SEC Football: The East’s Most Important Defensive Players
Jan 3, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (1) celebrates after an interception to seal the game for the Gators against the East Carolina Pirates during the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Over the last couple of decades, the SEC East has claimed some of the most dominant offensive teams in the SEC. Whether it was the Spurrier or Meyer Gators, the Manning Volunteers, or the Stafford-Knowshon Bulldogs, the SEC East has had great offensive play over the last couple of decades.
On the other end of the spectrum, the SEC West has been the division that has housed some of the most dominant defenses in the same span. As we covered in the last article in this series, ‘SEC Football: The West’s Most Important Defensive Players in 2015’, it is a bit odd to see the offensive shift in the SEC West.
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Much like Texas A&M has experienced a share of success, so has Missouri. The success of the Tigers, however, is even more impressive. Mizzou was torched, beaten and embarrassed in their first SEC regular season. Since then, though, they have won the SEC East in back-to-back years. Whether that is a testament to Mizzou or a sign of how weak the SEC East has been is a topic for another time.
What we are going to be focused on here is the SEC East’s most important defensive players. While the East has been known as offensive division, some legendary defensive names have also come out of these schools. Who has the potential to join those legends this year?
Who are the most important defensive players in the SEC East heading into the 2015 season? Some are the best player on their team, others must provide solid contributions for the unit to function.
Next: Vanderbilt