Tackling in all levels of football is becoming a lost art.

Players sometimes give half effort in tackling, or make bad form tackles. Rarely do you see a great form tackle, and rarely do you see good one-on-one tackling.

We look at the SEC’s top 10 returning tacklers for 2015:

1. Kentrell Brothers, LB, Missouri: 122 tackles, 8.71 tackles per game
2. Michael Scherer, LB, Missouri: 114 tackles, 8.14 tackles per game
3. Josh Forrest, LB, Kentucky: 100 tackles, 9.17 tackles per game
4. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee: 101 tackles, 7.77 tackles per game
5. Antonio Morrison, LB, Florida: 101 tackles, 8.42 tackles per game
6. Johnathan Ford, DB, Auburn: 93 tackles, 7.15 tackles per game
6. Skai Moore, LB, South Carolina: 93 tackles, 7.75 tackles per game
6. Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama: 93 tackles, 6.64 tackles per game
9. Cassanova McKinzy, LB, Auburn: 91 tackles, 7 tackles per game
10. Brian Randolph, DB, Tennessee: 88 tackles, 6.77

Takeaways:

  • Missouri linebackers Kentrell Brothers and Michael Scherer make one of the best tackling duos in college football at any position. Most figure Brothers to be an All-SEC caliber player, while Scherer is flying under the radar.
  • Once again we see Kentucky have a top tackler in the league. Yes, the defense is usually on the field more, but that’s improving. In the past, we’ve seen Danny Trevathan and Avery Williamson rack up 100-tackle seasons. Josh Forrest did it last season, and he’ll likely do it again in 2015.
  • Of the top 10 returning tacklers, two are defensive backs: Auburn’s Johnathan Ford and Tennessee’s Brian Randolph. Both players are good tackling safeties and the last line of defense.