There are some players that SEC teams are optimistic about, and then there are some that can’t get on the field soon enough.
They’ve been rated among the best, given recruiting stars in hopes that they’ll become one. The players don’t always live up to it, but the extra publicity isn’t something these players get for no reason before coming to play on the biggest stage in college football called the SEC.
Here are the first-year players with the most hype surrounding them entering the 2016 season.
Alabama ILB Ben Davis & OLB Mack Wilson
Although Alabama benefitted from several players deciding to come back on defense, the unit did lose its leader in inside linebacker Reggie Ragland. Enter the No. 1-rated ILB Ben Davis. Plenty is expected of him, but no one has higher expectations than the Gordo High School product himself. Davis wants to break the school’s career record for tackles, a mark of 327 held by his father, Wayne. Expectations, at least for 2016, have been tempered a little for OLB Mack Wilson as he needs surgery on his shoulder that will need 3-4 months of recovery. However, the tandem — which also happened to be the top two prospects in the state of Alabama — have grown close and will push each other. So will the fans, who want to see them lead the Tide defense for years to come.
Arkansas DE McTelvin Agim & RB Devwah Whaley
When it comes to the No. 18 overall prospect for 2016, DE McTelvin Agim, the Razorbacks haven’t landed a signee rated this high since QB Mitch Mustain in 2006. Of course, being homegrown and being from a town called Hope also contributes to the hype. However, it’s his play on the field that’s done most of that as Agim was 2nd only to Ohio State signee Nick Bosa among defensive ends in his class. As a senior, Agim racked up 77 tackles (13 for a loss), 24 sacks, 8 QB hurries and 9 pass breakups. Fans in Fayetteville are hoping Agim, an early enrollee, can get up to speed quickly to join senior DE Deatrich Wise and make for a fearsome pass-rush. On the other side of the ball, the No. 3-rated running back Devwah Whaley aims to take the torch from the departed Alex Collins. Whaley’s north-south style should fit in perfectly with Bret Bielema’s system.
Auburn DT Derrick Brown & WR Nate Craig-Myers/WR Kyle Davis
The Tigers also have a player on each side of the ball that they’re looking forward to this season. Auburn, which finished second-to-last in the SEC with just 19 sacks last season, is optimistic about building off the brilliant bowl performance against Memphis and carrying that into 2016. DT Derrick Brown, the No. 9 overall prospect for 2016, can play a big factor in that. The Tigers are hoping to bounce back from Will Muschamp’s disappointing one-year stint in The Plains with new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, and Brown could develop to become the centerpiece of that effort. Meanwhile, how about the haul that the school got at wideout? Three top 20 prospects at the position and two in the top 10, Nate Craig-Myers and Kyle Davis. The quarterback situation still has questions, but Gus Malzahn needs playmakers regardless, and fans are hoping this pair can provide that.
Florida WR Tyrie Cleveland & RB Mark Thompson
Speaking of an offense that needs playmakers, the Gators could use some. Well, Jim McElwain brings in the No. 2 receiver for 2016 in Tyrie Cleveland, who boasts great size (6-foot-3, 189 pounds) along with what offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier called “track guy” speed. Although Florida has three receivers from the 2016 class already enrolled and playing well, especially JUCO signee Dre Massey, Cleveland seems likely to get playing time in the fall. That’s because two of the team’s top four pass-catchers from last season, Demarcus Robinson and Jake McGee, are gone while a third in Antonio Callaway is currently suspended. Florida also landed the top JUCO RB Mark Thompson, a bruiser at 6-foot-2, 242 pounds whose agility has also stood out during spring drills. While the departed Kelvin Taylor hit the 1,000-yard mark last season, he was inconsistent and not always explosive, and only Missouri averaged fewer rushing yards per game in the SEC. UF is hoping Thompson can give the ground game a spark.
Georgia QB Jacob Eason
There might not be an SEC player with more hype surrounding him than QB Jacob Eason, the No. 2 pro-style QB in his class. One could argue Eason has transcended “hype” and has reached savior status, at least expectation-wise. He has the size (6-foot-5, 211 pounds) and the arm, heaving one 63 yards before he even played his senior year of high school. Speaking of his senior season, he passed for 3,585 yards and 43 touchdowns and only 6 INTs at Lake Stevens High School in Washington, earning Gatorade National Football Player of the Year honors. Eason committed to UGA all the way back in July 2014 and remained committed even after Mark Richt was gone, endearing himself to the Bulldogs faithful even more. Senior Greyson Lambert has experience and Brice Ramsey is another option, but fans will want to see what Eason can do under center sooner rather than later.
Mississippi State DE Jeffery Simmons
There’s a lot of hype, but there’s also a lot of worry surrounding Bulldogs DE Jeffery Simmons. The hype comes from the fact that five-star defensive ends Chris Jones and Deljuan Robinson were the only other MSU signees ranked in the top 20 of 247Sports’ composite rankings since the service began those rankings in 2000. He’s also just the sixth five-star prospect for the Bulldogs since the turn of the century. The worry comes from the misdemeanor charges that Simmons faces for disturbing the peace by fighting and simple assault after being caught on video striking a woman multiple times. Recently, coach Dan Mullen said the team is looking at all aspects of the situation, but a decision isn’t expected to come soon.
Ole Miss OT Gregory Little
The top-rated SEC signee in the 2016 class? That would be offensive tackle Greg Little, who is expected to fill the enormous shoes of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Tunsil, who was a second-team All-SEC selection as a freshman, may have contributed to high hopes that Little can be equally capable of playing at a high level right away in Oxford. One thing is for sure: Little will likely be thrown right in to protect quarterback Chad Kelly’s blind side because last season’s starting RT Fahn Cooper is also gone. How Little does in his freshman campaign could go a long way in determining how successful Ole Miss’ vertical passing game will be.
South Carolina QB Brandon McIlwain & WR Bryan Edwards
For the next few seasons, Will Muschamp is hoping this combination spearheads South Carolina’s passing game, something he struggled to find during his time as head coach at Florida. What’s promising is both already are enrolled, and they’re both shining in a big way. McIlwain was a huge pick-up as the No. 2 dual-threat QB in his class, and he’s living up to the billing so far in the spring as he and Perry Orth have been the ones to separate themselves in the battle for the starting job, according to Muschamp. However, McIlwain is benefitting from Orth being sidelined since March 26 with a broken collarbone. Plus, sophomore Lorenzo Nunez has been sitting out more than a week with a hyperextended left knee, but he’s expected to return soon for the Gamecocks. Edwards has impressed the coaching staff from the get-go, practicing with the first-teamers as soon as he arrived in Columbia. He’s set to make an immediate impact since only three South Carolina receivers have game experience.
Tennessee DE Jonathan Kongbo
The nation’s No. 1 overall junior college prospect is a freak of nature at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds and looks incredibly agile for that size. “King Kongbo” recorded 49 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks at Arizona Western in 2015. He joins a Vols defense that’s already loaded with good pass-rushers like Derek Barnett, Corey Vereen, Kyle Phillips and many others. Kongo didn’t even begin playing football until his senior season in high school, so it’s scary to think how much potential he has under the coaching of new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. He possesses the measurables, and that’s why Rocky Top wants to see what this mobile monster can do.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
