Ad Disclosure
We’ve reached the Top 20 of our Top 100 SEC players list and will unveil a new player daily leading up to opening night on Aug. 28.
17. Trey Flowers, Sr., DE, Arkansas
Kevin Sumlin recently referred to the SEC as a line of scrimmage league made up of physical, long and athletic defensive linemen. Here’s another one of those dominant players up front the Texas A&M coach says teams must have to win games. Flowers’ decision to return to Arkansas for his senior season gives the Razorbacks a chance at the point of attack against fast-paced offenses at Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. He’s the SEC’s top returning player in the tackles for loss category after posting 13.5 stops for negative yardage last fall, slightly edging out Mizzou’s Markus Golden.
RELATED: Projecting SEC stat leaders — Defensive Linemen
A player who practices like he plays, Flowers was recently named to the Ted Hendricks Award watch list, adding to his substantial offseason praise including nominations on the Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik Award watch lists. Already a sure draft pick, the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder is hoping a stellar final campaign will push the Razorbacks away from the SEC West cellar and back to respectability. His sack numbers should increase without Chris Smith hogging pass-rushing statistics at the other end position.
2013 statistics: 44 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 5 sacks
2014 projection: 50 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks
