Ranking the Top 10 players in the SEC entering Week 5
Mama said there’d be days like Week 4 in the SEC.
Aside from more evidence Diego Pavia is good and Clark Lea can, in fact, coach, there were very few surprises.
That happens on weekends when there is only one premium matchup. We didn’t learn much about anyone not wearing dreamsicle orange and white. We did learn a lot about the pumpkin-clad Vols, though, didn’t we?
Is the young quarterback ready to win a game in a tremendous environment on the road? Yes, he sure is.
Is that defense really as good as the metrics suggest it is? It sure looks like it is.
Is Dylan Sampson going to take the suspense out of the top of “The List” this week? Read on and find out.
There’s plenty of football to be played, but the dreamsicle Orange may rise to the top. They are the most impressive team in college football through 4 weeks and a legitimate SEC championship contender.
As our eyes shift towards the Capstone on Saturday night, “The List” is still fielding questions as to the formula in these rankings.
Do we have concepts of a plan when we rank the best 10 players in the best conference in the sport? Or do we have an actual plan based on a combination of statistical production, PFF grades, strength of opposition to date, and the impact of the player from a data standpoint on offensive and defensive success rates of their football teams? HINT: It’s the latter.
It’s why Jaxson Dart, who is by some distance the most statistically impressive player in college football through 4 weeks, doesn’t top this list yet even though he may when all is said and done. Once Ole Miss plays someone — well — things will change. Trust us.
If history is any guide, the best players find their way onto “The List” in the end. Take a look at our past champions and runners-up, with TJ like Nakobe Dean and Jayden Daniels and runners-up like Will Anderson and Jordan Davis — the best player tends to win.
Or I’ll put it to you this way: If Huge Freeze played “The List” 10 times, he wouldn’t win 9.
We begin our list through 4 weeks as we always do, with honorable mentions, limited as always to 2 per program. Special well wishes this week to “The List” mainstay from 2022 Harold Perkins Jr. and Miss State quarterback Blake Shapen, who was “Honorable Mention” this year after Week 1. Get well soon, gentlemen. Onto “The List.”
Alabama: Jalen Milroe, QB; DB Keon Sabb. Arkansas: Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB; Josh Braun, OL. Auburn: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR. Jalen McLeod, LB. Florida: Austin Barber, OT. Georgia: Carson Beck, QB; Raylen Wilson, LB. Kentucky: DT, Deone Walker; D’Eryk Jackson, LB. LSU: Bradyn Swinson, DE; Garrett Nussmeier, QB. Mississippi State: Isaac Smith, S. Missouri: Chris McLellan, DT; Connor Tollison, C. Oklahoma: Gracen Halton, DL; Robert Spears-Jennings, S. Ole Miss: Princely Umanmielen, Edge; Chris Paul Jr., LB. South Carolina: Dylan Stewart, Edge; Kyle Kennard, Edge. Tennessee: Joshua Josephs, Edge; Nico Iamaleava, QB. Texas: Michael Taaffe, S; Andrew Mukuba, DB. Texas A&M: Trey Zuhn III, OT; Nic Scourton, Edge. Vanderbilt: Steve Hubbard, G; Langston Patterson, LB.
10. TJ Metcalf, S (Arkansas)
The sophomore was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for a phenomenal 2 interception performance in Arkansas 24-14 win. If they played the Tigers 10 times, Metcalf might not have a hand in 4 Auburn turnovers more than once, but that’s precisely what the safety did in Saturday’s win, as he intercepted 2 balls, forced a fumble, and tipped a pass that led to Doneiko Slaughter’s interception at the Arkansas 18-yard line on Auburn’s opening drive. Three of the four turnovers Metcalf played a hand in ended Auburn drives in the red zone. Metcalf graded out as the SEC’s best safety in Saturday’s victory, per PFF. Not bad for a guy who just won the starting job in fall camp.
9. Will Campbell, OT (LSU)
Campbell earned Outland Trophy National Player of the Week honors for a national-best 90.1 PFF pass blocking grade in LSU’s victory over UCLA. Campbell’s pass blocking helped Garrett Nussmeier shine to the tune of 352 yards and 3 touchdowns, the best performance of the quarterback’s career. On the season, the All-SEC tackle has allowed just 2 quarterback pressures on 160 Nussmeier pass attempts, a model of consistency at one of the most important positions in all of sports.
8. Luther Burden III, WR (Missouri)
Missouri does not defeat Vanderbilt without their All-American wide receiver. Full stop. Burden caught 6 passes for 76 yards, including this perfect double move route to tie the game in overtime.
Luther Burden III for VI#Mizzou | #RatedProspect
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) September 21, 2024
Is Burden III being doubled on some plays and commanding safety help on almost every snap? Absolutely. Does that just make Missouri more multiple, feeding into the balance Eli Drinkwitz so desperately craves? Indeed. That’s why Burden III can make this list despite the fact that he does not rank in the top 10 in the SEC in receiving yards early in the campaign.
7. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)
Pavia breaks back into the top 10 after a scintillating effort in a double overtime defeat at No. 7 Missouri. I think highly of Matt Hinton’s work and I know he isn’t giving Pavia the love “The List” is, and that’s OK. He’s entitled to his opinion. He’s not entitled to his own facts, though, and the facts are that Pavia has been one of the best players in the SEC through 4 games.
MIZ REWIND 🟨⏪⬛
This run from Diego Pavia was really impressive. He's got feet like a ballerina. #MIZ 🐯 | #VANvsMIZ 7-10
📺 SEC Networkpic.twitter.com/hagdEi7D2n— Andrea Katherine (@AndreaKatSTL) September 21, 2024
Pavia’s 178 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, coupled with his Vanderbilt-high 84 yards rushing, despite taking hit after hit, are the only reason Clark Lea’s team had a chance to win in CoMo on Saturday. On the season, Pavia grades out at 90.8, per PFF (No. 2 best in the SEC, ahead of Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, Jalen Milroe, Nussmeier and Carson Beck and well, almost everyone else). He’s also thrown 6 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, led the Commodores in rushing, and recovered 3 teammate fumbles. “The List” isn’t a MVP award, necessarily, but the numbers and the data say Pavia might be underrated on this list, not overvalued.
6. Nick Emmanwori, S (South Carolina)
The star safety made 3 tackles in South Carolina’s 50-7 rout of Akron. On the season, Emmanwori grades out at 89.3 in coverage, tops among SEC safeties and No. 3 nationally. The Gamecocks continue to play vastly improved defense with Emmanwori as the anchor, ranking 20th nationally in total defense this season a year after placing 90th. The Gamecocks are also 18th in success rate defense, another 70+ spot improvement over a season ago (95th).
5. Ryan Williams, WR (Alabama)
The biggest stage Williams has ever seen comes Saturday in Tuscaloosa. If he plays anything like he did in Alabama’s first 3 games, when the 17-year-old has led the Crimson Tide in receptions, yards, yards per reception, average depth of target, and touchdowns — he will be just fine. A freshman sensation who remains appointment television.
4. Tre Harris, WR (Ole Miss)
A great week to be a wide receiver on “The List.” Harris continues to put up dizzying numbers, making him difficult to ignore, even as Ole Miss finishes its rotation of directional schools and old Bible colleges from the ACC. In the Rebels’ latest whooping, Harris caught 11 passes for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 628 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns — and it is still September. A Kentucky defense with more than a pulse travels to Oxford on Saturday, giving Harris an opportunity to finally test himself against SEC competition.
3. Jaxson Dart, QB (Ole Miss)
Dart leads the nation’s most efficient offense and tallied over 400 total yards (382 passing, 36 rushing) in Ole Miss’s rout of Georgia Southern last Saturday. Dart’s PFF grade is an otherworldly 93.7, tops in the country at any position through 4 games. He also graded out as the nation’s best QB in Week 4. The tuneups are over, but heading into SEC play, Dart has thrown for 1,554 yards and 12 touchdowns, numbers good enough for first and second in the SEC, respectively. Everything is in front of Dart — including Heisman chatter. It starts Saturday.
2. Jalon Walker, Edge (Georgia)
If Walker can replicate the performance he posted against Kentucky on Saturday: 8 pressures, 3 quarterback hits, a tackle for loss — he’ll all but clinch permanent “List” status before the calendar turns to October. More likely? Walker draws a lot of attention from Alabama, freeing up any number of his marvelous teammates on Georgia’s powerful front 7 to wreak havoc. The best player on the nation’s best defense.
1. Dylan Sampson, RB (Tennessee)
Sampson ranks No. 2 in the SEC in rushing yards (449) and leads the SEC in touchdowns (10) through 4 games, and he’s done it without a single fumble on 69 carries. The numbers are impressive, but it was one sequence late in the half of Tennessee’s 25-15 win at Oklahoma that cemented “The List’s” take that this is the best RB in college football.
Incredible sequence by Dylan Sampson just before the half, capped off with winning a 1 on 1 battle with Danny Stutsman for the TD. 92 hard fought YDS for D-Samp. pic.twitter.com/edCNegdos5
— V͎O͎L͎d͎e͎m͎o͎r͎t͎ (@vo_ldemort) September 22, 2024
After an exchange of fumbles, Tennessee took over at the OU 46-yard line with just under 6 minutes to play in the half. Already leading by 9 and after his freshman quarterback fumbled, Josh Heupel turned the half over to Sampson, who promptly did this:
- 1st down: 0 yards
- 2nd down: 8-yard gain
- 3rd down: 10-yard gain, first down
- 1st down: 3-yard gain
- 2nd down: 2-yard gain
- 3rd down: 6-yard gain, first down
- 1st down: 16-yard gain, first down
- 1st down: 1-yard run, Touchdown Tennessee.
Yes, that is 8 consecutive carries. The end result? A 19-3 Tennessee lead that sucked the life out of the crowd in Norman and given Oklahoma’s offensive struggles, all but sealed a huge road win for Tennessee.
What’s that cliché about big players in big games?
Sampson is a big-time player.
I told you so. 22,17,10,14 and we still have the best player in the SEC because Heupel. Kids want to play for a winner. They are headed to Knoxville.
Highly rated players are headed to plenty top schools, not just Tennessee. Looking like Oregon may flip one of yours too. Highly rated players heading to LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, A&M, Auburn….take your pick.
You’re an idiot.
Ignore him. It’s Negan trolling GWhite.
Both of you stay jealous and mad. It’s been a while but very familiar.
All the cool kids want to play for Heupel now. He will make them stars.
And get access to his candy dish !
Neil Blackmon, if you like facts, a big fact is LSU’s Bradyn Swinson is one of the 10 best players. Go back and count how many QB hurries, knockdowns, tackles, even sacks he has the last couple of games and it will prove my point. Go ahead and throw in plays that he doesn’t make himself, but affects.
No one can hear you because Tennessee.
Sampson to have 92 rush yards and a TD against a really good OK defense only further cements his status as the most elite back in the SEC…
Oklahoma’s defense is ranked #28 in yards per game allowed (284). That puts them behind 7 other SEC teams. Not sure I would qualify that as really good…good maybe…but not really good.
Oklahoma did hold a highly potent offense (against cupcake teams) to just 25 points. Will other good defenses hold serve as well?
Maybe if they are guaranteed to lose because of it. Get on our level kid.
I think it depends on the strengths of the other defenses we see for the remainder of the year. OU’s strength is their front 7 and exotic zone blitz packages from Venebles. We were down 2/5 starting OL for most of the night and it showed that our depth there is not one of our strongest attributes. If we get healthy on OL and protect a little more consistently on blitzes I think that offensive performance should be close to the floor for offensive output for the year. But – that’s why they play the games, bc anything can happen on any given Saturday.
Well put, NolaVol
I wouldn’t teach them anything Nola. It’s more fun to just point and laugh.
Hmmm….Tennessee so far has played the following schools with the following defensive rankings:
Chattanooga–they rank 114 out of 123 FCS schools (not worthy of mentioning)
NC State–they rank 106 out of 133 FBS schools (pathetic)
Kent State–they rank 133 out of 133 FBS schools (downright disgusting)
Oklahoma–they rank 28 out of 133 FBS schools (good)
Color me unimpressed thus far.
No worries . . . Tennessee has the following upcoming games . . .
Arkansas–they rank 57 out of 133 FBS schools (mediocre)
Florida–they rank 112 out of 133 FBS schools (laughable)
Alabama–they rank 13 out of 133 FBS schools (now we’re talking)
Kentucky–they rank 6 out of 133 FBS schools (excellent, if only they had an offense)
Mississippi State–they rank 111 out of 133 FBS schools (unworthy of SEC)
Georgia–they rank 4 out of 133 FBS schools (premiere)
UTEP–they rank 105 out of 133 FBS schools (ridiculous)
Vanderbilt–they rank 60 out of 133 FBS schools (mediocre)
My point is, don’t beat your chests too much over a 10-point victory over OK whose offense looked mostly inept. You’ll get your chance to show the world against Alabama and Georgia.
You are confused. It’s too late. It’s already happened. The pendulum is swinging like our Big D line.
I don’t want this taken as a jab at Tennessee, I think they are an extremely good football team, and they are a contender to play for the conference and to make the CFPs. That being said, I think people, not just Vols fans, are making too much of their game against Oklahoma. Oklahoma is a hospital ward full of patients. They are down a good bit of their experience and talent at O-line and receiver. They may be getting a couple of O-linemen back, but they are down a couple of DBs and a major yardage producer out of the back field. It has gotten so bad that they moved a DB to receiver. Like I said, this isn’t to say that the Vols are not very good, it is just to say that the Oklahoma game is not the game that proves it.
Just like clockwork. Every team Tennessee plays is not very good RIGHT AFTER they play them. Happens every time. Just wait until they play Pac 12 Alabama. Pac 12 Alabama fans will fall over themselves to come here and post just how bad a team Pac 12 Alabama is.
Tidefan, I would agree with you to a point. But the stakes of that game were very high and Oklahoma’s defense played very well because of all the extenuating circumstances of the game. Both teams were 3-0. Both teams were ranked in the top 15 of the country. ESPN gameday was in the house, which always increases the hype for the fans and the team. Oklahoma was playing their first SEC game. Heupel wasmaking his first return to Norman since being fired back in 2014. So, the home field advantage was huge. Giving any team its first loss is always more difficult, as I’m sure you know. They still have that illusion of invincibility, which is heightened And given the fact that Oklahoma’s offense was unable to move the ball and sustain drives left that defense even more desperate.
Having said all of this, there is no question Oklahoma is a hospital ward right now. They had several players back for this game but some of those same guys went down again. Tennessee lost its 2 starting tackles for that game also, so there was some attrition on both sides. But still, Oklahoma is gonna feel those losses more moving forward, and their schedule is BRUTAL. Have you looked at that schedule? @Auburn, @Texas, South Carolina, @OleMiss, @Missouri, Alabama, @LSU.
So, having said all this, it’s likely gonna be a rough welcome this season for Oklahoma into the SEC. But for that game, for that moment, that defense played well. They won’t be nearly as good away from home, though. I’m sure this game will be revisited later and people will say it wasn’t a big win, but for that moment, I will stick to my guns.
The defense played well, though Oklahoma has no offense. I was not saying that the Vols should not be proud of the win, or that Oklahoma was a gimme team, just that it is not a game you want to use to try to determine the outcome of the season. Ok. was not going to outscore the Vols, even with a decent defense. Oklahoma is ranked 119th in total offense.
If you’re a UT fan, you gotta love Sampson. Truth be told, I would tell anyone nearby over the last 2 seasons, I felt like Sampson was our best RB even as a freshman, but he was waiting behind some upperclassmen that Tennessee didn’t want to leave for other programs. He rarely gets tackled by the first guy. His YAC, which is not a stat that is kept in college football, is off the charts. And now he’s catching balls out of the backfield, which makes him an even greater threat. And don’t look now, but Deshean Bishop is making this a dangerous 1-2 punch for UT.
Heck, I’m not a UT fan and I love watching Sampson play! He’s a fun player to watch, y’all have a great one for sure. YAC is the metric that tells me the most about a RB, if he can keep it up he’s definitely going to be a Doak Walker finalist
Maybe LSU fans can enlighten me. With Sampson being from the Tigers backyard is there a reason LSU did not go after him?
He did get an offer from LSU, however I believe it was the year CBK took over. There was a ton of turnover of staff, if Kevin Faulk was the one who recruited him the fact that Faulk wasn’t retained may have played a part in Sampson’s decision. Who knows? He may have wanted to go somewhere away from home or it could be CJHs run heavy system that appealed to him.
He saw earlier than most where the hot hand was. Kids want to play for Heupel.
There were a few more highly rated in state running backs that year. LSU didn’t get any of them. He turned out to be better than them. The coaching transition probably had a lot to do with it.
This is the worst Oklahoma team I’ve seen in 7 decades
Missouri has two very good lines. Their playbook and roster utilization has been late, not enough, and not the A+ potential the roster supports. Mid-Season OC reprogramming is needed
Well he got da numer one write anyways. Brother power all over this list.
Pavia against five rushing 300 pound linemen is not a fair fight. Lol
Vol fan here. I think this year’s edition of the Vols is pretty good, but I agree with Tidefan. It’s not moving the goalposts to say that Oklahoma is not a good measuring stick. They were beat up, and they did not exactly destroy Auburn. Arkansas or Florida would love to ruin our season. I am properly impressed with Bama and Georgia, and I am willing to wait until the 3rd Saturday in October to know how good Tennessee is.