1. Georgia Bulldogs– What a season it was in Athens, Georgia for the Bulldogs. After they defeated Notre Dame in South Bend last September, I was sold on this team. Kirby Smart decided to stick with Jake Fromm as his starting quarterback even with Jacob Eason healthy enough to return to the field. A division title was won, the SEC Championship was won and they won a thrilling game in Pasadena to get to the national championship and fell short so it’s safe to say that they will beyond motivated to get back to the big game and win it all. The offense will be without Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Javon Wims, but this doesn’t mean the cupboard is empty for offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. D’Andre Swift will be the primary running back and four starters from the offensive line are returning. The defense was one of the three best in the nation last year and they will be losing key pieces at every level but I don’t think it’s enough to expect a decline in production. They’ll be without their entire core of linebackers as Davin Bellamy, Reggie Carter and Roquan Smith are all playing at the professional level.
2. Florida Gators– After a 4-7 record in 2017, the struggles were increasing more and more by the week and they decided to part ways with the then-head coach, Jim McElwain. Now, they’ve decided to hire a guy that’s familiar with the SEC. The Florida Gators decided to bring in former Mississippi State coach, Dan Mullen and he will have his work cut out for him. First, he will need to find an answer at quarterback. This was the issue with Florida last year was their inability to score and generate points and this same issue could continue next season. Regardless of which signal-caller gets the nod, the offense can lean on the one-two punch of running backs Lamical Perine and Malik Davis and a line that’s slated to return intact. The defense will enter the year once again as the stronger side of the football and a good portion of last year’s unit returns.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks– After a 9-4 mark in 2017, they have what it takes to become a top-25 team in 2018. The core of this offense will all return this fall and that’s quarterback Jake Bentley, receivers Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards and their running backs Rico Dowdle, A.J. Turner and Ty’Son Williams. The defense improved under the leadership of Will Muschamp. In his first season as head coach, they gave up 26 points a game, last season, they cut that to 20 points a game allowed. They will face an early test in week two in a showdown with the Bulldogs of Georgia.
4. Missouri Tigers– Quarterback Drew Lock considered an early departure to the NFL, but the junior is headed back to Columbia for his senior year. That’s good news for a Missouri team that won six out of its last seven games. Top receiver J’Mon Moore has finished his eligibility, but the offense still has a solid core of talent at the skill positions, including running back Damarea Crockett, receiver Emanuel Hall, and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Also, the offensive line will be among the best in the SEC. The only question surrounding the offense is the new play-caller. After Josh Heupel left to take over at UCF, Barry Odom decided to hire former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley as the new offensive coordinator. For the second year in a row, Missouri’s defense finished 12th in the SEC in points allowed. Ends Marcell Frazier and Jordan Harold, tackle A.J. Logan and safety Anthony Sherrils are the key departing seniors on defense. Tackle Terry Beckner, linebacker Terez Hall and Texas transfer Jordan Elliott (DT) are just a few of the players to watch next fall on defense for Odom. The schedule features road trips for swing games against Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Purdue.
5. Tennessee Volunteers– It seems as if each year, they enter with some high expectations and they never live up to them. There’s a new head coach in town. A Nick Saban student will branch out and get his shot to show what he’s made of and Jeremy Pruitt will definitely have his work cut out for him. First, how can they fix their offense? This is a unit that averaged 19 points per game and if you want to win in the SEC, you must be able to score. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano should benefit from a full offseason to work as the No. 1 option, with running back Ty Chandler poised to have a breakout year as the starter. Pruitt’s impact will be noticed right away on defense. This unit has finished ninth in the SEC in scoring defense in three out of the last four years, and top defensive back Rashaan Gaulden is leaving Knoxville early to go to the NFL. Darrin Kirkland’s return from injury should bolster the linebacker unit.
6. Kentucky Wildcats– The Wildcats have reached back-to-back bowl games under coach Mark Stoops. The next step? Earn the program’s first winning mark in SEC play since 1977. That could be a tough assignment in 2018. The quarterback position will be up for grabs after Stephen Johnson finished his eligibility, and Drew Barker decided to leave as a graduate transfer. Incoming junior college recruit Terry Wilson and sophomore Gunnar Hoak will compete for the job in offseason workouts. Regardless of which quarterback starts, expect to see the offense revolve primarily around running back Benny Snell (1,333 yards in 2017). Coordinator Eddie Gran’s group got a boost when tight end C.J. Conrad announced his intentions to return to Lexington in 2018. In addition to finding playmakers to fill around Conrad, Gran needs more from an offensive line that had an uneven 2017 season. Stoops’ defense won’t lose much in the way of key players, and linebacker Josh Allen and safety Mike Edwards decided to return to Lexington for their final year.
7. Vanderbilt Commodores– With a 5-7 record in 2017, Derek Mason’s program just missed on a second consecutive trip to a postseason game. The path to a bowl starts with the right arm of quarterback Kyle Shurmur, who quietly threw for 26 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions in 2017. The Commodores will have a new feature back after Ralph Webb closed out his four-year run in the backfield with 831 yards and 10 rushing scores. Shurmur is losing his favorite target too, as Trent Sherfield also expired his eligibility. Vanderbilt’s defense slipped from fifth in 2016 to 11th in the SEC in points allowed by giving up 31.3 per game in 2017. Mason has some work to do on this side of the ball too, as linebacker Oren Burks, safety Ryan White, cornerback Tre Herndon and linemen Jonathan Wynn and Nifae Lealao have finished their eligibility.
Prediction– The Georgia Bulldogs will once again claim the SEC East and they’ll come to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and they truly are one of the best teams in the nation. This team will go as far as Jake Fromm takes them and their defense will be without many players from the team that went to the national title game, but I expect them to be fine under Kirby Smart. They’ll breeze through the division and get back to the SEC title game in December.
