There are plenty of exciting matchups across the nation this weekend, but unfortunately none of them reside in the SEC.

There’s just one SEC showdown in Saturday’s slate of games – a matchup between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in Nashville – and the rest of the conference’s lineup consists of 11 games against teams from outside the power conferences.

But while the opponents might not be reputable, they will still bring some star-power to their respective contests against the SEC.

Here are three players to watch for when they take on SEC competition Saturday:

  1. Shane Carden, QB, East Carolina: Carden may be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation that no one is talking about, and he could be a real threat against a South Carolina defense which forfeited 500 yards through the air to Kenny “Trill” Hill. He enters his third year as the Pirates’ starting quarterback, and his career numbers have been impressive to this point. He threw for more than 3,100 yards in 2012 and more than 4,100 yards in 2013, completing more than 68 percent of the 962 passes he attempted in that span. Carden has proven he can take care of the football, throwing for 59 touchdowns to just 20 interceptions as the Pirates’ starter. He showed no signs of regression in a 52-7 win over North Carolina Central to begin the 2014 season, completing 26 of 37 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. East Carolina has no hesitations with airing the ball out against any opponent, and the offense will likely begin and end with the play of ECU’s senior signal caller in Saturday’s matchup against South Carolina.
  2. Jamarcus Nelson, WR, UAB: Nelson is UAB’s best deep threat, and the Mississippi State defense cannot afford to lose track of him in Saturday’s contest. Nelson caught two passes for 65 yards in the Blazers’ season-opening win over Troy, including an explosive 53-yard gain to set up a UAB score. Nelson has 83 career catches, 16 of which have gone for touchdowns, and he posts a career average of more than 20 yards per reception. MSU has the talent and the depth in its secondary to keep up with the speedy Nelson, but if he goes unaccounted for on even one play, it could break the Bulldogs’ backs.
  3. Great Ibe, LB, Eastern Michigan: Ibe has played as great as his name suggests during his career at Eastern Michigan, recording 62 tackles and three tackles for loss in just nine games as a redshirt freshman last season. He led EMU with 10 tackles and a tackle for loss last week against Morgan State, and assisted on his first career sack in that game. Ibe has tremendous athleticism and could give the Florida offensive line fits as both a run-stopper and a pass rusher. The Gators will still be knocking off rust from the offseason in Saturday’s contest after their game was canceled last weekend due to weather. Look for Ibe to be aggressive in his pursuit of ball-carriers, perhaps forcing a turnover that could swing momentum into the Eagles’ favor.