According to CBS Sports, here is a projection for all 14 SEC teams' 2015 Achilles heel, the one position that could prove to be the proverbial weakest link for the team's championship chances:
WEST
Alabama: Receiver. Lane Kiffin's work with Blake Sims suggests the Tide should be fine with Jake Coker (or David Cornwell) under center, even after Coker's solid-but-unspectacular spring. (Remember: it was Sims' even less spectacular spring that had many expecting Coker to claim the starting quarterback job at this time last year.) But will they be fine with the combination of Coker and the most unproven Crimson Tide receiving corps in years? "Replacing" Amari Cooper would be tough enough, but after losing Deandrew White and Christion Jones as well, Alabama has said goodbye to each of its top three receivers from 2014.
This being Alabama, there is (of course) no shortage of potential breakout candidates -- ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster had strong springs, O.J. Howard could still deliver on his mammoth ceiling at tight end, Chris Black was the one getting the offseason hype last summer, and incoming five-star recruit Calvin Ridley is, well, an incoming five-star recruit. Richard Mullaney could be a useful third-down security blanket, too. But are any of them the kind of game-changing talents the Tide quarterbacks may need to survive this SEC West? The jury's very much out.
Arkansas: Defensive line. The loss of do-everything linebacker Martrell Spaight is a big one, but Robb Smith's wondrous overhaul of the Hog linebackers in 2014 (and the presence of Brooks Ellis) suggest Smith's defense will be OK there. The bigger question is up front, where the departures of Trey Flowers and Darius Philon rob the Hogs of 27 of the line's 51 tackles-for-loss a year ago. Taiwan Johnson could be a star at tackle and JaMichael Winston has the potential to mostly fill Flowers' shoes at end, but both have to prove they can thrive without defenses paying extra attention to Flowers and Philon. There's more depth here than in recent seasons, but will there be the same level of production?
Auburn: Secondary. If the Tigers can stay healthy, the corner tandem of Jonathan Jones and Josh Holsey and the addition of Georgia transfer safety Tray Matthews could give Will Muschamp a decent-enough starting unit. But anyone who remembers Cooper scoring at will in last year's Iron Bowl knows there's work to be done regardless, and if the injury bug strikes, look out; even after the addition of Blake Countess, any personnel losses (particularly at safety) could see Muschamp double-checking to see if he still has any eligibility remaining. Widely projected "starting" nickelback Tim Irvin may have enrolled early and been a nationally ranked four-star recruit, but any time a true freshman looks destined for a role this big before fall camp even opens, it's safe to say things could be better.
LSU: Quarterbacks. The Tigers did a lousy job of rushing the passer in 2014 and lost both starting ends, but when you've got an LSU secondary, who really cares? Meanwhile, yes, Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris each looked much-improved in spring, but they're still the same tandem that gave LSU the second-lowest completion percentage in SEC play last year and fourth-worst QB rating despite the presence of Leonard Fournette, Travin Dural, etc. If Fournette -- and the Tigers running game -- is as potent as otherwise, Jennings and/or Harris don't have to be much better than mediocre for LSU to have a successful season -- but to win a championship, they'll have to do more than that. Proving they can starts on Sept. 5, and not before.
Ole Miss: Offensive line. No, no one's certain who's going to start at quarterback, and if Chad Kelly can't beat out the apparent "safe" option in Ryan Buchanan, it'll be fair to ask how much the Rebels will get out of the position. But whoever quarterbacks Ole Miss should be all right if the running game clicks -- and despite chatter that the Rebels aren't good enough at tailback, between Jaylen Walton (and his 5.5 yards-per-carry average in 2014), Jordan Wilkins, blue-chipper Eric Swinney and JUCO Akeem Judd, Freeze has quality options there. The biggest issue is a lack of push up front, which combined with the third-most sacks allowed in the SEC left the Rebels with the fourth-worst per-carry average in the league, ahead of only Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
The good news is that the line returns intact, complete with Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, and could get a boost from five-star guard recruit Javon Patterson. But let's just say there's plenty of room for improvement.
Mississippi State: Offensive line. Unlike their cross-state arch-rivals, the Bulldogs' offensive line had no issues opening up running lanes in 2014. But also unlike their cross-state arch-rivals, much of the talent that made those lanes is possible is gone. In center Dillon Day, guard Ben Beckwith and tackle Blaine Clausell, the Bulldogs arguably lost more offensive line production than any other team in the SEC -- and said goodbye to their only two backup centers as well. Senior guard Justin Malone is still on hand and Dan Mullen has a track record of finding overlooked offensive line talent, but a step back for this unit seems all-but-inevitable.
Texas A&M: Linebackers. You could pick any part of the Aggies defense you like, really; when you finish dead last in the SEC in both QB rating allowed and yards-per-carry allowed in league play, it's fair to assume you're got more than one problem to solve. But at least the Aggie defensive ends (hey, Myles Garrett!) could rush the passer, and at least Armani Watts and buzzed-about JUCO Justin Evans should upgrade the secondary. At linebacker, however, junior Shaan Washington is the only returning player to finish among the Aggies' top 11 tacklers last season. Sophomore Otaro Alaka came on late and JUCO Claude George could provide a boost, but there's a long, long way to go.
EAST
Florida: Offensive line. The Gators' troubles up front have overshadowed that Jim McElwain is likely to start a quarterback who redshirted last season in favor of a fellow freshman who completed less than half of his passes, but between Will Grier and Treon Harris, McElwain should have at least one candidate who can be adequate ... if the line isn't a disaster. Unfortunately, that disaster could be just one injury away after the unit left spring with six healthy scholarship players. The additions of five-star tackle Martez Ivey and FCS All-American Mason Halter may help, and if Trip Thurman is healthy, the fifth-year senior center gives the Gators a solid anchor. But McElwain will nonetheless have some sleepless nights contemplating what could go wrong here -- if he hasn't already.
Georgia: Wide receiver. It seems silly questioning the Bulldogs' receiving corps when Malcolm Mitchell's still around and Mark Richt seems to find new productive targets every season. Nonetheless, Mitchell is the only returning wideout to have caught more than six passes last season, and his 31 receptions went for a piddling eight yards on average. (He's also, as always, an injury risk.) Jeb Blazevich and Jay Rome give Richt a great one-two punch at tight end, and Justin Scott-Wesley could be poised for a breakout 2015 after an injury-plagued 2014. But if Mitchell can't recapture some of his big-play explosiveness, the receivers could be a bigger problem for Georgia's new quarterback than the quarterback would be for them.
Kentucky: Defensive line. Ends Bud Dupree and Za'Darius Smith were, by most accounts, the two best players on Kentucky's entire roster last season. They're both gone, along with starting tackle Mike Douglas, and it's not clear if there's any star-caliber heirs apparent to replace them -- though in the Wildcats' part-time 3-4, outside linebacker-slash-end Jason Hatcher will get his shot. Former five-star Matt Elam and 342-pound senior Melvin Lewis should have the nose tackle spot handled, too, but elsewhere it looks like some veterans will have to take some big steps forward.
Missouri: Receiver. If anyone can conjure a workable receiving corps out of roster air this thin, you'd think it could be Gary Pinkel. Nonetheless, this is the second straight season in which the Tigers have lost their top three receivers, leaving Nate Brown as the roster's leading career receiver with a grand reception total of ... wait for it ... five catches. At least where his SEC tenure is concerned, this could be Pinkel's greatest talent-development project yet -- and any struggles won't help Maty Mauk overcome his erratic 2014 struggles of his own.
South Carolina: Secondary. Second verse, same as Texas A&M's first: when you've finished dead last in the SEC and 104th nationally in yards-per-play allowed, it's not just one unit's fault. But while the linebackers have Skai Moore and the defensive line is adding a bucketful of JUCOs (including Marquavius Lewis), the defensive backfield doesn't have quite so many reasons for optimism. Kansas transfer Isaiah Johnson is a nice pickup and sophomore Chris Lammons could have a big season after winning a midseason starting job as a freshman, but overall, the hill to climb here is awfully, awfully steep.
Tennessee: Offensive line. Good news: four of five starters return. Bad news: those four starters were part of a unit that generated fewer yards per-carry in league play than anyone other than Vanderbilt and gave up more sacks than anyone in the FBS other than ULM, Penn State, Wyoming, SMU and Wake Forest. They'll unquestionably be better (sophomore guard Jashon Robertson could develop quickly), but will they be good enough to match the Vols' rapidly expanding expectations?
Vanderbilt: Quarterback. Following the Commodores' depressingly scoring-shy spring game, it appeared Patton Robinette had the inside track to becoming the team's starting quarterback. Then Robinette decided to retire from football and attend medical school. That leaves two quarterbacks on the Commodore roster who have attempted a pass at the college level: Wade Freeback and Johnny McCrary. Their combined stats from the spring game: 6-of-14, 69 yards, four interceptions, no touchdowns. Their combined stats from the 2014 season: 50 percent completion rate, 6.1 yards per-attempt, 10 touchdowns, 13 interceptions ... and half of those touchdowns came in one McCrary outing vs. Old Dominion. To be fair, McCrary was just a redshirt freshman and could take a sizable step forward under new coordinator Andy Ludwig. But things could also be every bit as bleak as that spring game (and Robinette's decision) make them appear.
WEST
Alabama: Receiver. Lane Kiffin's work with Blake Sims suggests the Tide should be fine with Jake Coker (or David Cornwell) under center, even after Coker's solid-but-unspectacular spring. (Remember: it was Sims' even less spectacular spring that had many expecting Coker to claim the starting quarterback job at this time last year.) But will they be fine with the combination of Coker and the most unproven Crimson Tide receiving corps in years? "Replacing" Amari Cooper would be tough enough, but after losing Deandrew White and Christion Jones as well, Alabama has said goodbye to each of its top three receivers from 2014.
This being Alabama, there is (of course) no shortage of potential breakout candidates -- ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster had strong springs, O.J. Howard could still deliver on his mammoth ceiling at tight end, Chris Black was the one getting the offseason hype last summer, and incoming five-star recruit Calvin Ridley is, well, an incoming five-star recruit. Richard Mullaney could be a useful third-down security blanket, too. But are any of them the kind of game-changing talents the Tide quarterbacks may need to survive this SEC West? The jury's very much out.
Arkansas: Defensive line. The loss of do-everything linebacker Martrell Spaight is a big one, but Robb Smith's wondrous overhaul of the Hog linebackers in 2014 (and the presence of Brooks Ellis) suggest Smith's defense will be OK there. The bigger question is up front, where the departures of Trey Flowers and Darius Philon rob the Hogs of 27 of the line's 51 tackles-for-loss a year ago. Taiwan Johnson could be a star at tackle and JaMichael Winston has the potential to mostly fill Flowers' shoes at end, but both have to prove they can thrive without defenses paying extra attention to Flowers and Philon. There's more depth here than in recent seasons, but will there be the same level of production?
Auburn: Secondary. If the Tigers can stay healthy, the corner tandem of Jonathan Jones and Josh Holsey and the addition of Georgia transfer safety Tray Matthews could give Will Muschamp a decent-enough starting unit. But anyone who remembers Cooper scoring at will in last year's Iron Bowl knows there's work to be done regardless, and if the injury bug strikes, look out; even after the addition of Blake Countess, any personnel losses (particularly at safety) could see Muschamp double-checking to see if he still has any eligibility remaining. Widely projected "starting" nickelback Tim Irvin may have enrolled early and been a nationally ranked four-star recruit, but any time a true freshman looks destined for a role this big before fall camp even opens, it's safe to say things could be better.
LSU: Quarterbacks. The Tigers did a lousy job of rushing the passer in 2014 and lost both starting ends, but when you've got an LSU secondary, who really cares? Meanwhile, yes, Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris each looked much-improved in spring, but they're still the same tandem that gave LSU the second-lowest completion percentage in SEC play last year and fourth-worst QB rating despite the presence of Leonard Fournette, Travin Dural, etc. If Fournette -- and the Tigers running game -- is as potent as otherwise, Jennings and/or Harris don't have to be much better than mediocre for LSU to have a successful season -- but to win a championship, they'll have to do more than that. Proving they can starts on Sept. 5, and not before.
Ole Miss: Offensive line. No, no one's certain who's going to start at quarterback, and if Chad Kelly can't beat out the apparent "safe" option in Ryan Buchanan, it'll be fair to ask how much the Rebels will get out of the position. But whoever quarterbacks Ole Miss should be all right if the running game clicks -- and despite chatter that the Rebels aren't good enough at tailback, between Jaylen Walton (and his 5.5 yards-per-carry average in 2014), Jordan Wilkins, blue-chipper Eric Swinney and JUCO Akeem Judd, Freeze has quality options there. The biggest issue is a lack of push up front, which combined with the third-most sacks allowed in the SEC left the Rebels with the fourth-worst per-carry average in the league, ahead of only Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
The good news is that the line returns intact, complete with Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, and could get a boost from five-star guard recruit Javon Patterson. But let's just say there's plenty of room for improvement.
Mississippi State: Offensive line. Unlike their cross-state arch-rivals, the Bulldogs' offensive line had no issues opening up running lanes in 2014. But also unlike their cross-state arch-rivals, much of the talent that made those lanes is possible is gone. In center Dillon Day, guard Ben Beckwith and tackle Blaine Clausell, the Bulldogs arguably lost more offensive line production than any other team in the SEC -- and said goodbye to their only two backup centers as well. Senior guard Justin Malone is still on hand and Dan Mullen has a track record of finding overlooked offensive line talent, but a step back for this unit seems all-but-inevitable.
Texas A&M: Linebackers. You could pick any part of the Aggies defense you like, really; when you finish dead last in the SEC in both QB rating allowed and yards-per-carry allowed in league play, it's fair to assume you're got more than one problem to solve. But at least the Aggie defensive ends (hey, Myles Garrett!) could rush the passer, and at least Armani Watts and buzzed-about JUCO Justin Evans should upgrade the secondary. At linebacker, however, junior Shaan Washington is the only returning player to finish among the Aggies' top 11 tacklers last season. Sophomore Otaro Alaka came on late and JUCO Claude George could provide a boost, but there's a long, long way to go.
EAST
Florida: Offensive line. The Gators' troubles up front have overshadowed that Jim McElwain is likely to start a quarterback who redshirted last season in favor of a fellow freshman who completed less than half of his passes, but between Will Grier and Treon Harris, McElwain should have at least one candidate who can be adequate ... if the line isn't a disaster. Unfortunately, that disaster could be just one injury away after the unit left spring with six healthy scholarship players. The additions of five-star tackle Martez Ivey and FCS All-American Mason Halter may help, and if Trip Thurman is healthy, the fifth-year senior center gives the Gators a solid anchor. But McElwain will nonetheless have some sleepless nights contemplating what could go wrong here -- if he hasn't already.
Georgia: Wide receiver. It seems silly questioning the Bulldogs' receiving corps when Malcolm Mitchell's still around and Mark Richt seems to find new productive targets every season. Nonetheless, Mitchell is the only returning wideout to have caught more than six passes last season, and his 31 receptions went for a piddling eight yards on average. (He's also, as always, an injury risk.) Jeb Blazevich and Jay Rome give Richt a great one-two punch at tight end, and Justin Scott-Wesley could be poised for a breakout 2015 after an injury-plagued 2014. But if Mitchell can't recapture some of his big-play explosiveness, the receivers could be a bigger problem for Georgia's new quarterback than the quarterback would be for them.
Kentucky: Defensive line. Ends Bud Dupree and Za'Darius Smith were, by most accounts, the two best players on Kentucky's entire roster last season. They're both gone, along with starting tackle Mike Douglas, and it's not clear if there's any star-caliber heirs apparent to replace them -- though in the Wildcats' part-time 3-4, outside linebacker-slash-end Jason Hatcher will get his shot. Former five-star Matt Elam and 342-pound senior Melvin Lewis should have the nose tackle spot handled, too, but elsewhere it looks like some veterans will have to take some big steps forward.
Missouri: Receiver. If anyone can conjure a workable receiving corps out of roster air this thin, you'd think it could be Gary Pinkel. Nonetheless, this is the second straight season in which the Tigers have lost their top three receivers, leaving Nate Brown as the roster's leading career receiver with a grand reception total of ... wait for it ... five catches. At least where his SEC tenure is concerned, this could be Pinkel's greatest talent-development project yet -- and any struggles won't help Maty Mauk overcome his erratic 2014 struggles of his own.
South Carolina: Secondary. Second verse, same as Texas A&M's first: when you've finished dead last in the SEC and 104th nationally in yards-per-play allowed, it's not just one unit's fault. But while the linebackers have Skai Moore and the defensive line is adding a bucketful of JUCOs (including Marquavius Lewis), the defensive backfield doesn't have quite so many reasons for optimism. Kansas transfer Isaiah Johnson is a nice pickup and sophomore Chris Lammons could have a big season after winning a midseason starting job as a freshman, but overall, the hill to climb here is awfully, awfully steep.
Tennessee: Offensive line. Good news: four of five starters return. Bad news: those four starters were part of a unit that generated fewer yards per-carry in league play than anyone other than Vanderbilt and gave up more sacks than anyone in the FBS other than ULM, Penn State, Wyoming, SMU and Wake Forest. They'll unquestionably be better (sophomore guard Jashon Robertson could develop quickly), but will they be good enough to match the Vols' rapidly expanding expectations?
Vanderbilt: Quarterback. Following the Commodores' depressingly scoring-shy spring game, it appeared Patton Robinette had the inside track to becoming the team's starting quarterback. Then Robinette decided to retire from football and attend medical school. That leaves two quarterbacks on the Commodore roster who have attempted a pass at the college level: Wade Freeback and Johnny McCrary. Their combined stats from the spring game: 6-of-14, 69 yards, four interceptions, no touchdowns. Their combined stats from the 2014 season: 50 percent completion rate, 6.1 yards per-attempt, 10 touchdowns, 13 interceptions ... and half of those touchdowns came in one McCrary outing vs. Old Dominion. To be fair, McCrary was just a redshirt freshman and could take a sizable step forward under new coordinator Andy Ludwig. But things could also be every bit as bleak as that spring game (and Robinette's decision) make them appear.
