11 most important individuals in the SEC
Let the games begin. Down in Nashville, another edition of SEC Media Days begins on Monday afternoon with a State of the Conference address from Commissioner Greg Sankey kicking things off. Once that is complete, it’s all ball for the next four days. The 2023 college football season is finally here.
Throughout the week at the Grand Hyatt in Downtown Nashville, numerous individuals will be brought up in key talking points. Both players and play-callers will determine how the SEC shakes out this fall. To help us get prepared for all of the shenanigans, I’ve decided to take a deep dive and pull out who are the most important individuals in the league this season.
These 11 players and play-callers will determine what happens in the SEC this season.
Most important individuals in the SEC
— Austin Armstrong (DC, Florida): Billy Napier is feeling some job pressure at Florida. Recruiting is going very well in Gainesville, but the Gators are facing a rebuild on offense and have the toughest schedule in college football. After missing on multiple defensive coordinator targets when he was first hired before settling on Patrick Toney, Napier went super young with his next hire. Nick Saban hired the Southern Miss defensive coordinator to coach linebackers, but Napier quickly came back with a better offer. Armstrong will bring a pressure-heavy scheme to Florida where he will look to take advantage of some blue-chip talent on the roster. The Gators need to see significant strides on defense if they are to avoid a third consecutive losing season. Florida needs this 29-year-old wunderkind to be the real deal immediately. Armstrong will likely determine if Napier’s second team can be a surprise contender in the SEC East or not.
— Carson Beck (QB, Georgia): The redshirt junior out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin should finally get his shot at being QB1 in Athens, and Kirby Smart‘s juggernaut program just doesn’t need Beck to hold them back. The Dawgs are loaded everywhere else and are the favorites to again have the best defense in college football. Beck needs to hit the doubles when they’re available and protect the football. If he does that, the Dawgs can win a national title. If he turns into a legit NFL prospect, Georgia might not have a competitor in college football this season.
— Liam Coen (OC, Kentucky): Things got ugly last year in Lexington as Kentucky’s offense finished No. 95 in points per drive (1.74), No. 101 in yards per play (5.2), No. 106 in red zone touchdown percentage (53.2%), and No. 111 in tackles for loss per game allowed (7.1). It was ugly all the way around. Head coach Mark Stoops saw his best offense turn into his worst offense in just one season. To fix the issues, Stoops decided to double down with a proven commodity. Coen led a top-five success rate offense last time in Lexington, and UK is hoping that efficiency will return. Most notably, Coen will be asked to scheme around some offensive line issues and to unlock the potential of NC State QB transfer Devin Leary. If that line is improved and Coen continues the success he had in 2021, Kentucky could be a top-five team in the conference this season.
— Pete Golding (DC, Ole Miss): Golding spent five seasons as Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama. Throughout his tenure, the 39-year-old Louisiana native received a lot of criticism from the Alabama fanbase as the Tide lost their grip on the No. 1 spot that was locked in for a long time. The former UTSA assistant is getting a fresh start at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin will now be on his third defensive coordinator in three seasons and is hoping Golding can provide better results on that side of the football. If the defense makes a jump, Ole Miss could become top-10 good fairly quickly.
— KJ Jefferson (QB, Arkansas): There is not a clear-cut QB1 or even a tier 1 group of QBs in the SEC this year. That makes handicapping the SEC Offensive Player of the Year race somewhat difficult. However, Jefferson is the best on paper QB returning to the league this season, and he plays for a team that will need him to be superman. New offensive coordinator Dan Enos will ask a lot of the dual-threat veteran that has thrown for 5,816 yards and 48 touchdowns while also contributing 1,777 non-sack rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns during his collegiate career. If Jefferson can stay healthy and post big numbers while carrying a huge workload for the Hogs, this could be a surprise contender in SEC West with seven home games and a neutral site matchup against Texas A&M in Arlington.
— Dowell Loggains (OC, South Carolina): Many South Carolina fans rejoiced when Marcus Satterfield left after two seasons in Columbia to become the new offensive coordinator at Nebraska. However, many were very upset when Shane Beamer named the 42-year-old Arkansas tight ends coach the next offensive coordinator at Carolina. Beamer quickly went to bat for his new play-caller who had a not great track record as an OC in the NFL. Loggains is inheriting an offense with major offensive line questions and iffy tailback depth. However, Spencer Rattler returns at quarterback, and Juice Wells might be the best wideout in the SEC. Carolina will once again be a trendy pick during talking season despite a difficult schedule that includes 10 power conference games. If Loggains is good, South Carolina should continue this current strong run under Beamer. But if things go south, Beamer could face some heat for his comments in December, and Carolina could be sitting at home during bowl season.
— Joe Milton (QB, Tennessee): Josh Heupel might be the hottest coach in the SEC at the moment, and that’s saying something because Kirby Smart just won consecutive national championships. However, Heupel has awoken a sleeping giant, and the Tennessee program has a ton of momentum entering 2023. The Vols will be dependent on a super senior quarterback to keep the good times rolling. Milton was tabbed to be Heupel’s first start QB at UT before the former Michigan transfer was benched for Hendon Hooker. The latter went on to throw 6,080 yards (9.6 yards per attempt), 58 touchdowns, and only five interceptions during his two-year stint on Rocky Top. Heupel will turn to Milton to replace the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. If Tennessee is to meet preseason expectations, Milton will need to post video game numbers. Against power conference foes at Tennessee, the numbers have been a clear step back from what Hooker posted (57% completion rate, 8.8 yards per attempt, 7 touchdowns) despite not throwing an interception. If that production is stretched out over a full season, the Vols will need much more from their running game and defense. That could lead to some regression in Knoxville. But if it hits for the rocket-armed passer, Tennessee could average north of 45 points per game again.
— Kirby Moore (OC, Missouri): Eliah Drinkwitz received a contract extension in November but went on to finish the year 2-3 and has yet to post a winning season at Missouri. The former Boise State and NC State offensive coordinator is now in year four in Columbia. This is a seat that could get warm if the Tigers take some early losses. Drinkwitz is attempting to change things. The head coach made a great hire with defensive coordinator Blake Baker who produced a top-25 defense in his first season. Now he’s looking to do the same on offense after giving up play-calling last season. Moore is the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and just finished a long tenure at Fresno State where he worked under some strong play-callers. The younger Moore has just one year of play-calling experience, but Drinkwitz is rolling the dice with the 31-year-old assistant who has worked exclusively on the west coast. A lot is riding on Moore. Missouri has some intriguing pieces and could be a breakout contender. However, things could go south quickly if the Tigers start slow after a second consecutive offseason of inefficient QB transfer portal recruiting.
— Harold Perkins Jr. (LB/EDGE, LSU): Brian Kelly’s second LSU team will be a trendy pick to knock off Alabama in the SEC West and compete with Georgia for an SEC title. While I still believe LSU’s roster is not on a tier A level yet, the Tigers might have the best defensive player in college football. Perkins is a modern-day versatile linebacker that can play off-ball and also rushes the passer off the edge. The former five-star recruit was a playmaking machine for defensive coordinator Matt House last season (14 tackles for loss, 25.2% pressure rate, 4 forced fumbles) and will be a preseason All-American. If LSU is to make a big national push, stars need to emerge. Perkins is the top candidate to become a household name and potentially lead LSU to the College Football Playoff.
— Bobby Petrino (OC, Texas A&M): Welcome back to the SEC, Bobby P. The former head coach of Louisville (twice), Atlanta Falcons, and Arkansas is returning to be an SEC offensive coordinator for the first time since 2022 after a three-year stint at Missouri State. Jimbo Fisher is handing the keys to the 62-year-old Petrino who will be asked to develop sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman and modernize an offense filled with blue-chip talent. If this hits, A&M can be a legitimate contender in the SEC West. If it’s a miss, the sideline interactions with Fisher and Petrino — who used to battle each other in the ACC — could be must-watch television. Outside of Texas A&M fans here, we could all be winners no matter what the result.
— Tommy Rees (OC, Alabama): Bill O’Brien returned to the New England Patriots and that forced Nick Saban to search for another offensive coordinator. Only this time, the GOAT was turned down after Ryan Grubb decided to stay at Washington. Saban ultimately landed on Rees. The 31-year-old former Notre Dame offensive coordinator has a big job ahead of him. The Tide have significant QB questions to answer and added Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner to the mix after spring practice. Bama’s offensive line has plenty of talent but underachieved last season. There is returning production and star power at wide receiver and tailback, but the players need to be developed. If Alabama is to make a run at another national title, Rees will need to make a sizable impact in year one. That could be a tough ask for a young coordinator that never had a top-15 offense in three seasons at Notre Dame. If that trend continues at Alabama, there could be three or more losses coming to Tuscaloosa.
— Will Rogers (QB, Mississippi State): The Brandon (Miss.) High product is entering year four as a starter at Mississippi State, but this season will be different for the pocket passer with 10,689 yards and 82 touchdowns in his career. New head coach Zach Arnett has pegged Kevin Barbay to be the new play-caller in Starkville, and the scheme will be much different. State could be run-heavy this season and will ask Rogers to make more vertical throws which is a change after average 6.1 air yards per pass in his first three seasons in the SEC. There will be statistical regression outside of Mike Leach‘s QB-friendly system. If that happens, it could lead to some growing pains for Arnett and the program in the first year under a new regime.
The post 11 most important individuals in the SEC appeared first on On3.
