SEC Football power rankings, Week 1: Nick Saban is still king
By Kathryn Rose
Offensively, Will Rogers quarterbacks a unit with tons of experience and depth. They have solid backs and receivers, even if guys like receiver Makai Polk are now in the NFL.
On defense, the front seven is the strength of this team. The Bulldogs have their top two leading tacklers back from a year, ago, and the unit should still be effective.
Getting a reigning playoff team to start the year seems like a challenge, but Arkansas will be up to the task. They utilized the transfer portal well, grabbing guys like receiver Jadon Hazelwood on offense, and cornerback Dwight McGlothern on defense. Combine that with quarterback KJ Jefferson and linebacker Bumper Pool returning, and you’ve got the foundations of a solid team.
A team with 69 scholarship players is not supposed to run around like Tennessee did last year. Yet, the offense clicked, and they found two of the top 60 players in college football sitting around. Even the defense held up enough to deliver the Vols a 7-6 year in Josh Heupel’s first season on Rocky Top.
With 76 percent of their production returning from last year, the Vols could be improved this year. But, slow it with the 10-win season hype. That’s overkill.