The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA’s Etienne among those expected to make impact
The SEC has reloaded from the high school ranks and the transfer portal. Here’s a look at some players, including nontransfers, from the league’s 14 holdovers to watch this fall:
ALABAMA: A young running back, be it Jam Miller, Richard Young or Justice Haynes (from Buford High and the son of former UGA running back Verron Haynes), will have to step up. Alabama lost its two leading rushers, Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, to the NFL and the transfer portal, respectively.
ARKANSAS: LB Xavian Sorey Jr. has transferred from Georgia. Sorey must help the Razorbacks overcome the loss of their top three linebackers. He had 19 tackles, five quarterback pressures and a sack in 2023.
AUBURN: WR Cam Coleman, a top recruit, brings some much-needed playmaking abilities to a position that has been severely lacking for the Tigers. A former Texas A&M commit, Coleman enrolled early and made a couple of big plays in the spring game.
FLORIDA: DE Justus Boone was on track for a breakout season in 2023 before tearing a ligament in his right knee and missing the season. The Gators finished with 22 sacks, a total that ranked 12th in the conference and tied for 92nd nationally. Boone appeared in all 13 games in 2022 and had 24 tackles and a sack.
GEORGIA: The Bulldogs brought in Florida transfer Trevor Etienne to help make up for the loss of leading rushers Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton. Etienne ran for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons with the Gators, and he gets a fresh place to restart after a March arrest on drunken driving and other charges.
KENTUCKY: Former Georgia starting LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson will be important for the Wildcats. He had 126 tackles in three seasons with the Bulldogs, including 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
LSU: WRs Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton Jr. are trying to step out of the shadows of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, who were NFL first-round picks. Lacy, who began his career at Louisiana-Lafayette, had 30 catches for 558 yards and seven touchdowns last season as LSU’s No. 3 receiver. Hilton made 13 catches for 225 yards and two scores.
OLE MISS: DT Walter Nolen arrived from Texas A&M as one of the top-rated transfers and bolsters an experienced defensive front. Nolen, a former five-star recruit, started 14 games in two years with the Aggies and had four sacks last season.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs brought in big-play wide receiver Kelly Akharaiyi from UTEP, where he was a first-team All-Conference USA performer. Akharaiyi had 48 catches for 1,033 yards (21.5 per catch) and seven touchdowns last season.
MISSOURI: Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll, a first-team All-Sun Belt pick who played for Hapeville Charter in high school, and Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel are expected to share the carries at running back. The Tigers lost Cody Schrader, who received Heisman votes after a 1,627-yard senior season.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart was a national top-20 recruit and was a spring standout. He caused havoc in the spring game and hopes to gain playing time among a group that includes Gilber Edmond, who transferred back to South Carolina after playing at Florida State last season.
TEXAS A&M: Edge rusher Nic Scourton could make a big impact after transferring from Purdue. He had 50 tackles for the Boilermakers last season, including 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Scourton, who grew up about 10 miles from A&M’s campus, already is receiving first-round buzz for the 2025 draft.
VANDERBILT: LB Langston Patterson led Vanderbilt in tackles last season as a sophomore. But he may need to be even better for coach Clark Lea, a former Notre Dame defensive coordinator who has been more hands-on with the defense.
TENNESSEE: WR Bru McCoy had 17 catches for 217 yards in five games last season before a season-ending right ankle injury. But he put up solid numbers in 2022 after transferring from USC, and the Vols are hoping he can duplicate that.