Where Do We Stack Up? Wide Receivers

The SEC East is the passing division of the conference. While there have certainly been prolific quarterbacks (The Mannings sans Peyton, Pat Sullivan, Joe Namath) and wide receivers (Don Hutson, Terry Beasley, Wendell Davis) in the West, the East has most certainly dominated through the air. This season looks to be no different with all of the talent Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee bring to the table at both quarterback and wideout. This does not mean, however, that the SEC West is untalented in the passing game. There are many receiving threats scattered throughout the West and many teams, most notably Auburn and Arkansas, are looking to utilize them more so than last season in order to put together a potent passing attack.

Here's how the West will stack-up this season at wide receiver:

1. LSU - How does LSU always have something like 14 or 15 All-SEC receivers? While Early Doucet has gone to the Arizona Cardinals, Demetrius Byrd and Brandon LaFell can easily fill in his vacancy. Byrd led the team in receiving touchdowns last season (7) and is aiming to win the Biletnikoff award this upcoming fall. Furthermore, the signing of DeAngelo Benton and Chris Tolliver adds depth to an already stellar corps of receivers. The only real issue remains at quarterback. If LSU cannot find a consistent passer to deliver the ball, expect the passing game to be a frustrating one in Baton Rouge.

2. Alabama - As much as it hurts to say, John Parker Wilson is a good quarterback. No, I didn't say great, but he's most certainly more than "serviceable." He will really allow his wideouts to shine this season if he is protected well enough and able to avoid any major injuries. DJ Hall and Matt Caddell are gone but I expect freshmen Melvin Ray, Destin Hood, and über-recruit Julio Jones to contribute well their freshman season. All three have good size and speed and will be called upon early and often. If JPW plays well, Jones and co. shine, and LSU has quarterback issues, expect Alabama's passing offense to be the best in the West.

3. Ole Miss - Mike Wallace and Shay Hodge are both ready to make a lasting impression on the Ole Miss faithful this season. Hodge has as sure a set of hands as anybody and Wallace emerged as one of the conference's premier deep threats with an eye-popping 18 yards per catch last season. Dexter McCluster, if he can avoid injury, could also become a dependable option for Jevan Snead. Prep school star Andrew Harris could also contribute as a freshman if he is able to qualify.

4. Auburn - I feel that Auburn and Ole Miss are rather interchangeable here simply because of their similarities. They both are utilizing new offensive systems designed around highly-touted yet unproven quarterbacks. Statistically speaking, Rod Smith (705 yards, 13 YPC, 5 TD) is the only player from last season who truly sticks out. If Tim Hawthorne and recruits Darvin and Harry Adams become viable receiving options, Kodi Burns should have an easy time working under new OC Troy Franklin's spread offense. If Franklin's offense brings out the best in Burns and his receivers, Auburn could jump ahead in these rankings.

5. Arkansas - Casey Dick has an opportunity to shine under Bobby Petrino but his receivers are the least experienced in the SEC. Arkansas' leading receiver last season, by a long shot, was a fullback. Simply put, the running game was the fulcrum of the offense, for obvious reasons. The team's leading true receiver going into this spring had negligible numbers (157 yards, 13.1 YPC, 3 TD) last season. The position was recruited fairly well and Jarius Wright along with Cruz Williams will likely be used effectively in a Bobby Petrino style offense. If Casey Dick's spring game statistics (404 yards, 2 TD) are indicative of anything, one can expect Arkansas to sport a completely different looking offense this season.

6. Mississippi State - The departure of Tony Burks should hurt Mississippi State dearly this season, as Wesley Carroll will have to rely on Jemayel Smith as his only legitimate, veteran wideout. Co-Eric Riley has the potential for greatness and could have a breakout season. Other than that, Mississippi State could have serious trouble with their passing game this season. The position was not recruited very well (O'Neal Wilder has ideal size, but was not highly touted by scouts) which does little to help with regards to depth. Keep in mind, they averaged an abysmal 160 yards per game through the air last season.


There it is. Comment and criticize. We all know you will.



EDIT: Cruz Williams will not be attending the University of Arkansas this fall. (HT: YellowTailSwine)

Where Do We Stack Up? Quarterbacks

Again, summertime isn't the best time for a Southern sportswriter (can we call ourselves that now? I just did, I guess); anything football related seems a little rushed. However, having almost conquered GTA IV, there won't be much left other than premature football predictions to help me avoid schoolwork and/or my job. That being said, I'd like to continue our line of preseason stack-ups with quarterbacks and hopefully provide you, the readers, with an idea of what to expect come August.

1. Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State University: What's that you say? JSU isn't a member of the SEC West? Well hot damn, I guess Perrilloux should've thought about that before becoming the biggest fuckup in college football in the last 20 years.

2. John Parker Wilson, Alabama: Obviously, you hate to make this pick. JPW is a bitch, pure and simple. Look at the link: this image is likely similar to the one ingrained in JPW's retinas as we speak. He might not sleep at night because of Greg Hardy. However, in what may very well be a 4-way tie for the best QB in the West, his experience can't be ignored.

3. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss: Damn, what a goofy-ass picture. I am a little less confident in Jevan for having laid eyes on it. In picking Jevan as the 2nd best QB in the West, I'm hedging my bets that we might actually win a few football games this year. Think about it though: how many more games would we have won over the past four years with only average QB play? Jevan can almost certainly keep his completion percentage at over 55, and keep the TD/INT ratio at greater than 1. I'd like to think that he could be much better than that, but those numbers still might make him 2nd in the West. Just one request, Jevan: please, please grow an awesome-ass, small town Texas mullet. We at the RSC would be appreciative, and you'll get laid like carpet anyways.

4. Kodi Burns, Auburn: During the 2007 season, Burns enjoyed a surprising emergence as an offensive dual-threat for the Tigers, while aparently sporting a pretty wicked tan that has since worn off... Anyways, Burns has a lot left to prove as a passer in AU's revamped spread offense, but he has the potential to move drastically up or down this list.

5. Casey Dick, Arkansas: Please, sports gods, please. Don't let Casey Dick/Arkansas be decent next year. It just isn't right. One has to be a bit wary of Dick's hidden potential (that'swhatshesaid!!!!@) after a lights-out performance in Arkansas' spring game. Dick might be most limited by whom he's throwing to.

6. Whoever starts for LSU: Again, fate has been on LSU's side for too long. This guy needs to be miserable. I wish we played LSU on opening day, when the new QB is at his greenest.

7. Wesley Carroll, MSU: MSU's offense can't even score on MSU's defense, as evidenced by the 0-0 snoozefest that was State's spring game. The Maroon-White game probably wasn't even the most interesting thing going on in Starkville that day... Chew on that. Carroll isn't awful, but he is a youthful gunslinger type with no major receiving weapons, a depleted line, or an offensive scheme that plays to his abilities.


So there it is: question marks all around for the quarterbacks of the SEC West. Although this group doesn't have a Tebow or a Stafford, top to bottom, this appears to be a pretty good set of signal callers. And maybe, just maybe, Ole Miss will feature the best of the bunch under center.

That's all for this installment of RSC Stack-ups. More to come later, unless something more interesting is going on.

Where Do We Stack Up? Running Backs

Though the SEC West is losing its top 4 runners from 2007 (Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Jacob Hester, and Benjarvus Green-Ellis in that order), it still has some monsters returning. Almost every team has real reason for optimism at running back. There's no Knowshon, but there's about a baker's dozen of folks that would start over this clown. So, in alphabetical order, here's how the West looks ball-toter:

Alabama
When Magnolia State prospects choose Mississippi State, I understand. When Coast Trash prospects choose LSU, I get by. But, when they choose Alabama, I am both angered and confused. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide's leading rusher is Lumberton, MS product Terry Grant. I really hope this guy fails in football (and, at least until he learns his lesson about Alabama, in life), but he had 180 carries for 891 yards with 5.0 per carry average and 8 TD's in 2007. Additionally, Nick claims Terry Grant now comes with the ability to catch the ball, so now we have to call him versatile, which just make me hate you even more, Nick. Terry Grant's clunker (1.9 yards per carry, I think) against LSU in 2007 showcases God's sense of humor.

Arkansas
Is in so much trouble. Bobby Petrino, the Norse God of Mischief, has one (count 'em) half-way notable back returning: future Ryan Perrilloux business partner Michael Smith, who went to jail last September for stealing credit cards. Ironically, Smith is a native of Tallahassee. Here's the thing, Bobby, if you gotta have a criminal (and sometimes you just gotta have a criminal), you need to make sure he's a criminal that, y'know, plays football well. This is not an accurate description of Michael Smith. He is a scant 5-7, 173 lbs, and his stats are deceptive. Smith's average per carry last year was a promising 6.6, however if you remove an 81 yard scamper against powerhouse FIU and a 48 yard run against Sun Belt Conference champ runner-up Troy, his average falls to a more pedestrian 3.9 yards per carry. Plus, I want to see this guy either run through Peria Jerry or around Greg Hardy. So much trouble.

Auburn
Is in practically no trouble. Auburn's top three rushers from 2007 all return. The only solace Rebel fans find is in their penchant for injury. Top returner Ben Tate is a power runner who piled up 202 carries for 903 yards. Look for him to be an every-down back (even though he won't have to be with Brad Lester and Mario Fannin behind him). Fannin was, actually, probably the highest-touted of the three coming out of high school, and Lester showed signs of brilliance during his 2005 freshman campaign.

LSU
Jacob Hester is gone. He should have gone to Cincinnati or Chicago or somewhere else in Big 10 country where he belongs. Now, LSU is left with only almost-Rebel Keiland Williams (no silver medal in recruiting, Ed) and Trindon Holliday, who is only the fastest football player ever at LSU. Williams didn't have to run every down last year, but he can, and I hope you all remember what he did to Notre Dame in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Whoof. And because they are LSU, we just have to assume that someone we've never heard of will end up being the MVP of the SEC Championship Game (Richard Murphy, who you know you've only read about, at best, averaged 6.6 yards per carry in 2007, and El Sombrero thinks he's the best all-around back on the team). The notes on Keiland Williams are his 6.8 yards per carry in 2007.

Mississippi State
Anthony Dixon caught my ire last year when he was invited to the Conerly Trophy presentation last year and Benjarvus was not. I never thought BJGE had a chance at being named the state's best college football player. I thought Titus Brown had it locked up, until this previously referenced clown walked home with it. Needless to say, Anthony Dixon and Terry Grant are kinda interchangeable on my hate list going into 2008. The only difference is that Anthony Dixon is really overrated. He is a big back (6-1, 240) that can stumble forward for a few yards, but against Ole Miss in 2007 he had quite a clunker. Christian Ducre is, in my opinion, more exciting and might be the starter by the end of the season. What I can't make sense of yet, is why Ducre was Croomed at the end of the season (getting only 18 carries in the final three games against Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Central Florida). Ducre was the hero of State's biggest win, going 19 for 119 against Kentucky. Mississippi State is solid at running back, but with this totally different clown behind center, it might be easy to load up the box and bring Mississippi State's offense to an even more grinding halt than we witnessed in 2007.

Meanwhile, the Rebs have nothing but question marks - is Cordera Eason for real? Will Enrique Davis be ready to play? Can Dexter McCluster slap the Chucky Mullins bust without breaking his hand? I think Eason will be a middle-of-the pack kind of back, no record-writer, but a solid option (something akin to Benjarvus' junior year). Dexter will be a dangerous weapon until he gets injured. Those two make Ole Miss competitive in the running game. Potentially throw in Davis, and we might be note-worthy.

So, how do we stack up? Auburn looks the best from top to bottom. Their backs are consistent, talented, and unpredictable, which is the key difference between them and the superstars at LSU. Terry Grant will have an All-SEC year for Alabama, but Cordera Eason will prove that the Rebs still have a better crop of runners than Mississippi State. And, over in Fayetteville, it will be a long season for Arkansas.