Back To SEC
SEC East Spring Practice Primer
By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com
Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin. Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page
The SEC East went 7-7 in games against the SEC West last season.
In 2011, the gap between the SEC West and SEC East was as wide as it’s been in the two-decade history of SEC divisions. That all changed in 2012, as the East went 7-7 in 14 games against the West. With three teams almost certain to begin the season in the top 10 of the polls and a fourth in Vanderbilt who could also be ranked, the East may actually be the stronger of the two divisions heading into 2013. Let’s look at the state of each SEC team before spring practices begin, starting with Georgia on Saturday.
FLORIDA
Practice Opens: Mar. 13
Spring Game: Apr. 6
Spring Outlook: Despite a humbling loss to Louisville in the Sugar Bowl, the Gators showed in 2012 that they were again a forced to be reckoned with after losing 11 games from 2010-2011. Defense carried Florida last season, but the team should be a bit more balanced this fall with Jeff Driskel in his second year as a starter and the arrival, at long last, of some playmakers on the outside in the incoming signing class. Mike Gillislee’s loss at running back is big, but sophomore Matt Jones is even better as a power back. The defense will be young, but gets pass rusher Ronald Powell back after he missed 2012. Junior Michael Taylor must replace three-year starter Jonathan Bostic at the all-important middle linebacker position. Talent isn’t an issue for Will Muschamp’s defense, but experience is.
GEORGIA
Practice Opens: Mar. 2
Spring Game: Apr. 6
Spring Outlook: After falling just yards short of playing for the national title, the Bulldogs will be hungrier than ever heading into the coming season. The offense might be the best in the SEC, but Todd Grantham’s defense loses its entire secondary, its two star linebackers, and its pair of massive nose tackles. Sophomore Jordan Jenkins should be the next big thing at linebacker, but it will take players like junior defensive end Ray Drew and sophomore linebacker/safety Josh Harvey-Clemons stepping up if Georgia has any hopes of reaching Pasadena. The Malcolm Mitchell at cornerback experiment is over, so the junior will be fully entrenched at wide receiver this offseason and is poised for a monster season this fall.
KENTUCKY
Practice Opens: Mar. 18
Spring Game: Apr. 13
Spring Outlook: Mark Stoops walks into one of the most difficult situations in college football, with the Wildcats having won just four SEC games over the past three seasons. Recruiting is going well, but that won’t help the 2013 Wildcats on the field. The quarterback situation is murky, as four different quarterbacks played last year, three of whom return. Six of the front seven are back on defense, giving the defensive-oriented Stoops a solid foundation with which to work. The secondary will be young, but if Kentucky is forcing teams to have to throw to beat them, that’s a good thing. Until the talent level rises in Lexington, it will be a struggle for Stoops. However, the experience on defense should make the ‘Cats a bit more competitive after losing six of eight SEC games by 20 points or more last season.
MISSOURI
Practice Opens: Mar. 12
Spring Game: Apr. 20
Spring Outlook: Surprisingly, in a conference with little patience, Gary Pinkel appears to be the only coach on the hot seat heading into 2013. The transition to the SEC was a struggle last year for the Tigers, as they missed the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. Injuries to quarterback James Franklin didn’t help, nor did drawing Alabama and Texas A&M from the SEC West, but Missouri learned it can’t win in the SEC with the style that succeeded in the Big 12. Getting running back Henry Josey healthy, after he missed all of 2012 with a serious knee injury, is the first step. The offensive line was also bitten by the injury bug last year, but some young players like rising sophomore Evan Boehm gained some valuable experience. Defensively, there are concerns in the front seven, even with a strong pair of ends in Kony Ealy and Michael Sam.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Practice Opens: Mar. 12
Spring Game: Apr. 20
Spring Outlook: After winning 11 games for the first time in school history in 2011 and matching that feat last season, expectations are sky-high in Columbia. Anything short of the Gamecocks’ second SEC East title will be considered a disappointment this fall. Yes, Marcus Lattimore is gone, but Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson both seem mentally stable enough to handle whatever games Steve Spurrier will play with his quarterbacks this fall. Jadeveon Clowney is the best defensive player in college football, with no one else even close. He’ll need some help, however, with only four other starters returning on that side of the ball. Sophomore wide receiver Shaq Roland must make up for the loss of Ace Sanders after a relatively quiet debut in 2012. The offensive line should be the best one Spurrier has had at South Carolina.
TENNESSEE
Practice Opens: Mar. 9
Spring Game: Apr. 20
Spring Outlook: There are two things Volunteers fans should embrace after their third coaching change in five years. First, Butch Jones isn’t in over his head like Derek Dooley often was. Second, Dooley left Jones a much more complete team than Lane Kiffin left Dooley. Yes, virtually the entire receiving corps is gone, but tackles Ja’Wuan James and Tiny Richardson could be the equivalent of what Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews were for Texas A&M last season. Tennessee returns to a 4-3 defense, but it’s only one year removed from playing a 4-3 base under Justin Wilcox before the failed Sal Sunseri 3-4 experiment last season. The defense is full of experience, which should help ease the transition to a spread offense with a new quarterback and the youngest group of receivers in the league.
VANDERBILT
Practice Opens: Mar. 15
Spring Game: Apr. 13
Spring Outlook: No one thought James Franklin could go to a bowl game in his first year at Vanderbilt, and even fewer people thought he could win nine games in his second. That’s exactly what he did, and now the Commodores hope to continue their steady rise up the SEC East standings. 14 starters are back, but quarterback Jordan Rodgers and all-time leading rusher Zac Stacy are among the departures. Even with the loss of Rodgers and Stacy, the biggest concerns are on defense. Finding a replacement up front for Rob Lohr is crucial, with juniors Vince Taylor and Barron Dixon in the mix for the vacant spot next to Jared Morse. Keep an eye on sophomores Darreon Herring, who steps in at strongside linebacker for two-year starter Archibald Barnes, and Caleb Azubike, who should start at end. Both played significant snaps as freshmen and give Vanderbilt the elite athleticism on defense that it has historically lacked.
