What matters, what doesn’t in SEC spring games

It’s football, mostly. And you’re excited, possibly overly. We get it.

We’re not here to rain on spring games, but it is worth mentioning that, this time last year, almost nobody was talking about Chad Kelly — positively, at least. Hugh Freeze said Ryan Buchanan was on top of the depth chart. That was after Kelly threw a touchdown pass and Buchanan went 5 of 16 in Ole Miss’ spring game.

We know how that race turned out.

That’s a useful reminder that spring games, often with scripted plays and do-not-touch jerseys, generally offer more tricks than definitive answers.

Keep that in mind, especially on this April Fool’s Day, as we sort through what matters and what doesn’t.

The offensive tackles

Offensive line play is live, and while most teams don’t allow defenders to hit the quarterback, it’s still up to the line to make sure nobody gets to him.

You’ll be able to see, quickly, how well new players are adjusting to new roles.

This free run at Kyle Shurmur, for instance, is just as much of an issue for Vanderbilt in March as it will be in October.

If QBs weren't protected today, Charles Wright would be visiting Kyle Shurmur in the hospital tonight pic.twitter.com/HI5mX97mY3

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) March 25, 2016

The young defensive backs

The SEC boasts some of the biggest, fastest and most athletic wideouts in the country. Stopping them is a chore for even the conference’s best cornerbacks, let alone young ones trying to find their way.

Spring games are even more challenging because the quarterback knows he’s not going to get hit, so it often takes on the appearance of a 7-on-7 drill, which always favors the offense.

What to look for: Are younger starters already giving ground before the snap? Are they winning the initial jam at the line? Are they within a recoverable distance on a double move? How easily are they finding the ball on deeper throws?

Those are all techniques they’ll need to master, and the spring game will offer insight about where they stand on the learning curve.

New wrinkles

New coaches mean new approaches, new offenses, new formations. Nobody empties the playbook during the spring game, but you’ll get a feel, for instance, for how quickly Noel Mazzone wants his Texas A&M offense to operate, how Eddie Gran wants his Kentucky offense to run, etc.

LSU fans certainly are hoping to see some new looks from Cam Cameron, who already knows what he has in Leonard Fournette.

About the quarterbacks …

Stats don’t matter. Stats don’t matter. Stats don’t matter.

With as many as 10 SEC teams having some type of competition, it’s only natural to use the spring game to shape your bar discussions as to who should start, who should sit.

Jacob Eason’s name surely will be trending April 16, one way or another. So will Cooper Bateman … and Blake Barnett … and Brandon McIlwain … Jeremy Johnson … and John Franklin III … and Luke Del Rio … and Austin Appleby … and on and on.

Kelly serves as a recent reminder as to why we should reserve judgment and remind ourselves that everything changes from two-hand touch to tackle in September.

There’s a reason Gus Malzahn recently took off the protective jerseys and had his Auburn quarterbacks engage in a live practice. He wanted to see how they reacted to being chased, being rushed, being hit.

Because none of that happens in a spring game.

In discussing quarterback play after Alabama’s spring game in 2014, Nick Saban told reporters: “Nobody ever has a bad spring game. Let’s start with that.”

Sage advice.

The early enrollees

For safety reasons, skill position stars sometimes don’t play much — or at all — in spring games. Vanderbilt held out Ralph Webb, for instance.

That’s OK because few things generate more buzz than the next big thing, and just about every SEC team has an early enrollee worth watching.

Whether it’s Eason at Georgia, McIlwain at South Carolina, Saivion Smith at LSU, Kyle Davis at Auburn, McTelvin Agim at Arkansas or somebody else, the buzz will build when they step on the field.

Corey Raymond says Saivion Smith is playing No. 2 CB right now.

"He’ll be one of the guys we’re going to rely on." #LSU

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 14, 2016

That next wave, every bit as impressive as the previous waves, is what keeps the SEC rolling. And it’s what keeps up watching.

SEC SPRING GAME SCHEDULE

Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.