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SEC East
Florida Gators
Offense: Van Jefferson, WR
The return of Dan Mullen in Gainesville signals the return of a relevant passing game at Florida, right? Well, that's the plan anyway. If it's going to happen, Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson may be the wide receiver who can help make Florida elite again. Returning starters Tyrie Cleveland and Kadarius Toney are a solid foundation for the wide receiver corp, but the Rebels transfer has the experience of 15 starts in the league combined with a dose of untapped upside that Gators fans crave.
Defense: Cece Jefferson, OLB
Switching from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 look takes time, but that’s something Jefferson really doesn’t have. The senior was a productive defensive end for the Gators last season, accumulating 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss for an uncharacteristically underwhelming Florida defense. With defensive coordinator Todd Grantham following new head coach Dan Mullen from Starkville to Gainesville, Jefferson has been challenged to change his approach as an outside edge rusher in a new scheme. That’s already a tough ask, but complicating matters is a shoulder injury suffered during Florida’s spring game that required surgery. His status is in question for the beginning of preseason camp.
Georgia Bulldogs
Offense: Justin Fields, QB
Remember when Jake Fromm was seemingly buried behind Jacob Eason on the Bulldogs' quarterback depth chart going into the 2017 season? One Eason injury later, he's gone to Washington and we're talking about Fromm attempting to help Georgia repeat as SEC champions. But could history repeat itself with 5-star signee Justin Fields now on the depth chart behind Fromm? Fields has the talent to force his way onto the field immediately, and if he shows he belongs, could potentially shake things up for the entire Georgia offense this season.
Defense: Natrez Patrick, LB
Patrick may be the most "wild card" player on this list in the sense that the Bulldogs truly have no idea what they're going to get from this guy. When he's on the field, he's a dynamic playmaker who should be a tremendous asset to a unit that will feel the loss of first-round NFL draft pick Roquan Smith. But a pair of arrests in the last year has Bulldogs fans rightfully concerned about his ability to stay on the field. If he stays healthy and on the right side of the law, it's likely all smiles in Athens. That's a big "if," though.
Kentucky Wildcats
Offense: Terry Wilson, QB
Former Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson has exhausted his eligibility and Drew Barker has given up on the game, leaving Wildcats offensive coordinator Eddie Gran looking for a completely new direction at the position in 2018. Former Oregon quarterback Terry Wilson appears to have a chance to earning the starting role after transferring in from the junior college ranks. If the No. 2 dual-threat JUCO quarterback prospect from the class of 2018 has the goods, the Wildcats' offense could flourish with star running back Benny Snell already in place.
Defense: Kash Daniel, LB
The time is now for the Kentucky junior as he attempts to replace Courtney Love as the Wildcats’ starting middle linebacker. The homegrown prep star has just 26 tackles to his name through two seasons in Lexington, but the ask will be much larger in 2018 if he’s going to be the steady force fans have always envisioned in the middle of the Wildcats defense. Coaches reportedly have pushed him to become a more flexible athlete in anticipation of the increased role. His response to that ask likely will determine the fate of this wild card.
Missouri Tigers
Offense: Damarea Crockett, RB
New offensive coordinator Derek Dooley may be the Tigers' real wild card entering Drew Lock's final season at Missouri, but Crockett likely will be an important cog for achieving balance in an offensive that will have one of college football's top quarterbacks slinging the ball around the yard. After eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman in 2016, Crockett had a frustrating sophomore campaign that was cut short by a shoulder injury that cost him the final seven games of the season. Former backfield partner Ish Witter (1,049 rushing yards in 2017) is gone and all eyes are on Crockett as he looks to regain his freshman-year magic.
Defense: Jordan Elliott, DT
All eyes are on the Texas transfer, who has an opportunity to step in right away and be the next "big thing" for a program that has a proud history of impact defensive linemen. While most will have their eyes on senior leader Terry Beckner Jr. from this unit, Elliott has the pedigree to be a difference-maker at the tackle position for the Tigers. Those two, working in tandem, could pose serious problems for SEC offensive lines this season.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Offense: Deebo Samuel, WR
When healthy, Samuel was perhaps the most dynamic playmaker in the SEC in 2017. Unfortunately for Gamecocks fans and highlight-reel producers alike, Samuel's breakout junior season was cut short due to a season-ending leg injury. Samuel is back for his senior season, and all signs point to good health heading into the fall. He's the "wild card" for this group because if he's at full capacity, he may be the key ingredient to a SEC East title run for the Gamecocks. If not, well, let's just say the path is a little more difficult.
Defense: Bryson Allen-Williams, LB
Limited to just three games in 2017 due to a season-ending shoulder injury, Allen-Williams decided to return to the Gamecocks for his senior season this fall. And they’ll need him to fill a big role. If South Carolina is going to make a run at Georgia for the division title, a return to 100-percent health for the versatile defender is a must. From there, Will Muschamp must figure out where Allen-Williams fits best with the personnel available. The senior has experience at the strong- and weak-side linebacker positions, and reports out of spring practice are that he has taken reps at the Buck position as well.
Tennessee Volunteers
Offense: Jauan Jennings, WR
Jennings was dismissed from the program by the previous coaching regime in November, but he's back with a new opportunity to prove his worth under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. An offseason surgery rendered him unavailable for spring practice, robbing the "wild card" from a chance to rebuild chemistry after injuring himself in the season-opening win against Georgia Tech last fall. Jennings caught 40 passes for 580 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2016 season. A return to that level of production would be a huge win for a Volunteers offense in desperate search for playmakers.
Defense: Shy Tuttle, DT
It's widely agreed upon that SEC football games are won and lost in the trenches, so rescuing a program that was 0-8 in the league in 2017 likely will require some serious improvement on both lines. Jeremy Pruitt wants to establish a brand of tough, physical football in Knoxville. That's a start. Tuttle has the ability and the experience to be a driving force in implementing that brand. Can the senior shake off injuries and become the interior line star that Vols fans have envisioned?
Vanderbilt Commodores
Offense: Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB
You don't just "replace" one of the top rushers in SEC football history, but the Commodores are tasked with trying to do their best to fill the hole created by the graduation of star running back Ralph Webb. Enter Vaughn, who is a former prized Nashville recruit that went away to Illinois before transferring back home to play in the SEC. Vaughn sat out the 2017 season, and is eligible to contribute alongside Khari Blasingame, Josh Crawford and Jamauri Wakefield in the Commodores' backfield. Can he take charge of a group who will be without its former leader?
Defense: Rutger Reitmaier, DT
Vanderbilt received word in June that the Oregon transfer will be eligible this fall after going through spring practice drills with the team. The former four-star recruit chose to leave the Nashville area in favor of the Ducks as a member of the class of 2017, but after one spring practice with Oregon decided to transfer back home. At minimum, he becomes a depth piece for a defensive line that returns just one starter. At best, he’s an instant difference-maker with four years of eligibility remaining for the Commodores.
SEC East
Florida Gators
The return of Dan Mullen in Gainesville signals the return of a relevant passing game at Florida, right? Well, that's the plan anyway. If it's going to happen, Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson may be the wide receiver who can help make Florida elite again. Returning starters Tyrie Cleveland and Kadarius Toney are a solid foundation for the wide receiver corp, but the Rebels transfer has the experience of 15 starts in the league combined with a dose of untapped upside that Gators fans crave.
Defense: Cece Jefferson, OLB
Switching from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 look takes time, but that’s something Jefferson really doesn’t have. The senior was a productive defensive end for the Gators last season, accumulating 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss for an uncharacteristically underwhelming Florida defense. With defensive coordinator Todd Grantham following new head coach Dan Mullen from Starkville to Gainesville, Jefferson has been challenged to change his approach as an outside edge rusher in a new scheme. That’s already a tough ask, but complicating matters is a shoulder injury suffered during Florida’s spring game that required surgery. His status is in question for the beginning of preseason camp.
Georgia Bulldogs
Offense: Justin Fields, QB
Remember when Jake Fromm was seemingly buried behind Jacob Eason on the Bulldogs' quarterback depth chart going into the 2017 season? One Eason injury later, he's gone to Washington and we're talking about Fromm attempting to help Georgia repeat as SEC champions. But could history repeat itself with 5-star signee Justin Fields now on the depth chart behind Fromm? Fields has the talent to force his way onto the field immediately, and if he shows he belongs, could potentially shake things up for the entire Georgia offense this season.
Defense: Natrez Patrick, LB
Patrick may be the most "wild card" player on this list in the sense that the Bulldogs truly have no idea what they're going to get from this guy. When he's on the field, he's a dynamic playmaker who should be a tremendous asset to a unit that will feel the loss of first-round NFL draft pick Roquan Smith. But a pair of arrests in the last year has Bulldogs fans rightfully concerned about his ability to stay on the field. If he stays healthy and on the right side of the law, it's likely all smiles in Athens. That's a big "if," though.
Kentucky Wildcats
Former Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson has exhausted his eligibility and Drew Barker has given up on the game, leaving Wildcats offensive coordinator Eddie Gran looking for a completely new direction at the position in 2018. Former Oregon quarterback Terry Wilson appears to have a chance to earning the starting role after transferring in from the junior college ranks. If the No. 2 dual-threat JUCO quarterback prospect from the class of 2018 has the goods, the Wildcats' offense could flourish with star running back Benny Snell already in place.
Defense: Kash Daniel, LB
The time is now for the Kentucky junior as he attempts to replace Courtney Love as the Wildcats’ starting middle linebacker. The homegrown prep star has just 26 tackles to his name through two seasons in Lexington, but the ask will be much larger in 2018 if he’s going to be the steady force fans have always envisioned in the middle of the Wildcats defense. Coaches reportedly have pushed him to become a more flexible athlete in anticipation of the increased role. His response to that ask likely will determine the fate of this wild card.
Missouri Tigers
New offensive coordinator Derek Dooley may be the Tigers' real wild card entering Drew Lock's final season at Missouri, but Crockett likely will be an important cog for achieving balance in an offensive that will have one of college football's top quarterbacks slinging the ball around the yard. After eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman in 2016, Crockett had a frustrating sophomore campaign that was cut short by a shoulder injury that cost him the final seven games of the season. Former backfield partner Ish Witter (1,049 rushing yards in 2017) is gone and all eyes are on Crockett as he looks to regain his freshman-year magic.
Defense: Jordan Elliott, DT
All eyes are on the Texas transfer, who has an opportunity to step in right away and be the next "big thing" for a program that has a proud history of impact defensive linemen. While most will have their eyes on senior leader Terry Beckner Jr. from this unit, Elliott has the pedigree to be a difference-maker at the tackle position for the Tigers. Those two, working in tandem, could pose serious problems for SEC offensive lines this season.
South Carolina Gamecocks
When healthy, Samuel was perhaps the most dynamic playmaker in the SEC in 2017. Unfortunately for Gamecocks fans and highlight-reel producers alike, Samuel's breakout junior season was cut short due to a season-ending leg injury. Samuel is back for his senior season, and all signs point to good health heading into the fall. He's the "wild card" for this group because if he's at full capacity, he may be the key ingredient to a SEC East title run for the Gamecocks. If not, well, let's just say the path is a little more difficult.
Defense: Bryson Allen-Williams, LB
Limited to just three games in 2017 due to a season-ending shoulder injury, Allen-Williams decided to return to the Gamecocks for his senior season this fall. And they’ll need him to fill a big role. If South Carolina is going to make a run at Georgia for the division title, a return to 100-percent health for the versatile defender is a must. From there, Will Muschamp must figure out where Allen-Williams fits best with the personnel available. The senior has experience at the strong- and weak-side linebacker positions, and reports out of spring practice are that he has taken reps at the Buck position as well.
Tennessee Volunteers
Jennings was dismissed from the program by the previous coaching regime in November, but he's back with a new opportunity to prove his worth under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. An offseason surgery rendered him unavailable for spring practice, robbing the "wild card" from a chance to rebuild chemistry after injuring himself in the season-opening win against Georgia Tech last fall. Jennings caught 40 passes for 580 yards and seven touchdowns during the 2016 season. A return to that level of production would be a huge win for a Volunteers offense in desperate search for playmakers.
Defense: Shy Tuttle, DT
It's widely agreed upon that SEC football games are won and lost in the trenches, so rescuing a program that was 0-8 in the league in 2017 likely will require some serious improvement on both lines. Jeremy Pruitt wants to establish a brand of tough, physical football in Knoxville. That's a start. Tuttle has the ability and the experience to be a driving force in implementing that brand. Can the senior shake off injuries and become the interior line star that Vols fans have envisioned?
Vanderbilt Commodores
Offense: Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB
You don't just "replace" one of the top rushers in SEC football history, but the Commodores are tasked with trying to do their best to fill the hole created by the graduation of star running back Ralph Webb. Enter Vaughn, who is a former prized Nashville recruit that went away to Illinois before transferring back home to play in the SEC. Vaughn sat out the 2017 season, and is eligible to contribute alongside Khari Blasingame, Josh Crawford and Jamauri Wakefield in the Commodores' backfield. Can he take charge of a group who will be without its former leader?
Defense: Rutger Reitmaier, DT
Vanderbilt received word in June that the Oregon transfer will be eligible this fall after going through spring practice drills with the team. The former four-star recruit chose to leave the Nashville area in favor of the Ducks as a member of the class of 2017, but after one spring practice with Oregon decided to transfer back home. At minimum, he becomes a depth piece for a defensive line that returns just one starter. At best, he’s an instant difference-maker with four years of eligibility remaining for the Commodores.
