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College Football

Each SEC team’s lockdown corner in 2016

Chris Wright

By Chris Wright

Published:

Third-and-8, who do you trust?

As a fan of the offensive team, who do you want to avoid?

Every SEC team has a ballhawk in the secondary, and most play cornerback. Here are the best lockdown cornerback for each team in 2016.

Alabama — Marlon Humphrey: He gets the nod over playmaker Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is expected to slide into the cornerback position this season. Humphrey had three interceptions last season, broke up eight passes and led Tide corners with 45 tackles.

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Arkansas — D.J. Dean: Arkansas’ secondary is among the SEC West’s weakest, but Dean was solid in 2015 with two interceptions. The Razorbacks allowed a league-worst 275 passing yards per game last season. Only LSU and Ole Miss allowed more touchdown passes (18), so there is ample room for improvement.

Auburn — Carlton Davis: Put up the exact same numbers as Humphrey — with more tackles — and was surrounded by a lot less talent. You can find video of him getting beat for touchdowns, but starting as a true freshman cornerback might be the most difficult task for an SEC defensive player.

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Florida — Jalen Tabor: He had a better year in 2015 than Vernon Hargreaves. Who said? Hargreaves. Tabor finished his sophomore season with four interceptions and he’ll enter 2016 in the same position Hargreaves entered 2015: vying to become the first cornerback taken in the NFL Draft.

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Georgia — Malkom Parrish: He had two interceptions last year. More important, he had free safety Dominick Sanders there to clean up mistakes. Sanders led the SEC with six interceptions in 2015.

Kentucky — Chris Westry: He did more than just snap Dak Prescott’s streak of consecutive passes without an interception. He started as a true freshman. He played safety in high school and was just a three-star recruit, but his size (6-4) is a huge advantage, particularly on jump balls.

LSU — Tre’Davious White: Tabor bumped White to second-team All-SEC status in 2015. White returned to school and will anchor the Tigers’ secondary while trying to improve his NFL Draft status.

Mississippi State — Tolando Cleveland: The Bulldogs’ secondary will miss Taveze Calhoun. Exactly how much will depend largely on Cleveland, who is known more as a hitter than a shutdown corner. Cleveland is a returning starter, though, and he’ll team up with Cedric Jiles, who has battled injuries throughout his career.

Missouri — Aarion Penton: He’s the leader in the Tigers’ revamped secondary. He was Missouri’s top cover corner last season, breaking up eight passes and intercepting one.

Ole Miss — Tony Bridges: He was a step-in starter out of junior college and finished second on the team with three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He and Kendarius Webster should form an above-average cornerback tandem in 2016.

South Carolina — TBA: Secondary play was not an area of strength last season. Nobody in the secondary had more than one interception. Rico McWilliams started 10 games last season and likely will be joined by Rashad Fenton. Neither had an interception last season.

Tennessee — Cam Sutton: Tennessee must replace both safeties, but its only issue at cornerback might be finding snaps for heralded newcomer Tyler Byrd. Regardless, they can take comfort in the fact Sutton put off the NFL and returned to school. Sutton received a third-round draft grade and will use 2016 to try to improve it.

Texas A&M — Nick Harvey: Donovan Wilson is the Aggies’ best ballhawk, but he plays the nickel. Armani Watts is the enforcer, but he plays safety. Wilson had five interceptions last season. No other returning defensive back had more than Watts’ one in 2015, but Harvey is a projected starter at left cornerback, with Priest Willis battling Deshawn Capers-Smith for the starting right corner spot.

Vanderbilt — Joejuan Williams: At least that’s the hope. Williams was a rare four-star get for the Commodores, and he enrolled early, bolstering his odds of becoming the playmaker Vandy’s secondary needs.

Chris Wright
Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.

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