SEC Football: Upperclassmen Ready to Break Out in 2015
Everybody always wants to talk about the established superstars or the next big things who are high-profile recruits, and it's the same story in SEC football.
But what about the late bloomers, the guys every team has who play key roles when they finally emerge as juniors and seniors? Those players are pivotal to success in college football.
Some are just now getting major opportunities after waiting behind established players. Others simply had something click and appear geared to break out.
Then, there are those who'll shine after being forced into action. A few, such as Tennessee receiver Marquez North and Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, always have been blessed with the talent but haven't quite lived up to expectations yet.
Sometimes, it just takes time. Not everybody can become a star right away.
The league will be full of upperclassmen who'll blossom as upperclassmen. So, let's take a look at a few prime candidates to break free from obscurity and play vital roles in 2015.
Tra Carson, Texas A&M Running Back
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Trey Williams' puzzling decision to enter the NFL draft wound up with him not getting selected, and it also left Texas A&M without its leading rusher.
The Aggies will just slide another Tra into the starting role.
Tra Carson ranked second on the team in 2014 with 448 yards and five touchdowns, though he only started three games. The 6'0", 230-pound Texarkana, Texas, native and former Oregon transfer is a bruiser who also flashes second-level speed to run away from defenders.
Though coach Kevin Sumlin isn't known for calling 40 run plays per game, A&M needs to run enough in order to keep defenses honest. Carson is a good candidate to get a lot of those calls this year.
He missed spring practice with a broken foot, allowing fellow senior Brandon Williams and redshirt sophomore James White to get a bit of a jump on him. Two freshmen—Jay Bradford and Kendall Bussey Jr.—arrive this summer to join the competition.
But Carson is the favorite to get the bulk of the carries. A better run-pass mix has proved beneficial to the Aggies in recent history, according to ESPN.com's David Ching:
"A&M tends to lean heavily on the pass, throwing on 57.9 percent of all plays last year (tops in the conference). But Tra Carson has averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his two seasons since transferring from Oregon, and following a run, Texas A&M posted an 80.0 QBR last season. So expect a nice blend of QB Kyle Allen and Carson in '15. There is no shortage of skill here.
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Expecting a 1,000-yard season may be a tall order for an A&M team that throws as much as Sumlin wants to, but Carson could be productive regardless. If the Aggies are going to make a run in the West, he'll be a big part of the offense.
O.J. Howard, Alabama Tight End
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Alabama fans probably wanted to scream at offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin through their television sets to use O.J. Howard more than he did last season.
The former 5-star, top-ranked tight end from Prattville, Alabama, is a mismatch nightmare who has been picked to excel in each of his first two seasons at the Capstone, but the 6'6", 242-pound target hasn't busted out quite yet.
With all-world receiver Amari Cooper gone to the NFL, now is the time to shine.
Howard was still a weapon a season ago, catching 17 passes for 260 yards and nine first downs. Exploiting mismatches that are prevalent when he's on the field, Howard took six of those catches for more than 15 yards.
That's the kind of player the Crimson Tide need to utilize better in order to have a more well-rounded passing game.
A season ago, Howard had a difficult time attacking the ball while it was in the air, according to AL.com's Michael Casagrande, which probably led to his inconsistency.
Though Robert Foster and ArDarius Stewart look like they're going to emerge at receiver, Howard is an ideal pass-catcher who could thrive.
WalterFootball.com ranks Howard as the nation's top eligible tight end for the upcoming 2016 draft. If he can continue to make strides and if his offensive coordinator properly utilizes his talent, there's no reason why Howard shouldn't dominate in 2015.
He has the ability to be a superstar.
Jeremy Johnson, Auburn Quarterback
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Few upperclassmen appear more poised to take their newfound starting job and run with it (or throw with it) quite like Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson.
In limited action and spot starts while relieving Nick Marshall on the Plains the past two seasons, the 6'5", 240-pound signal-caller flashed immense potential.
He isn't the running threat Marshall was (though he's anything but immobile), but Johnson has a rocket arm and is a huge presence in the pocket. His sub-4.6 speed will keep defenses honest too.
For a passing game that struggled somewhat in each of the past two seasons, plenty of Tigers fans are excited about the prospects of having a true throwing threat under center.
But just how good can he be?
FoxSports.com's Bruce Feldman believes Johnson has the skill set to be among the nation's elite. "Jeremy Johnson is Auburn's new starting QB, but I expect him to be among the top quarterbacks in the SEC and one of the best in the entire country in 2015," Feldman wrote.
Auburn head coach and offensive guru Gus Malzahn has a rich history of tailoring his playbook to maximize the skills of his quarterbacks. Within the Feldman article, both Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee point to specific examples of backing that up.
With a strong stable of runners and with potential top receiver Duke Williams to throw to, Johnson has plenty of weapons to hit 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is poised to be a breakout star, and if he is, AU may just make a big run.
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Alex McCalister, Florida Defensive End
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Florida always seems to have elite edge-rushers, and with Dante Fowler Jr. leaving a year early and being selected third overall by Jacksonville, the Gators must replace his production immediately.
A perfect candidate to do so is rising junior Alex McCalister, a 6'6", 238-pound freakish athlete with a condor-like wingspan.
A season ago, he emerged with 23 tackles, including nine for a loss and six sacks. After a spring practice where he led a group that showed immense potential, 247Sports' Thomas Goldkamp declared UF's defensive line could be "elite."
If that happens, it's probably because McCalister is having an impact junior year.
McCalister's potential made it impossible for former coach Will Muschamp to keep him off the field after he redshirted in 2012, though he likely needed more developmental time. The Gators are still trying to put weight on the long, athletic star, according to Gator Country's Nick de la Torre.
Maybe McCalister will be around 250 pounds by the start of the season. Even if he isn't, he has displayed the ability to shrug off the size disadvantages and use his athleticism and speed to get past offensive linemen, around the edge and hit the quarterback.
His future may be as an outside linebacker on the next level, but for now, he'll anchor UF's defensive line. He may just be primed for a huge junior year.
Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia Wide Receiver
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It's hard to believe Malcolm Mitchell is a senior.
Yes, he's seemingly been at Georgia awhile now, coming in as a freshman all the way back in 2011. But he was one of those players who seemed destined for superstardom before injuries unfortunately sidetracked his career.
As a true freshman, he caught 45 passes for 665 yards and four touchdowns, despite missing three games with a hamstring injury. Those numbers dipped a bit as a sophomore, but he still had 40 grabs for 572 yards and four more scores, and he played the first few games on defense too.
Then, in a bizarre, freak accident, Mitchell tore his anterior cruciate ligament celebrating Todd Gurley's 75-yard touchdown run—the Dawgs' first score of the 2013 season—in a 38-35 loss to Clemson.
After a couple of setbacks, Mitchell returned last year to catch 31 passes for 248 yards and three more touchdowns in nine games.
Now, the 6'1", 195-pound senior enters his final season healthy and ready to make an impact.
"I've missed out on some opportunities because of injuries," Mitchell told the Chattanooga Times Free-Press' David Paschall, "but this is my chance to make up for all that."
With Georgia needing dependable receivers to bring along a new quarterback, Mitchell is now a wily old veteran who still has a ton of a talent and a nose for the end zone. He has a window to be the Dawgs' top target for the first time since 2011.
He needs to prove he can stay healthy to do so.
Marquez North, Tennessee Wide Receiver
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Throughout his entire freshman season in 2013, Marquez North was Tennessee's only big-play receiving threat, yet he only found the end zone once.
Last year, he developed a knack for scoring touchdowns before an injury and subsequent surgery basically cost him the entire final third of the season. Therefore, he has never quite lived up to massive expectations.
The receiving corps has gone how North goes. The 6'4", 224-pound rising junior enters his third season in Knoxville with little fanfare. It's even less since he missed the spring while still recovering from season-ending surgery.
If he is completely healthy once August rolls around, there's every reason to think he'll lead the Vols receiving corps to a resurgence.
Gone is the inconsistency North dealt with due to the revolving quarterback door of the past two seasons. Joshua Dobbs is the Vols' surefire starter, and he and North have a strong rapport, having roomed together last year.
North can use his big body to outmuscle defensive backs, and he did a much better job when healthy during the '14 season in being aggressive toward the ball when it was in the air. He has underrated speed and all the tools to be one of the league's top receivers.
He just has to put it all together. That hasn't happened yet, but if North has the kind of season he's capable of, it's possible his next year in Knoxville could be his last.
Brandon Wilds, South Carolina Running Back
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South Carolina's running situation the past few seasons was relatively crowded. Once Marcus Lattimore left for the NFL, Mike Davis took over and became one of the league's most productive runners when healthy.
All the while, Brandon Wilds filled in nicely in a support role. Now, as a redshirt senior, the 6'2", 224-pound running back should be the centerpiece of the Gamecocks' rebuilding offense.
Way back in 2011 when he made his first career start against Tennessee, rushing for 137 yards on 28 carries, he showed immense promise. After redshirting in 2012, he again battled injuries as a sophomore but still rushed for 221 yards on a 5.1 yard-per-carry average.
Wilds was impressive last season, finishing second to Davis with 570 yards on 106 carries for a 5.4 average and four touchdowns. He also showed a knack for catching passes out of the backfield.
With Davis out of the way, Wilds elected to return after flirting with the NFL. Though David Williams may be a more dynamic runner, Wilds has waited his turn and will probably get the bulk of the carries.
He slid under the radar a bit this spring, but a 1,000-yard season is not out of the question.
Coach Steve Spurrier is looking for weapons on offense, plain and simple. Quarterback Connor Mitch will have a lot on his plate as a first-year starter, and while receiver Pharoh Cooper is a definite playmaker, more have to emerge.
Wilds is a safe bet to be one of those.
JaMichael Winston, Arkansas Defensive End
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JaMichael Winston may have started a season ago, but the rising junior defensive end appears poised to surge into stardom in 2015.
That would be huge news for a Razorbacks defense that lost impact linemen Trey Flowers and Darius Philon.
Following a super spring where he was the best player on his side of the ball most of the 15 practices, Winston recorded three sacks in the spring game. For the 6'4", 272-pound lineman from Pritchard, Alabama, a strong year could translate into big bucks in the NFL.
Yes, replacing Flowers and Philon will be a chore, but Ledger-Enquirer sports writer Ryan Black believes Winston has the ability to step in and take his game up a notch:
"Into this void stepped JaMichael Winston. A returning starter, Winston appears poised to take his game to the next level this fall after impressing the coaching staff during the 15 practices this spring. Arkansas fans were able to see this improvement with their own eyes during the spring game, as Winston collected three sacks. But Winston isn't the only defensive lineman the Razorbacks feel good about, as coach Bret Bielema think the unit has up to 10 players that can contribute in 2015.
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Bielema told ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff that Winston "really jumped out" this spring. Though he will play more of a strong-side role for the Hogs, he weighed 250 pounds a season ago, so Winston has the athleticism to be an all-around end.
As the leader of a defensive line that drew considerable praise from Bielema this spring, Winston may not have to deal with a lot of double-teams. If that's the case, he has the ability to fill up the stat sheet.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes and observations gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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