Among the hardest things to project each and every college football preseason is the ability of the largely inexperienced players around the nation. Just look at some of last season’s projected “breakout” players from the SEC.
Going back to just last offseason, several players from the SEC failed to live up to their preseason hype including: Jeremy Johnson, Duke Williams, Demarcus Robinson, Marquez North and to a lesser extent O.J. Howard (had he not caught two touchdowns against Clemson, he would have had zero on the season).
That being said, Travis Haney of ESPN recently gave it his best shot at naming the 10 players poised to breakout in 2016. Of the 10, four come from the SEC: Georgia freshman quarterback Jacob Eason, Alabama sophomore running backs Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough and LSU sophomore defender Arden Key.
Here are some excerpts from the piece on each player:
Jacob Eason
Look for Eason to be this season’s version of Josh Rosen, which bodes very well for the Bulldogs in 2017 and 2018. Kirby Smart and his assistants did a nice job of holding on to Eason’s commitment amid the coaching change.
Bo Scarbrough
Practice reps indicate that Scarbrough, a local high school legend, is ahead of Harris. At 6-2 and 230 pounds, he compares favorably to Henry. Those close to the program believe he can be every bit as effective.
Arden Key
(Defensive coordinator Dave) Aranda arrived on campus to find a lean, rangy defensive end who would be a perfect fit for the “buck”/hybrid linebacker in his 3-4 scheme.
While only so few players can make the list of potential breakout performers from across the nation, here are some other players from around the SEC with both potential and opportunity to breakout this season:
Alabama: offensive lineman Jonah Williams
Auburn: defensive lineman Marlon Davidson, receiver Nate Craig-Myers
Arkansas: defensive lineman McTelvin Agim, running back Devwah Whaley, offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt
Florida: receiver Tyrie Cleveland, kicker Eddy Pineiro
Georgia: defensive back/receiver/returner Mecole Hardman Jr., running back Elijah Holyfield
Kentucky: quarterback Drew Barker
Mississippi State: linebacker Leo Lewis, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons
Ole Miss: offensive lineman Greg Little, defenisve lineman Benito Jones
Tennessee: defensive back Rashaan Gaulden, receiver/returner Tyler Byrd, defensive back Nigel Warrior
Texas A&M: defensive lineman Daylon Mack
Vanderbilt: quarterback Kyle Shurmur
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
