SEC football has plenty of talent, but who is each team’s most important player heading into the 2017 season?
The 2017 season is still a few months away from kickoff, but it’s never too early to look at top players from around the country. More specifically, SEC football is loaded with talent and each team has its own ‘star’ player in which it probably couldn’t perform adequately without.
Let’s take a look at each team’s most important player for the 2017 season.
Florida: Marcell Harris
Antonio Callaway would be the obvious choice here, although his off-field incidents must be worrying Florida fans. Florida is unsettled at quarterback and that is troubling. It isn’t insurmountable. Luke Del Rio has experience and if his two shoulder surgeries are a success, maybe all this talk doesn’t matter.
But Florida won the East the last two years because of defense. If Florida wins the East with Del Rio at quarterback, the defense will play a role. Marcell Harris took on a much bigger role for the team in 2016 and will probably have an even bigger role in 2017.
While he only started eight games, he ended the season as the team’s leading tackler with 73 tackles. One of the biggest tackles of the season was a fourth-and-goal stop to seal the win against LSU.
Georgia: Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb had a subpar junior season. That said, it wasn’t as though it was a terrible statistical season. He still rushed for 1,130 yards while receiving 224 carries. Chubb’s yards per carry average was down significantly due in part to poor offensive line play.
Still, Chubb was once considered a potential Heisman candidate. It’s clear Georgia offensive coordinator wants a run-heavy offense. So, while Jacob Eason needs to take a major step forward for the Bulldogs to have a successful season, Chubb returning to form would be a bigger game changer.
Kentucky: Benny Snell
Benny Snell was just behind Chubb in the SEC in rushing yards in 2016 with 1,091 and his yards per carry was quite a bit better (5.9). His total of 13 rushing touchdowns was tied for third-best in the SEC. Kentucky returns 17 starters from last season’s squad. Snell is probably the biggest piece of the puzzle with Kentucky running the ball heavily and Stanley “Boom” Williams deciding to turn pro.
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LSU: Arden Key
Derrius Guice would be the obvious choice here, but it would be a surprise if he doesn’t have a big season. For LSU’s offense, quarterback Danny Etling is a much bigger x-factor. However, like Florida, LSU’s identity revolves around the defense. The team lost a lot of talent on that side of the ball.
However, Arden Key is one of the leaders who could return. As of now, he is away from the team for personal reasons. However, the coaching staff keeps in touch with him and expects him to return. Key finished second in the SEC in sacks in 2016 with 12 total sacks. Reports indicate he added weight this offseason and given this weight gain, his numbers might be even stronger in 2017.
Mississippi State: Nick Fitzgerald
While many of the heavyweights in the SEC revolve around a stifling defense, Dan Mullen is the model of consistency with re-tooled offenses that produce good numbers. This season, he might surprise some with Nick Fitzgerald having a full year of starting experience. Mullen said Fitzgerald is the most athletic quarterback he has ever coached.
Considering Tim Tebow held several NCAA records and Dak Prescott just turned in one of the best rookie NFL seasons ever, that is high praise. Fitzgerald finished last season as the SEC’s second-leading rusher with 1,375 rushing yards and was best in the conference with 16 rushing touchdowns, impressive stuff for a quarterback. Suffice it to say, the Bulldogs offense revolves around Fitzgerald and as an extension, the team.
Missouri: Drew Lock
Drew Lock ranks in the middle of the conference in terms of quarterback rating. His 55 percent completion rating isn’t very impressive. That said, Lock puts up video game type of numbers because of Missouri’s offense. Lock’s 434 pass attempts were far and away the most in the SEC in 2016. He and Arkansas’ Austin Allen were the only SEC quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards in 2016.
Missouri should put up big numbers offensively and Lock should have the biggest numbers of all.
Ole Miss: Shea Patterson
Ole Miss is in a self-imposed bowl ban this season, so the season is a bit of a letdown before the first game is even played. That said, what better way to break in Shea Patterson. Last season, fans got a glimpse of the raw talent of Shea Patterson and the frustrating growing pains of an inexperienced freshman. Ole Miss fans will need to continue to be patient, but Patterson is likely to have more of the ‘wow’ moments this season.
South Carolina: Hayden Hurst
The SEC had a wide array of good tight ends in 2016, including South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst. In fact, among those returning to school, Hurst had the strongest season statistically. He caught 48 receptions for 616 receiving yards. Jake Bentley performed well enough last season to earn the starting job, but the supporting talent around him is thin. Hurst is the security blanket receiver to help get him out of a jam.
Tennessee: Micah Abernathy
Abernathy stepped up as one of the team’s leaders on defense in 2016, finishing tied for the team lead with two interceptions and six passes defended. He ranked second on the team with 69 tackles and led the team with three fumbles recovered. Additionally, Abernathy showed talent on special teams, returning six kickoffs with a 20.5 yard per return average.
Texas A&M: Christian Kirk
With a successful 2017 season, Kirk could be a potential first-round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Kirk ranked fourth among SEC receivers with 928 receiving yards and was at the top in total receptions with 83. Regardless of who the Aggies put at quarterback, that player will need Kirk to lead the receiver corps this season.
Vanderbilt: Ralph Webb
Webb carried a heavy work load in 2016, receiving the most carries in the conference with 250 total. He posted 1,283 rushing yards with 13 rushing touchdowns. Vanderbilt’s offense relied heavily on him.
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Derek Mason has a defensive background, but he is established enough at this point that the defense isn’t much of a question. Vanderbilt’s offense is where things get tricky and Webb is the heart of the Commodores’ offense.