SEC Football: 15 Best Seniors for 2016
Spring practice is underway, and that means many teams are looking for seniors to become leaders of their teams and become the faces of college football.
Luckily for teams in the SEC, there are plenty of fantastic seniors to choose from—especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Who are the best returning seniors in the SEC in 2016? Our picks based on talent and production are in this slideshow.
Just Missed the Cut
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You have to cut the list off somewhere, and we cut this one off at 15 players.
As a result, there are several talented seniors who just missed the cut. Don't fret, though, these are still fantastic players who will show out this fall across the South.
- Tim Williams, LB, Alabama
- Brooks Ellis, LB, Arkansas
- Drew Morgan, WR, Arkansas
- Montravius Adams, DL, Auburn
- Johnathan "Rudy" Ford, DB, Auburn
- Marcus Maye, DB, Florida
- Travin Dural, WR, LSU
- Ethan Pocic, C, LSU
- Richie Brown, LB, Mississippi State
- Quincy Adeboyejo, WR, Ole Miss
- Daeshon Hall, DE, Texas A&M
- Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M
15. Mississippi State WR Fred Ross
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With former quarterback Dak Prescott dominating headlines in Starkville for the last two years, Fred Ross operated somewhat in anonymity.
He shouldn't have.
The 6'2", 207-pounder from Tyler, Texas, finished second in the SEC in receptions with 88 in 2015—one behind Alabama's Calvin Ridley, who played two more games than Ross. The reliable weapon for the Bulldogs had 1,007 yards and five touchdowns for head coach Dan Mullen's crew in 2015, and needs to replicate that kind of success in 2016.
The Bulldogs are going through a change to a new quarterback after Prescott moved on, have some questions at running back and need somebody to become the leader for the new-look offense.
Ross will be that guy.
14. Ole Miss TE Evan Engram
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Laquon Treadwell jumped early to the NFL after three successful seasons in Oxford, leaving head coach Hugh Freeze in search of a new No. 1 downfield weapon.
Tight end Evan Engram might be it.
The 6'3", 227-pound matchup nightmare from Powder Springs, Georgia, caught 38 passes for 464 yards and two touchdowns last season, and consistently finds his way behind linebackers who simply can't hang with his size and speed up the seam.
""Evan Engram will play a big part in the #OleMiss offense this season. He's experienced, athletic & is a good target." - @parrishalford
— Out of Bounds (@bobounds) March 15, 2016"
Ole Miss' offense will be explosive again in 2016, with quarterback Chad Kelly at the helm, Freeze calling the shots and a ton of depth and versatility at wide receiver. That will leave Engram with plenty of one-on-one matchups to exploit.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
13. Alabama TE O.J. Howard
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For nearly three years, O.J. Howard was essentially a unicorn at Alabama. A mythical creature that is widely discussed, but rarely seen.
He then busted loose for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Clemson, won offensive MVP honors and solidified himself as one of the best returning tight ends in the country heading into the 2016 season.
His 602 receiving yards from a year ago are most among returning tight ends in the conference. His 6'6", 242-pound frame makes him impossible to cover and his speed makes him dangerous in space.
Alabama fans hope that the title game performance will be the jumping-off point to Howard finally realizing the insane potential he's always possessed.
12. LSU LB Kendell Beckwith
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LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith surprised a lot of people when he passed at the chance to jump to the NFL to return to LSU for his senior season.
The 6'2", 252-pounder followed up a solid sophomore season with 84 tackles, 10 for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2015, establishing himself as the true quarterback of the Tiger defense.
"Miles calls Kendell Beckwith the "glue of the defense" for #LSU.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 22, 2016"
He will lead an experienced unit in 2016 under new coordinator Dave Aranda, and could up his draft stock and become a first-round pick as a senior for head coach Les Miles and the Tigers.
11. Alabama S Eddie Jackson
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During his first two seasons at Alabama, defensive back Eddie Jackson was an enigma. He's a cornerback who flashed plenty of talent, but whose inconsistency played a big role in Alabama's secondary regressing to its defense's biggest problem.
Prior to the 2015 season, Jackson moved from corner to safety, and instantly became a star.
The 6'0", 194-pounder picked off six passes on the year—tied for the conference lead—returned two for touchdowns, notched 46 tackles and forced a fumble for the national champs. He returned to the program after flirting with the NFL, and should thrive again in 2016 in a secondary that's loaded with experience.
"More good news for Alabama. Defensive back Eddie Jackson to return for his senior year. The "No Fly Zone" will have its captain back.
— Stephen M. Smith (@ESPN_Future) January 14, 2016"
10. LSU DL Lewis Neal
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Lewis Neal was another member of the LSU program who surprised a lot of folks when he decided to return to school for his senior season, and the Tiger defensive line will be better off for it.
The 6'2", 264-pounder is incredibly versatile, will move all over the defensive line under new coordinator Dave Aranda and has already proven that he has a knack for finding his way to the quarterback.
Neal collected eight sacks as a junior, 9.5 tackles for loss, 48 tackles, pressured the quarterback eight times and broke up six passes.
"#LSU DE Lewis Neal: "We're going to do our best to get a (national) championship this year."
— Will Weathers (@WillWeathersBR) January 22, 2016"
With a defensive line that also includes Arden Key, Christian LaCouture and Davon Godchaux, opposing offensive lines won't have the luxury of focusing attention on one player. As a result, expect a big year from Neal.
9. Florida LB Jarrad Davis
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There seems to be a cloning machine somewhere in Gainesville that churns out top-level defenders every year, and Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis is next in line to be a star after Antonio Morrison exhausted his eligibility.
The 6'2", 230-pounder notched 98 tackles a year ago, 11 for loss, tallied 3.5 sacks, picked off a pass and hurried the quarterback seven times. A hard hitter with a nose for the football, Davis has stepped up early this spring, according to Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun:
"Some new leaders emerging on the Florida defense: Jarrad Davis, Caleb Brantley, Alex Anzalone, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) March 11, 2016"
With so much roster turnover from a year ago, the Gators' new-look defense will be led by Davis—who should fly up NFL draft boards this year.
8. Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs
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In his first full season as the starting quarterback at Tennessee, Joshua Dobbs established himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.
He threw for 2,291 yards and 15 touchdowns, rushed for 671 and 11 more scores, and even caught a 58-yard touchdown pass at Florida.
The best is yet to come.
Dobbs has suffered from a wide receiving corps that is ultra-talented but has been riddled with injuries. He has running mates Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara back, four offensive linemen returning in front of him and the confidence of head coach Butch Jones. If his wide receivers help him out, don't discount the possibility of Dobbs making a Heisman run.
7. Arkansas OL Dan Skipper
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Dan Skipper could have jumped to the NFL after his junior season, but the 6'10", 331-pound native of Colorado returned to Fayetteville to help continue the progression of head coach Bret Bielema's program after the losses of fellow linemen Denver Kirkland and Sebastian Tretola.
He opened his career at guard in 2013, moved to left tackle in 2014, over to right tackle in 2015 and could move back to the left side after Kirkland moved on. The massive lineman has the strength to plow the road in the running game and is deceptively quick at tackle, which helps against some of the faster defensive ends in the SEC.
As Adam Stites of SECCountry.com noted last month, he will likely be one of the SEC stars who will shine at next year's NFL combine. Until then, though, he will do it for the Razorbacks.
6. Tennessee DB Cameron Sutton
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Tennessee's defense got a boost when star cornerback Cameron Sutton passed at the chance to jump to the NFL to return to Rocky Top, and will be the leader of a secondary that should get a boost from the presence of new coordinator Bob Shoop.
Sutton has picked off six passes during his first three seasons with the Volunteers, broken up 26 and returned one interception for a touchdown. Last year, he added 28 tackles, six for loss, and forced two fumbles for the Vols.
He isn't just an important piece of the defense, either.
Sutton returned 25 punts for 467 yards and two touchdowns for head coach Butch Jones, and should be a force on special teams again as a senior.
5. South Carolina LB Skai Moore
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When you lead your team in tackles for three straight seasons, the best way to describe you is as a "baller."
South Carolina linebacker Skai Moore is a baller.
At 6'2", 218 pounds, the Cooper City, Florida, native has been a force in the middle of the Gamecocks defense since stepping on the field in Game 1 in 2013. He passed on the NFL to play for new head coach Will Muschamp, who could move him back to safety at times to take advantage of his speed.
He'll be a star there, too.
Moore has 11 career interceptions, including four last year—two of which were essentially on the same blade of grass in the end zone of the season-opening win over North Carolina.
Wherever Moore lines up, opposing offenses are forced to take notice. He is, by far, the best player on South Carolina's roster.
4. LSU DB Tre'Davious White
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Like fellow teammates Lewis Neal and Kendell Beckwith, LSU cornerback Tre'Davious White came back to school after flirting with the NFL.
He'll be the unquestioned leader of a secondary that is loaded with talent and should get plenty of help from a defensive front that will force pressure and give defensive backs plenty of chances to make game-changing plays.
White has four careers picks, has broken up 20 passes, is physical at the line of scrimmage and has incredible recovery speed that allows the 5'11", 191-pounder to be a star against wide receivers of any size.
"LSU's Tre'Davious White has some "unfinished" bidness to take care of in 2016.https://t.co/BqxIruNAbr
— Glenn Guilbeau (@LSUBeatTweet) January 23, 2016"
He's a force on special teams, too. White has returned 45 punts over the last two seasons for 502 yards and two touchdowns, which is invaluable for an offense that hasn't exactly been one of the SEC's best over that time frame.
3. Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
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Quietly, Jalen Reeves-Maybin has put together a stellar career at Tennessee.
The ultra-athletic 6'0", 225-pound linebacker from Clarksville, Tennessee, tallied 105 tackles for the Volunteers a year ago, 14 for loss, had six sacks and forced two fumbles. That's par for the course for Reeves-Maybin, who also broke the 100-tackle mark with 101 as a sophomore in 2014.
"New #Vols DC Bob Shoop told me watching film with Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland is “like watching film with 10-year NFL vets."
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 8, 2016"
He will be the centerpiece of a new-look defense under Bob Shoop that should be even better than it was last year—when it finished second in the nation in third-down defense at 27.60 percent. The top-end talent on the Vols—led by Maybin, defensive back Cam Sutton and defensive end Derek Barnett—is flat-out scary.
2. Alabama DE Jonathan Allen
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Among those players who decided to stick around college football rather than making the leap to the NFL, nobody's decision was as surprising as Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen.
The 6'3", 283-pounder from Virginia finished second in the SEC in sacks with 12, sixth in tackles for loss with 14.5, tallied 36 tackles, forced two fumbles and hurried the quarterback six times.
With a massive frame and incredible quickness, Allen is as complete of a defensive end as head coach Nick Saban has ever had in his 3-4 scheme. Allen has the power to be a force against the run, the speed to get after the quarterback and the quickness to change direction and chase down quarterbacks and running backs who get to the edge.
"Alabama's Jonathan Allen Aims to Be No Longer Overlooked https://t.co/kpkOJfIBUI https://t.co/Gxjd2TNUfl
— Christopher Walsh (@WritingWalsh) January 19, 2016"
1. Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly
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Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly resurrected his career in a big way in 2015, throwing 31 touchdowns, running for 10 more and gaining 4,542 yards of total offense—third-most in SEC history behind Johnny Manziel's 2012 season (5,116) and 2013 (4,873) seasons.
Not a bad SEC debut for the former Clemson and East Mississippi Community College quarterback, who came to Oxford with enough baggage to fill an airplane.
He could have jumped to the NFL with fellow Ole Miss players Laquon Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil and Robert Nkemdiche, but will stick with head coach Hugh Freeze to make one more run at what would be the first SEC West title in Ole Miss history.
Kelly is the definition of a gunslinger. He lets it fly and takes risks, and typically those risks result in big rewards. He should be even better in 2016 with an offense that doesn't ever seem to miss a beat.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
