Round 2 of our SEC MVP discussion is a midseason summary of the league’s best at the halfway point. there’s several All-American candidates listed in this group and an elite few that could get a Heisman invite in December if they keep it up.
Editor’s note: This list may look slightly different than our best defensive players, breakout players and top offensive standouts (Friday) from the first half.
RELATED: SEC’s 10 best defensive players thus far; SEC’s baker’s dozen breakout players
10. Cody Prewitt, DB, Ole Miss — One of the SEC’s hardest hitters and active interceptions leader is arguably the second-best defensive back in the secondary this season — that’s how talented the back end is at Ole Miss. Prewitt’s best games came against Boise State and Texas A&M when he delivered several bone-jarring blows to receivers. He returned a pick 75 yards for a touchdown against the Aggies as well.
9. Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss — Faced with constant double teams inside, Nkemdiche alters offensive game plans without posting noticeable tackle and sack numbers. Similar to Jadeveon Clowney in the way his presence must be addressed at all times, Nkemdiche’s one of the SEC’s best pure players and causes havoc in the backfield almost every snap.
8. Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M — You would be hard-pressed to find another performance quite like Hill’s explosion in the opener at South Carolina where he carved up the Gamecocks secondary for 511 yards and three touchdowns on 44 completions. His numbers have trailed off a bit since, but he still leads the SEC in nearly every major passing category and is second nationally in yards (2,511) and touchdowns (23).
7. Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi State — The SEC’s top breakout star this fall, Robinson will likely lead the league in rushing at season’s end if Gurley misses more time. The second half of Mississippi State’s 1-2 rushing punch, Robinson managed 698 yards and eight touchdowns through six games. His three 100-yard games is three times the number he had coming into his junior campaign.
6. Preston Smith, DL, Mississippi State — Smith’s played himself from fringe NFL prospect to an early-round selection thanks to an incredible start to his senior season for the top-ranked Bulldogs. He reminds me a lot of former South Carolina All-American and current San Diego Chargers defender Melvin Ingram, an insanely strong bull rusher who really blossomed late in his collegiate career.
5. Senquez Golson, DB, Ole Miss — A multi-year starter and former baseball player, Golson’s ball skills are among the nation’s best at corner and he’s shown considerable improvement in his final season with a league-high five interceptions. An SEC Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner along with Ray, Golson’s made several game-changing plays against quality opponents.
4. Shane Ray, DL, Mizzou — Who I consider the top pass rusher in the conference just above Nkemdiche, Preston Smith and Myles Garrett, Ray’s a first-round lock in next year’s NFL Draft with an endless motor and tenacious pursuit. Ray’s best game of the first half came against South Carolina when he was a constant force in the backfield, accumulating two of his team-high seven sacks this fall.
3. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama — While it hasn’t clicked the last two outings for the Crimson Tide’s top receiver, Cooper’s first-half numbers were still jaw-dropping. He’s caught 17 more passes than his next nearest competitor in league play despite playing in one less game. He’s on pace to surpass 1,500 yards receiving this season including the bowl game and needs six more receptions and seven touchdowns to set personal-career bests in both categories.
2. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia — With his immediate playing future at Georgia in jeopardy, I wasn’t sure where to put the nation’s top running back. Suspended for last week’s win over Mizzou, Gurley’s accounted for 826 total yards of offense this season and eight touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He also returned a kickoff for a score during a win over Clemson in the opener. His Heisman candidacy is likely over if he can’t play Saturday at Arkansas.
1. Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi St. — Prescott’s played so well as a junior captain and prolific playmaker he’s having to field NFL questions about leaving after this his junior season. He’s responsible for 23 total touchdowns, is second nationally among quarterbacks for rushing yards and became only the fifth quarterback in FBS history to lead his team to three straight wins over Top 10 teams. Not bad for half a season in Starkville.
