The SEC has staked its claim as the most dominant conference in college football with the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide leading the way for them as the lone program to make back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff. Continuity is important and while the majority of the top players in the game leave for the NFL following their junior seasons there are a handful of standout top seniors that will continue to help keep the SEC at the top of the college football pyramid. Here is a look at the top seniors in the SEC heading in to the 2016 season.
DE: Jonathan Allen
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama’s defensive line has been among the biggest reasons for its success over the past couple of years with Williams leading a standout group that is absolutely loaded with talent. Each o Allen’s 12 sacks came against power-conference competition including 10 in either road of neutral-site games. Allen’s ability to get up for big games is a big reason why he is at the top of this list and the potential is there for him to be even better with another year to develop and gain valuable experience. Allen needs 7.5 sacks to become Alabama’s all-time sacks leader under head coach Nick Saban and there is no doubt he will be a force off the edge as the leader of the Crimson Tide’s front-seven next season. He’s one of the top seniors in the nation.
LB: Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Tennessee Volunteers
Reeves-Maybin has held down the “Will” linebacker position for the past two years as Tennessee. He is among the biggest reasons why the Vols’ defense has made significant improvements over that span. Reeves-Maybin led Tennessee with 14 tackles for a loss in 2015 with an additional six sacks and two forced fumbles. A shoulder injury sidelined Maybin-Reeves in spring practice but the team expect him to be healthy and ready to go once the fall rolls around. Maybin-Reeves will anchor a veteran defense that returns eight starters under new coordinator Bob Schoop and the potential is there for them to do some serious damage as the Vols aim to take another step forward in the SEC East next season.
QB: Chad Kelly
Ole Miss Rebels
The senior quarterback at Ole Miss led his team to wins over Alabama in each of the last two seasons but the Rebels weren’t able to finish the job in the SEC. They ultimately fell short of an SEC Championship game berth in both of those years. Now Kelly will look for his third win in a row over the Crimson Tide with the hope that he can finally put Ole Miss over the top with the potential to contend for an SEC championship. The Rebels lost a number of talented juniors to the NFL but they still have a ton of talent on both sides of the football including most importantly Kelly, who will look to deliver a championship in his final season.
The SEC isn’t exactly a quarterback-rich conference but Kelly is the aberration. He’s not only the best in the conference, he’s probably a top-five quarterback in the entire country.
S: Marcus Maye
Florida Gators
The Florida secondary was absolutely loaded last season and while cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves III and Jalen Tabor got a ton of attention, Maye certainly deserved recognition after serving as the versatile safety that was there to support them. Maye finished with two interceptions, six pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries along with a ridiculous 82 tackles last season. What will he have in store for an encore? The fifth-year senior brings 23 career starts to the table and in addition to his experience he is an elite playmaker that can hold his own in coverage while also stepping up and making big hits against the run. The Gators’ defense isn’t as deep as it was a year ago but Maye returns as the leader of the secondary and his impact will stand out even more this year.
The Gators already sent a bunch of talent to the NFL last year and if Maye has another solid year, he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s not only one of the top seniors at the safety position in the SEC, he’s among the best in the country.
