Last year’s SEC championship game provided a peculiar juxtaposition.

Alabama, at that point with four consecutive No. 1-ranked recruiting classes, represented the West Division. Missouri, had not finished in the top 30 nationally in the previous four recruiting cycles.

RELATED: Ranking every SEC team based on average talent level

Elite talent helps. But it’s not a necessity for success.

With that in mind, we’ve created a preseason All-SEC team comprised solely of three-star players.

OFFENSE

QB: Brandon Allen, Arkansas
RB: Russell Hansbrough, Missouri
RB: Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt
WR: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
WR: De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State
TE: Evan Engram, Ole Miss
OL: Jerald Hawkins, LSU
OL: Greg Pyke, Georgia
OL: Alex Kozan, Auburn
OL: Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas
OL: Dan Skipper, Arkansas

DEFENSE

DL: Caleb Azubike, Vanderbilt
DL: A.J. Jefferson, Mississippi State
DL: Deatrich Wise Jr., Arkansas
DL: Bryan Cox Jr., Florida
LB: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
LB: Josh Forrest, Kentucky
LB: Skai Moore, South Carolina
DB: Cam Sutton, Tennessee
DB: Jonathan Jones, Auburn
DB: Quincy Mauger, Georgia
DB: Taveze Calhoun, Mississippi State

OBSERVATIONS

  • Alabama and Texas A&M did not place a single player on this list. If you’re a three-star player and want to make an impact on the field, it probably is best to avoid the Tide and Aggies.
  • Personally, I’d like a more talented quarterback than Brandon Allen for an all-star type team. But this offense is intimidating. Seven of our 11 players made the real preseason All-SEC team. And I’m sure Allen would love to have wideouts like Pharoh Cooper and De’Runnya Wilson at his disposal.
  • Speaking of Arkansas, the Razorbacks placed four players on our list, more than any other SEC program. Bret Bielema has identified several good players that fit his system but aren’t touted as top-end recruits.
  • The defensive line, while respectable, probably represents the weakest position on this team. The SEC collects five-star defensive linemen like they’re free chocolate samples at the mall. So it makes sense that, relative to other positions, the conference doesn’t feature many standouts rated as three-star recruits out of high school.
  • Linebacker and defensive back were the most difficult positions to fill out, namely because there were at least four other players in both spots that are more or less equal to Skai Moore and Taveze Calhoun.