As we inch closer to the midpoint of the 2023 SEC and college football season, let’s take a moment to think of something much larger than football and extend our thoughts and prayers to former Arkansas and current LSU defensive back Greg Brooks. An LSU captain, Brooks underwent emergency surgery on Friday to remove a brain tumor. Football feels small in the face of such things, but it also feels therapeutic and forges unlikely alliances rooted in our common humanity.

The way LSU and Arkansas honored Brooks last Saturday in Baton Rouge, wearing his No. 3 on their helmets, along with other individual tributes, was a reminder of that shared kinship. That the Tigers and Hogs played the best football game of the season in the SEC to date was a tribute in and of itself. Get well soon, Greg. We are thinking of you.

As for the rest of the SEC, I won’t say nature is healing — not after Missouri squeaked by Memphis in what was nearly another SEC nonconference disaster. But there were signs of the old SEC on Saturday. To wit: Brock Bowers went ape, with 9 catches for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns in Georgia’s rout of Alabama-Birmingham. Alabama was vintage Alabama, with Jalen Milroe plenty effective enough to allow the Crimson Tide to manhandle Ole Miss, 24-10. And Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M looked marvelous on both sides of the football in a 27-10 rout of Auburn. What may have been most promising in that game was the way Max Johnson did what he’s done his whole career, producing when called upon after Conner Weigman went down with an ankle injury. The Aggies look like a force that could contend in a down SEC West. Of course, if Jayden Daniels plays the way he did in the second half Saturday against Arkansas, everyone is playing for 2nd– but more on that later.

The “List” sees some stability in Week 5, but there’s still plenty of movement in an SEC trying to figure out what it wants to be.

The league isn’t as good as the Pac-12, which feels weird to type. But is it worse than the ACC? The 1-4 head-to-head suggests it is, but with October looming, there’s still time to figure that out. There’s also time to figure out who wants to join DeVonta Smith, Bryce Young and Christopher Smith II as a “Best Player in the SEC” champion on the greatest List in college football. Who will it be in 2023?

Last week’s list is here.

As always, Honorable Mentions first, limited to 2 per institution. A special shout out to Kentucky defensive back Maxwell Hairston, who had a historic Saturday with 2 pick-6s in the Wildcats’ 45-28 drubbing of hapless Vanderbilt.

Another list shout out to Ricky Pearsall, who in Florida’s win over Charlotte went full OBJ on what could be the catch of the year.

A well-deserved SEC Player of the Week to you, Maxwell and kudos to a SportsCenter Top 10 to you, Ricky Pearsall.

Honorable Mention: Alabama: DB Terrion Arnold, LB Dallas Turner; Arkansas:  TE Luke Hasz, LB Jaheim Thomas; Auburn: LB Eugene Asante, LB Cam Riley; Florida: LB Shemar James, RB Trevor Etienne; Georgia: OL Dylan Fairchild, DB Tykee Smith; Kentucky: WR Barion Brown, DB Maxwell Hairston; LSU: LB Harold Perkins Jr., DT Mekhi Wingo; Missouri: QB Brady Cook, C Connor Tollison; MSU: WR Lideatrick Griffin, LB Jett Johnson; Ole Miss: LB Suntarine Perkins, QB Jaxson Dart; SC: WR Xavier Legette, DT Alex Huntley; Tennessee: LB Aaron Beasley, CB Kamal Hadden; Texas A&M: WR Evan Stewart, DB Josh DeBerry; Vanderbilt: WR Will Sheppard, OL Bradley Ashmore.

10. KJ Jefferson, QB (Arkansas)

The senior was excellent in the nip and tuck loss on the road to LSU. Jefferson threw for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran for 48 more in nearly pulling off a huge upset. Jefferson doesn’t have gaudy numbers this season (918 yards, 9 touchdowns). Watch him on film or live, though, and you see what he means to an Arkansas team fighting behind a rebuilt, struggling offensive line and a defense that can’t get enough stops to take the pressure off Sam Pittman’s offense. Jefferson continues to profile as one of PFF’s best players in college football (33rd through 4 weeks) and he’ll have another chance to shine when Arkansas squares off with Texas A&M at Jerry’s World in Arlington this weekend (Noon, SEC Network).

9. Jaylin Simpson, DB (Auburn)

The SEC’s shared leader in interceptions (3), Simpson allowed just 2 completions in 5 1-on-1 opportunities and registered a tackle for loss in Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M. It was the first game this season when the Auburn senior failed to collect an interception. Still, with 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery on the season, Simpson is the best playmaker on a quality Auburn defense.

8. Ray Davis, RB (Kentucky)

Davis gained 78 yards and tallied 2 touchdowns in Kentucky’s win over Vanderbilt. Davis’ impressive performance against his former team came just a week removed from making Kentucky history by registering touchdowns of 50 yards or more as both a runner and receiver.

Davis enters the Florida game the SEC’s leader in rushing touchdowns (5) and 4th-leading rusher, with 314 yards this season at a 6.3 yards per carry clip. If Kentucky wants to grab a 3rd consecutive win over Florida for the first time since the 1950s, establishing Davis will be critical.

7. Javon Foster, OT (Missouri)

Foster continues to grade out as the nation’s best offensive tackle, per PFF. Most impressive is his run-blocking grade of 87.9, which ranks 2nd in the country (Spencer Clapp, Wake Forest). The Missouri offense tallied 201 yards rushing in their 34-27 win over Memphis last weekend, and Foster was right in the middle of the passing game (341 yards) as well, collecting 2 more pancake blocks and surrendering 0 quarterback pressures.

6. Malik Nabers, WR (LSU)

The junior was magnificent in LSU’s 34-31 win over Arkansas. Nabers hauled in 8 catches on 10 targets for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns, pushing his season touchdown total to 5, good for 2nd in the SEC (Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt, has 6). Nabers has quickly become Jayden Daniels’ favorite and most reliable target, and his 32 receptions are tied for the SEC lead (Luther Burden III, below).

5. Spencer Rattler, QB (South Carolina)

The senior is having himself a year. Rattler threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns in South Carolina’s win over Mississippi State. Most impressive? He only threw 2 incompletions — 1 of which came on a play where officials clearly missed pass interference.

Rattler is making the right reads, playing smart and remaining composed despite an offensive line most charitably described as a “work in progress.” Rattler led back-to-back touchdown scoring drives of 98 and 99 yards to open the game, the 2 longest drives in the Shane Beamer Era at South Carolina.

Rattler’s chemistry with emerging star Xavier Legette resulted in 2 touchdown passes of 75 and 76 yards on Saturday, giving much-needed explosive capability to this Gamecocks offense.

4. Malaki Starks, S (Georgia)

The sophomore grades out as the nation’s best safety, per PFF. While he received a grade of 71.3 Saturday (the 2nd-lowest of his career), he’s still the leader of one of the nation’s best defenses (No. 4 in SP+ defense). On the season, Starks has 13 tackles, an interception, and 4 pass breakups for a defense that ranks 5th nationally in interceptions with 7, per CFB Stats.

3. Brock Bowers, TE (Georgia)

Georgia’s freakish tight end has busted out of his early-season slumber over the past 6 quarters of football. After a huge second half in Georgia’s comeback win over South Carolina, the All-American tight end caught 9 passes for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns in the the dismantling of Alabama-Birmingham. Mike Bobo finally understanding the concept of getting his best player the ball in space and letting him work resulted in this crowd pleasing display of violence, too.

On the season, Bowers now has a respectable 22 receptions for 256 yards, with 15 of those catches, and both his receiving touchdowns, coming in the past 6 quarters.

2. Luther Burden III, WR (Missouri)

The 5-star recruit who stayed home continues to terrorize secondaries in his breakout sophomore campaign. Burden III turned down all sorts of “poachers” (notably Tennessee) after an up and down freshman campaign and has turned the corner in year 2 in CoMo, leading the SEC with 32 receptions and eclipsing his freshman receiving total of 375 yards receiving in just 4 games.

Burden was sensational Saturday against Memphis, hauling in all 10 of his targets for 177 yards in the Tigers’ win over Memphis. Brady Cook has also taken a leap, giving Eli Drinkwitz the type of big-armed, accurate quarterback and a perimeter playmaker that most teams in college football lack. The combination could give Missouri staying power in the Top 25 and help them challenge Georgia in the SEC East.

1. Jayden Daniels, QB (LSU)

The SEC’s best quarterback shook off a rough first half and rallied LSU past Arkansas in an instant classic on Saturday. LSU scored every time it touched the football in the second half, including 3 drives that ended with a Daniels passing touchdown.

Daniels’ final possession, a 9-play, 73-yard drive, resulted in the game-winning field goal. The LSU senior finished with 320 yards and 4 touchdowns, getting the win for his dear friend Greg Brooks.