Plenty of true freshmen have made contributions in the secondary so far this season, and the SEC has shined, especially at the cornerback position.

Five players from the SEC were ranked in the top 10 of grades from Pro Football Focus, and Tennessee counts two of the top four. The Vols’ Bryce Thompson led the way with an 81.8 grade, the only player in the group above 80, while teammate Alontae Taylor was fourth at 74.2.

Patrick Surtain II of Alabama was third at 75.7, followed by South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn at 73.8 and Keidron Smith of Ole Miss at 73.0.

Thompson was described by PFF as, “sticky in coverage mainly, despite allowing four touchdowns, he has intercepted three passes and broken up another six to give him nine total plays on the ball on 44 targeted passes as the primary coverage defender. A sneaky good blitzer, Thompson has rushed the passer just eight times in 2018, yet brought home six total pressures (1 sack, 5 hurries).”

He also leads the group in pass rush, coverage and overall grade. This graphic showing the highest-rated freshmen corners in the nation was shared online recently by Pro Football Focus: