The start of a new season of SEC football is still a little more than three months away, but we’re already looking ahead to who may shine this fall and who may not in another edition of Boom or Bust.

BOOM

1. Joshua Dobbs: Much of the reason Tennessee is considered a contender in the SEC East this season is because of how Dobbs closed last season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback. He was 4-1 as a starter last season, and he elevated the entire offense upon arriving in the starting lineup. The Vols’ offensive line, which allowed the most sacks in the SEC last season, reduced its rate of sacks allowed by a dramatic margin when Dobbs took over at quarterback, and the offense scored at least 45 points in three of his five starts.

But Dobbs is so much more than just an athletic dual-threat quarterback. He’s as intelligent as any star in the SEC (as evidenced by his success as an engineering major on top of his football duties), and by all accounts he’s a man of high character. He can run as well as any quarterback in the SEC, but he uses his legs to extend plays, not to run around like a video game. It’s subtle things like that that indicate Dobbs will be a star in the SEC this season.

2. Myles Garrett: Last season, many questioned Garrett’s sack total (11.5 at season’s end) considering only 3 of his sacks came against SEC competition, while 8 more came against teams outside the power conferences. Garrett struggled against frequent double teams, and began to grow frustrated as the season wore on. However, he’s learned what it takes to maintain production once you’re on the radar of opposing offensive coordinators, and that experience can make all the difference.

Coaches have worked with Garrett regarding how to occupy multiple blockers to free up teammates, and even how to beat double teams by broadening his array of pass-rushing moves. He’s bigger, stronger, savvier and now playing in a John Chavis-led defense. That improved scheme and player development will continue to benefit Garrett throughout his career, and the addition of defensive tackle Daylon Mack should help collapse pockets to Garrett’s benefit on the edge. Whether his numbers indicate it or not, Garrett will be as impactful as any defensive lineman in the SEC in 2015.

3. Tony Conner: As Ole Miss’ exceptional 2013 recruiting class reaches its third year on campus, former five-star prospects Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell have already become household names throughout SEC country. But there was a fourth five-star prospect in that class, safety Tony Conner, who may shine the brightest of the four this year.

Conner is a strong safety who possesses the athleticism to play free safety if he had to. He’s rangy in coverage, but also as physical as any safety in the SEC. He loves to play in the box near the line of scrimmage, much like former LSU safety LaRon Landry, and like Landry he’s as punishing a tackler as there is in the conference. He ranked 22nd in the SEC at the end of last season with 9 tackles for loss, the most in the conference by a defensive back, and he can track ball-carriers from sideline to sideline to limit big plays.

Conner’s versatility, athleticism and physicality make him an exceptional talent at the safety position. While Tunsil, Nkemdiche and Treadwell are all projected to almost certainly go in the first round of next year’s draft, Conner could, and likely will, play himself into the first round of the draft as well.

PRESSURE IS ON

1. Brandon Allen: Don’t be fooled by his SEC-leading 22 career starts or his impressive performance in Arkansas’ spring game in April; Allen is, has been and always will be a game manager. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in the hotly contested SEC West the Hogs will once again rely in their rushing attack and defense to build off last year’s success, not their quarterback. When Allen completed 17 of 21 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in the spring game, he did so against Arkansas’ second-string defense, which is less than a formidable opponent.

Against SEC competition expect to see more of the 2014 version of Allen in 2015. As a full-time starter the last two years he completed only 53 percent of his throws, and many of those throws were underneath routes as opposed to downfield options. Essentially, Allen is barely completing half his passes in a relatively simple passing offense. Yes, he rarely turns over the football (hence the game manager designation) but he rarely makes plays at the quarterback position either.

His inability to lead a two-minute offense cost Arkansas games last year against Alabama and Mississippi State, the SEC’s two best teams from a year ago. The Hogs were good enough to win those games, but Allen, the leader at the most important position on the field, was not good enough to finish the job. He may be marginally better this year, but he’s still about as average as it gets in the SEC.

2. Jonathan Jones: Will Muschamp will almost certainly improve Auburn’s defense in his first season back on the plains in 2015. But one player who may struggle in the transition is Jonathan Jones, the team’s top returning cornerback. Jones was a starter in an Auburn secondary that third-worst in the SEC against the pass last season, and he’ll have even less support around him in the secondary after the departures of Jermaine Whitehead and Jonathon Mincy.

Muschamp has already indicated he’ll may have Jones playing on an island more than previous DC Ellis Johnson did last season, and while Jones is tremendously talented that’s asking a lot of a player also learning a new scheme this offseason. The SEC may lack for established quarterbacks, but it has plenty of talented wideouts, including Laquon Treadwell, De’Runnya Wilson, Josh Reynolds and others. Those are the players Jones may be asked to silence in one-on-one situations, which is much easier said than done.

Jones will have a fine season in Auburn, but he won’t star the way some expect.

3. Alex McCalister: At 6-foot-7 with good mobility and athleticism for his size, McCalister has piqued the interest of Florida fans since his arrival on campus in 2013. Among his 22 tackles a year ago (his first season of serious playing time) he logged 6 sacks and 8 tackles for loss, indicating he’s the man with the upside to replace Dante Fowler as the Gators’ premier pass rusher. But there’s no guaranteeing that’ll ever come to fruition.

McCalister put up nice numbers as a complementary piece at defensive end, but he’s now Florida’s premier talent at the position. He’ll be the man opposing offenses double team, and he’ll be the man most teams run away from with the ground game. The point being, McCalister will have to go and make plays instead of simply handling the plays that come his way. Not only will McCalister not have Fowler wreaking havoc on offenses to his benefit, but he’ll be the man expected to wreak the havoc to the benefit or Bryan Cox and Jon Bullard.

McCalister will certainly log his fair share of sacks, and at 6-7 he’ll definitely bat down a few passes at the line. But he won’t emerge as one of the SEC’s top talents at his position in 2015.