College football programs don’t share the luxury of long-term contracts, such as the ones enjoyed by their NFL counterparts.
When it comes to the college ranks, the concept is simple: Next man up. Success starts with depth and the teams whose backups one year are its leaders the next season tend to thrive.
Several SEC teams broke spring camp with deep rosters — albeit some with brewing starter battles, others addressing injury concerns, and, of course, the task of replacing departing stars. It’s also no coincidence that most of those squads are early-favorites to contend for the East and West divisions.
Here’s a look at five of the conference’s deepest rosters as teams prepare for summer camp.
5. Georgia
Kirby Smart will begin his era with a stocked cupboard. If Nick Chubb can recover from the season-ending knee injury suffered last October, then the Bulldogs might have the most fearsome backfield duo in the nation along with Sony Michel.
Georgia is long and talented, yet short on experience at wide receiver. Terry Godwin takes over for Malcolm Mitchell as the team’s No. 1 deep threat and heads up a group that should get a boost from sophomores Jayson Stanley and Michael Chigbu. Isaiah McKenzie and Reggie Davis have proven they can come up in big spots in the past. Tight ends Jeb Blazevich and Isaac Nauta also provide steady hands.
The biggest concern hinges on who is going to get the ball to those weapons. Greyson Lambert offers experience, but middling results, while true freshman Jacob Eason comes equipped with the hype and talent that you’d expect from a five-star prospect. The offensive line has a few questions, but returns three starters under the tutelage of new line coach Sam Pittman, who crafted Arkansas’ enormous line in 2015.
Georgia’s defensive line is young, with freshman in Julian Rochester in the middle. He’ll be flanked by budding star Trent Thompson, John Atkins and Jonathan Ledbetter in the 3-4 scheme being installed by new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
The post Mark Richt era also begins without Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins and Jake Ganus at linebacker, but comes replete with Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter, both of whom should more than hold their own on the outside.
Smart will be able to get away some with a few depth questions in the front seven, due to what promises to be one of the staunchest secondaries in the SEC, if not the country. The unit of Dominick Sanders and Quincy Mauger at safety, as well as Malkom Parrish and Rico McGraw at the corners reprise their roles in 2016 and a shot at an encore performance as the nation’s No. 1 pass defense.
4. Ole Miss
Ole Miss lost several key cogs from its Sugar Bowl champion team that thoroughly one-upped Oklahoma State. Yet optimism abounds thanks to Hugh Freeze’s knack for landing talent.
The biggest issue is protecting star quarterback Chad Kelly. Freeze added Gregory Little, the nation’s top left tackle. He’ll start either there or at right tackle. The Rebels have to replace every starter along its offensive line. Ole Miss also has options in senior Robert Conyers and sophomores Javon Patterson, Sean Rawlings and Jordan Sims, but must find a suitable home for each.
Kelly has experience coming out of the backfield behind him with upperclassmen Akeem Judd and Jordan Wilkins (38 combined career games) providing more of a power-rushing attack than the Rebels ran with Jalen Walton at running back.
Freeze is also looking to incorporate the tight end back into the scheme, especially with players such as Evan Engram returning for his senior campaign.
There are plenty of options at wide receiver among returners Damore’ea Stringfellow, DaMarkus Lodge and Quincy Adeboyejo. Redshirt freshman Van Jefferson wowed during the spring.
The loss of Robert Nkemdiche won’t sting quite as much, with Fadol Brown and Marquis Haynes — the team’s sack leader (10.0) — returning on the defensive front.
Freeze bolstered his middle linebacking corps with Mageo Rommel and Detric Bing-Dukes, as well as converting Willie Hibbler from tight end to linebacker. Both Rommel and Bing-Dukes are expected to compete for a starting role. Tony Conner’s injury and the team’s lack of depth behind the safety is a concern.
3. Tennessee
Much was made of Tennessee not having a player drafted in the 2016 NFL draft. What pundits should have mentioned is the deep roster that stuck around.
The hype is only growing, and that’s due to arguably this being Butch Jones’ deepest squad during his tenure in Knoxville.
The Volunteers return 17 starters, most in the SEC East.
Tennessee possesses arguably the conference’s best quarterback-running back punch with QB Josh Dobbs handing off to Jalen Hurd or Alvin Kamara. The wideouts are improved with Jauan Jennings, Josh Smith and spring’s eye-opener Preston Williams joining lead returning receiver Josh Malone.
Dobbs’ weapons will also include talented recruits Latrell Williams, Marquez Callaway and JUCO-transfer Jeff George.
The offensive line needs to add depth at tackle, but returns a unit that paved the way for the second-best rushing offense in the SEC last year.
Questions abound across the defensive interior, however. The ends, led by junior Derek Barnett and his 20.0 sacks (10.0 each year), should help make up any difference.
Tennessee is deep at linebacker, where they’ll likely employ a larger nickel back role, as well as in the secondary where arguments can be made that LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin and DB Cameron Sutton might be the best at their respective positions.
The key for success this fall might rest in their ability to stay healthy, which proved to be a challenge during the spring drills.
2. Alabama
No one quite reloads like Alabama. The defending champs have to replace impactful starters at quarterback, running back and center on offense and at each level of the defense. But the Tide has the chips to do so.
Helping Nick Saban’s roster is the fact it boasts 15 five-star prospects, including DL Jonathan Allen and LB Reuben Foster, as well as OL Cam Robinson, WR Calvin Ridley and TE O.J. Howard, to name a few.
The Tide’s quarterback and running backs positions were unsettled heading into last season and, as we all know, that turned out rather well as quarterback Jake Coker steered the ship and running back Derrick Henry bulldozed his way to the Heisman Trophy.
While we can’t ask for the same production, either Bo Scarbrough or Damien Harris could step up. It’s been done before in Tuscaloosa.
Seniors RG Alphonse Taylor and LT Robinson are the elder statesmen on an offensive line that could see six underclassmen rotating in — including Ross Pierschbacher, a 6-4, 304-pound sophomore likely tasked with replacing stalwart Ryan Kelly at center after moving over from the Tide’s starting left guard slot.
Among those underclassmen could be five-star tackle Jonah Williams from this year’s class.
Defensively, the Tide will do some shuffling at linebacker to replace Reggie Ragland. But that shouldn’t be a problem with Tim Williams “ruining” the spring game and Rashaan Evans making his presence felt this spring. Alabama isn’t quite as deep as last year’s squad on the defensive line and at cornerback, but Saban has the pieces — such DL’s Daron Payne and Da’Shawn Hand — to maintain the same level of intensity on defense that ranked No. 3 in the nation in total defense.
1. LSU
Derrius Guice would likely start on most teams. At LSU, however, he’s a back up to Heisman contender Leonard Fournette. Together, the tandem combined for 2,389 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2015.
The Tigers’ running back corps is just one strength on an offense that returns an experienced package of wide receivers led by Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre and starting quarterback Brandon Harris.
The offensive line has to replace Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins, but the group has about 11 players to do so. Four linemen arriving in the 2016 recruiting class add to the squad’s depth.
The elephant in the room is at quarterback, where Harris has struggled at times. Purdue-transfer Danny Etling is a capable option if Harris can’t get the passing game going.
The Tigers are transitioning to a 3-4 defense under first-year coordinator Dave Aranda. His unit is loaded with stars and potential stars, allowing him to move people around to create mismatches with the front seven while Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams lead the defensive backs, a group that added four-star corner Saivion Smith.
The Tigers returned 17 starters from a team that underachieved in 2015. Some of the starters could have gone to the NFL but decided to return for what many expect to be a championship-contending year in 2016.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
