If Jordan Jenkins can help fill the shoes of the departed Jarvis Jones as a pass rusher, then the Bulldogs defense will have one offseason objective complete. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Every year around the opening of the fall football camps, it is only natural to start trying to figure out which player could be the biggest contributor to your favorite team’s season.
That’s not always the most valuable player on a team, although in a lot of cases it would be. But for the purpose of this story, quarterbacks are not eligible. Otherwise it is game on for the other 21 positions — or 23 if you count punters and placekickers.
Around the Southeastern Conference here is a rundown of the players in the SEC East that could very well be the most indispensable players on the seven teams.
Starting at Georgia, the defending SEC East champion, you have to look no further than the defense to find the on player who just might mean the most.
It is a given that Georgia has one of the best offenses in the league, with the passing of Aaron Murray and a strong running game behind Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. But the biggest question mark the Bulldogs face is the inexperience on the defensive side of the ball. That’s where sophomore outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins has to step up and be a leader. Jenkins will also be trying to fill the shoes of departed star Jarvis Jones, a playmaking machine. As a freshman, Jenkins had 31 tackles, five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovered and 23 quarterback hurries.
Moving up the coast to Columbia, South Carolina this story gets easier. He’s not a quarterback, but he’s the most feared defender in college football. And his name is Jadeveon Clowney. As a sophomore, Clowney had 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks from his defensive end position. He needs just nine more sacks to set the school in that category.
Florida Gators remain one of the top defenses in the league but needs to improve their passing game output. To that end, one player can be valuable addition on either side of the football, which could make junior Loucheiz Purifoy the center of attention for Will Muschamp’s team. Purifoy can contribute as a receiver, as the starting cornerback and a kick returner.
“Loucheiz Purifoy will have a role on offense,” Muschamp said at SEC Media Days. “That will be really predicated on two situations, how well the five young guys and the guys we have on campus develop at the receiver position and how well we develop with some of the other defensive backs, how big a role he will have on offense. He will have a role on offense.”
Vanderbilt’s most indispensable player is a big one — 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior wide receiver Jordan Matthews from Madison, Alabama. Vanderbilt is hoping to build off the nine-win season the Commodores enjoyed last season, and Matthews is a big part of those plans. He will be working with a new quarterback following Jordan Rodgers’ departure. Last season Matthews caught 94 passes for 1,323 and eight touchdowns. With 2,290 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career, he is on pace to finish his career as Vanderbilt’s all-time leading receiver.
Tennessee junior linebacker A. J. Johnson has to step up his game if the Vols’ defense is going to make marked improvement. Johnson led Tennessee with 138 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss, but he has to become more of a factor in the turnover game with just one career sack and no career interceptions. He was a force, however, running the football out of the Wildcat formation last season. He had 12 carries for just 21 yards but he scored six touchdowns.
Sophomore receiver Dorial Green-Beckham could be in line for a breakout season with Missouri. Last season he had 28 catches for 395 yards and five touchdowns. He then followed that up by being named the most improved wide receiver in spring drills after he had three catches for 49 yards in the spring game. The Tigers believe the sky is the limit for Green-Beckham, who was rated as the No. 1 wide receiver coming out of high school
Kentucky has a fresh outlook with a new coaching staff and one player that head coach Mark Stoops will count on heavily will be senior linebacker Avery Williamson, a 6-1, 241-pounder. Williamson was second in the Southeastern Conference and seventh nationally in tackles with 135. He had 4.5 tackles for losses and three sacks.
“Avery Williamson just a tremendous player, a great leader,” Stoops said. “Really could not be more encouraged to have somebody like Avery that’s returning. He’s been terrific to be around. A very impressive young man. Really his leadership is what jumps out to me the most.”
