SEC Football: Power Ranking the Top 25 Players for the 2011 Season
When the Auburn Tigers won the BCS National Championship against the Oregon Ducks, the SEC once again asserted itself as the top conference in college football.
It seems that has been the case for countless years now, all because of the coaches, the fans and the players.
Whether it's on offense or defense, many of the SEC's players are routinely among the best in college football.
But which players will be the best in the SEC during the 2011 season?
Read on for the top 25.
25. Chris Relf (Mississippi State)
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Mississippi State's quarterback will be leading a team that appears to be on the rise when the 2011 season finally gets here.
Last season, Chris Relf threw for 1,789 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also ran for another four scores while only throwing five picks all year.
He'll be back for his senior season and ready to improve on each and every one of those numbers.
24. Morris Claiborne (LSU)
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A member of the All-SEC team last season, Morris Claiborne is one of those players who you don't really want to throw at on a consistent basis.
It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to not having Patrick Peterson on the field with him, but I think that Claiborne will be able to handle the added pressure.
During his sophomore year, the cornerback broke up six passes and intercepted another five.
23. Brandon Boykin (Georgia)
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Brandon Boykin toyed with the idea of declaring early for the NFL, but instead decided to forgo the draft in order to return for his senior season.
Last year, the cornerback intercepted three passes, recorded 26 tackles and had 6.5 tackles for losses. But his biggest contribution came in the return game.
Boykin returned 34 kicks in 2010 and averaged 24.3 yards per return, even scoring one touchdown.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. La'El Collins (LSU)
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The top recruit on the offensive line not named Cyrus Kouandjio, La'El Collins has the ability to immediately come in and dominate anyone he's matched up against. Jordan Jefferson and the LSU Tigers will love having him block for them.
At 6'5", 340 pounds, Collins is very strong and great at using his physicality to his advantage. His feet are another strength, but he does need to improve his hand technique.
All of that can be coached, though, and Collins possesses all of the physical attributes to be great.
21. Marquis Maze (Alabama)
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With Julio Jones gone from Tuscaloosa, it is Marquis Maze's turn to step up his game.
Last season, Maze caught 38 passes for 557 yards and three touchdowns. Now a senior, he'll receive even more looks from the Crimson Tide's quarterback.
With more looks, greater levels of production normally follow. That theory should hold true for this speedster.
20. Ray Drew (Georgia)
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One of the nation's top defensive end prospects, Ray Drew is going to be given the opportunity to play immediately for the Georgia Bulldogs.
He may not be quite as tough as he needs to be yet, but the defender is very explosive off the ball and can move his 6'5", 240-pound frame with surprising speed. Drew is going to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks in the SEC.
Drew may get off to a bit of a slow start as he adjusts to the speed of SEC play, but he should be able to adjust.
19. Jelani Jenkins (Florida)
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The first of two Jenkins on this list that call Florida's defense home, Jelani has the opportunity to be a truly great defender this season.
As a freshman linebacker, Jenkins broke up one pass and intercepted another, returning it 47 yards. He also recorded 76 tackles and another 4.5 for losses. Additionally, Jenkins registered two sacks off the opposing quarterback.
Expect all of those numbers to look even better at the end of 2011.
18. Isaiah Crowell (Georgia)
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One of the nation's elite incoming freshmen running backs, Isaiah Crowell will be given every chance to start at the onset of the 2011 season for the Georgia Bulldogs.
By all accounts, he'll immediately become one of the best in the nation. The one knock on Crowell is that he may not possess the durability necessary to last throughout the entire season.
He does have incredible speed and seems to be able to outrun anyone he faces. And as if that's not enough, he can change directions with the best of them.
Crowell is going to be hard for SEC defenses to handle.
17. Jake Bequette (Arkansas)
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A defensive end for Arkansas, Jake Bequette was quick enough to catch Terrelle Pryor. That should say a whole lot.
Throughout the season, Bequette brought down quarterbacks seven times and hurried them five more times. He also forced a fumble, broke up three passes and recorded 32 tackles, 8.5 of which were for losses.
Bequette is ready to be regarded as an elite defensive end in both the SEC and the entire country.
16. Robert Lester (Alabama)
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Soon to be a junior at Alabama, Robert Lester is going to be one crucial component of an outstanding Alabama secondary.
During the 2010 season, Lester picked off eight passes and returned them for 102 yards. He also recorded 52 tackles and a sack in addition to breaking up four passes.
It's pretty plain and simple. Lester is a ball-hawk.
15. Courtney Upshaw (Alabama)
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A junior last season, Courtney Upshaw lined up at the inside linebacker position and was a force to be reckoned with. Returning for his senior year, he could be even more terrifying to the opposition.
Over the course of 2010, Upshaw recorded 52 tackles and another 14.5 for losses. He also brought down the quarterback seven times, resulting in 40 yards lost. Additionally, he broke up two passes, hurried the quarterback twice and forced four fumbles.
All those numbers are impressive enough, but just wait until you see what his 2011 stats will look like.
14. Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama)
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After committing to Auburn and then not signing a letter of intent on National Signing Day, Cyrus Kouandjio ended up going to Alabama instead, giving the Crimson Tide just one more weapon in an already full arsenal.
Kouandjio has the potential to start from day one and to be an All-American offensive lineman.
He's basically good at everything except making decisions.
13. Jeff Demps (Florida)
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Arguably the fastest player in the SEC, Jeff Demps is going to run over, through, around and past defenders all season long out of the Gator backfield.
Demps had trouble as a junior, as injuries hampered him throughout the year. He ended up tallying 551 yards and three touchdowns on the year, both of which were lower than the numbers he posted in either his freshman or sophomore seasons.
Still though, the Florida native should be healthy and ready to run at the start of 2011. If he can stay in one piece, he'll be one of the better backs in the conference.
12. Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)
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This Terrell Owens look-a-like was the nation's top prospect and will make an immediate impact at defensive end for Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.
Jadeveon Clowney has sickening speed for a young man who stands 6'5" and weighs 235 pounds. His explosiveness off the snap is virtually unmatched, and he's a threat to reach the ball carrier or quarterback from any position on any play.
Once he gets just a bit stronger, he'll justify the hype even more, but he's already going to be the best player at his position.
11. Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
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During his sophomore season, Dont'a Hightower showed that he most definitely had a nose for the ball. The linebacker recorded 69 tackles throughout the season and brought down the ball carrier another 3.5 times behind the line of scrimmage.
He also hurried the quarterback nine times and broke up three passes.
Hightower will be one of the true centerpieces of an Alabama defense that appears poised to be the best unit in the entire country.
10. Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)
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One of the most versatile players in the SEC, there doesn't seem to be a single thing that Stephon Gilmore can't do.
He returned nine punts, ran the ball twice and even completed a 27-yard pass during the 2010 season.
Then on defense, where the cornerback mostly plays, Gilmore recorded 79 tackles and six more for losses. Additionally, he intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown, recovered a fumble, had three sacks, hurried the quarterback twice, broke up two passes and forced a fumble.
See what I mean? There's really nothing that Gilmore isn't able to do.
9. Knile Davis (Arkansas)
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In addition to laying claim to one of the coolest first names in college football, Knile Davis possesses a great set of skills for a running back.
During his sophomore season, Davis ran the ball 204 times, picking up 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 19 passes for an additional 136 yards and yet another score.
The question is whether Davis can build on that production without the golden arm of Ryan Mallett opening up running lanes for his legs.
If you're curious, the answer is yes.
8. Mark Barron (Alabama)
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The fourth and final member of the Crimson Tide defense on this list, Mark Barron might be the most vital player to that unit.
As a junior, the cornerback wasn't thrown at very often, but he tended to make quarterbacks pay when they did choose to loft the pigskin in his general direction. Barron picked off three passes and broke up another six when that did happen.
Additionally, Barron brought down the ball carrier 75 times and recorded two sacks.
Opponents should shy away from this young man even more now.
7. Greg Childs (Arkansas)
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After hurting his patella tendon, Greg Childs was forced to miss the last four games of the regular season and then had to watch from the sidelines as his Razorbacks struggled against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl.
Despite the missing time, the 6'3" receiver still hauled in 46 passes and picked up 659 yards while finding the end zone six times.
He no longer has Ryan Mallett throwing to him, but Childs is talented enough that any serviceable quarterback should be able to get him the ball.
6. Janoris Jenkins (Florida)
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Returning for one more season as a Florida Gator, Janoris Jenkins is primed to be the SEC's top defensive player.
He'll have to overcome the offseason distraction of being caught possessing marijuana, but that shouldn't be too big a problem for this cornerback.
After all, in 2010, he remained focused on the football field and was a true shutdown corner. Jenkins defended eight passes and still managed to record three interceptions, returning one for a pick-six. He also tackled the opposing player 44 times and recorded a sack.
Jenkins basically eliminates one half of the field.
5. Aaron Murray (Georgia)
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Despite the fact that the Georgia Bulldogs suffered through a very disappointing season in 2010, Aaron Murray was still a freshman sensation at quarterback and appears to be on pace to perform even better during his second season at the collegiate level.
Murray completed 61.1 percent of his passes last year for 3,049 yards and 24 touchdowns while getting intercepted just eight times, three in the Florida game alone. He also ran for another four scores.
In fact, Murray posted a quarterback rating of 154.48, the second highest number by any freshman in the country.
There's a reason that he's appearing on preseason Heisman Watch lists.
4. Michael Dyer (Auburn)
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The first of three running backs in the top four, Michael Dyer had his true breakout game during the BCS National Championship against the Oregon Ducks.
In that game, the freshman ran for 143 yards and prompted an onslaught of speculation about his Heisman chances in 2011.
All in all, during his first season of college football, the running back galloped his way to 1,093 yards and five touchdowns. He only caught one pass, though, so there's room for lots of improvement in that department.
Dyer may not be ready to win the Heisman quite yet, but he'll still be one of the nation's better backs.
3. Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)
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The top wide receiver in the SEC, Alshon Jeffery is simply a monster on the football field. At 6'4", 233 pounds, Jeffery is incredibly difficult to stop from catching the ball. And then when he inevitably does, it's even harder to tackle him.
Over the course of his sophomore season, Jeffery caught 88 passes from Stephen Garcia, going for 1,517 yards and nine scores on those receptions.
I got to see him play live at the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where he recorded nine catches for 130 yards. He's just a beast.
With another year under his belt, I can't see how defenders are going to slow him down.
2. Trent Richardson (Alabama)
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Trent Richardson is finally going to get the chance to be the featured back now that Mark Ingram is bolting for the NFL.
Rumors flew around last season that Richardson was actually better than the former Heisman Trophy winner and now we'll see if those rumors can come to fruition.
Although he didn't receive all the carries in 2010, Richardson still managed to run for 700 yards and six touchdowns while adding another four scores through the air.
I can pretty much guarantee that those numbers turn out way lower than his 2011 ones will.
1. Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina)
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The top player in the SEC for 2011 is none other than Marcus Lattimore, the running back who ran through everyone en route to countless records, awards and accolades for his performance as a freshman.
Lattimore carried the ball 249 times for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns as a first-year player. He also had 412 receiving yards and another two scores via receptions.
His best game of the season came when he ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-14 win over the Florida Gators. Expect to see many more performances like that during Lattimore's sophomore season.
I fully expect this running back to end up at the Heisman Trophy presentation.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
