Power Ranking the Most Dangerous Offenses in SEC Football
For a couple of years early this decade, the SEC became an offensive-driven conference.
Players like former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel, Auburn Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall and Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper transformed offenses around the conference from punchlines to powers.
My, how things have changed.
Texas A&M is an offensive disaster, Auburn is right there with it and finding consistent, explosive offenses in the SEC is as difficult as figuring out delegate math in the presidential election.
Which offenses are the best in the SEC heading into the 2016 season? Our picks based on production, returning talent and potential are in this slideshow.
14. Missouri Tigers
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Once upon a time, the Missouri Tigers offense featured bruising running back Henry Josey, dynamic dual-threat quarterback James Franklin and a bevy of wide receivers including Dorial Green-Beckham.
My, how things have changed.
The Tigers finished last in the SEC in yards per play last season at 4.38, finished third-to-last in the nation in third downs per game (15.1) and couldn't develop a single weapon that should be feared moving forward.
Sophomore Drew Lock inherited the quarterback position as a freshman last year after junior Maty Mauk struggled and was eventually suspended. The Missouri native has upside, but he completed just 49 percent of his passes, had twice as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns (four) and didn't look up for the challenge.
His wide receiving corps has a little bit of experience after going through last year's struggles. But if Missouri's offense is going to be feared again, Lock has to improve, a receiver has to step forward and something needs to happen in the ground game.
There are simply too many moving parts to have faith in the Tigers this season.
13. Vanderbilt Commodores
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The Vanderbilt Commodores have a solid foundation for their 2016 offense with junior running back Ralph Webb lining up in the backfield after his 1,152 rushing yards a year ago. But Webb needs help from the downfield passing attack, and that's where the problems arise.
Fellow junior Trent Sherfield showed flashes of brilliance at wide receiver last year, especially when he racked up 240 yards and a touchdown against the Austin Peay Governors. That was Austin Peay, though, and nobody on the Vanderbilt roster showed that type of explosiveness against tough competition.
Sherfield is back, as is sophomore quarterback Kyle Shurmur—who should win the offseason quarterback battle.
If Vanderbilt can just find something or someone to threaten opposing defenses other than Webb, the Commodore offense can be effective. That might be easier said—or written—than done, though.
12. Kentucky Wildcats
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The Kentucky Wildcats made the switch from Shannon Dawson to Eddie Gran this offseason at offensive coordinator, and Gran has his work cut out for him turning this group of Wildcats around.
The running game is set with junior Stanley "Boom" Williams and senior Jojo Kemp, but the offensive line is a mystery, the wide receivers have under-performed and sophomore quarterback Drew Barker didn't exactly solidify himself as a future star as a freshman when he completed half of his passes (35-of-70) for 364 yards, one touchdown and two picks.
Can Gran turn things around?
He'll need a big year from Williams, who's one of the biggest home run threats in the country but is out this spring recovering from elbow surgery. But he'll also need Barker to step forward and become what Kentucky fans expect the former 4-star prospect to be.
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11. Florida Gators
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The Florida Gators have a brilliant offensive mind as their head coach now that Jim McElwain is in town, but bad luck and absence of depth plagued the former Colorado State Rams head coach during his first season in Gainesville. Starting quarterback Will Grier was suspended midway through the season and eventually transferred, junior Treon Harris couldn't handle the pro-style scheme McElwain employed and the young offensive line struggled mightily.
Former Alabama and Oregon State Beavers quarterback Luke Del Rio, a sophomore, and former Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Austin Appleby, a graduate student, are vying for the quarterback spot this year. But both of them are mysteries, the Gators have to replace reliable running back Kelvin Taylor, the offensive line is still a work in progress and the only proven playmaker—sophomore Antonio Callaway—is currently suspended.
There are too many questions in Gainesville to trust the offense in 2016.
That doesn't mean you can't in the future. There are talented players on the roster who can help McElwain turn things around, but at this point, you should have to see it in order to believe it.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
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Raise your hand if you knew that the South Carolina Gamecocks—through injuries to quarterbacks Connor Mitch and Perry Orth, the sudden coaching change and an offensive line that struggled—finished seventh in the conference at 5.61 yards per play.
Put your hand down. No you didn't.
The 2016 Gamecocks have even more questions, with junior David Williams taking on more responsibility as the unquestioned No. 1 running back behind an offensive line that is still loaded with questions, a wide receiving corps that's incredibly inexperienced and another offseason of quarterback concerns. Luckily for first-year head coach Will Muschamp, true freshman Brandon McIlwain has already impressed this spring as senior Orth and sophomore Lorenzo Nunez have fought through injuries.
"He’s made a lot of strides," Muschamp said of McIlwain in quotes emailed by South Carolina. "Obviously he’s got a lot of ability. He’s an explosive guy who can do some things for us. I’ve been very pleased with his progress. I think he and Perry distanced themselves a little bit through the first eight practices."
The future looks bright with McIlwain and freshman wide receiver Bryan Edwards, but the present will be a struggle.
9. Arkansas Razorbacks
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The Arkansas Razorbacks finished second in the SEC in yards per play in 2015, gaining an average of 6.83 yards per snap.
Many of the players responsible for those numbers, including quarterback Brandon Allen, running back Alex Collins, guard Sebastian Tretola, tackle Denver Kirkland and tight end Hunter Henry are gone from last year's squad, which leaves head coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos searching for answers.
Junior Austin Allen, sophomore Rafe Peavey, redshirt freshmen Ty Storey and USC transfer Ricky Town are all battling for the quarterback spot and senior Kody Walker and sophomore Rawleigh Williams will likely handle the bulk of the carries until true freshman Devwah Whaley gets up to speed. Senior Jeremy Sprinkle has the ability to become the next great Arkansas tight end and the offensive line still has senior anchor Dan Skipper to rely on.
But Arkansas has too many moving parts to trust at this point in the spring. If it comes together quickly, though, this offense can replicate last season's success.
8. Auburn Tigers
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If you're looking for a team that could fly up the charts as an explosive offense, the Auburn Tigers are it.
But the quarterback position prevents the Tigers from being up there during the offseason.
Sophomore Sean White, senior Jeremy Johnson and junior college dual threat John Franklin III are battling for that role this spring, with Franklin providing the "wow factor" that head coach Gus Malzahn had when former quarterback Nick Marshall led the Tigers to the SEC title in 2013 and an appearance in the national title game.
"It's a quarterback-driven offense, so we are going to do what suits our quarterback best," said wide receivers coach Kodi Burns. "Whoever that is, we are going to do what suits them best. It definitely changes the game having a mobile quarterback."
Whoever wins the job will have senior Jovon Robinson back at running back to try to give Malzahn his 14th 1,000-yard rusher in his 11th season as a college head or assistant coach. If the Tigers can find a quarterback who can be consistent enough through the air to take pressure off Robinson, Malzahn and the offense could usher back in the glory days.
7. Georgia Bulldogs
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The Georgia Bulldogs suffered through the failed Brian Schottenheimer experiment last year and emerged with new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and his more flexible scheme under first-year head coach Kirby Smart.
Oh, and there's also junior running back Nick Chubb, who should be back after tearing up his knee last year against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Chubb and fellow junior Sony Michel should constitute one of the most explosive backfields in the country, with versatile slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie, a junior, and sophomore Terry Godwin providing threats outside.
True freshman quarterback Jacob Eason has the talent to be a star, but he will need to adjust to the speed of college football. If that happens early, this offense can be one of the SEC's most effective units. If it doesn't, or if Smart and Chaney are forced to start senior Greyson Lambert or junior Brice Ramsey under center, the rebuilding process will take a little longer.
6. LSU Tigers
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There's a difference between being effective and dangerous, and the LSU Tigers offense is the latter.
Junior running back Leonard Fournette led the nation in rushing yards per game last year with 162.75 and fellow backfield mate Derrius Guice, a sophomore, led the conference with 8.55 yards per carry. That duo makes the Tigers incredibly dangerous and gives head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron a solid foundation to build on.
But the quarterback position and offensive scheme rendered the Tigers ineffective down the stretch, which included three losses in the month of November in 2015.
Can junior Brandon Harris improve? Can Cameron actually call plays that fit a dual-threat quarterback? If the answer to either is "yes" in 2016, the rest of the SEC will be shaking in its boots. If the answer to both is "no," then Miles will likely be looking for work.
5. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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Yes, the absence of quarterback Dak Prescott will be an issue for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2016.
No, it shouldn't cause the offense to take a massive step back.
Head coach Dan Mullen has proven that he has the ability to make his offense work in Starkville, has senior wide receiver Fred Ross back to rely on, has essentially all of his running backs from 2015 and has a Prescott clone in 6'5", 227-pound sophomore Nick Fitzgerald.
Prescott's absence notwithstanding, that's a really solid foundation to build on.
Mississippi State might have to score 40 points per game due to defensive coaching and player turnover, but its offense will be just fine in 2016.
4. Texas A&M Aggies
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Offense, specifically the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks, was a major problem last year for the Texas A&M Aggies, who still boasted a 1,000-yard receiver in rising sophomore Christian Kirk, a 900-yard receiver in senior-to-be Josh Reynolds and a 1,000-yard rusher in departed Tra Carson.
That's the very definition of a "rich man's problem" for head coach Kevin Sumlin.
Quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen transferred, but Sumlin upgraded at offensive coordinator with the power/spread attack of Noel Mazzone and brought back Jim Turner to fix the offensive line. Texas A&M also gets Kirk, Reynolds and a bevy of talented wide receivers back along with junior James White at running back, and the Aggies added former 5-star prospect and Oklahoma transfer Keith Ford, a junior, to their backfield as well.
Don't write off the Aggies offense. Sure, the quarterback battle between senior Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight and junior Jake Hubenak needs to be settled, but there are weapons around every corner in College Station for the eventual winner to take advantage of.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
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At this point, hasn't Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin earned the benefit of the doubt?
All he's done during his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa is lead the Crimson Tide to back-to-back SEC titles and College Football Playoff berths, the 2015 national title and a program record for total offense with 484.5 yards per game in 2014.
Kiffin has plenty of roster holes to fill this offseason, including center, quarterback and running back. But star sophomore wide receiver Calvin Ridley, 2016 CFP National Championship offensive MVP O.J. Howard and junior left tackle Cam Robinson are back to help Alabama attempt to three-peat as SEC champs.
There are questions, but the foundation of returning players and Kiffin's track record of success will keep Alabama's offense dangerous in 2016.
2. Tennessee Volunteers
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The Tennessee Volunteers return dual-threat senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs, 1,000-yard junior running back Jalen Hurd, electric all-purpose junior runner Alvin Kamara and four offensive linemen with experience.
The one missing piece is a consistent downfield threat in the passing game, which is as much of a Dobbs problem as it is a wide receiver problem—if not more.
Juniors Josh Malone and Josh Smith and sophomores Jauan Jennings and Preston Williams are all talented options for Dobbs outside, but one has to become the star that the Volunteers need to take pressure off the running game and truly make this offense elite.
That is the last step. If the Vols take it, a return to national prominence will follow.
1. Ole Miss Rebels
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Star wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is gone, but the Ole Miss Rebels are still loaded at wide receiver with a bunch of talented "twos," including senior Quincy Adeboyejo, junior Damore'ea Stringfellow, freshman Van Jefferson and sophomore Damarkus Lodge, senior tight end Evan Engram and three incoming freshmen receivers who could make their way into the rotation.
It still has head coach Hugh Freeze and his proven scheme.
It still has senior quarterback Chad Kelly, who posted the third-best offensive season in SEC history in 2015 with 4,542 total yards.
Are there questions?
Sure, especially up front where the Rebels have to replace all five starters along the offensive line, including stud tackle Laremy Tunsil. But that's nothing new to Freeze, who had offensive line issues heading into the 2015 season that were compounded by Tunsil's seven-game suspension.
If Kelly can get just a little protection, this Ole Miss offense can go a long way.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, 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.
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