SEC Football: Power Ranking Best Defenders Heading into 2015 Season
The SEC rose to prominence in the late 2000s thanks to some stifling defenses that featured tremendous secondaries, fast and physical linebackers and tremendous defensive lines that rotated throughout games.
That could be the case again this year, thanks to a virtual All-Star team of quality defenders within the conference.
Who are the best defensive players in the SEC? Our picks based on talent, production and importance to their teams are in this slideshow.
Just Missed the Cut
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You can't have 20 players in a top-10 list, so there are some really good players on the outside looking in.
Who just missed the cut?
- Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen
- Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones
- Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson
- Auburn cornerback Jonathan Jones
- Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter
- Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins
- LSU safety Jamal Adams
- LSU safety Jalen Mills
- LSU cornerback Tre'Davious White
- Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers
- Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones
- South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore
- Tennessee cornerback Cam Sutton
10. Ole Miss S Tony Conner
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Tony Conner was one of the centerpieces of Ole Miss' stellar 2013 recruiting classes and made an immediate impact in Oxford.
A mainstay at the "huskie" position, Conner was a freshman All-American in 2013 according to 247Sports (via his Ole Miss bio), finished second on the team in tackles in 2014 with 69 and is the physical force the Ole Miss secondary needs.
"Tony Conner doesn't get the spotlight he deserves, but it wouldn't surprise if he's in the conversation [in the 2016 NFL draft] with Su'a Cravens and Jalen Ramsey at season's end," said Matt Miller, Bleacher Report's NFL Draft lead writer. "He's very physical at 6'0" and 217 pounds and has the instincts to make plays in the box or bailing in coverage."
With Cody Prewitt and Senquez Golson gone, Conner is now one of the veterans of the Ole Miss secondary. Based on his track record and experience, the Rebels are in good hands.
9. LSU LB Kendell Beckwith
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Kendell Beckwith didn't solidify his place in the LSU starting lineup at middle linebacker until October, but when he did, he displayed the kind of promise that followed him to Baton Rouge as a 4-star prospect.
The 6'2", 245-pounder has the strength of a lineman and incredible speed, which made him a perfect fit at the "Mike" linebacker spot under former defensive coordinator John Chavis' scheme. Beckwith is being counted on to be a leader as the Tigers transition to new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
He adjusted just fine to the new staff, according to ESPN.com's Chris Low.
"Something else in chatting with LSU's defensive coaches this weekend is that the LB duo of Kendell Beckwith and Deion Jones is killing it.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) March 30, 2015"
That will be important in 2015, because there's still plenty of uncertainty on the offensive side, which will put pressure on Steele's defense to keep LSU in games.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
8. Florida LB Antonio Morrison
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While the front four and the back end of Florida's stifling defense has been littered with superstars over the last few years, it has been middle linebacker Antonio Morrison serving as the glue holding the entire thing together.
Morrison led the Gators and finished eighth in the conference with 101 tackles in 2014, which is even more impressive when you factor in the game vs. Idaho being cancelled and Morrison's knee injury suffered in the first half of the Birmingham Bowl.
That injury kept him out of spring drills, and as Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports notes, it could force him out during the early stages of fall camp as well.
"Jim McElwain says #Gators LB Antonio Morrison likely to miss time in fall camp, has "got a ways to go" in rehab - http://t.co/AwJXgWpEAn
— Thomas Goldkamp (@ThomasGoldkamp) April 28, 2015"
When healthy, Morrison is a hard hitter, has tremendous instincts and is the leader that new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins needs to lead the transition to the new regime.
7. Georgia LB Leonard Floyd
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The best way to describe Leonard Floyd is that he's a "freak."
At 6'4", 231 pounds with long arms and a quick first step, Floyd is the prototypical pass-rusher off the edge for Georgia who makes a living in the opposition's backfield. He finished last season with 55 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and six sacks but missed the final game of the year with a shoulder injury.
That forced him out of spring drills as well, but once he returns, he's going to be one of the leaders of Georgia's dominant linebacking corps.
Floyd looks and acts like a top-tier pass-rusher, but he's much more than that. He plays bigger than his weight suggests, is solid against the run and a perfect fit as the "Sam" linebacker in Jeremy Pruitt's 3-4 defense.
6. Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett
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Myles Garrett came in as the superstar who was going to help turn around the downtrodden Texas A&M defense. While that didn't happen, it wasn't due to lack of effort on Garrett's part.
All he did was set the single-season SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks, notch 53 tackles (14 for loss) and tallied 10 quarterback hurries. He wasn't just a pass-rushing specialist as a true freshman, he evolved into a three-down defensive end throughout the season and set the stage for what should be a stellar sophomore season.
"Athleticism through contact. Myles Garrett is probably already a #ForcePlayers#. pic.twitter.com/NgVgdaYChk
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) May 5, 2015"
With new defensive coordinator John Chavis in house and his ability and proven track record to create pressure with defensive ends, the best is yet to come for Garrett at Texas A&M.
5. Tennessee DE Derek Barnett
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While Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett gobbled up all of the freshman defensive end headlines in the SEC, all Tennessee's Derek Barnett did was establish himself as a true three-down defensive end from Day 1 and help solidify the Vols' defensive front.
He finished the season with 72 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (second in the SEC) and 10 sacks for a defense that came of age as the season progressed.
Now cemented as a true impact player, Barnett will look to build off of last year's success with another strong season that includes virtually the same supporting cast up front and will get a boost from a stellar recruiting class that includes tackles Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie.
Barnett finished the season as one of the stars on Rocky Top, but he will likely shine brighter in 2015.
4. Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
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Alabama received huge news this offseason when linebacker Reggie Ragland passed up the chance to jump to the NFL to return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season with the Crimson Tide.
"I decided I wanted to come back and get even smarter for the game," Ragland said in March, according to Ken Rogers of the Dothan Eagle. "I know at the next level, if you’re not smart playing inside, you’re not gonna last that long. So I wanted to come back and learn more from coach Saban and coach (defensive coordinator Kirby) Smart and all the defensive guys."
Ragland finished last season with 93 tackles—second most on the team—and was the latest in a long line of successful middle linebackers in Smart's 3-4 scheme.
Known as one of the hardest hitters in the conference, Ragland will be an integral part of the latest edition of the Crimson Tide defense, which is loaded in the front seven.
3. Alabama DT A'Shawn Robinson
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Alabama defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson doesn't get the credit he deserves along Alabama's defensive line. That's a shame, because he plays a vital role in its success.
The 6'4", 312-pounder is quick enough to be a force as an end in defensive coordinator Kirby Smart's 3-4 scheme but also strong enough to move inside and play nose—particularly in passing situations when Alabama wants to get speed all across the line.
He finished seventh on the team with 49 tackles—including nine in the Crimson Tide's SEC Championship Game victory over Missouri.
Robinson's ability to consistently dominate the trenches in a variety of different spots is invaluable to Alabama's success overall. If he can replicate that success in 2015, Alabama could be looking at its second straight College Football Playoff berth.
2. Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
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Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III is as close to a lockdown corner as there is in the SEC in 2015.
The 5'11", 192-pound junior from Tampa, Florida, has started 22 of Florida's 24 games over the last two seasons, picked off six passes, broken up 24 and established a reputation as a cornerback that opposing quarterbacks simply want to avoid.
How big of a deal is he? He's already enshrined outside of "The Swamp."
"#Gators have put in Vernon Hargreaves III's All-American brick outside Swamp - http://t.co/PoxKmh38qM pic.twitter.com/1LqwVMLQd9
— Thomas Goldkamp (@ThomasGoldkamp) January 24, 2015"
He's the kind of player who takes an entire side of the field away, which will be a huge benefit to first-year head coach Jim McElwain and defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.
1. Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche
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Robert Nkemdiche only had four tackles for loss and two sacks last season, but his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
The 6'4", 280-pounder from Loganville, Georgia, was routinely double-teamed, which opened up windows for his teammates to live in the opposition's backfield.
Nkemdiche has the speed of a pass-rushing end in a 4-3 but the strength to be invaluable as a tackle—where he spent the 2014 season and will play in 2015. He's as disruptive as any player in college football and is a critical piece of head coach Hugh Freeze's defensive puzzle.
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")
