Top Five Dark Horse SEC Teams Who Could Contend for a Title
By Ryan Summers
Nov 23, 2013; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) catches the ball and tries to free himself from Missouri Tigers linebacker Kentrell Brothers (10) during the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
The Ole Miss Rebels will look to improve on their 9-4 record (5-3 SEC) from a year ago.
The Rebels lose quarterback Bo Wallace, but will return a star-studded defense and the best wide receiver in the NCAA, Laquon Treadwell.
Treadwell was taken down by an injury in 2014, but will look to lead the Rebels back to SEC glory in 2015. Treadwell scored five touchdowns and amassed 642 yards in nine games for the Rebels in 2014.
Treadwell ranks 13th in Ole Miss history with 120 career receptions and has only played a little over a season and a half.
This kid is the real deal.
Dec 30, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Tony Conner (12) celebrates after a stop against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half at LP Field. The Rebels beat the Yellow Jackets 25-17. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, the Rebels had the best defense in the SEC and at times arguably the best defense in the NCAA.
This year, the ‘Landshark’ defense will be just as good and maybe even better.
The Rebels return defensive back Tony Conner, linebackers C.J. Johnson and Denzel Nkemdiche and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche.
Last season, these four guys were responsible for 170 of 478 solo tackles and tallied 24.5 tackles for loss.
The Rebels will be dominant in most of their games in 2015, but if they can pull off wins against major conference opponents and stay healthy, they can be a dark horse team that takes the SEC West.