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Now or Never Sec.
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:15 pm
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:15 pm
For kids who haven't lived up to their hype.
This post was edited on 5/16/15 at 10:19 pm
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Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:16 pm to agregime1
Its for players who haven't lived up to their recruiting hype.
To no real fault of his own, O.J. Howard, the former five-star tight end, has been minimally involved his first two years on campus. When Howard signed in 2013, he was hailed as the first great tight end Nick Saban would be working with at Alabama. Howard caught 14 passes for 269 yards and two scores as a freshman.
Going into his sophomore season, with Lane Kiffin running the show, Howard was expected to be a huge help to new starting QB Blake Sims. Instead, he caught just three more passes than he did as a freshman, and for fewer yards, and wasn’t a factor in the redzone, going without a touchdown.
Whoever mans the helm for Alabama this fall — Jacob Coker or perhaps a transfer — should finally feed Howard what he deserves. Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White and Christion Jones depart, opening up a considerable chunk of targets.
Auburn: Tony Stevens | WR, Jr. | 136
The 6-foot-4 Stevens has what it takes to be one of the best possession receivers in the SEC, but so far the former four-star recruit has managed just six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in his career. With Auburn transitioning from Nick Marshall to Jeremy Johnson (an upgrade in the passing game), there should be more catches to go around, but Auburn is loaded at receiver even with the losses of Sammie Coates and Quan Bray. A spring injury might make it even tougher for Stevens to climb into the rotation.
Arkansas: Jeremy Ward | DL, So. | 396
Now's the time for Chris Jones to break out for the Bulldogs.
Ward was a four-star recruit per 247Sports and our No. 12 offensive guard, so it's fair to say his career hasn't gone quite as planned with a move to the defensive line. Ward didn't register any snaps in 2014 after redshirting in 2013. Ward didn't appear on the defensive two-deep Arkansas released this spring.
LSU: DeSean Smith | TE, Jr. | 120
We don’t remember many tight ends making an impact for LSU. The nature of the Tigers’ offense calls for them to be blockers, anyway. But expectations were high for Smith when he signed in 2013 as the fifth-best tight end in the nation. He’s behind the monstrous Dillon Gordon (6-foot-4, 295 pounds) on the depth chart, but Smith’s athleticism could make him a threat in the passing game when the Tigers are using a two-tight end formation or if they want to flex him out.
Smith would be the perfect security blanket for either Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris.
Mississippi State: Chris Jones | DE, Jr. | 18
247Sports gave Jones a perfect score of “100,” in 2013 and saw him as the second-best player in the country. But right now that looks like a major reach and even the 247Sports Composite’s ranking, No. 18, was too high for Jones.
Heading into his junior season, Jones has six career sacks, three each season. Jones’ measurables (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) will make him an early NFL Draft pick, regardless of crude college production — which we see every year — so expect this to be his final season in Starkville. He needs to go out with a bang to make good on the hype.
Ole Miss: Channing Ward | DE, Jr. | 34
The nation’s No. 4 weakside defensive end in the class of 2012, Ward was Hugh Freeze’s appetizer before the Ole Miss coach went out and signed the nation’s No. 8 class in 2013. But Ward’s time in Oxford has been underwhelming. He’s experimented some at tight end, didn’t notch any defensive starts last year and enters the fall as a backup.
That’s not to say Ward hasn’t flashed. The 6-foot-4, 274-pounder notched 2.5 sacks and forced three fumbles last season in a reserve role. If he can consistently be such a terror in his senior season, the Rebels will be a top-10 defense.
Texas A&M: Brandon Williams | RB/CB, Sr. | 12
Part of a “big four” of Texas running backs in 2011 (Malcolm Brown, Aaron Green and Herschel Sims) who’ve ranged from solid to mega-bust, Williams has underwhelmed. The state’s No. 1 player in high school signed with Oklahoma but transferred to Texas A&M after his freshman season.
Williams has played well when given his chance (6.1 yards per carry in 2013, 4.4 on 87 attempts in 2014) but he’s been passed on the depth chart by Tra Carson and James White. In fact, the Aggies are going to try Williams out at cornerback in the fall.
To no real fault of his own, O.J. Howard, the former five-star tight end, has been minimally involved his first two years on campus. When Howard signed in 2013, he was hailed as the first great tight end Nick Saban would be working with at Alabama. Howard caught 14 passes for 269 yards and two scores as a freshman.
Going into his sophomore season, with Lane Kiffin running the show, Howard was expected to be a huge help to new starting QB Blake Sims. Instead, he caught just three more passes than he did as a freshman, and for fewer yards, and wasn’t a factor in the redzone, going without a touchdown.
Whoever mans the helm for Alabama this fall — Jacob Coker or perhaps a transfer — should finally feed Howard what he deserves. Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White and Christion Jones depart, opening up a considerable chunk of targets.
Auburn: Tony Stevens | WR, Jr. | 136
The 6-foot-4 Stevens has what it takes to be one of the best possession receivers in the SEC, but so far the former four-star recruit has managed just six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in his career. With Auburn transitioning from Nick Marshall to Jeremy Johnson (an upgrade in the passing game), there should be more catches to go around, but Auburn is loaded at receiver even with the losses of Sammie Coates and Quan Bray. A spring injury might make it even tougher for Stevens to climb into the rotation.
Arkansas: Jeremy Ward | DL, So. | 396
Now's the time for Chris Jones to break out for the Bulldogs.
Ward was a four-star recruit per 247Sports and our No. 12 offensive guard, so it's fair to say his career hasn't gone quite as planned with a move to the defensive line. Ward didn't register any snaps in 2014 after redshirting in 2013. Ward didn't appear on the defensive two-deep Arkansas released this spring.
LSU: DeSean Smith | TE, Jr. | 120
We don’t remember many tight ends making an impact for LSU. The nature of the Tigers’ offense calls for them to be blockers, anyway. But expectations were high for Smith when he signed in 2013 as the fifth-best tight end in the nation. He’s behind the monstrous Dillon Gordon (6-foot-4, 295 pounds) on the depth chart, but Smith’s athleticism could make him a threat in the passing game when the Tigers are using a two-tight end formation or if they want to flex him out.
Smith would be the perfect security blanket for either Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris.
Mississippi State: Chris Jones | DE, Jr. | 18
247Sports gave Jones a perfect score of “100,” in 2013 and saw him as the second-best player in the country. But right now that looks like a major reach and even the 247Sports Composite’s ranking, No. 18, was too high for Jones.
Heading into his junior season, Jones has six career sacks, three each season. Jones’ measurables (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) will make him an early NFL Draft pick, regardless of crude college production — which we see every year — so expect this to be his final season in Starkville. He needs to go out with a bang to make good on the hype.
Ole Miss: Channing Ward | DE, Jr. | 34
The nation’s No. 4 weakside defensive end in the class of 2012, Ward was Hugh Freeze’s appetizer before the Ole Miss coach went out and signed the nation’s No. 8 class in 2013. But Ward’s time in Oxford has been underwhelming. He’s experimented some at tight end, didn’t notch any defensive starts last year and enters the fall as a backup.
That’s not to say Ward hasn’t flashed. The 6-foot-4, 274-pounder notched 2.5 sacks and forced three fumbles last season in a reserve role. If he can consistently be such a terror in his senior season, the Rebels will be a top-10 defense.
Texas A&M: Brandon Williams | RB/CB, Sr. | 12
Part of a “big four” of Texas running backs in 2011 (Malcolm Brown, Aaron Green and Herschel Sims) who’ve ranged from solid to mega-bust, Williams has underwhelmed. The state’s No. 1 player in high school signed with Oklahoma but transferred to Texas A&M after his freshman season.
Williams has played well when given his chance (6.1 yards per carry in 2013, 4.4 on 87 attempts in 2014) but he’s been passed on the depth chart by Tra Carson and James White. In fact, the Aggies are going to try Williams out at cornerback in the fall.
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:16 pm to agregime1
SEC East.
Georgia: Keith Marshall | RB, Jr. | 1
The former five-star all-purpose back is here through no fault of his own. Marshall has spent most of his career behind Todd Gurley, injured, or both. After tearing his ACL against Tennessee in 2013, Marshall suffered a setback in his recovery against Troy in 2014 and didn’t play again last season. Now, he’s behind Nick Chubb, the best running back in college football now that Gurley’s gone, and will also have to fight Sony Michel for carries. That is, assuming he can stay healthy.
SEC West Now-or-Never All-Stars
Florida: Ahmad Fulwood | WR, Jr. | 11
Time is running out for Ahmad Fulwood to make good on the the high four-star promise he showed coming out of high school. Through two seasons in Gainesville, he has just 326 yards receiving despite seeing the field in all 24 games of his college career. And his first spring camp under new head coach Jim McElwain was not the lightswitch moment some hoped it might be.
“Fulwood failed to catch a pass in the spring game, unable to get separation even against mostly walk-on defensive backs,” writes Gator Bait’s Thomas Goldkamp. “With his 6-foot-5 frame, Fulwood should be able to provide a good red-zone threat for the Gators. But he hasn't emerged yet, and that's concerning.”
Tennessee: Dontavius Blair | OT, Jr. | 4
(Photo: Jeffrey Davis, 247Sports)
The Volunteers’ roster is young and talented, so very few of their players are anything resembling a disappointment. The only one who comes close is junior college transfer Dontavius Blair, who was expected to come in and contribute immediately in Tennessee’s offensive tackle rotation. Instead, he ended up taking a redshirt.
But coaches say he’s matured since last season and really made some strides in spring camp. They expect him to contribute this fall, so his appearance on this list may prove short-lived.
South Carolina: Shamier Jeffery | WR, Sr. | 24
Shamier Jeffery was almost an afterthought in a 2011 recruiting class that included Jadeveon Clowney, Kelcy Quarles, Brandon Shell, and Damiere Byrd. But his brother Alshon’s legacy at South Carolina always left Gamecock fans with a glimmer of hope that their shared DNA would give Shamier a shot at being an above-average SEC receiver. Entering his redshirt senior season, the younger Jeffery’s production has been almost nonexistent. In 17 career games played, he’s pulled in eight catches for 41 yards.
South Carolina could really use a belated breakout from Jeffery. He’s one of just two wide receivers on the Gamecocks’ roster who have caught a pass in a game since high school.
Kentucky: Patrick Towles | QB, Jr. | 15
Patrick Towles started all 12 games for Kentucky in 2014 and was adequate but unexceptional, finishing eighth in the conference in passer rating despite playing in a passing-friendly offense. That might seem fine by Kentucky standards, but there have been great expectations for the former four-star prospect since he came to Lexington in 2012. And his performance last year was uneven enough that redshirt freshman Drew Barker has, on the strength of a good spring camp, begun to nip at the upperclassman’s heels. With a string of tough games to open the season, Mark Stoops could make a change if the Wildcats get off to a slow start.
Missouri: Morgan Steward | RB, Jr. | 22
Steward was the Tigers’ highest-rated running back signee in the 2012 class. But he took a redshirt his freshman season, had 21 touches during his second year in Columbia, and got hurt again in fall camp prior to the 2014 season. Russell Hansbrough should be the Tigers’ primary back. If Steward can finally stay healthy, he should be able to compete for the snaps left behind by the departed Marcus Murphy.
Vanderbilt: Derek Mason | HC, So.
A decade ago, Derek Mason’s 3-9 (0-8) start at Vanderbilt wouldn’t have drawn much notice. But James Franklin cursed the Commodores football program with expectations. And while the player departures following the 2013 season meant there was definitely going to be a drop-off, it wasn’t that Vandy went winless in the SEC but the way they did it.
Now, Derek Mason has fired both coordinators and seized control of the defense. If the product is equally bad in 2015, it will be much harder for him to appease the mob by sacrificing a few assistants.
Georgia: Keith Marshall | RB, Jr. | 1
The former five-star all-purpose back is here through no fault of his own. Marshall has spent most of his career behind Todd Gurley, injured, or both. After tearing his ACL against Tennessee in 2013, Marshall suffered a setback in his recovery against Troy in 2014 and didn’t play again last season. Now, he’s behind Nick Chubb, the best running back in college football now that Gurley’s gone, and will also have to fight Sony Michel for carries. That is, assuming he can stay healthy.
SEC West Now-or-Never All-Stars
Florida: Ahmad Fulwood | WR, Jr. | 11
Time is running out for Ahmad Fulwood to make good on the the high four-star promise he showed coming out of high school. Through two seasons in Gainesville, he has just 326 yards receiving despite seeing the field in all 24 games of his college career. And his first spring camp under new head coach Jim McElwain was not the lightswitch moment some hoped it might be.
“Fulwood failed to catch a pass in the spring game, unable to get separation even against mostly walk-on defensive backs,” writes Gator Bait’s Thomas Goldkamp. “With his 6-foot-5 frame, Fulwood should be able to provide a good red-zone threat for the Gators. But he hasn't emerged yet, and that's concerning.”
Tennessee: Dontavius Blair | OT, Jr. | 4
(Photo: Jeffrey Davis, 247Sports)
The Volunteers’ roster is young and talented, so very few of their players are anything resembling a disappointment. The only one who comes close is junior college transfer Dontavius Blair, who was expected to come in and contribute immediately in Tennessee’s offensive tackle rotation. Instead, he ended up taking a redshirt.
But coaches say he’s matured since last season and really made some strides in spring camp. They expect him to contribute this fall, so his appearance on this list may prove short-lived.
South Carolina: Shamier Jeffery | WR, Sr. | 24
Shamier Jeffery was almost an afterthought in a 2011 recruiting class that included Jadeveon Clowney, Kelcy Quarles, Brandon Shell, and Damiere Byrd. But his brother Alshon’s legacy at South Carolina always left Gamecock fans with a glimmer of hope that their shared DNA would give Shamier a shot at being an above-average SEC receiver. Entering his redshirt senior season, the younger Jeffery’s production has been almost nonexistent. In 17 career games played, he’s pulled in eight catches for 41 yards.
South Carolina could really use a belated breakout from Jeffery. He’s one of just two wide receivers on the Gamecocks’ roster who have caught a pass in a game since high school.
Kentucky: Patrick Towles | QB, Jr. | 15
Patrick Towles started all 12 games for Kentucky in 2014 and was adequate but unexceptional, finishing eighth in the conference in passer rating despite playing in a passing-friendly offense. That might seem fine by Kentucky standards, but there have been great expectations for the former four-star prospect since he came to Lexington in 2012. And his performance last year was uneven enough that redshirt freshman Drew Barker has, on the strength of a good spring camp, begun to nip at the upperclassman’s heels. With a string of tough games to open the season, Mark Stoops could make a change if the Wildcats get off to a slow start.
Missouri: Morgan Steward | RB, Jr. | 22
Steward was the Tigers’ highest-rated running back signee in the 2012 class. But he took a redshirt his freshman season, had 21 touches during his second year in Columbia, and got hurt again in fall camp prior to the 2014 season. Russell Hansbrough should be the Tigers’ primary back. If Steward can finally stay healthy, he should be able to compete for the snaps left behind by the departed Marcus Murphy.
Vanderbilt: Derek Mason | HC, So.
A decade ago, Derek Mason’s 3-9 (0-8) start at Vanderbilt wouldn’t have drawn much notice. But James Franklin cursed the Commodores football program with expectations. And while the player departures following the 2013 season meant there was definitely going to be a drop-off, it wasn’t that Vandy went winless in the SEC but the way they did it.
Now, Derek Mason has fired both coordinators and seized control of the defense. If the product is equally bad in 2015, it will be much harder for him to appease the mob by sacrificing a few assistants.
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:18 pm to agregime1
Alter
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:19 pm to agregime1
So where did you copy and paste that from?
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:20 pm to AU24
Shut up cry baby
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:20 pm to agregime1
ward has walked away from the game due to injuries.
Posted on 5/16/15 at 10:22 pm to agregime1
Posted on 5/16/15 at 11:01 pm to agregime1
quote:
So where did you copy and paste that from?
Posted on 5/17/15 at 1:04 am to CGSC Lobotomy
quote:
Alter, alter, alter.
Dammit it, Jim, I'm a poster, not a seamstress. I'm altering as fast as I can, so chill.
Posted on 5/17/15 at 6:30 am to agregime1
Germans!
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