10. Michael Sam, DL, Missouri
Michael Sam of Missouri leads the SEC in sacks with 10.0 in total. The conference is not putting up huge sack numbers, but what Sam is doing for the Tigers’ defense is very much worthy of recognition.
Michael Sam of Missouri leads the SEC in sacks with 10.0 in total. The conference is not putting up huge sack numbers, but what Sam is doing for the Tigers’ defense is very much worthy of recognition.
Quarterback Connor Shaw has led the South Carolina Gamecocks to a 9-2 record and a second place standing in the SEC East. He has the fourth-best passer rating in the SEC at 160.8 and has the fifth-most passing touchdowns with 20. His 1,983 passing yards are good enough for seventh in the conference and a 61.8 completion percentage is good enough for eighth.
Missouri has truly flourished this season, and much of the thanks and praise can be given to quarterback James Franklin. He has led the Tigers to within steps of the SEC Championship game, and he’s done it behind an incredible season. He ranks fourth the conference in passing efficiency at 67.3 percent and is tied for eighth in total offensive touchdowns. Without Franklin, Missouri would be nowhere close to where they are this season.
Zach Mettenberger has quietly put together a quality stat line for the LSU Tigers. He leads the conference in passer rating at 176.1, ranks third with 2,926 passing yards and is fourth with 22 passing touchdowns. He’s been sacked a whopping 18 times, which could have brought down his numbers significantly.
Tre Mason is the best running back the SEC has to offer. He leads the conference with 1,153 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He is Auburn’s Big Man on Campus right now, and he has the Tigers fired up heading into their Iron Bowl match up with Alabama this weekend. Should he be able to penetrate the Crimson Tide’s stellar defense and put up big numbers, he’ll move even higher on this list.
Ramik Wilson is the premier defensive player in the SEC. He leads the conference in tackles by a wide margin with 119 total — the next highest is A.J. Johnson of Tennessee with 97. His four sacks have him tied for 16th in the SEC. The Georgia linebacker has been leading the Bulldogs all season long, and now that quarterback Aaron Murray is out for the season he’ll have to prove to be even stronger.
Mike Evans is by far the best wide receiver in the SEC. He leads all SEC receivers with 1,314 yards and 12 touchdowns. Of course, Evans does have Johnny Manziel throwing passes to him. Nonetheless, Evans has emerged as a strong and dominant receiver that has a chance to succeed at the next level.
Odell Beckham does it all for the LSU Tigers. He leads the SEC in total yardage by almost 600 yards with a total of 2,175 for the season. Beckham has 56 catches for 1,101 receiving yards and eight touchdowns along with 936 yards on special teams. Remarkably, he does not have a return touchdown this season. He has, however, chewed up a ton of yardage for LSU and is a true playmaker with the football.
A.J. McCarron may not have the same eye-popping statistics as other quarterbacks in the SEC, but he is as pure as a football player gets. He has led the Alabama Crimson Tide to two straight National Championships and looks to be on his way to a third. McCarron is consistent, completing 68.9 percent of his passes, second-best in the SEC. He has 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions and has earned a 165.1 passer rating, third-best in the conference.
There really is no debate that Johnny Manziel is the best player in the SEC. He leads the conference in total yardage by almost a thousand yards with 4,202 and also has an SEC-best 40 touchdowns. He is on pace to improve in those categories on his Heisman season from a year ago. Whether he has a future in the NFL remains to be seen, but right now he’s the best player the best conference the NCAA has to offer.
Get our content customized for you directly to your inbox!
