On Monday, we wrote about five SEC Offensive Player of the Year candidates, along with five more to watch. Today we turn our attention to the top contenders for SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Tennessee DL Derrick Barnett
Some defensive ends feast on weaker competition, running by or running through inferior offensive linemen. But Derrick Barnett's numbers weren't inflated in 2014. If anything, he performed best when the moment called for it. Of his ridiculous 20.5 tackles for loss, 18 came in conference play. Twice he had three sacks in a game: at Ole Miss and at South Carolina. And did we mention he did that as a true freshman without the benefit of early enrollment? He was relying on his talent then. With some seasoning and maybe a few veteran tricks up his sleeve, he could be a more well-rounded force in 2015.
Texas A&M DL Myles Garrett
The five-star talent didn't disappoint. Myles Garrett arrived on Texas A&M's campus in 2014 after spring practice had ended and immediately produced, earning a sack in the season opener against South Carolina. In the next two games he combined for 4.5 sacks and followed a quick path to break Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman record for sacks. By the time it was all said and done, he dragged down the quarterback 11.5 times, tying for second in the SEC while earning Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC honors.
Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
If Vernon Hargreaves III winds up being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, go ahead and call it a career achievement award. That's not a knock. He's never not been a First Team All-SEC corner, after all, starting as a freshman and then again last year. In a league where passing offenses continue to make inroads, Hargreaves stands alone as a true lockdown corner. With another solid year, he could very well turn pro early and wind up a high first-round pick.
Ole Miss DL Robert Nkemdiche
His stats aren't going to blow you away. As an interior lineman, that's not the game he plays. So if you want a clear picture of how talented the former five-star prospect is, talk to offensive linemen around the league or simply watch him play. Someone who is 280 pounds is not supposed to move that well. They're definitely not supposed to be capable of playing running back, which he did in high school and has done sparingly at Ole Miss. Like Hargreaves, he's a first-round NFL talent.
Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
Whether it's Rolando McClain, Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley or Trey DePriest, Alabama knows how to produce middle linebackers. And like those before him, Reggie Ragland has had to bide his time, serving as a backup his first three years on campus. (Despite that, he had 95 tackles last year). Now, after spurning the NFL, he returns to Tuscaloosa as the clear-cut starter and leader of a defense that should be among the SEC's best in 2015.
Five more to keep an eye on:
LSU LB Kendell Beckwith
Ole Miss S Tony Conner
Georgia OLB Leonard Floyd
Auburn DL Carl Lawson
Alabama DL A'Shawn Robinson