The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Offense is key issue for most in SEC
With the level of talent across the conference, the margin for error in the SEC is razor-thin. It is difficult to win conference games consistently without a complete roster.
Because of all the turnover on SEC rosters, there are question marks on every team. Here is the key position group on each SEC team heading into 2016 and some of the ways these questions can be answered.
ALABAMA Quarterback
Nick Saban’s team is a machine at this point. It lost players all over the field, but few are expected to matter with the depth on the roster. Alabama has four quarterbacks with a combined 17 recruiting stars competing for the position. In the end, Saban likely will go with whoever makes the fewest mistakes. Quarterbacks don’t have to take over games at Alabama — there’s plenty of other talent to do so.
ARKANSAS Offensive line
It’s somewhat surprising to see Arkansas have questions on the offensive line, considering this is Bret Bielema’s signature position group. For that reason, the talent isn’t in too much question. The key will be developing the young group.
Arkansas lost QB Brandon Allen, RB Alex Collins and three offensive linemen. The line is the key group to make Bielema’s power-run offense work, and the unit will need to step up quickly.
AUBURN Quarterback
Many thought Jeremy Johnson was set to be the next great Auburn quarterback. But as Johnson struggled to lead the Tigers past Jacksonville State in Week 2 last season, it became clear he might not be the answer. It still remains unclear who will start this season.
Junior college transfer John Franklin III seems to be the best fit for Gus Malzahn’s system, but returnee Sean White could hold onto his job. Regardless, the offense must be more dynamic than last year.
FLORIDA Quarterback
If there was any question how important quality quarterback play is to Jim McElwain’s offense, just look at the scoring output from last season. With QB Will Grier at the helm, the Gators went 6-0 and averaged 32.2 points per game.
After Grier was suspended, the numbers plummeted to 16.5 points per game. Florida went 4-4 during that stretch. With Grier gone to West Virginia, former walk-on Luke Del Rio is expected to take over. He will need to move the ball if Florida is to contend in the SEC East.
GEORGIA Defensive line
The Bulldogs have a complete defensive line overhaul in Kirby Smart’s first season in Athens. Luckily, building the front seven happens to be Smart’s specialty. Georgia has the ability to get elite talent on the defensive line, but it lacks experience. Trent Thompson and John Atkins combined for nine starts last year, but Georgia will need to find a way to create depth as the season goes on.
KENTUCKY Linebackers
Mark Stoops has done an excellent job attracting talent to Lexington, but the defense still struggles. The defense ranked No. 59 nationally last season, and six of the top seven tacklers from last season’s team have departed. Nebraska transfer Courtney Love will be tasked with instantly becoming the leader of the defense in his first season of eligibility at UK. Kentucky desperately needs improvement on defense.
LSU Quarterback
He is on the preseason AllSEC third team, but QB Brandon Harris will face questions all season. With RB Leonard Fournette in the fold, the LSU offense is in good hands. Unfortunately, the offense goes only as far as Harris can. LSU needs Harris to be a threat passing the ball to open rushing lanes for Fournette.
MISSISSIPPI STATE Quarterback
The Bulldogs lost program-changing QB Dak Prescott to the NFL. Prescott was responsible for more than 73 percent of the Bulldogs’ offense last season and nearly 12,000 total yards during his career.
Mississippi State has little clarity about how it plans to replace him, both in the running and passing games. A stacked group of wide receivers should help, but whoever starts at quarterback will need to play at a high level for the Bulldogs to maintain success.
MISSOURI Wide receivers
The Missouri offense was a catastrophe last season, ranking No. 124 in total offense (280.9 yards per game) and No. 126 in scoring (13.6 points per game). In the eight games after Maty Mauk was dismissed, that went down to 10 points per game.
Missouri has confidence in QB Drew Lock, but he needs targets. Alabama transfer WR Chris Black, a former top-50 prospect, could be an X-factor. The leading receiver on last year’s squad, J’Mon Moore, accumulated 350 receiving yards.
OLE MISS Offensive line
QB Chad Kelly is one of the best at his position, but there are questions across the rest of the offense. The Rebels need to protect Kelly, the most important piece of their offense. The Ole Miss offensive line is young heading into this season, even if it has talent throughout. With an opening-week game against Florida State, Ole Miss has little time to waste.
SOUTH CAROLINA Wide receivers
South Carolina’s offense struggled mightily after Steve Spurrier unexpectedly retired at midseason. Former Florida coach Will Muschamp is tasked with fixing the offense. WR Pharoh Cooper is gone to the NFL, so major questions persist about skill-position players. Three quarterbacks are in contention for the starting job, but none will be able to compete without improvement at receiver.
TENNESSEE Wide receivers
This is the year Tennessee has real expectations and the roster to match. It has experience all over the field, especially in the trenches. QB Joshua Dobbs is unspectacular, but he has proved his ability as a game manager during the past two seasons. In that stretch, only one receiver has produced 500 yards receiving.
Tennessee needs a player to step up and turn into a reliable target for Dobbs to balance Jalen Hurd in the run game.
TEXAS A&M Offensive line
In the first years under Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M produced impressive offensive lines. Unfortunately, as the linemen Mike Sherman recruited have graduated, the offensive line has deteriorated.
Multiple underclassmen could start right away, which does not bode well for the Aggies. The offense fell apart last season after a mediocre performance by the line. That will not be enough for Sumlin to stick around College Station beyond next season.
VANDERBILT Offensive line
For the first time under Derek Mason, Vanderbilt has reason for optimism. The Commodores have an outstanding defense and a standout running back in Ralph Webb. Vanderbilt even has confidence in new QB Kyle Shurmur.
The biggest step is getting its line play up to an SEC level.
Finding offensive linemen to compete with Florida, Tennessee and Georgia can be difficult. The rotation’s youth last season was a major detriment.