We still have a few more months to go before the 2016 college football season, but with the spring games upon us we are about to get our first look at this year’s rosters. The SEC has been the class of college football for years and the coaches, players and fans will be excited to get at the possibility of getting some clues for question marks they have had since the end of last season. Here is a look at the key spring game goals for the SEC East Teams.
Florida: Establish Identity On Offense
The Gators won 10 games last season thanks in large part to one of the most dominant defenses in the entire country. Now they enter this year looking for answers on the offensive side of the football where they weren’t nearly good enough a year ago. There will be plenty of talent in the equation on that side of the football but they will enter their spring game looking to establish an identity on offense.
Georgia: Set A Winning Tone Early
The arrival of Kirby Smart has taken the hype to another level at Georgia where the roster is loaded with talent and the Bulldogs appear set with one of the simpler schedules in the SEC East. However, the spring game will mean setting the tone for the season with some actual football and it will be important for Smart to establish a winning culture from the outset. There has certainly been a lot of hype to this point but now the real work begins.
Kentucky: Build Depth On Defense
Mark Stoops has had his team on the brink of contention midway through each of the last two seasons and both yeas his teams have fallen short. The key to getting over that hump might very well be avoiding injuries but it will certainly help if they can build some depth on the defensive side of the ball. Kentucky has some impressive talent set to start on defense this season but they need to establish some depth if they are going to be taken seriously this year.
Missouri: Find Playmakers On Offense
Barry Odom will have some major issues to deal with in his first year as the head coach of the Tigers but the biggest of them might be finding playmakers on offense. Drew Lock was recruited heavily before landing with Missouri and some feel that he has already made a mistake by not naming him his starter at quarterback already. There is a good chance that Lock will become the starter eventually but he won’t succeed if he doesn’t have enough playmakers around him and that will be an important area to monitor beginning with Missouri’s spring game. It’s a key story to watch in the SEC East.
South Carolina: Find Playmakers On Defense
South Carolina is in a similar position to Missouri except on the defensive side of the football where they are extremely lacking in playmaking talent. First-year head coach Will Muschamp is known for his ability to coach up a team on that side of the football but it won’t matter unless he can really develop some playmakers. Muschamp might have a very bright future with the Gamecocks but there will be some growing pains along the way and the holes on defense will be evident in the spring game.
Tennessee: Emphasize Vertical Passing Game
The Vols have an absolute stud at quarterback in Joshua Dobbs and now it’s on the coaching staff to really emphasize the vertical passing attack. The senior passer has the arm to make all of the throws and the intelligence to make the right progressions but it will be on the coaches to ask him to really push the football down the field. Josh Malone, Preston Williams, Jauan Jennings and Josh Smith make up an impressive receiving core so it’s on the Tennessee coaching staff to emphasize the vertical passing game.
Vanderbilt: Establish Weapons For Shurmur
Vanderbilt’s spring game is already in the books and unfortunately for Derek Mason they still have several of them that will need to be addressed before the season. The problem took important steps forward in 2015 after a disastrous 2014 season but it’s clear that Mason needs to find some better playmakers to surround the program’s new quarterback in Kyle Shurmur. Mason hasn’t officially named the freshman passer his No. 1 QB but it’s clear he is the man for the job and the most important thing now is to get the most out of the talent around him. Wide receiver Trent Sherfield looked really good in the spring game and Nathan Marcus showed flashes at tight end. It was a positive start to the year but the bottom line right now is that the Commodores need more weapons on offense. Keep an eye on that in the SEC East.
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