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The SEC seems to have a bevy of dominant pass rushers every season that leave their mark on the conference as well as on opposing quarterbacks. Fans got a taste of what to expect from this year’s talented group of pass rushers after one week of football and it should have them very excited to see how these quarterback terrors explode throughout the 2014 season.
Dante Fowler, BUCK, Florida – Dante Fowler’s season-opener was cancelled, but he’s set to have a dominating junior season at Will Muschamp’s BUCK linebacker position. His 2012 stats should give Florida fans an idea of just how good this guy can be: 31 solo tackles, seven QB hurries, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Fowler slimmed down in the offseason to 260 pounds, enabling him to bring even more speed and aggression to the line of scrimmage. Muschamp has said he would like to create as many one-on-one situations for Fowler as possible this season, simply because there aren’t many offensive linemen that can contain him by themselves. If Fowler has as big of a year as his projections indicate, he’ll likely heard his name called in the first round of next year’s NFL Draft. We’ll get our first look at Fowler this Saturday when the Gators take the field against Eastern Michigan.
Markus Golden, DL, Missouri – With the departure of Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, many wondered if Missouri’s defensive line would be as disruptive as last season. Well, if Markus Golden has anything to say about it, you can guarantee they will. In the Tigers’ first game, Golden was incredible. The redshirt senior defensive lineman recorded 10 total tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. What can’t this guy do?
Now that Sam and Ealy have left, the spotlight rests solely on Golden, who has been arguably Missouri’s most productive defensive end even with Sam and Ealy on the line last season. You’ll be hearing his name a lot as this season goes on.
Leonard Floyd, LB, Georgia – Floyd got his year off to a strong start with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and six QB hurries against Clemson last week. Of course, this is nothing new to Georgia or SEC fans. Floyd has been dominant since arriving on campus back in 2013, making eight starts as a freshman and leading the team with 6.5 sacks.
Now that new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has arrived in Athens, expect Floyd’s production to go up even more as Pruitt’s defenses often rely on an athletic edge rusher, a position perfect for Floyd’s quick 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame. He has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best, pass rusher in the conference after this season is over. I believe his season-opener is just a sign of things to come for the sophomore.
Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama – This sophomore standout didn’t take long to make his presence known in 2014. Allen terrorized West Virginia’s offensive line last week with five tackles, including two tackles for loss and one sack. He’s made an immediate impact for a good Alabama defensive line, even as a true freshman. He was a backup defensive end that worked his way into the rotation and will now be a key guy the defensive line in 2014.
Alabama boasts many talented defensive linemen, so it’ll be tough for opposing offenses to key in on Allen and keep him out of the backfield. With the perceived jump from year one to year two, expect Allen to be a disruptive force in SEC backfields all throughout 2014.
Myles Garrett, DL, Texas A&M – The heralded five-star high school recruit didn’t disappoint in his collegiate debut. He only recorded one sack, but he looked down right explosive on the line of scrimmage against a very experienced South Carolina and could very well have had multiple sacks against the Gamecocks. It’s still early for Garrett, but it appears he was deserving of all the hype heaped onto him prior to the season as he’ll be a catalyst for what was a weak Aggies pass rush a year ago. The constant pressure he applied to Dylan Thompson last Thursday should be a clear warning for the opposing quarterbacks he’ll face this season: watch out for No. 15.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
