10 things we learned about the SEC East this offseason
New faces, new visions, new expectations.
The SEC East will offer a buffet of intrigue when the season kicks off next month. From coaching changes at Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina to sky-high hopes at Tennessee, there will be plenty to watch within the division.
Here are 10 things we learned in the SEC East this offseason:
10. South Carolina could go young at quarterback
Two freshmen will compete for the Gamecock’s top job behind center, Brandon McIlwain and Jake Bentley. Bentley is an intriguing option because the Opelika, Ala., product skipped his senior season of high school to enroll early at South Carolina.
If new coach Will Muschamp decides to go with experience, senior Perry Orth will be the answer. But it will be tempting for Muschamp and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to side with youth.
One advantage would be the ability to instill their vision with a signal-caller who will stay within the program beyond this year. Not much is expected from the Gamecocks, so going through growing pains with a young quarterback might be the smart way to go.
9. Nick Chubb, when back at full strength, will be fun to watch
Oh, what could have been in 2015. The Georgia running back/clap of thunder had 747 yards rushing last year before sustaining a gruesome left knee injury against Tennessee. He never had fewer than 120 yards in Georgia’s first five games, leaving destroyed defenses in his dust.
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Chubb isn’t ruling out being ready for the opener Sept. 3 against North Carolina in Atlanta. But whenever he returns, he’ll be a dynamic force. Leonard Fournette enters as the conference’s assumed top rusher after settling into Derrick Henry’s old throne. But Chubb won’t be far behind if he stays healthy.
8. Mark Stoops’ seat gets hotter by the hour at Kentucky
What’s going on in Lexington? The Wildcats unveiled a swank $45 million football training facility on July 21, so Kentucky looks the part of a serious program. But the fact remains that Stoops is a miserable 12-24 in three seasons with the Wildcats. Making a bowl seems like a low-bar requirement for Kentucky this year. But will it happen?
Running back Stanley “Boom” Williams will be a threat on the ground, but the Wildcats will move on without quarterback Patrick Towles, now at Boston College. The clock is ticking for Stoops to show Kentucky fans have reason to anticipate something other than the tipoff of a new basketball season. So far, he hasn’t delivered.
7. After a crazy year, Missouri should be counting down the seconds until kickoff
What wild times in Columbia. Long-time coach Gary Pinkel is gone. Athletic director Mack Rhoades is gone. Interim athletic director Wren Baker is gone. Now two defensive line standouts, Walter Brady and Harold Brantley, are gone. New coach Barry Odom will try to push the Tigers forward and keep talk focused on what happens on the field.
A bowl game should be the goal in what will be a season of growth. The defense will be a little less stout after the recent departures but still led by a skilled line. But the offense remains a question after awful production last year. Josh Heupel’s hire as offensive coordinator offers promise, though.
6. Derek Mason must make Vanderbilt take a step forward
The Commodores have veered south in a big way since James Franklin left for Penn State. Vanderbilt is 7-17 in two years under Mason, so more must be done to show the Commodores can become relevant. Like Stoops, Mason has accomplished little and should feel more heat. The SEC East appears to be growing stronger, so that’s not great news for a Vanderbilt program that has lost its way since appearing in three straight bowls from 2011 to 2013. Mason must inject more excitement quickly.
5. Kirby Smart must step from Nick Saban’s large shadow
One of Smart’s largest tasks will be developing his own reputation as a head coach. Fairly or unfairly, he will be compared to his mentor, Nick Saban, until he produces breakthrough moments of his own.
Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Smart is fortunate to have Chubb in his backfield to make the transition easier. A big choice at quarterback looms, with highly touted freshman Jacob Eason possibly receiving the nod. Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey also will receive consideration.
If Georgia can knock off Tennessee and/or Florida, that would be fine way to begin Smart’s time in Athens.
4. No one knows how the division’s three new coaches will do
Take your pick. Muschamp at South Carolina? Odom at Missouri? Smart at Georgia? There are plenty of new faces within the SEC East, which leaves room to wonder about many unknowns. Smart seems to have the best situation on paper, led by Chubb at running back, but it’s possible that Odom and Muschamp will surprise.
Overall, Muschamp appears to have the most to gain or lose with this coaching stop. After becoming a rising star within the profession, his reputation took a boulder-sized blow at Florida. Now he’ll try to rebuild his image with the Gamecocks. If he fails there, it’s hard to know how far he will fall.
3. Tennessee and Florida are a cut above the rest
It’s risky to place too much stock into preseason projections, but there’s a reason the Volunteers and Gators are considered the SEC East’s front-runners.
Tennessee, in particular, is loaded and looks to be the division’s most complete team. Florida beat expectations last year in its first campaign under Jim McElwain, and the Gators have been the Vols’ banana peel time and time again.
With new coaches at South Carolina, Missouri and Georgia, it’s hard to tell what will come of those situations. Can the countdown to the SEC East’s top showdown on Sept. 24 in Knoxville end, please?
2. The division is improving, but a gap between the East and West remains
Make no mistake, the league’s glamour teams remain in the SEC West. Even if Tennessee wins the East, it’s hard to see the Vols beating Alabama, LSU or Ole Miss at the Georgia Dome.
Take a glance at the preseason All-SEC first-team selections, and you’ll notice there are just two mentions on offense (Chubb and Georgia’s Greg Pyke) and four on defense (Florida’s Jalen Tabor, plus Tennessee’s Derek Barnett, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cameron Sutton). The SEC needs a stronger East, to mix things up, if nothing else. It will be fascinating to see if Tennessee or someone else can swing some power to that side of the conference for the first time since Tim Tebow knocked off Alabama in 2008.
1. It will be a massive disappointment for the Volunteers if they don’t win the SEC East
Win or wallow in sadness, Tennessee. In a way, the Vols are victims of their own progress. Butch Jones has made steady gains in the win column and on the recruiting trail since he arrived in Knoxville.
Now that there’s an opening in the division, most expect Tennessee to burst through with a larger head of steam than a 44-ton locomotive. We’ll see if the promise on paper produces results, but there’s that nasty little Florida problem to address. Meeting massive expectations is no mental walk through the tulips, so Jones must keep his guys settled. Prepare for a feast-or-famine year, Rocky Top.
