Ray, Markus Golden, Kony Ealy, Michael Sam, Sheldon Richardson and Aldon Smith, among others.
Who is the next great one? Who'll be the bridge between those guys and stud incoming freshman Terry Beckner Jr.?
Look no further than the overlooked redshirt junior defensive tackle Harold Brantley, a 6'3", 280-pound rising star that reminds coach Gary Pinkel of a young Richardson.
Though he's listed on the roster as weighing 280, he played the 2014 season closer to 300 pounds. With those stars on the edges, he wound up with 54 tackles, including seven for a loss to go along with five sacks.
This year, he is poised to break out and become a national name like those stars before him. Yes, defensive coordinator Dave Steckel is gone to be the head coach at Missouri State, but line coach Craig Kuligowski remains, and he will likely continue to develop studs.
Brantley is the next one to remember.
Tony Conner, Ole Miss Safety
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Though Tony Conner stood in the considerable shadow of first-team All-American Senquez Golson last year, the 6'0", 217-pound sophomore safety still had a strong season.
Helping anchor an Ole Miss defense that was one of the most impressive nationally until it got dissected by TCU in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the native of Batesville, Mississippi, finished second on the team with 64 tackles and led the Rebels with nine tackles for a loss.
He had arguably the biggest game of his career in an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State, registering seven tackles, three for a loss, a sack and a pass breakup.
That was a huge performance for an in-state star who kept Ole Miss' decades-long pipeline to South Panola High School open when he chose the Rebels a couple of years ago over offers from essentially everybody in the country.
Conner possesses elite ball skills and is big and talented enough to be a force against the pass or the run.
He is an ideal SEC safety who has a bright NFL future and appears poised to take the reins (along with LSU's Jamal Adams) from Landon Collins and Cody Prewitt as the next great safeties in the league.
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Myles Garrett, Texas A&M Defensive End
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When it comes to developing the prototype for star pass-rushers, Myles Garrett could be used as the mold.
At 6'5", 255 pounds, he is long and lanky with a huge wingspan and incredible strength. The Arlington, Texas, native was a can't-miss player coming out of high school, behind only Leonard Fournette as the nation's second-ranked player overall by the 247Sports composite.
He didn't miss.
As a freshman, he finished second only to league defensive player of the year Shane Ray with 11.5 sacks, breaking the previous SEC record for freshman sacks held by Jadeveon Clowney.
He also had 53 tackles and was so disruptive that every opponent had to know where he was on the field at all times. The numbers were good enough for second-team All-SEC honors.
That was just the beginning too. One of the league's top offensive tackles who had to block him last year told ESPN.com's Sam Khan Jr. just how good Garrett could be.
"I think he's going to be a great player," LSU's La'el Collins said. "If he puts the work in, I think he'll be able to double his stats next year. ... In about a year or so, he's going to be a monster."
Garrett should thrive under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator John Chavis, and with Kevin Sumlin bringing in a bevy of defensive line talent, A&M's weakness could become a strength before long.
They've already got their centerpiece.
Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida Cornerback
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Everybody knows Vernon Hargreaves III (or VHII, as he's more commonly known) is a superstar. He just reminds us all on the biggest stages lest we forget.
Thus far, despite the hype surrounding his two-year college career, he hasn't failed to live up to the massive expectations that have followed him around since he was an elite recruit.
The 5'11", 198-pound cornerback may have played for the struggling Florida Gators last year, but he actually improved on his All-American debut. VHIII finished with 50 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a league-leading 13 pass breakups.
He's the epitome of a shutdown corner, and he was named a first-team All-American by Sporting News, ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, finishing as a second-team selection on four others.
On one of the season's biggest stages and with the Gators struggling to hang on against East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, VHIII stepped in front of a Pirates receiver for a game-securing interception in the end zone to seal the win.
He's a star, and this will almost certainly be his final season in the league before making millions. He may just get rewarded with the league's top defensive honor.
Jordan Jenkins, Georgia Outside Linebacker
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There are several players between the hedges who could go on this list. Guys such as Leonard Floyd and Lorenzo Carter could have breakout years for defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.
But the best player on the Dawgs' D is rising senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins.
The 6'3", 252-pound Hamilton, Georgia, native was a prize recruit and has developed and improved each year he's been in Athens.
From the team's newcomer of the year in 2012 to making a team-high 12 tackles for a loss as a sophomore, he had two strong years to begin his career as a Bulldog. But last season under the tutelage of Pruitt, he really broke out.
Jenkins wound up as the team's most improved player, totaling 70 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and two fumble recoveries. If he improves this year as much as he has in previous seasons, it may be good enough to carry home the award.
If not, he'll still draw enough attention for Floyd or a budding star like Carter to shine.
Carl Lawson, Auburn Defensive End
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Perhaps the biggest stretch on the list has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with the uncertainty of coming back from an injury.
Redshirt sophomore defensive end Carl Lawson missed the entire 2014 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Lawson didn't burst onto the scene right away to live up to his former 5-star status as a freshman. But once he learned the defense, he thrived during the second half of the season for the national runner-up Tigers, finishing with 7.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 tackles for a loss.
Now with Will Muschamp at the helm of that Auburn defense, Lawson should surge if he hasn't lost a step from his freshman year. That season, he possessed a strong first step and was difficult for even the best tackles to defend off the edge.
Lawson told the Ledger-Enquirer's Ryan Black that sitting out last year was the hardest thing he's ever had to do, but he thinks it made him a better player.
"I kind of just sat back and learned and watched the game and saw how much easier I can make it because I picked up on little nuances on how to get myself better," Lawson said. "I learned a lot."
Though AU wasn't exceptional on defense in 2013, it made plays. Last year without Lawson, the Tigers failed to generate any consistent pass rush. With Lawson and star recruit Byron Cowart in the mix, they could now enjoy a pass-rush revival.
Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss Defensive Tackle
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Sometimes, it's simply impossible for a player to live up to the massive hype.
It was that way for Jadeveon Clowney during his final year at South Carolina. Imagine a player coming in with that level of larger-than-life status. Now, multiply it by two, and you'd have Ole Miss rising junior Robert Nkemdiche.
No matter how well he plays (and he played extremely well in 2014), the questions will linger about how he hasn't reached expectations. That is in spite of The Associated Press, USA Today and CBSSports.com naming him a second-team All-American as a sophomore.
In his first year moving inside, the 6'4", 280-pound lineman had 33 tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks. The numbers may not be overly impressive, but the impact he had on his team was recognized by some of the nation's leading publications.
To his credit, Nkemdiche—two years removed from being the nation's top recruit across the board—says all the right things.
"I always have a motor on me and try to make things happen to free up other guys or do it for me," he told The Clarion-Ledger's Hugh Kellenberg prior to last year's bowl game. "I just want to disrupt the game, and that's what I'm going to do by being in the backfield as much as I can."
But the voters want sacks. They want helmet-popping forced fumbles. They want pick-sixes at the line of scrimmage that can display his athleticism as he runs away from skill-position players.
Those haven't come yet. If they do, Nkemdiche's hype may be accompanied by hardware.
Reggie Ragland, Alabama Linebacker
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Speaking of those helmet-jarring hits, nobody in the country does it better than Reggie Ragland.
With Trey DePriest gone, the 6'2", 254-pound rising senior from Madison, Alabama, appears primed to become the next great Bama 'backer to follow in the footsteps of greats such as Rolando McClain, Dont'a Hightower and C.J. Mosley.
Rather than head to the NFL where he almost assuredly would have been selected high in the draft, Ragland elected to return for his senior season after a 2014 year where he really became a full-time player for the first time.
He racked up the tackles for the Tide, finishing second on the team with 95 stops, trailing Collins' 103. He is also a vocal leader on a team needing a centerpiece with DePriest and Collins gone.
Ragland told AL.com's Michael Casagrande this week:
"I wanted to come back and get even smarter for the game, because I know at the next level, if you're not smart playing on the inside, you're not going to last that long. So I wanted to come back and learn more from Coach (Nick) Saban, and Coach (Kirby) Smart, and all the defensive guys that we've got coaching.
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Bama is glad he did. Though a linebacker hasn't won the award since Georgia's Jarvis Jones in 2012, and an inside linebacker hasn't won since McClain in '09, Ragland has the physicality to do so in the middle of a defensive machine.
Tre'Davious White, LSU Cornerback
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The battle for the final spot on this list came down between LSU defensive back teammates Jamal Adams and Tre'Davious White.
Though Adams probably has the brightest future as a long-armed, 6'0", 206-pound Eric Reid clone at safety, White is a year more seasoned and appears primed for a breakout 2015.
The 5'11", 191-pound cornerback teamed last year with Rashard Robinson to give the Bayou Bengals one of the best cornerback duos in the league.
White, a Shreveport native, is blessed with elite speed that allows him to hang with every receiver and is also tall and rangy for a corner, meaning he doesn't get pushed around easily. His jets also allow him to be a special teams force in the return game.
He finished 2014 with 33 tackles, three tackles for a loss, a sack, two interceptions and six passes broken up. Those may be pedestrian numbers, but it doesn't take away from his elite skills.
Adams may have more opportunities to make big plays at safety, especially if teams stay away from White's side of the field.
There's so much talent in a loaded defensive backfield that ESPN.com's Khan Jr. rated the Tigers' DBs as the league's best, referring to White as a "big-time player."
But can he stand out in a group full of stars? If so, he may just be the league's best defender.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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