Ranking the triplets: Best QB/WR/RB combos in the SEC
In the early 1990s, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys had the original “Triplets,” with eventual Hall of Famers in quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin. All that group did was win three Super Bowls in four seasons, setting the standard by which other trios are measured.
There’s no group in the SEC (or anywhere else) on that level, but having talent at those positions makes scoring points much easier. Defense may win championships, but every little bit of offense helps in the nation’s toughest conference.
As spring football rapidly approaches for SEC schools, let’s have a look at all 14 sets of “Triplets” and how they rank:
14. SOUTH CAROLINA
QB: Lorenzo Nunez/Brandon McIlwain
RB1: David Williams
WR1: Deebo Samuel
Rationale: South Carolina’s QB race is wide open. Nunez is an exceptional athlete. McIlwain is an intriguing talent, but he is a true freshman. Williams picked up 299 yards in a reserve role last season, but will have to fight off some talented newcomers to hold on to his starting spot. The same is true for Samuel, who had 12 grabs for 161 yards in an injury-plagued freshman campaign. The new coaching staff brought in plenty of talent at running back and wide receiver, so the Gamecock triplets will likely look much different as the season unfolds.
13. MISSOURI
QB: Drew Lock
RB1: Ish Witter
WR1: J’Mon Moore
Rationale: Lock is the clear-cut starter now that Maty Mauk is gone for good. He’ll need to be much better than he was in 2015, when he completed only 49 percent of his passes and had twice as many interceptions (8) as touchdowns (4). Witter returns as the team’s leading rusher (518 yards, 1 TD), but he’ll be pushed by the nation’s No. 2 JUCO running back recruit, Natereace Strong. J’Mon Moore had 29 catches for 350 yards in 2015, which were both team highs.
12. KENTUCKY
QB: Drew Barker
RB1: Stanley Williams
WR1: Garrett Johnson
Rationale: Much like Missouri, an exodus of quarterback talent has dropped the job into the lap of a rising sophomore. Barker played in five games in relief of the now-transferred Patrick Towles, and went 35 for 70 for 364 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Stephen Johnson II, a JUCO prospect, waits in the wings if Barker falters. Williams is a more proven commodity at running back, picking up 855 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. Johnson hauled in 46 passes for 694 yards and two scores in a solid sophomore season and will be hoping to raise his game even more as an upperclassman.
11. AUBURN
QB: John Franklin III/Jeremy Johnson/Sean White
RB1: Jovon Robinson
WR1: Marcus Davis
Rationale: Pegging JUCO transfer Franklin as the starter in February is nothing more than a dart throw with the competition he’s facing from Jeremy Johnson and Sean White, but he has the pedigree and skill set to reignite the offense. Robinson, who rushed for 639 yards last season, should step into the feature back role with Peyton Barber’s jump to the NFL. Marcus Davis caught 30 passes last fall for just 182 yards. A big-play threat at receiver would be nice, and the nation’s No. 9 receiver recruit, Kyle Davis, may turn out to be that guy.
10. VANDERBILT
QB: Kyle Shurmur
RB1: Ralph Webb
WR1: Trent Sherfield
Rationale: Shurmur was tossed into the deep end as a freshman, and his numbers reflected that (44 for 103 for 503 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions). At least he has the luxury of working with Webb, one of the league’s more dependable backs. Webb rushed for 1,152 yards and five touchdowns last season, despite being the top name to stop on every opposing scouting report. Sherfield had 51 receptions for 659 yards and three scores last fall, and should be Shurmur’s go-to option this fall.
9. MISSISSIPPI STATE
QB: Nick Fitzgerald
RB1: Brandon Holloway
WR1: Fred Ross
Rationale: All Fitzgerald must do is replace the most decorated quarterback in school history. While he may not be quite on Dak Prescott’s level, he was sharp in limited action last fall (11 for 14 for 235 yards and three scores). Holloway was the team’s second-leading rusher behind Prescott, but is very much part of a committee approach with Ashton Shumpert, Aeris Williams and others. Ross had a breakout season in 2015, catching 88 passes for 1,007 yards and five touchdowns. He’s the undisputed No. 1 receiver now, with De’Runnya Wilson off to the NFL.
8. ARKANSAS
QB: Austin Allen
RB1: Kody Walker
WR1: Drew Morgan
Rationale: Allen is the favorite to take over for his older brother as the Razorbacks starter, but that race is too close to call right now. Walker, Rawleigh Williams III and newcomer Devwah Whaley will battle for carries this fall, and we know that coach Bret Bielema isn’t shy about rotating running backs. Morgan survived the rash of injuries that struck Arkansas’ receiving corps last season, and led the team with 63 catches for 843 yards and 10 touchdowns.
7. FLORIDA
QB: Austin Appleby/Luke Del Rio
RB1: Jordan Scarlett
WR1: Antonio Callaway
Rationale: Appleby, a graduate transfer from Purdue, seems likely to get the first look at quarterback for the Gators. He completed 57.5 percent of his passes last fall for 1,260 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Scarlett (181 yards) and Jordan Cronkrite (157 yards) both saw plenty of action behind last year’s starter, Kelvin Taylor, and will likely share the load in 2016. Callaway was the team’s big-play threat as a true freshman, reeling in 35 passes for 678 yards and four touchdowns, but will have to adjust to being the center of attention for opposing defenses.
6. TEXAS A&M
QB: Trevor Knight
RB1: Keith Ford
WR1: Christian Kirk
Rationale: Thanks to a pair of Oklahoma transfers, the Aggies seem set in the triplet positions. Knight, beaten out by Baker Mayfield at OU last fall, passed for 2,300 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2014. That was the same season that Ford ran for 392 yards and five scores for the Sooners. Both will need to shake off some rust this fall. Kirk, on the other hand, was an overnight sensation as a true freshman. He caught 80 passes for 1,009 yards and seven scores.
5. OLE MISS
QB: Chad Kelly
RB1: Akeem Judd
WR1: Quincy Adeboyejo
Rationale: Despite some significant losses elsewhere on the roster, the Rebels return the SEC’s best quarterback in 2016. Kelly broke school records in 2015, accounting for more than 4,500 total yards and 41 touchdowns. Judd is the leading candidate to handle the running back duties this fall after rushing for 421 yards and three scores last year. Adeboyejo (38 catches, 604 yards and seven touchdowns) will try to help fill the void left by Laquon Treadwell at receiver.
4. GEORGIA
QB: Greyson Lambert/Jacob Eason
RB1: Nick Chubb
WR1: Terry Godwin
Rationale: Nobody expects Lambert to start every game for the Bulldogs in 2016 with five-star recruit Eason waiting in the wings. But Lambert should start the opener, and for all of his struggles in 2015, he still had the league’s fifth-best passer rating. Chubb is on his way back from a devastating knee injury, but was one of the nation’s best backs before that injury hit last season. His understudy, Sony Michel, is a 1,000-yard rusher good enough to start almost anywhere else. Godwin caught 35 passes for 379 yards and two scores last fall and should be ready to become a No. 1 receiver.
3. ALABAMA
QB: Cooper Bateman/Blake Barnett
RB1: Bo Scarbrough
WR1: Calvin Ridley
Rationale: Bateman backed up Jacob Coker but saw a little action early last season. This year, he’ll have the chance to win the job again if he can hold off Barnett. Scarbrough is the latest big, fast running back to grace the top of the Alabama depth chart, but he’ll have to hold off Damien Harris. Ridley did his best Amari Cooper impersonation as a true freshman, catching 89 passes for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns.
2. TENNESSEE
QB: Joshua Dobbs
RB1: Jalen Hurd
WR1: Josh Malone
Rationale: Dobbs got better and better as the year progressed in 2015, accounting for 2,962 total yards and 26 touchdowns. Hurd rushed for 1,288 yards and a dozen scores and has an outstanding backup in Alvin Kamara. Malone is listed as the No. 1 receiver right now, based on his 2015 production (31 catches, 405 yards and two scores), but the Volunteers are looking for more consistency and explosiveness out of this unit.
1. LSU
QB: Brandon Harris
RB1: Leonard Fournette
WR1: Malachi Dupre
Rationale: Anyone who has seen Harris play knows that, on occasion, he looks very poor. But his numbers suggest that he’s not quite as bad as his reputation suggests. His completion percentage (53.6) could be better, but a 13-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio is nothing to sneeze at. Fournette rang up 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in just 12 games last fall, and is the favorite to win this year’s Heisman Trophy. Dupre needs to show more consistency, but still caught 43 passes for 698 yards and six scores in 2015.
Thanks for the props Randy. Almost everyone, fans and media alike, has written Harris off after only 1 season as the starter QB in his sophomore year, playing with a majority sophomore offensive cast. This is foolish. There were some bad looking throws (especially after the hernia and while rolling out, throwing across the body, and being hounded by pursuing defenders) but the numbers speak for themselves. This applies to the entire offense, which averaged within 5 yards per game of both Tennessee and Alabama, and you won’t find anyone bashing their offenses….. if you want an accurate depiction of offensive efficiency, quit listening to upset fans and the media and look at the numbers.
Give me a break LSu was over-rated again last year and once again this year.
The higher numbers are from the cupcake schedule, then you ran into real teams and got your $ass whipped. Same goes for your QB and your coach that can’t seem to coach one up – same coach, same plan miles, LOL, stack the line.
Next year ya’ll won’t even make it Wisconsin and be 2-3 in the first 5 weeks.
* pass Wisconsin
How could lsu be overrated if everyone thinks they were terrible last year? And there’s no such thing as a cupcake schedule in the sec, not sure where you’re getting that from. Doesn’t matter anyway, you won’t be talking about us being overrated when we beat y’all by two touchdowns next year
Your #3 ranking was over-rated right ?
As for beating us, like I said Miles seems to be doing the same thing as last year with Harris. So good luck, I love this game each year !
Doesn’t that logic mean Ole miss was overrated? I know Ole miss raised to a higher spot in the polls than they finished…
Moron, Lsu played nobody during their 7-0 start, then got the their $ass whipped.
OM before injuries and then again at the end of the season could beat anybody in the nation including Bama (again). Even with 33333 loses we still finished in the top 10.
Ah got to love Ole Miss fans….Coulda, woulda, shoulda, fanbase…..
Moron
No ‘Coulda’ about whipping Bama $ass, with 15 minutes left in the game Bama fans were filmed running out of the stadium (crying), priceless !
Troll, Your new QB won’t have a chance against Kelly
~ Your Welcome
You coulda won something if you didn’t lose 3 games. You shoulda beat Memphis right? The Bama loss seems to only matter to Ole miss fans. Bama went on to win the SEC and NC while Ole miss folded like usual……just a glorified spoiler and you can’t even do that….
Still (crying), priceless !
Crying? We are still celebrating a NC. It’s the difference in expectations that confuse you. See you want to win a big game while Bama wants to win NCs. A 3 loss season would be bama’s worse year in the last 8. It would be your best season in what? The last century maybe?
crying (tissue) …
And against real team LSu only averaged 15.6 points per game, LOL
Kelly 41 TDs versus both your QB & LF 35 TDs – His completion percentage (53.6) could be better, but a 13-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio is nothing to sneeze at. Fournette rang up 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns
I hope you stay with Harris (53.6 barely half ) for the next two year, please corndog !
You’re a moron.
Dumass corndog Tiger by the dumbass bay !
LSu sucked with Harris last year and again with next year as long as Miles is there.
Like I said stick with Harris morons, LOL
Harris is much better than everyone seems to think and would you rather have only a quarterback, or everything but a quarterback? That is the difference between lsu and ole piss next year
You insult morons. Even morons have more brains and class than this insult to any intelligent ole miss fan. His only joy is throwing insults. It is said this is how follows with a tiny pens act. Certainly this clown falls into that category. First time ever I actually agreed with an ala fan, and that has never happened before
Lester Miles….a perfect example of a coach who started off red hot (thanks to the players Nick Saban left him with) but has steadily declined into mediocrity, much like every coach who has EVER been there.
LSU fans act like they are “elite”, and I heard Verne Lundquist call them elite in this game, but I don’t believe 3 NC’s in more than 100 seasons is elite….and the most damning fact of all–the most PATHETIC–is that LSU has never, ever, in the history of their program, fielded an undefeated, untied football team.
Vanderbilt’s done it. Sewanee has done it. The Citadel has done it. NE Louisiana has done it. McNeese State has done it.
EVERYBODY’S DONE IT. But….not LSU. Oh my God….if that isn’t a claim to suckassedness, I don’t know what is.
LOL, Just kidding Corndogs. You guys have fielded some good, even great teams through the years, but I still think “elite” is stretching it a bit. BTW, the undefeated, untied thing is true.
You have the diction of a 12 year old. Does your Mom know your talking stranger like this?
He has the diction of what he is, a dolt
LSU has had two undefeated and untied seasons. Moron.
You are an idiot, and you apparently can’t read. LSU went undefeat and untied 3 times before 1900 and three times since. That’s 5 more times than Ole Miss, moron. Had you said Missippi State, you would have been correct, but would still be an idiot.
Dumbass corndogs, LOL, I knew that would get you fired up !
I just cut and pasted that from the Arky/LSuck game.
@Bulldog ya’ll just suck
Never see me on the State boards for that very reason, LOL
That is a lie.
I don’t know if you’re married, or even if you’re old enough to be, but if you are, I’d bet your wife is on ’round th clock suicide watch… You are one miserable sumbich
Sorry, ‘Can’t help it’ corndog, LOL
still can’t come up with a dig all ur own huh? gotta keep using the Auburn fans “corndog”… lol… corndogs is good…
Corndogs are good, but not great :)
Lsu had had way more undefeated seasons and nc’s than ole piss so you can suck it
What’s with the moody Ole Mrs fans? Like all their fans suddenly got arrogant like theyve won the West every year instead of never.
Dude, they’ve always been like that, it’s just easier to ignore them when you beat them.
Rebel_Landsharks is acting like he owns the place.
Said the King, LOL
the VIII was way better ! The II just want more power you must be an Obama supporter too
Haha. Good point
Having LSU No 1 on this list is a joke lol. Harris is one of the worst qbs in the conference. Fournette is the best RB in the country. But that’s all LSU has.
Chad Kelly is far an away the best QB in the conference and OM’s best WR is Stringfellow, not Adeboyijo. He is easily one of the best WRs in the conference. Akeem Judd is a solid RB. Its a no brainer that OM should be in the top 3, if not first.
You think Ole Piss should be first on every list every year… No clue how OM fans have gotten so ridiculously cocky when they’ve actually never won anything. You just keep hanging your hat on those 2 Bama victories, because that’s really all the program has!
Harris is one of the worst qbs in the conference? LF7 is all we have? hahaha for starters, we have 3 other RB’s that could probably start at Ole Miss…. and as usual, we have at least 2 WR’s who are top notch and will go on to have illustrious NFL careers. We are going to have a better OL than Ole Miss as well… And a better defense too. You guys had 1 or 2 good years and now you shoot your mouth off on every post haha. You’re not as bad as RebelLandsharks, but you’ve still got it way twisted. You say that LF7 is all we have whenever your entire team is Chad Kelly…. how inaccurate and hypocritical…..
Completely agree with you
You’ve lost your mind and overdosed on the Kool-Aid, couple months ago ya’ll were good to fire Miles. What and now LSu is going to win it all, LOL
And against real team LSu only averaged 15.6 points per game. I hope you stay with Harris (53.6 barely half ) for the next two year, please corndog !
1) Teams are going to do the same as last year stack the line and wait for Harris
2) Your OL sucked and now there going to be the best.
3) Who cares how many WRs you have, Harris still sucks
And finally we not only have Kelly, but the SEC #1 offense too
~ Your Welcome Corndog
* going to fire Miles
Your an idiot. Brandon Harris is actually a decent qb and yes, fournette is the best in the country and no, that is DEFINITELY not all lsu has. Josh dobbs and Trevor knight are both better than Chad Kelly. Also, while Harris isn’t very good, he has the best possible rb and a very talented wr and there’s no other group of three that’s better
I think saying harris isn’t very good is premature. He’s had 1 season. We didn’t think Brandon Allen was very good after his 1st season as the starter….
“Josh dobbs and Trevor knight are both better than Chad Kelly. ”
You lost your mind corndog, Kelly had 41 TDs – does both of them combine even have that many between them, LOL
Attention SDS crew, would someone please write an article with OleMiss ranked #1 at something, to give Rebel_SandSchidts something to live for…
I asked this a minute ago but it was held up for censorship over spelling I guess…
LOL, well we had the #1 total offense in the SEC. There you go :)
Yeah, LAST YEAR. And it obviously didn’t help you win a championship, so no one cares
Please don’t lump all Ole Miss fans in the same boat as Rebel_LandSharks..
And my two cents- Since Alabama is replacing their QB and 1st/2nd String tailback..Ole Miss should be higher than them and Georgia
Why? Georgia and Alabama have better RB’s and WR’s. The only edge old piss has is QB. I’ve never heard of your teams RB or WR.
In his defense, what has Bama’s best 3 players done compared to Ole Miss’ best 3? You can say Scarborough (sp) is better than any OM running back but until he actually hits the field how can you know for sure? Just going by stats: Kelly > Bateman/Barnett, Judd > Scarborough, and Ridley > Adeboyejo (unless you go by career stats, in which you’d list Adeboyejo before Ridley). So I’d say 2/3 for OM are better than Bama’s.
I like your team spirit, but Judd>Scarbrough is ridiculous, and I don’t care if Scarbrough has played a snap. Alabama replaces top level rb’s with more top level rb’s, while Ole Miss have been very short on talent at the RB position, since Freeze has been there. Probably, has something to do with the spread/pass offense they run, and that is another reason for BS>AJ. Alabama focuses on RB’s getting a lot of touches and Ole Miss is gonna sling it around the yard, especially with Kelly at the helm. Hell Kelly might be the biggest running threat on the team. Im from Memphis, so I am very familiar with Ole Miss recruiting. They recruit short, usually small, rbs who can be interchangeable and fit in the spread/pass offense. Jordan Wilkins and Jaylen Walten who they recruited from the Memphis area are prime examples. Walton is 5’8″ 172 pounds, Judd is heavier at 220 but only 6′, and Wilkins is at 6’1″ 210. They are system backs who are compliments in the offense and not the main focus.
hasn’t*
You win the RB battle in Georgia vs Ole Miss no question. But Kelly>Any QB on your roster by far and your WRs? Godwin had what, two games where he topped 75yards? Only reason we hear about Georgia’s WR is because they always get injured.
Moron
For once I agree with rebel_landsharks
nah, we don’t… but in a strange way, I think I understand him… He’s an agitator and trash talking makes him happy… I gotta admit, without him, it might get a bit boring around here.. >8-P
Only LSu fans (better;) son !!! I went to Ole Miss and know for a fact LSu fans are a nasty bunch. Also, really like ya’ll haven’t been posting about the 3 year investigation (which nothing much was found).
And if you don’t know that, then you definitely didn’t go to LSu.
yeah, there was a couple LSU fans raggin’ you guys about that. ButI said from th jump, I hope they ain’t nothing to it, cuz I don’t want y’all given any of them “if it wasn’t for that NCAA” excuses when we whip y’alls a$$ next season.
The only team that should be chest thumping is Bama! Everybody else has glaring needs! Are we seriously going to argue over particular positions?
-LSU: Can’t develop a quarterback.
-Texas A&M: Can’t keep a quarterback.
-Arkansas: Can’t find early season momentum.
-Ole Miss: Lost to Arkansas( are you kidding me? but then again we lost to aubbie. smh).
-State: Well what can i say about state that hasn’t been already said about Iraq?
-Aubbie: Good Ole Aubbie…….
-Alabama: Thanks for carrying the entire conference;we can continue to claim some delusional supremacy, all which is refutable through empirical evidence….
If anyone brings up the transitive property you’ve missed the entire point!
South Carolina – late game implosions, horrible recruiting by Spurrier and co. Don’t get me wrong, love spurrier and I’m glad that he dug us out of the 0-11 cellar, but he kind of messed us up the past couple years by not recruiting.
You are retarded. Texas a&m doesn’t have a defense either, while miss st is going to have a bad team next year you can’t compare them to Iraq, and “delusional supremacy”? Wtf? Sec is and always will be the best conference, and if you don’t think that you’re bat a true sec fan and you need to get off this site
I believe if we ran this same evaluation after the season, Alabama would be number one followed by Ole Miss. I think Barnett is going to be very good and Alabama always has a top draft pick at running back. Ridley? No explanation needed! Ole Miss will be number two because of Kelly and the type of offense they run.
Lol, Harris isn’t that good.
Doesn’t matter, fournette and dural are good enough
Good enough to what? Lose 4 or 5 games?
31 yards
I still don’t buy that were at the bottom…
We top Mizzou easily, especially if the right system is implanted. A run based offense out of the spread would work wonders for us.
When Missouri loses to Indiana, they still won the east. When South Carolina loses to the Citadel, well, you just suck with a 3-9 record.
Offensively, we have the pieces for a spread system.
Defensively, train wreck. Thanks Whammy.
Can’t wait til fall, you got several primaries wrong.