SEC spring football practices: 14 teams, 14 burning questions
*PUBLISHED*Sunday, Feb 26, 2012 at 5:04 pm EST
*Matt Hayes* Sporting News
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After nearly two months of choking down the humiliation of a humbling loss
in the BCS National Championship Game, LSU starts another season as the
team to beat in the SEC.
This time, the Tigers are on the field for spring practice sooner than any
other SEC team. The road back begins Thursday in Baton Rouge—with a new
quarterback and new goals in a newly revamped league.
Which Florida sophomore quarterback will step up this spring, Jeff Driskell
and Jacoby Brissett? (AP Photo)
A look at burning questions for the new 14-team SEC going into spring
practice:
East Division
*Florida: Who plays quarterback: Jeff Driskel or Jacoby Brissett?*
Here’s an intriguing answer: How about both?
“I wouldn’t be averse to playing two,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said.
Muschamp says the hope is one of the two sophomores—who both played last
fall while John Brantley was injured—will win the job. He says he doesn’t
expect to name a starter after spring practice, so expect the competition
to go through fall camp under the guidance of new offensive
coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brent Pease.
Driskel, who was dinged up much of the season, and Brissett combined to
throw two touchdowns and six interceptions and had a quarterback rating of
78. Florida’s offense, though, was hurt by shoddy protection and receivers
who couldn’t consistently get open.
*Georgia: Can freshman tailback Keith Marshall bring out the best in
tailback Isaiah Crowell?*
When Crowell was good, he was terrific. When he was injured or took himself
out of games—too often for Georgia coaches—he was an enigma. Bottom line:
He must get mentally tougher.
That’s where Marshall enters the picture. A five-star recruit and the
nation’s No. 1 tailback, Marshall has the physical size to compete for the
starting spot. When he chose Georgia, he made it clear that he was coming
to Athens to win the starting job—a not-so-subtle jab at Crowell.
The Georgia staff, of course, loves the bravado. The more Marshall proves
he can play this fall, the harder—in theory—Crowell will work to get more
mentally tough.
*Kentucky: Can the Wildcats get stronger on the offensive line and run the
ball consistently, and give the offense more balance?*
There’s hope: The two returning starters (Larry Warford, Matt Smith) are
solid, and there are guys who have numerous starts as backups moving into
potential starting positions (Darrian Miller, Kevin Mitchell).
But the Wildcats need Trevino Woods to win the left tackle spot for
everything to fall into place. It would also help if QB Maxwell Smith takes
advantage of first team repetitions (Morgan Newton will miss spring ball
recovering from shoulder surgery) and finds a rhythm with the new unit.
*Missouri: Can the Tigers get stronger on the interior and match up
physically with the rest of the SEC?*
This isn’t a knock at the Big 12—the No. 2 league in college football. But
it’s a different game in the SEC; a line of scrimmage game.
And right now, Missouri begins spring practice with zero starters returning
on the defensive line and three starters gone from the offensive line. So
the Tigers’ first season in the SEC comes with six new starters on the
interior lines—a bad sign for a team with plenty of skill talent on both
sides of the ball.
But here’s a thought: Ole Miss had good skill players on both sides in
2011—and won two games because it couldn’t get a push on either line of
scrimmage.
*South Carolina: Can the receiving corps make QB Connor Shaw better?*
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier says he expects Shaw to play with more
confidence in 2012, and to get rid of the ball quicker.
If that’s going to happen, South Carolina needs one or two receivers to
become consistent targets. Ace Sanders has dynamic ability, but has to get
better winning individual battles.
Redshirt freshman Shamier Jeffery (brother of Alshon Jeffery) will get an
opportunity to win a starting spot. He’s three inches shorter and 20 pounds
lighter than Alshon, but still is a physical target. Speedy Damiere Byrd is
also an option.
*Tennessee: How do the Vols handle a crossroads season with six new
assistant coaches?*
There’s little secret that Tennessee must win this fall or coach Derek
Dooley may not get another season in Knoxville. It could be as simple as
the health of QB Tyler Bray and wide receiver Justin Hunter (knee)—two
big-play guys who can immediately and significantly improve the offense
when mentally and physically ready.
New defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri will make Tennessee look more like
Alabama (at least in scheme), even though defense was the lone strong point
the last two years under Dooley and then-coordinator Justin Wilcox.
*Vanderbilt: Can the Commodores take the next step in coach James
Franklin’s planned metamorphosis of Vanderbilt football?*
Believe it or not, it’s just that simple. The talent in Nashville is better
than you’d think, and the best recruiting class in decades gives the
program more juice. Franklin stressed time and again last season that the
process of turning Vanderbilt into a winner was as much about confidence
than anything.
QB Jordan Rodgers has to play with more consistency and confidence, and
will get a ton of help from running back Warren Norman, who could
participate in spring drills after sitting out last year with a knee
injury. Norman was one of the SEC’s most versatile players prior to the
injury.
West Division
*Alabama: How does the Tide reload on defense?*
This was the same question in 2009, after graduation and early NFL entries
gutted a dominant defense. All that rebuilt defense did was lead the Tide
to a national championship.
The secondary was hit hardest this time, and junior college signees Travell
Dixon and Deion Belue could both win starting jobs at cornerback.
Linebacker Nico Johnson becomes the next big thing at a position that has
dominated the SEC under coach Nick Saban, and the staff loves the potential
of linebackers Trey DePriest and Adrian Hubbard.
*Arkansas: Who does star QB Tyler Wilson throw to?*
Wilson’s transition to starter was made a lot easier by wide receivers Joe
Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright—and all three are now gone. Now you
know why losing No. 1 recruit Dorial Green-Beckham was such a significant
blow.
Cobi Hamilton likely slides into the No. 1 receiver spot, but after that,
there are numerous questions. Marquel Wade has tons of ability, but has yet
to prove he can be an every-down receiver. Javontee Herndon and Julia
Horton could also break into the lineup and take pressure off star tight
end Chris Gragg.
*Auburn: Can Auburn find an identity on both sides of the ball with new
coordinators?*
It would be easy to say Auburn needs rising sophomore QB Kiehl Frazier to
win the starting job and give the offense stability—but it’s so much more
than that.
A year removed from winning it all, Auburn lacks direction on both sides of
the ball. New offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler will rely more on
multiple formations instead of the spread, but that means scatback Onterio
McCalebb must become an every-down back. Can he sustain 20-plus carries a
game?
Defensively, one assistant remains from the national championship
season—and the unit will be run by one-time Georgia defensive coordinator
Brian VanGorder. Just about everyone of significance returns for a defense
that also has another former Georgia defensive coordinator (Willie
Martinez) coaching the secondary.
*LSU: Can the Tigers finally get consistent play from the quarterback
position for the first time since the 2007 season?*
It begins and ends with Zach Mettenberger, a junior college transfer who
played sparingly last fall despite the hype that he could win the starting
job. It’s his now—and the Tigers will open up the offense more with a pure
thrower.
This team is loaded on both sides of the ball, and specifically at wide
receiver. Mettenberger has maybe the best trio of receivers in the SEC in
Odell Beckham, Russell Shepard and Jarvis Landry.
Ironically, the game plan for the BCS National Championship Game was to
spread out the Alabama defense and throw in space to Beckham, Shepard and
Landry, but the offense never got comfortable with delay of game penalties
and fumbled snaps—and the Tide defense was overwhelming.
If Mettenberger can open up the passing game, LSU may not lose a game in
2012.
*Ole Miss: Can the Rebels get one from four?*
QBs Randall Mackey, Zach Stoudt and Barry Brunetti all tried to lead the
team last season—and all struggled. So new coach Hugh Freeze landed junior
college transfer Bo Wallace, whom Freeze coached in 2010 at Arkansas State
before Wallace left for junior college.
Freeze wants to run a power spread scheme (think Auburn under Gus Malzahn),
but the most important position on the field is in limbo, and the offensive
line must be completely rebuilt. You can’t hide flaws on the interior in
the SEC, but a dynamic quarterback can help.
If Wallace can win the job—or force Mackey or Brunetti to play better—there
is hope.
*Mississippi State: Can the Bulldogs fill holes on defense?*
Forget about the hype of the Dan Mullen offense. Mississippi State won 16
games over the last two seasons because the defense played physical and
rarely missed tackles.
A big part of that success was the tight coverage and run support from the
secondary. Although the Bulldogs return two solid cornerbacks (Jonathan
Banks, Corey Broomfield), the safeties are in disarray.
Nickoe Whitley, who was developing into a leader at one safety, tore his
Achilles' late last year and won’t take contact in the spring. Defensive
coordinator Chris Wilson wants to look at cornerback Darius Slay at one
safety spot, and Jamerson Love and Dee Arrington will also compete for
playing time.
*Texas A&M: Who becomes the face of Aggies football?*
New coach Kevin Sumlin has been around elite quarterbacks as an assistant
coach at Oklahoma and head coach at Houston. Sam Bradford, Case Keenum have
become household names and All-Americans.
The Aggies will start anew at the position under Sumlin and offensive
coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Sophomore Jameill Showers was Ryan Tannehill’s
backup last season, and redshirt freshmen Johnny Manziel and Matt Joeckel
will also compete.
Sumlin says he recruited Showers, Manziel and Joeckel while he was at
Houston, and knows their skill sets. Matt Davis, a recruit Sumlin landed in
February, could be the wild card of the group. Davis has enrolled early and
will participate in spring practice.
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