One offensive, one defensive player per team who might surprise in 2017

Every serious SEC football fan who is already scouring that September schedule and scouting those first four opponents knows who the difference-makers will be for his or her team on offense, on defense and probably on special teams, too.

But it’s the fringe guys, coming from off the pace to reach the big stage, who often make the difference between 9-3 and 7-5, or 7-5 and 5-7.

Fans can understand that, too, so here is one player on offense and one on defense for each SEC team who could favorably tip the scales in the win column come fall:

Alabama

Offense: Tyrell Shavers, receiver. Shavers is an early enrollee and a whopping 6-6. He has a verified 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash. Look out.

Defense: Ben Davis, middle linebacker. Davis is raring to go coming off a redshirt. Scout rated Davis a 5-star prospect last year.

Arkansas

Offense: Austin Cantrell, tight end. The redshirt sophomore is ready to explode, or at least realize his full potential, after waiting patiently behind standouts Jeremy Sprinkle and Hunter Henry the past two years. Cantrell started to show signs last fall, making five starts and scoring touchdowns in the last two regular-season games. He should pick up where he left off this fall.

Defense: Austin Capps, defensive tackle. Capps’ aunt, uncle and cousin all graduated from Arkansas, and the 6-4, 309-pound Capps can start to make his mark on the field in Fayetteville this fall. Capps was a 4-star recruit in 2016 who barely got his feet wet last fall, but most of the time 4-star guys eventually rise to the top.

Auburn

Offense: Kyle Davis, wide receiver. Davis’ 42-yard, one-handed catch against Arkansas State was his highlight-reel way of saying hello to the Tigers’ fan base. He added a pair of acrobatic catches against LSU. Expect more of the same this fall in more doses, with Davis’ role expanding in the Tigers’ offense.

Defense: Javaris Davis, cornerback. Davis has the ability to fill the hole left by Josh Holsey. Speed can kill, and Davis has an abundance of it in addition to his coverage skills.

Florida

Offense: Daquon Green, receiver. The 6-1 athlete who starred at nearby Tampa Bay Tech High was one of the top wide receivers in the 2017 class and could help spark a passing game that’s been sleep-walking through the past few seasons. Green chose the Gators over Auburn, Georgia and Kentucky.

Defense: David Reese, linebacker. With oft-injured Alex Anzalone heading to the NFL, Reese will get his shot to shine, and count on him doing it brightly at middle linebacker for another strong Gators defense. The 6-0, 244-pounder didn’t come all the way to Gainesville from the Detroit suburbs to not make his mark on Jim McElwain’s defense.

Georgia

Offense: Jeremiah Holloman, receiver. The 6-2, 4-star Holloman is an early enrollee who could make a quick and strong impression this fall, especially if he can use the extra time to build a rhythm with Jacob Eason. Isaiah McKenzie left early for the NFL Draft, and there is room for someone like Holloman to help fill the void if not do it entirely.

Defense: Robert Beal, defensive end. The 6-3, 217-pound freshman is a 4-star gem who was rated the No. 5 weak-side defensive end in the country and will make the Dawgs’ defensive line even deeper. Beal is lightning fast and should be ready to make an immediate impact for Kirby Smart.

Kentucky

Offense: Javonte Richardson, receiver. He has athleticism and size at 6-4, 230 but needs to refine his pass-catching skills. Still, he could make an early and resounding impact. According to Kentucky.com, Richardson “offers arguably the highest long-term potential of any player in UK’s recruiting class, regardless of position.”

Defense: Jordan Griffin, cornerback. The sophomore-to-be could emerge at either cornerback spot even while playing behind Derrick Baity and Chris Westry.

LSU

Offense: Andy Dodd, center. The senior is big (6-4, 318 pounds) and has been in the program seemingly forever, and he should be ready to anchor the line in Ed Orgeron’s first full season as coach. Dodd’s emergence — or failure to emerge — will be a huge key in coordinator Matt Canada’s ability to finally get LSU’s offense to realize its potential.

Defense: Devin White, linebacker. The 2016 4-star White was originally recruited as an athlete and was actually listed by 247Sports as a running back. White made a few plays for the Tigers last fall (30 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack), but 2017 could be the breakout for a guy who chose Baton Rouge over Arkansas, Alabama and Ole Miss.

Mississippi State

Offense: Keith Mixon, receiver. The 5-8 “pocket rocket,” as he was called by his roommate Fred Ross last year, should be ready to fully emerge. He had a modest 20 catches and two touchdowns in 2016, but Nick Fitzgerald should be finding the little burner much more this fall.

Defense: Willie Gay, linebacker. The 2017 4-star gem is a hometown kid from Starkville who should be thrust into the rotation from the start. “Arguably the biggest signing of this recruiting class, [Gay] was the biggest name of the class and caused MSU to jump in the team rankings,” wrote forwhomthecowbelltolls.com.

Missouri

Offense: Kendall Blanton, tight end. Expect Blanton’s 2016 stats — 16 catches, 161 yards, three touchdowns — to be dwarfed by his numbers this fall in his second season in Josh Heupel’s offense. Drew Lock to Blanton should be a familiar theme in 2017 after Blanton’s semi-breakthrough in 2016.

Defense: Terry Petry, cornerback. The Tigers plucked the 6-0 3-star corner out of, ironically, Missouri City, Texas. Petry played corner and wideout in high school and could do some damage as a return man on special teams, too.

Ole Miss

Offense: Van Jefferson, receiver. Jefferson could go from reliable target to go-to guy in the Rebels’ offense, especially with Evan Engram and Damore’ea Stringfellow gone. Jefferson won’t have Chad Kelly around this fall and he’ll have a new offensive coordinator, but that shouldn’t stop him from blossoming.

Defense: Benito Jones, defensive tackle. The 5-star Jones had 39 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2016, and now he seems ready to fully bust out for a defensive unit searching for a leader.

South Carolina

Offense: OrTre Smith, wide receiver. The 6-3, 215-pounder could make for the ultimate comeback story after having surgery to repair ligament damage in his right ankle. The 4-star recruit enrolled early and is determined to make an immediate impact for Will Muschamp.

Defense: Javon Kinlaw, defensive tackle. Like Smith, Kinlaw is a 4-star gem, and 247Sports ranked Kinlaw as the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the 2017 class. Gamecocks fans might be thanking him for his choice as soon as this fall.

Tennessee

Offense: Jordan Murphy, receiver. The Vols are losing a lot from last fall and the 6-1, 170-pound Murphy will provide an immediate boost with his jumping ability for whoever wins the quarterback job.

Defense: Matthew Butler, defensive line. Just like on offense, the Vols have holes on defense, especially along the line with the loss of Derek Barnett, and the 6-4, 280-pound freshman Butler will likely see immediate action.

Texas A&M

Offense: Camron Horry, tight end. Of course, the son of seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry should be destined for greatness, or at least a breakout first season with the Aggies. The 6-5, 261-pounder from Katy, Texas, was an honorable mention all-state pick as an offensive lineman but is rated the No. 18 tight end in the country by 247Sports.

Defense: Anthony Hines, inside linebacker. The 4-star inside linebacker from Plano, Texas, was a fantastic get for the Aggies in February and should pay immediate dividends in September for a rebuilding defense.

Vanderbilt

Offense: Kalija Lipscomb (below), wide receiver. The Commodores can’t be all Ralph Webb, and Lipscomb played in all 12 games last year as a freshman and was the team’s third-leading receiver with 27 catches, 317 yards and two touchdowns. Expect Kyle Shurmur to rely a lot more on Lipscomb this fall.

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Defense: Randall Haynie, cornerback. Haynie hails from talent-rich Broward County in South Florida, where he starred for Cardinal Gibbons and developed a reputation for being a ballhawk, which the Commodores need. The 6-0, 180-pounder has it all and could start showing it right away.