The season isn’t over yet.

I realize that. I also realize that we’re nearly 2 months in and certain players exceeded expectations (Jalin Hyatt) while others failed to meet expectations.

Today, we’ll focus on the latter.

To be clear, “disappointing” doesn’t include guys who missed several weeks with injury like Cedric Tillman. I’m disappointed that Jalen Catalon and Maason Smith suffered season-ending injuries in the opener, but that doesn’t mean they’re “disappointing.” Even someone like Jalen Carter, who has been out for several weeks after taking a dirty hit against Mizzou, probably hasn’t played enough to qualify for this list.

For a player to be considered disappointing, they need to have played essentially the full season (unless they were benched), and not up to the level many hoped/expected they would in the preseason.

I wouldn’t consider someone like Tank Bigsby disappointing because when you don’t have an offensive line and you’re getting hit in the backfield every other play, it’s hard to pin that on a running back.

And if you’re expecting to see Will Anderson on this list because his sack numbers are down, well, I’ve got news for you. That dude still takes over almost every time he steps on the field, even if he doesn’t get home. He’s also No. 2 among Power 5 players in tackles for loss.

So, in no particular order, these are the 10 most disappointing SEC players in 2022 (so far):

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina QB

Wait a minute. Isn’t South Carolina in the midst of its longest winning streak since 2013? And aren’t the Gamecocks sitting at No. 41 in FBS in scoring? Yes and yes. So why then would I consider Rattler disappointing? Well, dig a little deeper into those numbers. If you only factor in Power 5 games, the Gamecocks’ offense drops from 33 to 23 points per game, and even that is slightly inflated because of a kickoff return touchdown on the first play against A&M. Rattler ranks No. 12 among 13 qualified SEC signal-callers in quarterback rating, he has a 5-8 TD-INT ratio (2 of those TDs were against FCS South Carolina State) to go along with 10 total rushing yards and 1 score with his legs. On top of that, South Carolina has 17 turnovers this year, which ranks No. 124 in FBS.

No, not all of those were on Rattler (Xavier Legette’s 2 drops vs. South Carolina State were both intercepted). Marcus Satterfield hasn’t done him any favors, either. But still. Rattler has yet to have a 200-yard, 0-turnover game. He drifts too much when he doesn’t need to and he doesn’t work through progressions quickly enough. Any hope of him being South Carolina’s first All-SEC quarterback is gone. But on the bright side, he’s healthy and enjoying his fresh start.

Josh Vann, South Carolina WR

Yes, Vann had 2 really nice grabs in that A&M win, which was great to see. But the preseason third-team All-SEC selection has just 7 catches for 70 yards on the season. The Gamecocks’ leading returning receiver has been mostly invisible in Satterfield’s offense, despite the addition of a gunslinger like Rattler. PFF has Vann graded No. 51 among 56 qualified SEC receivers. And it’s not that playing time has been all over the place, either. Vann played between 17-33 snaps in every game so far. He just doesn’t have that rapport with Rattler in the way that Juice Wells does.

It’s too bad because Vann came into the season as one of the conference’s most proven deep threats. Brock Bowers and Cedric Tillman were the only returning SEC players with more catches of 30 yards. So far, Vann doesn’t have 1 such grab. Fingers crossed that Vann’s A&M performance was a sign of things to come and he can move past a brutal first half to 2022.

Haynes King, Texas A&M QB

I’m making an exception to the rule about guys who missed multiple games because in King’s case, he missed time because he was benched. That changes things. Losing at home to Appalachian State and picking up just 9 first downs was bench-worthy. King was considered an intriguing preseason candidate to become one of the more electric players in the SEC after we only got 5 quarters of him last year because of his season-ending foot injury. Yes, King was clearly banged up against Alabama and South Carolina, but accuracy and pocket presence were issues before that.

It doesn’t help that King lost top receiver Ainias Smith and he’s playing in Jimbo Fisher’s stagnant offense, which has 8 consecutive games vs. Power 5 competition in which it failed to hit 25 points. That was with 3 different starting quarterbacks, by the way. King is averaging just 6.6 yards per attempt with a 57% completion rate, which drops to 53% against SEC competition. While he’s been limited with his mobility as of late, he still has just 1 run of 20 yards all season, and it was a 31-yard scamper in that App State loss. In Year 3 in the system, his lack of development is one the frustrating storylines of the SEC season so far.

Layden Robinson, Texas A&M OL

Before 2022, Robinson was showing up all over mock drafts. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Robinson as the top guard in the 2023 class. But coming off a season in which he didn’t give up a sack, PFF has Robinson graded No. 44 among 50 qualified SEC guards as a pass-blocker. That’s for an A&M offensive line that surrendered 13 sacks in 5 games vs. Power 5 competition. The preseason second-team All-SEC selection entered the year as PFF’s top run-blocking guard in the conference, yet he’d be the first to admit that he’s partially responsible for A&M’s No. 105 rushing offense.

He was supposed to be the leader of the offensive line couldn’t right the ship when the Aggies were whistled for 8 pre-snap penalties in the loss to South Carolina. A&M isn’t scaring anyone in the trenches like it did when the Maroon Goons were a veteran, consistent offensive front in 2020. Robinson having a disappointing season is a big part of that.

Owen Pappoe, Auburn LB

I realize that Pappoe and Derick Hall were put in tough spots with such limited depth up front after Auburn had a 1-way street with the transfer portal following Bryan Harsin’s first year. And some will point to Pappoe being on pace for a 100-tackle season as a reason he shouldn’t be on this list. I hear that, and I’m not saying this is entirely on Pappoe, but that Auburn run defense is dreadful. Allowing 448 yards to Ole Miss was a tough pill to swallow for Pappoe and the Tigers. The group ranks No. 119 in FBS against the run with 204 rushing yards allowed per game.

The PFF numbers aren’t on Pappoe’s side, either. Through Week 8, he graded out No. 45 among the 50 qualified inside SEC linebackers, and against the run, he’s No. 46. The preseason third-team All-SEC selection is supposed to be the captain on that field, and far too often, it looks like Auburn is out of position to slow down opposing ground games. Pappoe is a fine player, but perhaps he’s just being asked to do too much.

Eli Ricks, Alabama CB

It’s been a weird year for Ricks. Yes, he most recently had his best game of the year by a country mile. PFF had him for 1 catch allowed on 10 targets, and he forced 5 incompletions. He played 90 (!) snaps and looked every bit like the guy who was a revelation as a true freshman at LSU in 2020. But up until that game, it’s been anything but a smooth ride at Alabama. Nick Saban was vocal in the offseason about Ricks still learning how things were done at Alabama, which was ignored by those who selected Ricks as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection.

In the previous 7 games, Ricks played a total of 78 snaps. His playing time decreased each game in the first month, and we also got the drama surrounding his Instagram post in an LSU uniform just ahead of the Tennessee game … wherein he didn’t play and Alabama let Jalin Hyatt run wild. When Ricks has been on the field, he’s been as advertised. But clearly, there’s been a disconnect between Ricks and the coaching staff. Perhaps better days are ahead for the talented defensive back after his breakout game against MSU.

Jermaine Burton, Alabama WR

If you read anything I wrote or listened to anything I said about Burton earning first-team All-SEC honors in the preseason, you know that I thought that was laughable. It was. Putting him ahead of Cedric Tillman was a joke because Burton was coming off a 27-catch season for Georgia, and he couldn’t take advantage of all of those available targets with George Pickens out for basically the entire season.

Through 8 games at Alabama, Burton confirmed much of my preseason angst over his lofty expectations. He ranks No. 27 in the SEC in receiving yards, he’s No. 34 in catches and PFF has him graded as the No. 34 SEC receiver. That’s for someone who has Bryce Young as his quarterback and who has played at least 35 snaps all but once this year. And yeah, regardless of what you think about Burton hitting a girl after the Tennessee game, that didn’t exactly bring positive attention to the program. Burton’s decision to leave Georgia and cross enemy lines will continue to be a popular topic of conversation.

Kayshon Boutte, LSU WR

Am I encouraged by the fact that Boutte’s past 2 weeks were a 100-yard showing against Florida and a team-high 7-target game against Ole Miss? Absolutely. This offense absolutely looks like it turned the corner. But if you told LSU fans before the year that the preseason All-American would go into November with just 288 receiving yards and 1 touchdown, they would’ve been devastated. Or rather, they would’ve thought he was either in Brian Kelly’s doghouse or that he re-injured his ankle.

Boutte has had a roller-coaster year so far. The visible frustration during the Florida State mess shed some light on the rapport he and Jayden Daniels have had to work on.

Boutte had times where he looked surprised he was being targeted, which led to drops. He had other times where he’d break off routes. He lined up a lot more in the slot this year than he did with the previous regime, and there’s clearly been an adjustment without Max Johnson force-feeding him targets. The good news, however, is that while Boutte’s Biletnikoff Award chances faded weeks ago, he’s still engaged for an LSU offense that appears to be hitting its stride.

Jack Bech, LSU WR

We knew coming into the season that LSU had depth at receiver and with a new offense, there was concern about whether that would be maximized. In 2021, Bech had 489 receiving yards, which was second among SEC true freshmen behind only Brock Bowers. Even with the aforementioned Boutte set to return after the season-ending ankle injury, there was hope that Bech could take that Year 2 jump and become a reliable target for Daniels. So far, that hasn’t happened. Bech has just 10 catches for 81 yards and 1 touchdown. He appears to be out of LSU’s offensive plans having only played 20 snaps once, which was in Week 4 when Boutte was out after the birth of his child.

Yes, Bech has also been working through a back injury that he suffered against Florida. That sidelined him against Ole Miss. But Bech’s struggles go beyond just being buried in a deep receiver depth chart. His muffed opening kickoff against Tennessee was costly, as was the muffed punt against Florida. Both led to easy scores, which is a tough pill to swallow considering Bech has 1 touchdown on the year himself (he also did have a punt return touchdown that was called back for a questionable blindside block). He can still play a pivotal role for LSU down the stretch, but the back injury and the limited receiver reps don’t suggest the sophomore is about to become a go-to weapon like many (myself included) thought he’d be in 2022.

Arik Gilbert, Georgia TE

I’ll say this. It brought a smile to my face to see Gilbert celebrated by his teammates after he got into the end zone late against Vandy for his first touchdown in 2 years.

Neither you nor I know the full story of what he’s been dealing with off the field during his college career after entering LSU as the highest-rated tight end recruit of the 247sports rankings era, so I won’t speculate on that. What we do know is that he had ballooned up to nearly 300 pounds early in 2022, and he worked to shed that weight to get back down to a much more comfortable 250 pounds by the end of spring camp. We saw Gilbert deliver an excellent spring game performance, which perhaps readjusted expectations heading into 2022.

Having said that, he’s been mostly relegated to limited reps in garbage time so far. Yes, it’s the deepest tight end room in the country. It was never going to be a high-volume role even if he got his conditioning right, but I don’t think even the most conservative Gilbert projection would’ve had him healthy and not catching a pass until mid-October. So far, Gilbert played in 31 snaps scattered across 3 games, and he has 2 catches for 16 yards. Kirby Smart didn’t specifically discuss why he was out, but he did reference communication issues with the former 5-star recruit. Any production Georgia gets from Gilbert the rest of the way should be considered a major victory.

Wait … no Anthony Richardson?

I debated putting Richardson on here because it’s certainly disappointing that he ranks No. 89 among qualified FBS players in quarterback rating, and Florida fans would’ve hoped for more than 6 passing touchdowns heading into Halloween weekend. But part of our Richardson perception was thrown out of whack after the Utah game, wherein he flashed insane potential both as a runner and as a thrower. If we’re just referring to preseason expectations, though, I’d argue Richardson is pretty close to what was expected. For every jaw-dropping play, there’s a head-scratching decision that follows. He lacks consistency and he’s still figuring out who he is as a player, which is why Florida goes through these offensive dry spells.

If you were banging the drum that he was about to become a Heisman winner, I suppose he’d be on your list. But as a whole, Richardson has mostly been the up-and-down player I thought he’d be as a first-time starter.