SDS's Danger Zone: SEC’s Most-Feared Hitters Next Season

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Jonathan Walton, South Carolina: This kid knows one speed and never runs out of gas. Walton’s coming out party came against Miami in the Independence Bowl when he rattled the Hurricanes with several hit stick-caliber tackles. Skai Moore gets most of the spotlight for the Gamecocks at the linebacker position, but Walton’s the grittier player and doesn’t have a single element of his game that can be labeled finesse.

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Reuben Foster, Alabama: I don’t think there’s any debate who should headline this list. The dude with the cowboy collar is terrifying. Foster hits so hard and plays with such violent aggression that he often rings his own bell when making a tackle. Remember Eric Berry and Tim Tebow’s memorable collision? Foster had a similar introduction to Leonard Fournette last season, laying out the star freshman with a catastrophic special teams stop. He’ll get more snaps on defense this season following Trey DePriest’s departure, bad news for the Western Division.

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Antonio Morrison, Florida: One of the league’s top returning linebackers next season, Morrison becomes the heart in the middle of Florida’s defense now that Dante Fowler Jr. has departed to the NFL. On the rare occasion an opposing wideout is open across the middle thanks to a talented core of returning defensive backs (notably Vernon Hargreaves), Morrison is there to make sure he remembers that area of the field is filled with landmines of personal destruction

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Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn: The Tigers’ second-leading tackler last season, McKinzy was especially skilled in run support and had a fearless attitude when sprinting unabated toward rushing lanes. Former defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson knew what he had in McKinzy, a hard-nosed linebacker with a somewhat throwback mentality. McKinzy’s decision to return for his senior season along with Kris Frost gives the Tigers potentially two All-SEC linebackers in Will Muschamp’s first campaign on defense.

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Derek Barnett, Tennessee: Expect extensive soreness when hit by this Mack truck 270-pound rising sophomore end, a player with tremendous upside after an impressive 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss as a rookie. Barnett was the first true freshman to ever start along the defensive line at Tennessee last fall and improved as the season progressed. Barring injury, Barnett has a chance to enter the same altitude as John Henderson, widely-considered the Vols’ top defensive lineman of the last 15 years.

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