These four SEC players haven’t put it together yet because of various reasons, but it’s never too late to turn the switch on and live up to the five-star hype as a junior and senior.

Andre Debose, WR, Florida (SR): Debose was dubbed the second coming to the former electric Percy Harvin in Urban Meyer’s spread offense. But Debose struggled with a hamstring injury from the get-go, and he has yet – as a rising senior – to live up to his potential. Will Muschamp has said time and time again that he wants more effort and consistency from Debose. One area that Debose has helped the Gators, though, has been in the kickoff return game. He’s registered 58 returns for 1,592 yards and a school-record four touchdowns. Debose has also caught 29 passes for 543 yards and four touchdowns, but he has yet to blossom as a receiver. Florida’s offense desperately needs a pass catcher to step up and be a homerun threat, and 2013 could the year for Debose…but we’ve been saying that for the last three years.

Ray Drew, DE, Georgia (JR): Ray Drew was the anchor to Mark Richt’s ‘Dream Team’ in 2011, and he was looking to become Georgia’s version of the ‘Minister of Defense’. However, things haven’t exactly panned out for the once-hyped blue-chip prospect. Drew has only registered 31 tackles in two seasons. Richt started Drew at outside linebacker, but he wasn’t quick enough. Then, the Dawgs moved him to defensive end, and he has yet to really make an impact. Drew also had a quiet spring, as Sterling Bailey really emerged ahead of him. Maybe 2013 is the perfect scenario for Drew to breakout, and Georgia could really use a playmaker at defensive end.

Ronald Powell, Buck, Florida (JR): The former Rivals.com No. 1 overall player missed last season recovering from an ACL injury. So, the big numbers we all expected out of Powell simply haven’t been there, mostly because of the injury. Powell looked like he was actually coming into his own and becoming a leader last spring before the injury occurred. Now, Florida just hopes Powell can be 95 percent of his original freakish self after two different knee surgeries on the same knee. Powell is slated to play the Buck position alongside rising sophomore Dante Fowler, Jr., who looks like a future star. Adding a healthy Powell to Florida’s already deep and talented front seven bodes well for minimal drop off from last season’s stellar defense.

Trovon Reed, WR, Auburn (JR): Signing Trovon Reed was a big deal for Auburn. Anytime you can go out of state and sign Louisiana’s top player, keeping him away from LSU, it’s a big deal. But Reed hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype yet, thanks in part to a broken foot in 2010 and a shoulder injury in 2011. Reed has combined for just 370 all-purpose yards in two full seasons, and he’s only caught 30 passes. He has so much more in the tank and showed some flashes over the last two seasons. His best season came in Gus Malzahn’s offense in 2011 as a slot receiver, before injuring his shoulder. Reed’s hoping to rekindle the playmaking magic he showed in high school for the 2013 Tigers.

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

One receiver who’s continually trying to live up to his enormous high school expectations and become a breakout player is former No. 1 overall Louisiana blue chip Trovon Reed.

The parallels between Trovon Reed and former LSU all-purpose player Russell Shepard are eerily similar. Reed, like Shepard, was a former high school quarterback turned wide receiver in college. Both were equally as coveted and chose out-of-state teams for their college careers. But Shepard never did fully live up to his potential, despite several sparks shown in four years, and Reed has two more seasons to do what Shepard could not.

Reed has combined for just 370 yards of all-purpose yards in two full seasons, and he’s caught just 30 passes, thanks in part to a broken foot in 2010, a shoulder injury in 2011 and one of the worst passing offenses in college football in 2012.

2011 was Reed’s best season as a Tiger. He caught 21 passes for 164 yards under then offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. He found a home at slot receiver before injuring his shoulder, and he hopes Malzahn’s return means big things for him as a player, via AL.com.

“Coach Malzahn is one of the main reasons why I’m here at Auburn, so him being back is great for me,” Reed said. “I know he’s going to coach me, he’s going to get the very best out of me, on and off the field.”

Reed can be elusive and a burner in the open field, but he has to be used correctly in the right offense in order to make him effective. Malzhan’s hurry-up and spread-‘em-out offense could provide the edge and platform that Reed has been looking for.

Reed’s spring is very important to Auburn. Reed, along with Sammie Coates, Quan Bray, Ricardo Louis, Jaylon Denson and TE CJ Uzomah, must continue to develop in a thin receiving corps. Combined, the six return just 40 catches for 514 yards and four receiving touchdowns from an underachieving 2012 season.

Photo Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn

Offense: WR Trovon Reed

Trovon Reed has so much potential to breakout in 2012. He’s finally healthy and put on some much-needed weight to help with his durability. Reed has been hampered by injuries for the first two years on campus for the Tigers, and I really think it’s his time to bust out of his shell. He’s been virtually absent after being declared by many as an instant-impact freshman. Reed only caught 21 passes for 164 yards and no touchdowns last year. He was arrested this off-season for failing to appear in court. Wide receiver coach Trooper Taylor thinks this could be Reed’s year. He would be a nice No. 3 option to an already gifted receiving corps featuring Emory Blake and Travante Stallworth.

Defense: DE LaDarius Owens

LaDarius Owns returned last year for the Chick-fil-A Bowl after suffering a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for five games. He’s not Corey Lemonier or Nosa Eguae, but he’s an impact player who can play multiple positions for the Tigers’ defense. Last year, he played defensive end, tackle and linebacker. Owens probably has a better future at linebacker, but we’ll see how new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder uses him in his new defense. After an off-season of development, look for Owens to bounce back rather nicely and have a big impact on the defense this season.

Here are seven players – one from every team – with the most to prove in the SEC West for 2012:

Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama: Following in the footsteps of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson has certainly cast a big shadow on Eddie Lacy. Alabama’s offense is a downhill power running game attack. We believe he is up for the task, but Ingram and Richardson brought more than just football to the university and the football team. Don’t get me wrong, the accomplishments are all football related. Ingram brought a national championship, as did Richardson. Ingram also brought the Heisman for the first time to Tuscaloosa. Lacy is expected to be the man toting the rock every game, but he has others around him and behind him pushing to get better everyday. He has been the backup for two years, and it’s his time to shine.

Chris Gragg, TE, Arkansas: Knile Davis has proven it. Tyler Wilson has too. Now, it’s Chris Gragg’s turn. The rising senior will be of utmost importance in the passing offense now that Arkansas’ No. 2 and No. 3 receivers in Quinta Funderburk (transfer) and Marquel Wade (suspension) are no longer on the team this year. Gragg did have 41 receptions last year, but he should have at least 20 more this season. DJ Williams, the tight end before Gragg, caught 54 passes for 627 yards and six touchdowns his senior year, and he was the top tight end in the entire country. That’s not out of the question for Gragg, either. It’s not so much that Gragg needs to prove his doubters wrong – rather he needs to prove to his quarterback that he can step up for all the wide receiver attrition this team has experienced in last few months and be the No. 1 tight end in the SEC.

Trovon Reed, WR, Auburn: This is his Trovon Reed’s time to shine. He doesn’t want to become the next Russell Shepard and have loads of talent but not be able to figure out what to do with it. Reed only caught 21 passes last year, but he was expected to do big things as a heralded recruit out of Louisiana. Mind you, he’s been plagued with injuries during his first two seasons. But it was a big deal for Auburn to land Reed out of high school. And he is still a big deal if he can get going at receiver. He would be a nice two to a one-two punch with Emory Blake.

Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU: Zach Mettenberger is the most important player in the SEC and to the SEC this season. Expecting to step in and immediately take the offense to another level will be a grueling but accomplishable task. But he doesn’t have to do too much because of the loads of talent around him. He adds the threat of a big downfield arm and won’t let teams load the box, while giving LSU that pocket presence they have been lacking. This is the nearly perfect situation for any quarterback in the country to step into.

Tyler Russell, QB, Mississippi State: The keys to the program now belong to Tyler Russell. The junior quarterback will enter his first season as the irrefutable starting quarterback. He has a ton of pressure to reciprocate what former quarterback Chris Relf accomplished for this program over his tenure, especially Relf’s 2010 nine-win season. Dan Mullen will have to find a balance for his spread-based offense for the pro-style Russell. He is tasked with taking MSU to the next level. Can he do it?

Jeff Scott, RB, Ole Miss: The entire Ole Miss team has something to prove this year. There is a chip on the Rebs’ shoulder. Ole Miss’ top playmaker Jeff Scott has had his good times while in uniform for the Rebs. He’s rushed for 958 yards in his career, but he still has to prove himself? Yes. He has to be the leader who brings change and new attitude to work each day for the Rebels on offense. He has to be the one to help put this program back on the map in the oh-so tough West.

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M: You haven’t heard of Damontre Moore? He led the Big 12 in tackles-for-loss with 17.5 last year. The Aggies are installing a new 4-3 defense to take over for the former 3-4 scheme that allowed him to excel. But he’s coming into the SEC where defensive linemen are king. Particularly in the SEC West, Moore and TAMU fans want to see where he stacks up against the likes of Sam Montgomery, Barkevious Mingo and Corey Lemonier. He’ll have a chance to arrive on the scene and prove the SEC he’s worth being respected.

Auburn’s 17-game winning streak didn’t end with a bang, even though the game was filled with offensive fireworks. It ended with Clemson mercifully taking a knee deep in Auburn territory. This game was eerily similar to the 2010 Outback Bowl against Northwestern, and the 2010 Arkansas game.

In each of those games, the Auburn defense was as equally inept as in the Clemson game. The difference in those two games and Saturday’s game, other than both of them being Auburn wins, was the defense made some key defensive stops and helped themselves with turnovers converted into scores. There were no such plays against Clemson.

I’m not going to start pointing fingers at any particular coach, but even Ray Charles could see this Auburn defense has played terrible through the first three games. You’re not going to win many games when your defense is giving up over 36 points a game, regardless of how good your offense is.

Though Auburn has a stellar record since Coach Chizik returned to the Plains, the defense has not been good in either season. A championship caliber program has great recruiting AND great coaching on both sides of the ball. The 2010 championship team overcame the play of it’s defense with a great offense. That’s a luxury this Auburn team does not have.

Auburn actually had control of the game early with a 14-0 lead, and had the Clemson defense on it’s heels, but a key punt return mistake swung field position and momentum. Trovon Reed fielded a punt inside his own goalline and attempted a return. He was stopped at the 4-yardline. After punting the ball, and giving Clemson a short field to work with, Clemson responed with a touchdown to cut the lead to 14-7.

This mistake may have allowed Clemson to grab the momentum and get back in the game, but anyone watching the game would realize the outcome would have been the same. Though Auburn’s offense also failed to make some plays they’re going to have to make later on in the season, they’re light years ahead of the defense. When you set up flare passes and screens that are designed to get good yardage, you have got to catch the ball.

I haven’t lost faith in this Auburn team. I still believe they’ll be bowl eligible at the end of the season. I know there are probably going to be more games like Clemson, but I also believe that there are going to be times where Auburn wins games they’re not supposed to win. Auburn still has a lot of talent on both sides of the football, and with maturity and better preparation, I see bright times ahead for this program.

For video highlights of the Auburn-Clemson game, click here.

Another pleasant surprise is the leg of Cody Parkey. He was consistently sending his kickoffs through the endzone. If you can take away another team’s kick return game, you’re one step ahead of the game. He managed to do that yesterday on the majority of his kicks.

True freshmen Quan Bray and Tre Mason were impressive in their kick return game debuts. Though Mason stole the headlines with his 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and a 44 yard average, Bray averaged 27 yards, and Onterio McCalebb’s lone return went for 25. Either one of these three kick returners are capable of taking it to the house. The kicking game should be a huge plus for Auburn in most of the games they play this season.

Though he didn’t have gaudy numbers at quarterback, Barrett Trotter showed why he was chosen to lead this team. He led two touchdown drives in the last three and a half minutes of the game, got the ball to the playmakers and didn’t make any of the mistakes that cost you ball games. Even one turnover in this game could have been the difference between celebrating a victory, and trying to rebound from a loss. Even though they looked sluggish for most of the game, this team scored 42 points.

Auburn also made one thing apparent to those paying close attention. True freshman Kiehl Frazier will not be redshirted in 2011. They brought him and Clint Moseley in for one play in the third quarter. By using him on this one play, it’s apparent the decision had already been made not to redshirt him. I would fully expect Coach Malzahn to find more and more ways to incorporate him into the offense as the season progresses. In my opinion, this was a no-brainer. You can’t risk going through an entire SEC schedule with only two quarterbacks. It’s better to go ahead and bring him into the system early in the season, instead of possibly having to throw him into the fire late in the season.

That’s the good. Now for the bad.

Auburn appeared lost on defense on many occasions throughout the game. Utah State scored one of their short yardage touchdowns while Auburn’s defense was still adjusting. One has to wonder if this had anything to do with Eltoro Freeman’s one game suspension. He had practiced as a starter the entire Fall, and up until Friday night, when he was told he wouldn’t be able to play. With or without Freeman, the Aggies took it to the heart of the Auburn defense many times, and almost always came out with positive yardage. Auburn has got to shore up the defensive line before Saturday’s game with Mississippi State.

Though they gave up some big plays in the passing game, I was impressed with the young secondary. A lot of the passing success was with the short screens that Auburn was pretty much ceding them throughout the game, and a great performance by Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton. Keeton didn’t play like a true freshman, and I think along with their veteran offensive line and strong running game, Utah State will score a lot of points in 2011.

I said it last year, and it bears repeating this year – close games like this build character. What this team takes from this comeback win, and what they can learn from all of their mistakes will tell how successful this team can be this year. I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers after just one game. I’m sure that as I sit here critiquing the game, the Auburn coaches are breaking down game film, play by play. Auburn showed flashes of brilliance at times in this game, but to win in this league, you need to show that on every play.

If history is a lesson, I would expect to see a far better effort in Auburn’s next game. After giving up 26 points to Arkansas State in their home opener in 2010, the Tigers held Mississippi State to 14 points in Starkville the following week. Will this team also rise to the occasion? Will we see that much improvement from this team from week one to week two? Only time will tell. This much I can say. Harry Houdini would be proud of the improbable escape Auburn pulled this week.

But no star shone brighter than Cam Newton in 2010. He had the ability to beat you any number of ways. He could throw over defenses that crowded the line to try and stop him from running, or run through defenses that tried to play him more honest.

He was also the most dependable 4th down converter in college football. Even when it was obvious who was going to get the carry on 4th and short, and what the play was going to be, opposing defenses found it very hard to stop him from getting his yardage. That talent will be behind center for the Carolina Panthers this Fall.

Even though Auburn has finally named Barrett Trotter as the starting quarterback for 2011, no one is expecting him to do everything that Cam Newton did for this team in 2010. Coach Gus Malzahn has proven year after year that he can get the most out of the position, but regardless of how good a body man you have working in your garage, you’re not going to make a Cadillac out of a Chevrolet.

What Auburn needs Trotter to do is not make mistakes, and get the ball to his playmakers.

Of all of his playmakers, which player will step up and be this year’s Cam Newton?

Most people are expecting Mike Dyer to be the star of the team, as he is the returning offensive player with the best numbers from last season, and the star that emerged in the BCS Championship game. It would be hard to argue their reasoning.

Though brought along slowly in 2010, Dyer seemed to peak in the bigger games. His four games rushing for over 100 yards were against LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Oregon. Perhaps the Oregon game, where he rushed for 143 yards was the performance that made the biggest statement.

The one area that he would need to work on to become the next Newton would be catching the football. After recording one catch in the opening game against Arkansas State, he didn’t have another reception the entire season.

Onterio McCalebb is another player that could become the offensive star of this team. Though he was mostly an outside threat in his previous two seasons at Auburn, he has added some muscle to his frame this year, and could bust it up the middle in 2011. With Gus Malzahn calling the plays, if he can prove capable of running inside, you can bet there will be plays designed for him to do that very thing.

McCalebb didn’t get the ball as much as Dyer last year, but when he did, he delivered. He had a 7.8 average yards per carry, and nine touchdowns, though he only had 95 carries. He also showed he could catch the football with 7 catches for a 12.3 yard per catch average and one touchdown. With his big play potential, look for McCalebb to be more involved in the offense than he was in 2010.

Auburn will also need that clutch reception potential that they lost with Darvin Adams. The one play that sticks out most to me from the 2010 season was his catch of the Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half of the SEC Championship game. He had his body in the perfect position, put his hands out to cradle the ball and his gaze was on nothing but the football.

Philip Lutzenkirchen also repeatedly demonstrated the concentration and ability to make big plays in 2010. Though not thrown to that often, he made the most of the catches that were thrown his way. From his tight end H-Back position, and with the loss af Adams, he should see a lot more balls coming his way in 2011. He definitely would be my favorite to be Auburn’s go-to receiver in 2011.

However, the most exciting offensive player on the team, and the one most likely to be the next offensive star for this team would have to be Trovon Reed.

Reed is another in a line of exceptional talents. Before Newton became his own Wildcat quarterback in 2010, Trovon Reed was seen as the most likely candidate for the position. I’m sure he’ll get some time behind center in 2011.

He is the best on the team in open space, with the ability to leave even the best defender clutching for air. Though lost for 2010 because of a knee injury, he is back at 100% for 2011, and the biggest question may be how many ways can you get the ball in his hands.

His only drawback at this time seems to be his downfield blocking.

Replacing Cam Newton is impossible, but if one guy has the talent and star power potential to come close, it is going to be Trovon Reed.

The biggest shoes to fill on offense, and the entire team for that matter, is at quarterback. How do you replace a player like Cam Newton? The answer is simple. You don’t. That doesn’t mean the position will be a weakness this year. It only means the position will be filled by someone with different talents than Newton had. Don’t think for a second that whoever Coach Malzahn eventually picks as his starter will not be able of moving this team and putting up impressive numbers.

Coach Malzahn is as good an offensive coordinator s you’ll find in the college game. He has never had the luxury of returning a starting quarterback in his six years as an offensive coordinator. In those six seasons, every quarterback he has tutored and prepared an offense around, has flourished, and before Cam Newton, he has never had a quarterback with extraordinary talents. Even though no one knows at this time who the signal caller will be for Auburn, I have full confidence in whichever quarterback Coach Malzahn eventually selects.

Possibly the one position on offense with the fewest question marks is also the thinnest. Cam Newton took a lot of pressure off of the running game in 2010, and it’s doubtful the new quarterback will do the same in 2011. Michael Dyer was brought along slowly in 2010, but by the end of the season, he was arguably the best running back in the conference. He has the power to run inside and the speed to hit the outside. Look for the BCS Championship game MVP to carry a much larger portion of the load on offense this season. Complementing Dyer again this season will be Onterrio McCalebb. McCalebb is always one step away from breaking any play for a touchdown, regardless of where you are on the field.

None of the speed or strength at tailback, or offensive schemes, matters much though, unless you have someone who can open holes for you, or protect you from the rush. Though Auburn officially only returns one starter on the offensive line, they have two returning players who have started before for the Tigers, several others with game experience, plus two consecutive top five recruiting classes at the position. This is possibly Auburn’s deepest, most talented position of the entire team. The key for 2010 won’t be finding players capable of doing the job, but finding the right chemistry.

This brings us to another position which saw a lot of turnover at the end of the 2010 season, but also another position that is deep in players and talent. Darvin Adams is probably the player who will be the hardest to replace. He had the best hands on the team, and was the best at making the clutch catches in 2010. The go-to player in 2010 may come from the rank of tight end, as Philip Lutzenkirchen has proven capable of making the clutch catches. Emory Blake was coming into his own towards the middle of last season. There’s one player who has the potential of being a game breaker at wide receiver, Trovon Reed. Reed is not only a difference maker catching the ball and advancing it in the open field, but he was being considered as the backup to Kodi Burns at the Wildcat position last season before an injury forced him to redshirt.

There are a lot of questions to be answered, but none of the questions revolve around the talent that Auburn has at any position, but the experience. It may take Auburn a few games to gel as an offensive unit, but by mid-season, they should be a very dangerous opponent for anyone on their schedule.

10. Quinton Dunbar, Florida
9. Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
8. Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee

Quinton Dunbar is an unknown redshirt freshman for the Florida Gators. However, he has all the right qualities of a good wide receiver coaches love. At 6-1, 180 lbs, Dunbar has the size and speed, and most importantly he has the hands to excel at this level. He’s a little bit young and raw in talent, but he has been turning heads ever since he set foot on campus a year ago. I think he has a shot to be a top-10 breakout caliber player for Florida in 2011…The Isaiah Crowell watch has officially began at Georgia. Get this guy in a uniform! I feel like Crowell is going into his junior season because of all the hype. I do believe the hype is warranted. How much of it is warranted? We’ll have to wait and see, but I fully expect Crowell to arrive on the scene this year in the SEC…Da’Rick Rogers is all of 6-3, 225 lbs, and he has an NFL-ready body that most 19 year-olds dream about. Many in the Southeast know about Rogers and the physical specimen he is on the football field. What people don’t know is how he will translate his dynamic physical ability and use it to excel on the football field. His counterpart Justin Hunter will draw double teams, and it should bode well for Rogers.

7. AJ McCarron, Alabama
6. Spencer Ware, LSU
5. Zach Mettenberger, LSU

AJ McCarron is known for the “guy who Nick Saban slapped in the rear”. Oh, but he has the potential to be so much more than that. With a stout offensive line, solid receivers and a running back with All-American potential, McCarron has all the right pieces around him to make this offense click. I look for McCarron to have a solid, steady season for the Crimson Tide…Spencer Ware burst onto the scene in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M. Ware is 5-11, 225 lbs, and I really do look for him to pick up where Stevan Ridley left off. I think he will be a good one…Ware’s possible quarterback Zach Mettenberger hopes to take the reigns of the offense somewhere around game one against Oregon. With Jordan Jefferson likely getting the opening day nod, Mettenberger will be waiting for him to throw that first pick of the year. Mett has all the tools and the pocket presence to be a great quarterback in this league.

4. Trovon Reed, Auburn
3. Ronald Powell, Florida
2. Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

Trovon Reed was the top ranked prospect in Louisiana in 2010, and everyone was figuring big things for Reed in his first year at Auburn. However, Reed just wasn’t healthy at all last year to make an impact. This year he will make up for it. Reed will run reverses, catch passes, return punts and play some Wildcat quarterback. It will be fun to see how Gus Malzahn uses this dynamite playmaker…Ronald Powell was the number-one ranked recruit coming out of high school in 2010. He can play defensive end, linebacker and even tight end. However, this year, he will play the Buck position for Florida. The Buck will feature Powell as both a defensive end and a linebacker hybrid. Powell can really cover in the open field because of his quickness and speed. I fully expect Powell to be dynamite for the Gators in 2011…Ah yes, Jadeveon Clowney – the guy is an absolute monster. The best thing Clowney has going for him right now is he will line up opposite Devin Taylor. Taylor will command double teams, and Clowney figures to be matched up one-on-one with a lot of SEC linemen. Until he proves he can handle one by himself, he won’t see many double teams. You didn’t think he was really going to be left off this list did you?

1. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

The number one breakout player for 2011 should be Tyler Wilson. Yes, I know Wilson only played one game in 2010. What in the world do I see in him? I see talent everywhere for this Arkansas team. So much talent, this offense should be one of the best in the country next year. Wilson will have four unreal wide receivers to throw to and a running back who could be the best in the SEC in Knile Davis. I think Wilson will have the best quarterback numbers of any quarterback after it is all said and done this year.

Who else do you think will be a breakout player in 2011?

On offense, some questions remain unanswered. No one seems to have secured a starting position on the offensive line. The quarterback spot is more of a question mark now than before Spring practice began. It was assumed that Barrett Trotter would assume the starting role, but he was pushed hard all Spring by a newly rejuvenated Clint Moseley. It’s unlikely a starter will be named until weeks into Fall practice, as Coach Chizik has indicated that Kiehl Frazier may be in the mix if he does the work necessary to compete this Fall.

Some questions on offense were answered. Auburn moved Anthony Morgan to running back, and along with 295 lb. Ladarious Phillips, incoming freshman Tre Mason, Philip Lutzenkirchen playing some H-Back, and Trovon Reed playing all offensive skill positions, Mike Dyer and Onterrio McCalebb should once again have exceptional seasons. Lutzenkirchen showed to have the hands to be the go-to receiver Darvin Adams was in 2010, and not to overstate his importance to the 2011 Auburn offense, but Trovon Reed may be the straw that stirs the drink this Fall. You can be sure he’ll see the ball a lot, either running it, catching it, playing wildcat or as a returner.

On defense, junior T’Sharvin Bell looks to be the vocal leader of the defense. His elevated play towards the end of last season is one of the reasons Auburn’s defense improved so much. Auburn’s defensive front will be just as talented as last year’s, and maybe more so, but they’ll be a lot younger. Don’t be surprised to see three sophomores and a junior anchoring the front of the Auburn defense. At this point, the favorites at the position would have to be sophomores Corey Lemonier, Jeffrey Whitaker, Nosa Eguae and junior Ken Carter.

At Linebacker, Auburn will still be young, but returns a lot more experience than on the defensive line. Last year’s starter Daren Bates returns at middle linebacker, and these players all got extensive playing time; Jonathan Evans, Eltoro Freeman, Jake Holland, Jessel Curry and Harris Gaston. My guess at this point is that Jake Holland and Eltoro Freeman will fill out the starting positions, but there still is Fall practice for other players to move up, or an incoming freshman such as Kris Frost to impress the coaches.

At defensive back, Auburn will be much more talented than last year’s squad, and less experienced, but have the potential to be much stronger. T’Sharvin Bell should be the leader at cornerback, and true freshman Jonathan Rose is the best bet to be the starting cornerback on the opposite side, replacing last year’s starting cornerback, Neiko Thorpe, who has been moved to his more natural position at safety. Demetrus McNeal will probably claim the other safety spot.

Auburn kick return team looks to be improved in 2011, with Onterrio McCalebb on one side of the field returning kickoffs, and probably Trovon Reed on the other. Both players are capable of taking it to the house every time they touch the football. Returning punt returner Quindarius Carr is assumed to be the punt returner again in 2011. Kody Parkey will replace Wes Byrum at PK, if that’s possible. Parkey was an Under Armour All-American in 2010, so he fits the description of the Auburn team in 2011, talented but inexperienced. Steven Clark, who spelled Ryan Shoemaker in a few games in 2010, will get the nod at punter.

What will 2011 bring to the Auburn Tigers? No one knows. There are far too many intangibles and unknowns to make any intelligent assessments. Will Auburn repeat as national champions? It’s doubtful. Will they fall apart and be one of the cellar dwellers in the West this fall. That’s also doubtful. I think the answer falls somewhere in between. At this point, it comes down to quarterback play, and there’s one intangible that hasn’t been mentioned. In Gus Malzahn’s six years as a college coach, he has had to train a new quarterback in all six seasons. Not once has one of his quarterbacks failed to put up big numbers.