The SEC West deserves every bit of recognition it gets as the top division in all of college football. Alabama has absolutely dominated not just in conference play but on the national stage as well while Ole Miss, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Auburn have all taken turns registering impressive records over the years. The SEC West projects to be just as difficult this year as in past seasons and we took the time to identify which players we feel will have the biggest outcome on how things play out. Here is a look at the most important players for the top contenders in the SEC West heading in to the 2016 season.
Alabama: Eddie Jackson
Safety
The defending national champion Crimson Tide will look to survive another offseason of substantial turnover while likely having to rely heavily on their defense in the early going next season. That will mean needing All-SEC safety Eddie Jackson to perform at an elite level and make a huge impact as the biggest playmaker on that side of the football. Alabama’s offense will be in transition with a new quarterback, running back and a number of new offensive linemen and that will mean needing the defense to keep them in the majority of their tougher games early on. Expectations are even higher for Jackson entering his senior season and they will need him to help take the pressure off of projected freshman starters in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marlon Humphrey next season.
LSU: Leonard Fournette
Running Back
LSU’s SEC fate will once again be directly tied to the production of its star running back Fournette, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry while rushing for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. The 6’1’’, 230-pound back seemed to run out of gas as the season progressed but that had a lot more to do with the lack of support around him than his own endurance. That said, the Tigers will have an improved cast around their star running back this season but they won’t rely on him any less in the loaded SEC West. Fournette has the potential to challenge for the Heisman trophy again this season and if LSU is going to contend for an SEC championship they will need their star running back to perform at an elite level from start to finish.
Ole Miss: Chad Kelly
Quarterback
The senior quarterback is coming off one of the best seasons ever by an SEC quarterback after he completed 65.1-percent of his passes for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2015. All eyes will be on Kelly to see if he can at least match those numbers while finding a way to become even more efficient this season. The 6’2’’, 215-pound passer is arguably the best quarterback in the SEC heading in to 2016 and he will have a strong cast of weapons around him even without top receiver Laquon Treadwell with Damor’ea Stringfellow, Quincy Adeboyejo and tight end Evan Engram all back in the fold. The Rebels project to have the most explosive passing attack in the country next season and they will rely on that vertical game all season as they look to contend for an SEC title.
Texas A&M: Myle Garrett
Defensive End
The Aggies lost their top two quarterbacks this offseason and still managed to bring in a projected top-five passer in the SEC in Trevor Knight. There is no doubt that Knight will be among the biggest keys to their success but he still isn’t their most important player. That title belongs to their star pass rusher Garrett, who has recorded 24 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss in two seasons at Texas A&M. The junior defensive end will need to consistently wreak havoc on opposing offenses in order to maximize the potential of the Aggies’ defense, which is projected to be a middle-of-the-pack unit in the SEC. If the Aggies are to make any noise this year, they’ll need this defense – and Garrett – to step up. He’s the leader of the unit and one of the few difference-makers on this team that has the ability to change the game with one or two plays.
