2005 SEC Outlook

[Colonel_Reb]

OK guys, here it is. My look at white players in the SEC in 2005. Feel free to do more research on these guys and the back ups which I didn't include in this list.

Vanderbilt
Offense
QB-Jay Cutler Senior who should be drafted pretty highly in 2006.
FB-Steven Bright
TE-Dustin Dunning Senior with a lot of experience.
LT-Ryan King Senior starting for the first time.
LG-Josh Eames Sophomore has gained weight for the position.
RG-Mac Pyle
RT-Brian Stamper Junior with most experience on the line.

Defense
DT-Theo Horrocks
DE-Chris Booker Senior back from 2004 knee injury.
LB-Kevin Joyce Junior who made strides during the spring.
SS-Ben Koger In competition for starting job.
CB-Andrew Pace Senior who is only white CB in the SEC. Transitioned well from safety after last season.


Tennessee
Offense
QB-Erik Ainge Sophomore who set freshman passing record at UT last year. Has a very strong arm.
LG-Rob Smith Junior who is only lineman to start every game.
C-Richie Gandy versatile Senior.

Defense
DT-Jesse Mahelona Hawaiian who was 1'st team All America last year.


South Carolina
Offense
QB-Blake Mitchell Senior will start the season for Coach Superior.
TE-Andy Boyd Junior blocker who hopes to get some catches this year.

Defense
DE-Jordin Lindsey Twin brothers who are also sophomores.
MLB-Dustin Lindsey


Ole Miss
Offense
LG-Andrew Wicker Junior who converted from DT last year is in a competition for the starting spot after a spring injury.

Defense
DE-Chris Bowers Freshman who impressed coaches in the spring.


Mississippi State
Offense
QB-Michael Henig Redshirt Freshman
WR-Will Prosser Junior with break open speed, especially deep.
LG-Brian Anderson Junior with experience.
C-Chris McNeil Senior team leader and consistent.
RG-Royce Blackledge



LSU
Offense
LT-Andrew Whitworth Senior who if starts 11 games will be LSU's first 50 game starter.
LG-Brett Helms Redshirt Freshman who is getting a lot of attention.
C-Rudy Niswanger Senior can play any position on the line and is a team leader.

Defense
DT-Kyle Williams Senior who will likely improve his draft position for 2006.



Kentucky
Offense
TE-Jacob Tamme Sophomore who transitioned from WR.
WR-Tommy Cook
LT-Aaron Miller Sophomore who started 10 games in 2004.
LG-Fatu Turituri Samoan Junior who transferred from JuCo.
C-Matt McCutchan Senior who bulked up during the offseason.
RG-Trai Williams Former walk on Junior earned a scholarship.
RT-Hayden Lane Junior returning starter.

Defense
DE-B. Jay Parsons 6-5 Senior who can knock passes down.
DT-Trey Meilsch Senior who has been very solid.
DT-Jason Leger
MLB-Joe Schuler Sophomore who converted from OLB in the spring.



Georgia
Offense
T-Dennis Roland 6-9 Senior who can move.
C-Russ Tanner Senior anchor of the line.
T-Daniel Inman Strong Junior blocker.



Florida
Offense
LG-Lance Butler Senior who is UF's most athletic lineman.
C-Mike Degory Senior is one of the best in the nation.
RG-Jim Tartt Freshman with loads of talent.
RT-Randy Hand Senior 3 year starter.

Defense
LB-Todd McCullough Senior who should make the most of this season.



Auburn
Offense
QB-Brandon Cox Sophomore who needs to prove himself.
TB-Tre Smith Junior Started at the beginning of the season, but demoted to 3'rd string by mid-year.
FB-Jake Slaughter Senior Mainly a blocking back with plenty of power.
TE-Cooper Wallace Senior playmaker with experience.
C-Steve Ross Senior recovering from knee surgery.

Defense
FS-Will Herring Junior who hopes to have a break out year.



Arkansas
Offense
RB/FB/WR/TE/PR-Peyton Hillis Sophomore possible starter at feature position. Coaches say he has the best hands on the field and is the most versatile. No recent Arkansas player has ever been used in so many different positions. Leading reciever at the 2/3 mark of the season. Started at RB in 1 game.
TE-Mason Templeton 6-7 Sophomore improved greatly in the Spring.
LG-Stephen Parker Junior former walk on.
C-Kyle Roper Senior who anchors the line. Rimington Award candidate.
RG-Zac Tubbs Senior back from broken ankle.

Defense
NG-Jeremy Harrell Highly recruited Junior who started all games in 2004 and 11 games as a true freshman in 2003.


Alabama
Offense
QB-Brodie Croyle Senior leader.
LT-Chris Capps Sophomore who will have competition at his position.
C-J.B. Closner Senior leader and key to the line's success.
RG-Mark Sanders Senior looking for first start.
RT-Kyle Tatum Junior with amazing potential.

Total started in SEC as of November 5, 2005.
OffenseDefense
QB-6CB-1
RB-2FS-1
FB-1LB-2
TE-5MLB-2
WR-1DE-4
LT-5DT-4
RT-5NG-1
LG-7
RG-5
C-9Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[kevin]

what about kyle williams the tackle of lsu. and Jeremy harrell of arkansas. Williams is projectedto be one of the five best defensive lineman in the draft next year. His is big and can move for his size like a white warren sapp.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Kyle Williams is currently listed as a starter by Lindy's, but LSU doesn't offer an online depth chart. I will assume he will start, as he is an awesome player. Somehow I neglected to list the white defensive players for LSU, of which Williams is the only one. I will update the post with this information.

Jeremy Harrell is listed as a sophomore and a starter as well. I'm not sure why I missed him. I will update that as well. Thanks for the help with those two Kevin.

 

[white lightning]

I can't remember the name but Tennesse recruited a kid
at wide receiver and he has amazing speed.I don't know
if they are going to redshirt him or not.I will have to
find out his name but he has sprinter speed.Very rare
for Tennesse to get a white receiver.You know he has to
be very special!

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Keep us updated on that guy whitelightning. I plan to do this again next year, and for the Mountain West as well. Should make for some interesting comparisons. I believe this will be first year in which more SEC quarterbacks are black than white. It's a sad day.

 

[jaxvid]

Colonel, I salute you, great job!

 

[sport historian]

The receiver that White Lightning mentioned is named Austin Rogers. He played RB, WR, and Free Safety in high school. He was a long and triple jumper in track at David Lipscomb HS in Nashville.


Tennessee had a white WR named Craig Faulkner from 1991-93. He played better than the others they had and was a deep threat with good hands. They haven't had a white WR since.

 

[sunshine]

I know col reb is listing potential starters but here are two names to keep an eye on. Miss. State's WR Tyler Threadgill(sp) is a converted QB with speed. Believe is a sophmore. And arguably the best athlete in the SEC is Ole Miss QB Robert Lane. Funny thing about Lane is I suspect he is playing the wrong sport. More often than not it seemsguys who have more potential as football players opt for baseball. But in Lane's case the reverse might be true. A star 3B prospect in baseball Lane has all the ingredients that pro scouts are looking for. Great combo of size and speed. As a QB he will be a dangerous runner but his passing has been erratic. In any case if he can shore up his passing skills combined with his stellar physical gifts the watch out. I believe he is 6-5 230 lbs. And he can really move- a bit like a Matt Jones type.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

You are right about Lane being athletic. He's a Michael Vick with white skin, which means he stands no chance of being used as a full time starter. He can kill defenses with his speed. He proved that last year. He is listed at 6-3 225. I imagine Michael Spurlock will disappoint just as last year and you'll see some type of QB rotation that will probably do more harm than good. I think Lane is right for football, unfortunately, football is not friendly to athletes like him right now.

Tyler Threadgill is 5-11 175 and is listed as second WR behind Will Prosser. He will likely see the field quite a bit this year. He played against Auburn as a Freshman last year.

Austin Rodgers is listed at 6-2 175, and was the First Team all state receiver last year at David Lipscomb. He's definitely one to watch over the next couple of years. My bet is that they redshirt him this year.

By the way, I found some good info and updated Mississippi State's defense. No white players.Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[sunshine]

Also Dickie Lyons a soph wr at Kentucky has speed. Comes from a football family background out of New Orleans I think. I am thinking hard about white Tenn wr's and was there not a guy in the 90's but name eludes me at the moment. I believe he wore #4. Maybe sports historian can remember? Maybe it was Faulkner?

 

[sport historian]

Yes, the white Tennessee WR you speak of was Craig Faulkner, whom I mentioned in my previous post. He wore #4 and had excellent hands and speed,wasa bit small.There was a Dickie Lyons who played for Kentucky in the 60's. He used to give Tennessee trouble. Is the Dickie Lyons now at Kentucky related?

 

[Don Wassall]

I remember watching Tennessee a fair amount when Faulkner was there because it's beenso rare for so longto see a starting white receiver on a Southern team. I don't thinkFaulkner was evensigned as a free agent by the NFL.


Col. Reb, good work on this subject. I'm looking forward to rooting for Auburn and Arkansas this season -- or at least certain players on those teams.

 

[sport historian]

Faulkner had a problem with a wrist that had been broken at some time. He even announced in Spring 1993, that he was giving up football. However, he went on to play in 1993, very well. It was said that the NFL had no interest in him because he was a "medical reject," plus "too small" at around 5-10, 175.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

sport historian, the Dicky Lyons that is presently at UK is the son of the Dicky Lyons you mentioned. The elder Lyons had 1,000 yard rushing, receiving, and punt return seasons in the late 60's for Kentucky. Dicky Jr. is listed as 3'rd receiver on the UK depth chart behind Scott Mitchell, and Tommy Cook, another white. I am sure both Lyons and Cook will play some, but we'll have to see how everything goes during the season. You are also correct about Dicky being fast. He was a track star in high school. He is 5-11 190 pounds.

By the way, I just updated the TE for Arkansas. One more white player!

I'm still not sure about Harrell being starting NG but I'm leaving hi up there for the time being. Also, they have a SE/WR who is 3'rd in the rotation currently. His name is David Thompson, and he'll likely see the field this year.Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[sunshine]

Thanks SH and guys for clearing up Faulkner. That is the guy I was thinking about. Didn't Tenn used to have a bunch of speedy white skill players pre 1980? Maybe SH can give us a lesson on Tenn players from the 60's and 70's. Johnnie Majors, Richmond Flowers(who has been mentioned at caste) etc..Those days seem long gone.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I'd like to see sporthistorian do something on the Vols too. We should do that on all our favorite college teams.
I could do it for Ole Miss for sure.

 

[sport historian]

I can recall watching the 1957 Sugar Bowl on TV when six years old as the announcer kept saying, "Johnny Majors carries the ball." Tennessee led Baylor 7-6 late in the game when Majors decided to field a punt inside his 15 yard line. He fumbled and Baylor scored to win 13-7. We Vol fansstill loved Johnny Majors, though.


I have seen film of Majors running the ball. He was only 5-10, 165 pounds, with average speed. He had great deceptive moves and could fake defenders off their feet with no wasted motion, like a smaller and slower McElhenny.It was said that he had a built-in sense of timing.Next time ESPN Classic shows their bio of Paul Hornung, watch closely and you will see a film clip of Johnny Majors (he finished a close second to Hornung for the Heisman)scoring a TD.


Two of his brothers, Bill and Bobby, also played at UT. Bill from 1958-60 had less talent than John. He became a coach and was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1965. Bobby was a talented athlete who played 1969-71 at free safety. He helped set school records for interceptions, was "too slow" for the pros after playing one year with Cleveland, as I remember.


When Doug Dickey became coach at Tennessee in 1964, he started recruiting track athletes. They did have several white players with excellent speed. The oddity is that most of these, with the exception of Flowers, didn't pan out or weren't used right. A RB named Callaway was a 9.6 sprinter at 210 pounds in the late 60's, but almost never played. There was a tall, fast WR named Stan Trott who caught several long bombs in 1970 as a sophomore. He caught only one TD in his last two years. They didn't have a passer who could throw deep, or maybe the coaches didn't like him. You never know.

 

[sunshine]

My memory must be getting hazy.I thought there were more white skill players at Tenn in the late 60's and 70's. Thanks as usual for the info SH. You know your stuff.

 

[sport historian]

Tennessee was in the Top Ten every year from 1965-72, 2nd in 1967 and 4th in 1970. Their "skill" players were mainly on defense, especially at LB. They had All-American LB's in Frank Emanuel (1965), Paul Naumoff (1966), and Steve Kiner and Jack Reynolds (1969). However, they were a "team" defense. They caused a lot of turnovers, and made big plays.


I remember during the 1998 National Championship season, I was sitting in the Neyland Stadium stands and heard a comment from a man who was obviously an old-time Vol fan like me. He said, "They are playing defense like they used to." He meant like the late 60's and early 70's.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I just updated info on Ole Miss, and it isn't good. One less white starter on offense. That leaves 1 on each side of the ball. Pathetic, as they are now tied for the blackest SEC team with South Carolina.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Updated info on Peyton Hillis is in the original post. Looks like he will stay on the field on offense most of the time, either as a RB-FB-WR-TE. Coaches are very high on him now.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I updated info on Vanderbilt and Kentucky. UK is started 2 more whites than previously known, and Vandy is starting 4 more! That brings Vandy's total to 12 and Kentucky's to 11. I'll update the other thread as well. It sure is good to know that there is at least 1 SEC team left that starts more whites than blacks.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Looks like Houston Nutt is going to name his starting QB against Georgia just before gametime. Black QB Robert Johnson has been less than stellar, 77 for 137 for 757 yards, with 5 TD's and 5 INT's this year. It looks like Kyle Mortensen has shared snaps this week, and may get to start. We'll see. At 2-4, and playing the number 4 ranked team, maybe Nutt realizes he has little to lose.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Mississippi State is going with a white QB this week. His name is Michael Henig and he's a Redshirt freshman. Also, RG Royce Blackledge is starting now as well. That gives Mississippi State more than twice the number of white starters of Ole Miss. That has to be a first. An interesting aside, the SEC started the season with more black QB's than whites for the first time ever, but on September 24, last Saturday and tomorrow, it will be even again, thanks to poor performances by two of the black QB's, and D.J. Shockley's injury. Hopefully Michael Henig will be able to keep the starting spot at Mississippi State for the rest of the year. Edited by: Colonel_Reb

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Actually there will be 7 white QB's tomorrow and 5 blacks. Arkansas and Mississippi State are going with whites for the first time this year. The other teams that were already starting whites are Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and South Carolina. Robert Lane started the Wyoming game for Ole Miss, and Joe Tereshinski III started for Georgia in last weeks should have been a win against Florida. That leaves LSU, Kentucky, and Florida as the only SEC teams who haven't started a white QB this year.