As the 2024 College Football season is getting cranked up, I decided to give you my preseason-ish picks for several SEC player awards/accolades. Some of these are actual awards given out, while others are more of "here's who I think will be this".
Offensive Player of the Year - WR Luther Burden III (Missouri)
It was a dominant breakout 2023 campaign for Burden as he went for 86 catches, 1,212 yards, and nine touchdowns. Burden was a key piece in Missouri's resurgent 11-2 season last year, and will be a key reason in Missouri potentially making a push at the new expanded 12-team playoffs in 2024.
Returning his QB (Brady Cook) will bode well for Burden as well this year as he makes a push (along the likes of Travis Hunter and Tetairoa McMillan) at being the first receiver off the board in next spring's NFL draft. I also expect the conference's top QB's to all be in consideration for the award (the likes of Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, and Jaxson Dart).
Defensive Player of the Year - EDGE James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
Pearce was one of the SEC's top pass-rushers in 2023 as he had 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. The next step for Pearce will be the tackle numbers improving from the 28 he had a year ago. Nevertheless, if Pearce can keep improving, I expect him to push 15 sacks this year and to make a push at being the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Another name to watch here is Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson.