SEC East Football Preview
Page 1 of 1
SEC East Football Preview
SEC East spring football preview
Posted on 03.01.10
Florida
Practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: QB Tim Tebow, TE Aaron Hernandez, CB Joe Haden, LB Brandon Spikes, DE Carlos Dunlap
Keep an eye on: Coach Urban Meyer expects to end his leave of absence just in time to begin tutoring quarterback-in-waiting John Brantley this month. Tebow's understudy will not have NFL scouts dissecting his throwing motion: He throws a great spiral, though he lacks Tebow's thick frame and punishing running style. Meyer keeps landing the nation's top recruits. He'll have to lean on several of them after the Gators lost five juniors to the draft, including Dunlap, Haden and the gifted Hernandez.
Georgia
Practice starts: Thursday
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: QB Joe Cox, DT Geno Atkins, LB Rennie Curran, S Reshad Jones
Keep an eye on: Georgia had a significant departure on both sides of the ball - Cox and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. And in each case, 'Dog fans were not sad to see them go. Former Cowboys assistant Todd Grantham will be looking for playmakers at outside linebacker in his 3-4 scheme. But most of the attention in Athens will be focused on the quarterback race featuring versatile junior Logan Gray and a pair of redshirt freshmen - Aaron Murray and the strong-armed Zach Mettenberger.
Kentucky
Practice starts: March 31
Spring game: April 24
Key losses: CB Trevard Lindley, DT Corey Peters, LB Micah Johnson
Keep an eye on: Rich Brooks, who made Kentucky relevant without resorting to Hal Mumme tactics, handed off the program to Joker Phillips. The former USC assistant's first order of business will be deciding on a quarterback. Mike Hartline, last year's starter before injuring his knee against the Gamecocks, figures to reclaim the job if healthy. With one offensive lineman returning, keeping Hartline healthy could be the bigger concern. Phillips always could turn to Wildcat specialist Randall Cobb in a pinch.
South Carolina
Practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: LB Eric Norwood, SS Darian Stewart, DE Clifton Geathers, WR Moe Brown
Keep an eye on: Parade All-American tailback Marcus Lattimore will not be on campus until June. Before he arrives, new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott will try to re-shape a line that must get tougher if the Gamecocks are to improve the SEC's worst rushing attack the past three years. Defensively, Ellis Johnson plans to rest a number of starters recovering from injuries and look at unproven players, including linebackers Reggie Bowens and Toquavius Gilchrist, a junior-college transfer.
Tennessee
Practice starts: March 18
Spring game: April 17
Key losses: S Eric Berry, DT Dan Williams, RB Montario Hardesty, QB Jonathan Crompton
Keep an eye on: Derek Dooley will spend his first spring in Knoxville looking for a quarterback. Nick Stephens has been in the program for four seasons but will be working with his third coach in as many years. Stephens, who attempted 13 passes last season after starting six games in 2008, will have to hold off a pair of newcomers who enrolled in January. Freshman Tyler Bray is a highly touted recruit from California, while junior-college transfer Matt Simms is the son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms.
Vanderbilt
Practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: CB Myron Lewis, T Thomas Welch, C Bradley Vierling
Keep an eye on: Entering his ninth year at Vandy, Columbia native Bobby Johnson shook things up this offseason in the hopes of improving a dismal passing attack. Quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser replaced Ted Cain as offensive coordinator. Johnson brought in junior-college quarterback Jordan Rodgers, brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, to challenge incumbent Larry Smith, who completed just 46.7 percent of his passes in '09 before missing the final three games with a hamstring injury.
- Compiled by Joseph Person
Posted on 03.01.10
Florida
Practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: QB Tim Tebow, TE Aaron Hernandez, CB Joe Haden, LB Brandon Spikes, DE Carlos Dunlap
Keep an eye on: Coach Urban Meyer expects to end his leave of absence just in time to begin tutoring quarterback-in-waiting John Brantley this month. Tebow's understudy will not have NFL scouts dissecting his throwing motion: He throws a great spiral, though he lacks Tebow's thick frame and punishing running style. Meyer keeps landing the nation's top recruits. He'll have to lean on several of them after the Gators lost five juniors to the draft, including Dunlap, Haden and the gifted Hernandez.
Georgia
Practice starts: Thursday
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: QB Joe Cox, DT Geno Atkins, LB Rennie Curran, S Reshad Jones
Keep an eye on: Georgia had a significant departure on both sides of the ball - Cox and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. And in each case, 'Dog fans were not sad to see them go. Former Cowboys assistant Todd Grantham will be looking for playmakers at outside linebacker in his 3-4 scheme. But most of the attention in Athens will be focused on the quarterback race featuring versatile junior Logan Gray and a pair of redshirt freshmen - Aaron Murray and the strong-armed Zach Mettenberger.
Kentucky
Practice starts: March 31
Spring game: April 24
Key losses: CB Trevard Lindley, DT Corey Peters, LB Micah Johnson
Keep an eye on: Rich Brooks, who made Kentucky relevant without resorting to Hal Mumme tactics, handed off the program to Joker Phillips. The former USC assistant's first order of business will be deciding on a quarterback. Mike Hartline, last year's starter before injuring his knee against the Gamecocks, figures to reclaim the job if healthy. With one offensive lineman returning, keeping Hartline healthy could be the bigger concern. Phillips always could turn to Wildcat specialist Randall Cobb in a pinch.
South Carolina
Practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: LB Eric Norwood, SS Darian Stewart, DE Clifton Geathers, WR Moe Brown
Keep an eye on: Parade All-American tailback Marcus Lattimore will not be on campus until June. Before he arrives, new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott will try to re-shape a line that must get tougher if the Gamecocks are to improve the SEC's worst rushing attack the past three years. Defensively, Ellis Johnson plans to rest a number of starters recovering from injuries and look at unproven players, including linebackers Reggie Bowens and Toquavius Gilchrist, a junior-college transfer.
Tennessee
Practice starts: March 18
Spring game: April 17
Key losses: S Eric Berry, DT Dan Williams, RB Montario Hardesty, QB Jonathan Crompton
Keep an eye on: Derek Dooley will spend his first spring in Knoxville looking for a quarterback. Nick Stephens has been in the program for four seasons but will be working with his third coach in as many years. Stephens, who attempted 13 passes last season after starting six games in 2008, will have to hold off a pair of newcomers who enrolled in January. Freshman Tyler Bray is a highly touted recruit from California, while junior-college transfer Matt Simms is the son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms.
Vanderbilt
Practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 10
Key losses: CB Myron Lewis, T Thomas Welch, C Bradley Vierling
Keep an eye on: Entering his ninth year at Vandy, Columbia native Bobby Johnson shook things up this offseason in the hopes of improving a dismal passing attack. Quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser replaced Ted Cain as offensive coordinator. Johnson brought in junior-college quarterback Jordan Rodgers, brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, to challenge incumbent Larry Smith, who completed just 46.7 percent of his passes in '09 before missing the final three games with a hamstring injury.
- Compiled by Joseph Person
Carolina Kat- ADMIN
- Posts : 2319
Join date : 2010-01-07
Age : 61
Location : Charlottesville, VA
Favorite College team: : Go Hoos
Favorite NFL team: : Winnipeg
Similar topics
» 2010 SEC East Preview..
» The End Of The Big East?
» The entire SEC East
» GAMECOCKS ARE SEC EAST CHAMPIONS!!!
» East Playing Catch-Up In SEC
» The End Of The Big East?
» The entire SEC East
» GAMECOCKS ARE SEC EAST CHAMPIONS!!!
» East Playing Catch-Up In SEC
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|