College Football 2011: 10 Guys Ready To Make an Impact in the SEC

Cam Newton came out of nowhere for the Auburn Tigers last year. Cam went on to win the Heisman Trophy along with leading the Tigers to a national championship game.

Who will be this year’s Cam Newton in the SEC?

Everyone knows Trent Richardson because of how well he filled in for Mark Ingram in the early part of last season.

Here are some players you may or may not know prime to make a big impact in the 2011 SEC season.

10. DeAnthony Arnett, Tennessee

DeAnthony Arnett was ranked No. 55 in the nation among high school football players. He had scholarship offers from his home state in Michigan and Michigan State as well as offers from USC and Cal.

Arnett chose the Volunteers over those other great football programs because of the wide receivers coach, Charlie Baggett.

Baggett has coached the likes of Randy Moss, Chris Carter and Andre Rison among others.

If DeAnthony can become half as good as those wide receivers, then Tennessee will be in good shape in the years to come.

9. Jake Bequette, Arkansas

Jake Bequette is coming into his senior year at the University of Arkansas. He has played significant minutes for the Razorbacks but never been the star player on defense.

This year will be different. With the exit of Ryan Mallet, Arkansas will not score as many points as they did last year.

If Arkansas expects to compete in the very difficult SEC West, the defense for the Razorbacks has to be beyond spectacular with Jake Bequette leading the way.

8. Jelani Jenkins, Florida

Jelani Jenkins' freshman year was about as good as you could ask for: second on the team in tackles with 73 and was voted to the Freshman All-American team.

Florida University didn’t have the best of years last season. After losing Tim Tebow to the NFL, the Gators looked terrible compared to the previous four years with Tebow in Gainesville.

In 2011, the Gators should be back to form with Jenkins leading the way in the middle of the defense.

7. La’El Collins (LSU)

At 6’5” 285 pounds, La’El Collins will be a beast for LSU on the offensive line.

He has great feet and can move any player off the line of scrimmage. During the Under Armor All-American Game, Collins held his own against Jadeveon Clowney.

The SEC West is by far the best collection of six football programs in the country. Having a guy to anchor your line will give any team a great edge against the amazing defenses you will be going up against week in and week out.

6. Marquis Maze, Alabama

Last year, Julio Jones was the star receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide and absorbed all the attention both from the opposing team’s defense and the media.

This year, Marquis Maze will be the No. 1 wideout for the Tide.

Maze may have been successful in the past for Alabama because Jones was the immediate threat. This year, no one will be able to hide Maze.

Will Maze be able to handle the pressure of being the main guy? I believe he will and he’ll have to be if Alabama is to go back and play for a national championship.

5. Isaiah Crowell, Georgia

According to ESPN.com, the best running back in high school will be playing in Athens, Georgia in 2011. Isaiah Crowell is Georgia’s best chance at competing for a national championship.

At 5’11” 210 pounds, Crowell is a speed guy that is big and strong enough to run through the tackles. If you were to create the ideal running back, Crowell wouldn’t be very far off.

The SEC East is not as strong as it has been in years past. This year, the only team in the SEC East that could beat Georgia may be South Carolina. If they can get by them, the Bulldogs may find themselves in the SEC championship game this December. 

4. Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney was considered to be the best high school football player in the nation.

Clowney was a late signee with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Adding him to the reigning SEC East Champion was the worst development for the other teams in the SEC.

South Carolina was already coming into the 2011 season as one of the best teams in the SEC East; with the addition of Clowney, South Carolina has a shot of winning the entire SEC.

3. Mark Barron, Alabama

Mark Barron led a young Alabama team’s defense last year. This year, with an additional year of experience, Mark Barron and the Crimson Tide could have the best defense in the nation.

Nick Saban is the best defensive backs coach in college football. With all of last year and this offseason, Saban will have the secondary at Alabama the best it has ever been.

Mark Barron is a great leader and understands what it takes to win a national championship. 

2. Chris Relf, Mississippi State

If you paid even a little bit of attention to the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the end of last year you will know who Chris Relf is.

But the Bulldogs weren’t extremely good and the storylines were all about Auburn’s Cam Newton.

Relf was a huge part of Mississippi State’s offense and ended up being the Bulldogs' second-leading rusher even at the quarterback position.

Chris Relf could be the next Cam Newton or Vince Young. Being such a great athlete, Relf could carry the Bulldogs to victories in the SEC much like Cam Newton and Vince Young did in their college careers.

1. Michael Dyer, Auburn

Michael Dyer may not be considered a sleeper anymore after last year’s national championship game but few still remember him. Most of the conversation was about Cam Newton and his alleged payments to play at a certain school.

Dyer made a name for himself when he made a monster run in the national championship game against the Oregon Ducks. What made that run even more historical was the fact that it should not have counted.

If you were to ask a casual fan who Michael Dyer was, most would not be able to answer that question. That makes him a sleeper on this list.

If the Auburn Tigers are to compete in the extremely difficult SEC West this coming year, Dyer will have to carry most of the load. With a brand new quarterback, which may end up being a freshman, running the Tiger offense, Dyer will be expected to score points for the Tigers on his own.

Last year, Newton was the only threat Auburn had on offense. This year their only threat will be Dyer.