SEC Football: The Most Underrated Players in the Conference
Stars shine bright in the SEC, with LSU's Leonard Fournette, Mississippi State's Dak Prescott, Georgia's Leonard Floyd and Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III leading the way.
But what about everybody else?
Don't be blinded by star power, because the conference will be loaded with underrated players during the 2015 season.
Who are the most underrated players in the SEC? Our picks, based on talent, exposure and the players who stand in their way on depth charts, are in this slideshow.
Alabama RB Kenyan Drake
1 of 10
Alabama running back Kenyan Drake has been unfairly saddled with the "changeup back" label during his first three seasons in Tuscaloosa, due in large part to Alabama's loaded running back corps that has included Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry during his career with the Crimson Tide.
In his senior season, it's up to Henry and Drake to provide the one-two punch that has made Alabama's offenses so successful over the years.
For Drake, that means more carries as the true No. 1 tailback, in addition to his work as a slot receiver and edge threat that has been a part of his repertoire from the jump.
The 6'1", 210-pounder is bigger than people realize, has tremendous cutting ability in traffic and still has the 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash that he showed off this spring, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com.
He's more than just a "changeup back." He's a bona fide star that accepted a specific role over his first three years for the good of the team. All that patience should pay off in 2015, when he will be counted on in a variety of ways for a new-look Crimson Tide offense that is replacing nine starters.
Florida LB Antonio Morrison
2 of 10
Linebacker Antonio Morrison burst back onto the scene in 2014, leading the Florida Gators with 101 tackles and anchoring the middle of the stout Florida defense. He did it quietly, though, as former "Buck" Dante Fowler Jr. and current cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III earned all of the headlines.
Morrison deserves some love too.
The 6'1", 225-pounder from Bellwood, Illinois, injured his knee in the Gators' Birmingham Bowl win over East Carolina, and decided to come back for his senior season with new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins and head coach Jim McElwain.
Assuming he comes back at 100 percent this summer, Morrison is going to have to repeat the feat, because defense will again drive the bus in Gainesville. If that happens, maybe then he'll get the credit he deserves.
Arkansas QB Brandon Allen
3 of 10
If I gave you 10 guesses on which SEC quarterback finished with the second-fewest interceptions in the conference in 2014, would you need all 10 to land on Arkansas' Brandon Allen?
Probably.
The 6'3", 210-pounder from Fayetteville, Arkansas, tossed just five picks while throwing 20 touchdowns and 2,285 yards during his junior season, and he was the perfect game manager in head coach Bret Bielema's conservative, run-first system.
The best is yet to come.
Allen completed 17 of 21 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in Arkansas' spring game, according to ESPN.com's Sam Khan, which is a sign that he's developing into a difference-maker as well. If he can simply establish the threat downfield in new offensive coordinator Dan Enos' offense, that will open up those holes even more for running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, making this Hog offense tough to stop.
He's well on his way to doing just that.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Georgia LB Jordan Jenkins
4 of 10
While Leonard Floyd and Lorenzo Carter gobble up all the headlines, all Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins does is live in the opposition's backfield.
The 6'3", 253-pound rising senior from Hamilton, Georgia, finished last season with 70 tackles, 9.5 for loss and five sacks playing the "Jack" linebacker position in defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's 3-4 system. He has a nose for the football, elite athleticism and his presence makes life easier for everybody on the Bulldogs defense.
He's more than just a linebacker, though.
At times last year, Jenkins dropped his hand in the dirt and played more of a true defensive end role in specific situations. That versatility will be invaluable for a Georgia defense that is looking to get its best four linebackers on the field in 2015, and it will help Jenkins' draft stock for the 2016 NFL draft.
Missouri RB Russell Hansbrough
5 of 10
When you think of the SEC's elite running backs, LSU's Leonard Fournette, Georgia's Nick Chubb, Alabama's Derrick Henry and Arkansas' duo of Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins probably come to mind.
Missouri's Russell Hansbrough, however, does not.
That's a shame, because all the 5'9", 195-pounder did in 2014 was rush for 1,084 yards and 10 touchdowns while being the most stable piece of the Tigers' 2014 SEC East championship puzzle.
He kept the momentum going this spring, according to Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com:
"Unofficially, Russell Hansbrough with 36 yards on six carries so far. Easily Missouri's best offensive player this spring.
— Gabe DeArmond (@GabeDeArmond) April 18, 2015"
Quarterback Maty Mauk is a fourth-quarter magician, but Hansbrough is the biggest reason why Missouri stayed in games through the first three quarters last year. He is one of the best running backs nobody talks about.
South Carolina LB Skai Moore
6 of 10
All linebacker Skai Moore has done over the last two seasons is lead South Carolina in tackles, notching 56 as a freshman in 2013 and 93 as a sophomore last year. Yet, nobody seems to talk about him.
Why?
In 2013, he was overshadowed by some guy named Jadeveon Clowney, and last year he was overshadowed by the Gamecocks' defensive struggles. That's a shame, because the 6'2", 218-pounder from Cooper City, Florida, is one of the best and most versatile linebackers in the SEC.
Not only is Moore an accomplished linebacker, he is good in pass coverage too. He picked off three passes last year for the Gamecocks, and should thrive in the "Mike" linebacker position under new co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, who will likely use him as a semi-deep linebacker who is more than just a traditional "run-stuffer."
The staff can count on Moore to make critical tackles, which is big for a defense that struggles up front, and can use his athleticism in a variety of ways.
Georgia RB Sony Michel
7 of 10
Sony Michel became "the other freshman running back" at Georgia in 2014 as Nick Chubb burst on the scene midway through the season. But what was lost in Chubb's accolades was that Michel was "Nick Chubb" before Nick Chubb happened.
Chubb only earned 12 carries through the first three games of the 2014 season, while Michel notched 20 carries for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Michel injured his shoulder in Game 4 versus Tennessee and missed the next four games before coming back for 16 carries, 84 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky.
Is Michel better than Chubb? After what Chubb did last year when he got the chance, no.
But he's a very solid "1B" when healthy, and will take some of the pressure off of Georgia's superstar sophomore running back in 2015.
Auburn CB Jonathan Jones
8 of 10
Raise your hand if you knew that Auburn tied with Ole Miss for the SEC lead with 22 interceptions in 2014.
(Put your hand down, because you didn't.)
The Auburn secondary was the punchline to a depressing joke last year, as the Tigers gave up 230.1 passing yards per game and was one of the primary reasons Auburn failed to repeat as SEC champs.
It wasn't Jonathan Jones' fault, though. All the 5'10", 180-pounder from Carrollton, Georgia, did was pick off six passes (tied for second in the SEC and ninth nationally), break up 12 passes and notch 36 tackles for the Tigers.
He sat out the majority of spring practice while recovering from foot surgery, but should be back for fall camp and further solidify himself as one of the SEC's best cornerbacks.
LSU LB Kendell Beckwith
9 of 10
LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith didn't fully take over as the primary middle linebacker for the Tigers until the Auburn game in early October last year, but when he did, he established himself as one of the budding stars of the SEC.
Beckwith finished the season with 77 tackles (second-most on the team), with 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.
With Kevin Steele taking over for John Chavis as the defensive coordinator in Baton Rouge, Beckwith will have to serve as the leader of LSU's new-look defense that is relatively inexperienced in the front seven. He did it on the fly last year, so repeating the feat should be no sweat for the 6'2", 245-pounder from Clinton, Louisiana.
Texas A&M LB Otaro Alaka
10 of 10
Unless your name is "Myles Garrett," it's hard to be a star on a Texas A&M defense that's more known as a laughingstock than a competitive unit.
Linebacker Otaro Alaka is out to change that.
The 6'3", 225-pounder had four starts late last season and finished with 33 tackles—including seven in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over West Virginia in which he earned defensive MVP honors.
An injury forced him out of spring practice, but Alaka is the perfect linebacker for new defensive coordinator John Chavis. He's fast, physical and flies to the football, which will play well under Chavis—a coach who likes athletic, fast-twitch linebackers.
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.
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.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
