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An early list of potential SEC East position battles in ’15
By Jason Hall
Published:
Here’s a look at potential SEC East position battles in 2015.
FLORIDA
Quarterback: Treon Harris provided Florida with three wins as the team’s starting quarterback, but was far from a prototypical passer. Harris made less mistakes than previous starter Jeff Driskel, but didn’t take many chances and never took snaps under center. The Gators have several other quarterbacks on their roster, including fellow freshman Will Grier, who redshirted in 2014.
GEORGIA
Quarterback: Who will share the backfield with Nick Chubb in 2015? The odds say Brice Ramsey, who saw limited playing time in 2015, will emerge as the frontrunner. However, the Bulldogs have several other quarterbacks on scholarship including Faton Bauta and Jacob Park.
KENTUCKY
Quarterback: Patrick Towles finished fifth in the SEC in passing, but struggled through his final six games. The redshirt sophomore’s inconsistent play raised questions of a potential quarterback battle this upcoming offseason, which head coach Mark Stoops confirmed would be examined by his staff.
MISSOURI
Defensive end: For the second consecutive year, Missouri looks to replace its starting defensive ends. Senior Markus Golden and junior Shane Ray should both be NFL players by the time Gary Pinkel makes an announcement of their successors. But the Tigers proved to be successful in replacing star pass rushers in 2014, which should be the case next season.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Quarterback: Dylan Thompson will play his final game Saturday, which leaves Steve Spurrier to find a replacement in 2015. The Gamecocks played both Connor Mitch and Perry Orth in limited action and should decide between the two players.
TENNESSEE
Middle Linebacker: A.J. Johnson missed his final two regular season games due to a suspension and will be out for the TaxSlayer Bowl against Iowa. The Vols have since used Jakob Johnson at middle linebacker, but could see an open competition due to the true freshman’s struggles.
VANDERBILT
Quarterback: The running gag of the SEC. Will Vanderbilt ever find a quarterback? To me, the competition is between Patton Robinette and Johnny McCrary as they were the only two players capable of leading the Commodores to victory of their four starters. But that decision is up to Derek Mason, who struggled to find an answer through his first season.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
