By Kris Brauner
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

Newton and Lattimore lead impressive list of newcomers in the SEC.

In a follow-up to the preseason piece I did in August highlighting the top newcomers in the SEC, I decided to take another look at them at this season’s halfway point. While it’s not typical for new players to make a huge impact in this league, a number of them are already stars. Here is my ranking of the Top 20 newcomers after six weeks.

1. Cameron Newton QB Auburn – 70 of 108 (64.8%) 1,138 yards 12 TD 5 INT 104 carries 672 yards 6.5 YPC 9 TD – Newton has proven to be a perfect fit for Gus Malzahn’s spread offense. He has been effective through the air, but has done most of his damage on the ground and is the top rusher in the SEC. He is on pace to exceed 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, a feat that is rarely accomplished in college football. Most impressively has been Newton’s calm demeanor in leading Auburn to several late victories. At this point, Newton is a legitimate Heisman contender.

2. Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina – 107 carries 459 yards 4.3 YPC 8 TD – Lattimore’s yards per carry is not as sexy as some of the other running backs in the league, but it’s tough to say that any have had a bigger impact. Lattimore had a huge game against Georgia in Week two, and that win gave South Carolina a ton of confidence which they have translated into a Top 10 ranking. He also scored a couple of touchdowns in the Cock’s huge win over Alabama.

3. Vick Ballard RB Mississippi State – 58 carries 418 yards 7.2 YPC 11 TD – The transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is quietly leading the SEC in touchdowns and is a huge part of State’s potent rushing attack. He does not have the star power of some of the other guys around the league, but the 215 pounder gets the tough yards and has some nice versatility. Expect State to continue feeding him the ball as Ballard may approach a 1,000 yard season.

4. Tyrann Mathieu DB LSU – 23 tackles 3 TFL 2.5 sacks 1 INT 3 forced fumbles 2 fumbles recovered 5 PBU – The true freshman cornerback from New Orleans has not earned a starting spot but sees the field on special teams and in LSU’s dime package, and his impact on LSU’s defense has been enormous. Probably a bit unknown to many, Mathieu has made a ton of big plays and I simply can’t rank him any lower than this. He has shown an uncanny nose for the football and for making big plays.

5. Aaron Murray QB Georgia – 97 of 157 (61.8%) 1366 yards 10 TD 3 INT 45 carries 122 yards 2.7 YPC 4 TD – Yes, I know that Georgia is off to a horrible start but Murray has been a bright spot and looks like he’ll be a star sooner than later. He is very efficient, makes good decisions, and takes care of the football. He’s on pace for 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions, a good season for anyone much less a freshman.

6. Michael Dyer RB Auburn – 78 carries 390 yards 5.0YPC 2 TD – Dyer has earned a ton of playing time in Auburn’s backfield, splitting carries with sophomore Onterio McCalebb. He has been overshadowed a bit by the emergence of Cameron Newton, but Dyer looks like he was worth the recruiting hype and is on pace for a very nice rookie campaign.

7. Jelanki Jenkins LB Florida – 35 tackles 2 TFL 1 sack 1 interception – Jenkins has earned a starting position on one of the more talented defenses in the nation, and he has been productive. He is the league’s top freshman linebacker and one of the top defensive newcomers. Expect him to be on every Freshman All-SEC team.

8. Jeremiah Masoli QB Ole Miss – 57 of 94 (60.6%) 823 yards 6 TD 5 INT 50 carries 262 yards 5.2 YPC 3 TD – Neither Ole Miss nor Masoli have been off the charts, but Masoli has had a tremendous impact. He has given the Rebels’ offense instant legitimacy and is someone that no defensive coordinator looks forward to facing. He has enabled the Rebels to have a rushing offense ranked second in the SEC.

9. Sam Montgomery DE LSU – 18 tackles 6 TFL 2 sacks – Montgomery was a big piece to LSU’s SEC leading defense. The quick defensive end can impact opposing offenses and made a number of plays in the backfield. Unfortunately, Montgomery won’t appear on a post-season list like this since he suffered a season ending knee injury in Week 5 against Tennessee. He was on pace for just over 13 tackles for loss.

10. Trey Burton QB/WR Florida – 24 carries 95 yards 4.0 YPC 8 TD 15 catches 78 yards 1 TD – Even though Florida has struggled offensively, Burton has provided the Gators a nice change of pace option at quarterback running some Wildcat sets. He has also caught 15 balls as a receiver. His nine total touchdowns are tied for second in the SEC. With Florida’s offense in a rut, expect to see more of Burton as the season progresses.

11. D.J. Fluker OT Alabama – Fluker won the starting right tackle position for the defending national champs and has been a big part of paving the way for one of the league’s top rushing attacks.

12. Barkevious Mingo DE LSU – 18 tackles 3.5 TFL 2.5 sacks 2 QB hurries 2 forced fumbles – Mingo started the season as a specialty player on LSU’s defense in a designated pass rushing role. However, he has proven his worth as an every down player and will be counted on down the stretch this season. He has been a terror, blowing past offensive tackles and disrupting plays on a routine basis.

13. Damien Jackson S Ole Miss – 37 tackles 2 TFL 2 Pass BU – The transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has made a big difference in the Rebels’ secondary. The part time starter has racked up 37 tackles including a number of big hits. He has also shown effectiveness in defending the pass.

14. Jacques Smith DE Tennessee – 15 tackles 3 TFL 2 QB hurries – Smith has seen the field a good bit for the Vols’ defense, and he has made the most of his opportunities. He has routinely pressured the quarterback and has made some plays behind the line. He definitely has the physical skill set and should earn more and more playing time as the season progresses.

15. Justin Hunter WR Tennessee – 10 catches 236 yards 2 TD – Hunter has provided a big, athletic target for Tennessee’s offense and looks to already be one of the top deep threats in the league only six games into his career. The sky is the limit for this future star.

16. Matt Sims QB Tennessee – 88 of 154 (57.1%) 1,136 yards 7 TD 4 INT – Tennessee is 2-4, and their offense is the worst in the SEC. But junior college transfer Matt Sims has shown some pretty good ability as the Vols’ starter. He has a strong arm and has managed games about as well as you could ask considering the inexperience of the Vols’ offensive line.

17. Eddie Lacy RB Alabama – 30 carries 204 yards 6.8 YPC 3 TD – Lacy has looked awfully impressive at the onset of his career. He is playing second fiddle to stars Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, but Lacy has raised some eyebrows with his hard nosed running late in several ball games.

18. Tyler Russell QB Mississippi State – 35 of 58 (60.3%) 555 yards 4 TD 5 INT – State has employed a bit of a two quarterback system with Russell being the superior passer to Chris Relf’s running. He has shown some good ability and looks like he could be very solid down the line for the Bulldogs. He’s also not bad on the move and is a good enough runner to fit well into Dan Mullen’s system.

19. Matt Elam S Florida – 15 tackles 1.5 TFL 1 sack – Elam is playing behind Will Hill and Ahmad Black in the Gators’ secondary, but the true freshman has let it be known that he’ll be a star sometime soon. He has been a solid backup and made a few big plays including a sack and a fumble recovery.

20. Ju’Wuan James OT Tennessee – Though Tennessee’s offensive line was depleted by graduation and transfers, it is still impressive that James, a true freshman, has locked down a starting spot at right tackle. He has performed well and looks like he’ll be a mainstay on the Vols’ front line for years to come.