10 SEC juniors likely making their final college statements
By Alex Zorn
Published:
With five weeks left in the college football regular season, get ready to say goodbye to your team’s favorite juniors, who soon will be off the NFL. The SEC’s 10 most likely to leave early are listed below:
1. Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
In what should be a deep junior class heading to the NFL in April, no third-year player has gotten scouts’ attention more than Nkemdiche. Already with three offensive touchdowns this season, the 6-foot-4 296-pounds Nkemdiche has shown himself to be one of the more unique defensive tackles in quite some time. He can clog up the middle of your defense and/or line up outside for 30-yard TD catches on offense. His potential is limitless. Expect Nkemdiche to be the first defensive tackle selected in the top five since 2010 (Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy).
2. Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
Ever since his three interception freshman season, Hargreaves III has been at the top of just about every list of cornerback prospects. At 5-foot-11, 199 pounds, he has all the intangibles to be the NFL’s next great defensive back. From a Florida football program that has generated such standouts such as S Matt Elam, CB Janoris Jenkins, and CB Joe Haden in the past few years, Hargreaves III should be a lock top-10 pick.
3. Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
Back in 2012 there was plenty of hype surrounding Ole Miss’s 2013 top-ranked recruiting class. With three players on this list, the hype was real. The Rebels signed 5-star athlete after 5-star athlete, two of whom look like top-10 picks. Tunsil is the heart and soul of an offensive line for a team that leads the SEC in passing attempts per game, yet has allowed fewer sacks than five other teams.
4. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
Henry entered the season in the shadow of Heisman Trophy candidates Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb. Now Henry (1,044 rushing yards, 14 TDs) and Fournette (1,352 rushing yards, 15 TDs) are neck-in-neck for SEC running back supremacy with both looking like guarantees to have a seat at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. History should be on Henry’s side in April, too: An Alabama running back has been drafted in the first two rounds in every year for the past five, except 2014.
5. Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
The recent trend to draft a wide receiver in the first round (11 wideouts taken in the first round in the past two seasons) should continue this year with Treadwell leading the way for the junior class. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver is on a roll recently with 27 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns in his past three games as he heads a potent Mississippi passing attack that leads the SEC in yards and points per game.
6. A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
With only one Bama player listed thus far, there was bound to be more. Although there are a few junior Crimson Tide defenders who could sneak in the top-10, Robinson is the most obvious choice of a first-round pick. At 6-foot-4, 320-pounds, Robinson is every bit the big gap-stopper in the middle that just about every NFL team needs.
7. Leonard Floyd, LB, Georgia
Though he’s regressed a bit in his junior season, forcing no turnovers and tallying just three sacks through seven games, talent and athleticism alone should make Floyd a first-round pick. At 6-foot-4, 231-pounds, he has all the intangibles and attributes to be an NFL linebacker, and with a strong end of the season his Combine numbers could catapult him into the top 20.
8. Vadal Alexander, G, LSU
With an average of over 309 rushing yards per game, there’s bound to be a few players from LSU’s dominant offensive line to get picked in April. Though OT/OG Alexander has struggled a bit in pass blocking, the 6-foot-6 342-pound junior has the look of late first-round pick to me for a team looking to sure up their run blocking in the middle of field for the next decade.
9. Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
The LSU secondary, like so many SEC schools, continues to produce pro after pro under Les Miles. CB Morris Claiborne, DB Tyrann Mathieu, S Eric Ried, CB Patrick Peterson, all drafted in the past four years. Next up: White.
White has separated himself as a legitimate shutdown corner in a stacked 2016 cornerback class. Though he has yet to get a interception this season, the Tigers rank middle of the pack in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game thanks in large part to White’s presence.
10. Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina
Out of all the names listed, Cooper is least likely to be selected in the first round. That being said, even if he’s a potential third-rounder, it’s difficult to envision him staying after Steve Spurrier’s sudden exit. With 23 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns in his past three games, Cooper appears to be building a little momentum for an NFL bid.
