One Question Each SEC Football Team MUST Answer This Spring

Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics

SEC West

Alabama Crimson Tide — Is Jalen Milroe ready to chase a championship?

With a new offensive coordinator in Tommy Rees in town and former stars like Bryce Young and Jahmyr Gibbs preparing to walk the NFL stage, the Alabama offense is hitting the reset button to a certain extent in 2023. Last year was a down year by Alabama standards, complete with two entire football losses to Tennessee and LSU. Still, Nick Saban and the Tide continue to recruit better than anyone in the sport year after year. All eyes will be on the battle for QB1 this spring as Jalen Milroe, last year’s backup, tries to hold off redshirt freshman Ty Simpson and true freshman Eli Holstein

Milroe showed the athleticism last year to be a winning player, but his work in the pocket was less than stellar. He played in eight games last year, going 31-for-53 (58.5% completion) while throwing for 297 yards, five touchdowns and three picks. What had Tide fans concerned last year was his start against Texas A&M, when he went 12-for-19 with 111 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. While he had three scores and a win over A&M at home, Milroe often looked uncomfortable in the pocket, leaving his blockers too early in an attempt to run. If Alabama wants to reign supreme in the SEC West this year, Milroe will need to develop as a true passer or watch Simpson/Holstein pass him by.

Arkansas Razorbacks — Who will win the “Jack” linebacker role in the Hogs’ new defense?

Barry Odom was always a pain for teams to play against. His aggressive defenses and ambushing blitzes could catch even the most veteran units off guard. But his days in Fayetteville are over for now after Odom headed west to become the head ball coach at UNLV. In his place is new defensive coordinator Travis Williams. Off the bat, Williams will run a different defense than the mean 3-3-5 that Odom was famous for. Instead, Williams will base out of a 4-3, meaning four down linemen on most plays. 

As elite outside linebacker Drew Sanders heads to the draft, head coach Sam Pittman and Williams know they need to find their next great QB hunter. As he said in a press conference early in spring camp, Pittman is focused on finding that “Jack” linebacker as a top priority. “The biggest thing that I want to find out is who is going to be that Jack, that buck linebacker, that boundary standup in our system,” he said. The Razorbacks will likely turn to a pair of transfers to fill that need. John Morgan III transfers in from Pittsburgh, and Trajan Jeffcoat, a former All-SEC selection, comes over from Missouri. Junior defensive lineman Landon Jackson, the former LSU transfer, is also a candidate to fill that role.

Auburn Tigers — Can they rebuild the offensive line through the transfer portal?

While many will focus on the QB battle between Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner, and T.J. Finley, the job that Hugh Freeze has done on the offensive line is nothing short of a miracle. Last month, I recorded an episode of The Three Technique with Auburn insider Blake Lane. During that pod, Blake emphasized the job that Freeze has done on the recruiting trail (around the 18-minute mark if you’d like to hear the full clip). Specifically, Freeze took empty cupboards along the offensive line and might have just made that a team strength. 

The Tigers signed four three-star recruits and a four-star recruit along the offensive line out of high school, per 247 Sports, but they also raided the transfer portal. Auburn brought in three potential starters in tackles Dillon Wade (Tulsa), Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky), and center Avery Jones (East Carolina). It’s one thing to recruit talent, but it’s another thing entirely to put it together. The offensive line takes time and reps to gel as a unit. Can they give fans hope on The Plains after just 15 practices?

LSU Tigers — Do they have a receiving corps to defend their SEC West crown?

Malik Nabers’ recent arrest and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson’s knee surgery cast a shadow over the LSU receiver room heading into spring ball. Anderson is lost for the spring, and while Nabers will not be charged, per an ESPN report in late February, the distraction has been unnecessary. Nabers was the leading pass catcher in 2022 with 72 receptions, over 1,000 yards, and three touchdowns.

Behind Nabers and Anderson, the Tigers have quite a bit of depth and talent, but no one who has proven themselves on a championship level quite yet. Chris Hilton Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., and Kyren Lacy all provide veteran options, while a recruiting class that finished fifth in the country, per 247 Sports, boasts the elite talents of Jalen Brown, Kyle Parker and Shelton Sampson Jr. Brian Kelly has a full stable of weapons for returning QB Jayden Daniels, but will they be enough to win the West again?

Mississippi State Bulldogs — Will they benefit from a more balanced offense?

It was so hard coming up with a question for Mississippi State because my thoughts kept coming back to the Pirate. Every question I asked, my answer was “it will just be different without Mike Leach.” The spirit of the Pirate will forever be ingrained with Miss State, and for that we’re thankful. 

On the field, I decided to write about the Bulldogs’ need to rewire this offense. New head coach Zach Arnett was promoted shortly after Leach passed away on Dec. 12. Shortly after the new year, Arnett brought in former Appalachian State offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay to run the offense. Barbay took App State, and Central Michigan the year prior, into the top 30 rankings in total offense. Unlike the Air Raid, however, Barbay takes a much more balanced approach. Barbay’s Mountaineers ranked inside the top 50 in both the passing and running game, averaging 251 and 204 yards per game, respectively. It would be fair to assume that Will Rogers and Miss State will cut back on the pass attempts, but will that be for the best in Starkville?

Ole Miss Rebels — Who wins the starting QB spot?

Lane Kiffin has himself a good old fashioned shootout at the OK Corral in Oxford. Incumbent starter Jaxson Dart started 12 of 13 games for the Rebels last season, but failed to consistently be a difference maker. Then again, he didn’t really have to with Quinshon Judkins running all over the conference and claiming the SEC Freshman of the Year Award. While Dart had some great performances, his lackluster performances Vanderbilt and Mississippi State come to mind, and his disappointing game against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths. 

The #TransferToTheSip train then started rumbling down the tracks, picking up LSU transfer Walker Howard and Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders. For Sanders, he only has the fall semester to finish college. 

So what does Kiffin do? Does he defer to the vet from Stillwater, stick with his 2022 starter, or roll with an explosive talent in Howard? The sooner the Rebs have an answer, the better off they will be.

Texas A&M Aggies — Will Jimbo Fisher actually turn over play-calling duties?

Ninety Third. That’s what Texas A&M’s offense ranked in the country in yards per game after the dust had settled on a 5-7 season. Ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP poll, Texas A&M experienced a brutally disappointing season en route to finishing dead last in the SEC. A good deal of the blame fell on Jimbo Fisher’s shoulders. Jimbo’s complex offense was often too slow to develop for his young QBs behind an injured offensive line. Injuries were everywhere, but the Aggies struggled to even move the chains on far too many drives. For fans of the maroon and white, once it reached third down, you assumed that Nik Constantinou was coming on to punt (the Aggies finished 99th in third-down conversion percentage at 35.9%). 

Cue the hiring of the controversial figure in Bobby Petrino. The Athletic chronicled Petrino’s journey to College Station. But, as Andy Staples pointed out, the hiring also makes a lot of sense for the Aggies. Petrino is known for taking his quarterback and building an offense around him, instead of Jimbo doing it the other way around. Petrino proved he could run a simple, yet effective offense everywhere he has been. The Aggies have a top 10 roster no matter which service you look at. They have a five-star QB in Conner Weigman and a host of talented skill players like Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad III, and Ainias Smith. The question that remains: Will Jimbo actually let Bobby Petrino run the offense? The Aggies certainly hope so.

SEC East

Florida Gators — Can they win in the trenches?

Billy Napier’s first season in The Swamp didn’t go according to plan outside of the season-opening upset over Utah. Still, Napier’s focus on the offensive line paid dividends for the Gators. O’Cyrus Torrence, who followed Napier from Louisiana, was arguably the best offensive lineman in the country. Alongside Richard Gouraige, Michael Tarquin, Ethan White, and Kingsley Eguakun, the Gators finished 24th in total rushing behind a mean offensive line and talented running backs. 

But that group isn’t there anymore. The Gators saw Torrence and Gouraige head to the draft, and Tarquin and White left for USC. Napier needs four new starters up front, and he needs them now. Micah Mazzccua, a former starting guard at Baylor, will be an important piece for Napier and OL coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton. Massive Kiyaunta Goodwin also transfers in from Kentucky to play tackle, while Damieon George Jr., an Alabama transfer, may have position flex. The talent is there, but can the Gators patch a front five together to protect Graham Mertz and get back to winning in The Swamp?

Georgia Bulldogs — What defines the Bulldogs’ offense this year? 

The Georgia Bulldogs don’t have a lot of question marks heading into 2023. They have, after all, won back-to-back national titles thanks to immaculate team-building by head coach Kirby Smart. What we can wonder about centers around the offense, specifically the quarterback and offensive line. 

Stetson Bennett’s magical collegiate career is over. It’s once again time for a blue-chipper to have his shot at QB1 for the Bulldogs. Will it be Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, or Gunner Stockton? Beck would appear to be the traditional choice, but Vandagriff and Stockton are beyond talented enough to claim the job with a great offseason. 

Similarly, the Bulldogs lose tackles Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon. Those two didn’t give up a single sack last season. Can Earnest Greene III and Amarius Mims provide a similar level of production this fall?

Kentucky Wildcats — Will the Offensive Line Protect Devin Leary?

Devin Leary is the new signal-caller at Kentucky after transferring in from NC State. That’s the good news. The bad news? Kentucky’s offensive line struggled mightily last year, giving up 47 sacks. That total was so staggering, it finished 129th out of 131 FBS teams. Only Akron (55) and Colorado State (59) gave up more. Yikes.

Four out of the five starters are back, plus Tanner Bowles and Marques Cox have transferred in. Bowles, an Alabama transfer, brings a particularly high ceiling with him from Tuscaloosa. If you’re a Wildcats fan, you’re banking on the returning continuity to serve as a springboard for development, for improvement, and for success in 2023. That’s a fair assumption right? If they can gel together, Leary and new (old) offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who returns to Lexington after one year with the Los Angeles Rams, could have an explosive offense. But if Leary is going to flex his cannon for a right arm, he needs time to do it.

Missouri Tigers — Will the play-calling maximize the talent of the wide receivers?

If you logged on to a Missouri fan site toward the end of last season, you were no doubt greeted by complaints about head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s play-calling and the utilization of five-star wide receiver Luther Burden III. As a result, Drinkwitz turned to Kirby Moore, formerly at Fresno State, to call plays in 2023 Drinkwitz told media that, “I was adamant that I wasn’t going to [give up play-calling] unless I found somebody who could do it better than me. And I know Kirby. I know how hard he’s going to work. I’ve seen what he was able to do.” Moore’s Bulldogs went 10-4 in 2022, including a nine-game winning streak. Fresno State led the Mountain West Conference in points scored (30.6 per game) and total offense (402.6 yards per game). 

Moore is determined that success comes from execution and putting his players in the right position. He has the aforementioned Burden to work with, plus transfers Theo Wease (Oklahoma) and Dannis Jackson (Ole Miss). Throw in other in-house options like Mekhi Miller and Demariyon “Peanut” Houston and the Tigers could be lethal, but will Moore and Drinkwitz dial up the right system to highlight their talent? 

South Carolina Gamecocks — Do they have enough starters on campus to back up the hype?

There may not be a hotter up-and-coming brand than South Carolina football. From its fantastic finish to the 2022 regular season, to its tremendous recruiting success, head coach Shane Beamer is building something special in Columbia. But those results might not be ready to blossom in 2023. Between graduation and losses to the transfer portal, the Gamecocks rank 102nd in ESPN’s Returning Production chart (55%). 

South Carolina is desperately thin at running back, defensive end, and edge rusher specifically. Freshman EDGE Desmond Umeozulu is a name that Gamecocks fans should be particularly excited about, but then again, there will be a learning curve in the loaded SEC. South Carolina will need to be fervently scouring the portal after the completion of spring ball for any positions that the Gamecocks don’t feel certain about. If they can add some valuable pieces through the portal, South Carolina could be a dark horse contender in the East. 

Tennessee Volunteers — Will the defense prove doubters wrong again in 2023?

The Volunteers finished 91st in the country in total defense and still out-performed my expectations heading into the season. The Vols’ defense had a decent pass rush thanks to players like Byron Young, now departed for the NFL draft, and could hold its own in the secondary at times. Still, as the defense turns the page to 2023 and its mission to topple the Georgia Bulldogs, questions still remain. 

Big plays were a liability for the Volunteers last season. Let’s list off a couple of passing yards per play statistics and see where the Vols ranked: 10+ yards (151 plays, 129th), 20+ yards (49 plays, 112th), 30+ yards (22 plays, 100th). Get the picture? While the Vols were winning games, they were doing so in spite of their secondary. Tennessee brought in talented recruits like CB Jordan Matthews and BYU transfer Gabe Jeudy-Lally to help fill the back end.

Of course, many will say the key to a great secondary is in the pass rush. With Young gone to a pro career, head coach Josh Heupel will turn to a stable of second-year players like Joshua Josephs, James Pearce Jr., and Tyre West to get after the quarterback. Tennessee also signed a pair of top 150 recruits in Caleb Herring and Chandavian Bradley that will likely see reps early. 

Vanderbilt Commodores — Can veteran leadership propel the Commodores to bowl eligibility? 

The Commodores battled their way to a 5-7 record in 2022. Their chances at bowl eligibility came down to the final week against Tennessee. Neither of those facts seemed probable when head coach Clark Lea proclaimed that Vanderbilt could be the best team in the country “in time” at SEC Media Days. Spirits are cautiously optimistic for the first time in years in Nashville, especially given the amount of veterans that Lea and company have at their disposal. 

The ‘Dores have 52 upperclassmen on the roster, plus another group of second-year players like QB AJ Swann who have dreams of the postseason. With so much experience back, Lea knows there is a launching point for improvement this year. One of those areas has to be on the defensive side of the ball. Vandy gave up 36 points per game last season, while the offense scored 24.6 per game. The Commodores do receive talented help in the secondary in the form of CB Martel Hight (Rome, Ga.). Hight has room to fill out at 5-foot-11 and 161 pounds, but he’s one of the most talented pieces that the Commodores have landed on campus in the Lea era. For Vandy fans, there is plenty of reason to feel hopeful, especially if this year’s team can stay healthy and gel even further during spring camp.

About the author

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I've spent the majority of the last decade cutting my teeth in college sports, covering athletics for three separate universities and spent 2021 as an Assistant Athletic Director. I graduated from Texas A&M in 2019 and got my Masters from Dallas Baptist University two years later. My favorite CFB memory will always be Texas A&M's dramatic 7OT win over LSU in 2018, my final game as a student. My passion is telling stories and helping fans get to know their favorite athletes on a personal level, whether that be through articles or a broadcast.