Alabama maintained its dominance in the college football landscape with another SEC championship and national title in 2015. Now they will attempt to reload following substantial turnover in the offseason with a focus on successfully defending their titles. It certainly won’t be easy for the Crimson Tide as the road through the SEC will include some tough tests with the top teams in the conference using the final months leading up to the fall to solidify their positions as legitimate contenders. Here is a look at the top summer goal for each of the top four projected SEC teams.
Alabama: Stability On The Offensive Line
Stability on both the offensive and defensive lines has been a staple for Nick Saban throughout his time at Alabama. The Crimson Tide should have a formidable defensive line again this season but there are reasons for concern on the offensive side of the football. Turnover is always an issue at Alabama and it doesn’t help that star left tackle Cam Robinson was recently arrested and charged with possession of a stolen firearm as well as a misdemeanor drug possession. The Crimson Tide will deal with substantial change on both sides of the football but they need to get Robinson back on track and establish a level of stability on the offensive line in order to make sure they can handle the transition.
LSU: Develop Brandon Harris At Quarterback
LSU appears primed to challenge Alabama for SEC supremacy with a loaded defense and a formidable offense led by star running back Leonard Fournette. The key to success could be quarterback play as the Tigers simply need more out of Brandon Harris if they are going to play to their potential this season. Harris went 6-of-19 with a pick-six in last year’s loss to the Crimson Tide and his ineffectiveness allowed Alabama to load the box on defense in order to shut down Fournette. LSU doesn’t need Harris to be a Heisman contender but they do need to develop him in to a capable quarterback in order to have any shot at contending in the SEC this season.
Tennessee: Solidify The Defense
The Vols are a team on the rise in the SEC with quarterback Joshua Dobbs leading an impressive cast on the offensive side of the football. The key for Tennessee could be solidifying a formidable defense as defensive coordinator Bob Shoop continues to implement a system he brought in this spring. Shoop’s philosophy is more aggressive than John Jancek’s was but in order to execute the Vols need to be able to demonstrate that they understand and can execute the basics. Derek Barnett and John Reeves-Maybin each have the potential to register double-digit sack totals this season but they have to put in the work this summer as the Tennessee defense remains a work in progress.
Ole Miss: Offensive Line Progression
The Rebels are another projected contender out of the SEC West, but if they are going to have any shot at competing with the top teams, they will need to figure things out up front with their offensive line. Ole Miss lost all five starters from a year ago, but they still have a fair bit of experience with Sean Rawlings having played seven games at right tackle last year while Robert Conyers was a top backup for two seasons when he was healthy. The key could be the development of Jordan Sims and Javon Patterson as two players that could contribute as freshman. The talent is certainly there but the Rebels will need to spend the rest of the summer putting together the pieces and demonstrating significant progress on the offensive line before anybody will be ready to declare them a legitimate contender in the SEC. Remember that they do have a talented quarterback returning in Chad Kelly – he might be the most talented in the SEC – but if he doesn’t get the time to make decisions and throw, it will be an unsuccessful year for the Rebs.
