| SEC Spring Football Questions - 2010 |
| SEC East |
Florida Gators
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1. How will Florida replace Tim Tebow?
Replacing superstar quarterback Tim Tebow may be the toughest task any college football team will face next season. The Gators will attempt to answer that question production-wise in rising junior John Brantley. However, Tebow was one of the best leaders to ever play college football and his impact in that aspect will be nearly impossible to replace. How Brantley performs in spring practice will give everyone an indicator of how good Florida can be in 2010. |
2. Who will step up on defense?
With six starters from last year's defense moving on to the NFL, the Gators will have some rebuilding to do on the defensive side of the ball. The good news for Florida is that several players who will step into those spots have extensive starting experience already, most notably defensive end Justin Trattou, linebacker Brandon Hicks, and safety Will Hill. But with the departure of defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford, will Florida still be able to coach up those guys to play at the high level they have maintained the past two years? |
3. Will Urban Meyer really be less involved?
While this final question doesn't involve the Gators as a team as much, it will certainly be a hot topic for the media and could be a distraction for Florida during spring ball. If Meyer does indeed delegate more during the spring, will that decrease the effectiveness of his coaching ability as a whole and cost Florida as a result? If he isn't able to delegate more, how will that affect him in the short-term in the 2010 season? |
Georgia Bulldogs
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1. How will the defense adapt to defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 scheme?
The Georgia defense was one of the worst in the SEC a year ago, and now they will transition to the 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Grantham is saying all the right things and seems to have brought a new energy and enthusiasm to the defense. But when the Bulldogs take to the practice field, will that enthusiasm fade a bit if there are difficulties adjusting to the new scheme? |
2. Will Aaron Murray face any real competition for the starting quarterback spot?
While Logan Gray will likely enter spring practice as the top quarterback on the depth chart, it seems a foregone conclusion that redshirt freshman Aaron Murray will win the starting job. Will Murray be able to establish himself as the starting quarterback in the spring, or will Gray or fellow redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger push him enough to drag the quarterback competition out into the fall? |
3. Will the offensive line finally live up to its billing?
Over the past two years, Georgia's offensive line has been billed as one of the best units in the SEC. Both years they have fallen well short of that mark, although injuries had a lot to do with that. With a healthy line that now has two full years of experience under its belt and five returning starters, will Georgia be able to impose its will on opposing defensive lines? |
Kentucky Wildcats
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1. How will the defense replace Corey Peters, Micah Johnson and Trevard Lindley?
The Wildcats will have plenty of work to do replacing their top three defensive stars from a year ago. In addition, they must replace two other starters on one of the better defenses in school history. Kentucky has recruited well, but with the coaching change in Lexington there will be plenty of adjustments to make. Can the Wildcats continue to play well defensively despite the changes and loss of personnel? |
2. How will Kentucky replace four starters on the offensive line?
The Wildcats enter the season with a fairly deep stable at running back. However, the running backs aren't likely to get much production unless Kentucky can find a way to replace four starters on the offensive line without taking a huge step backward. They must also replace two tight ends, which will make blocking up front even more difficult. How the offensive line progresses this spring could dictate how competitive the Wildcats can be in 2010. |
3. How will QB Mike Hartline recover from his knee injury?
Hartline was really progressing as a quarterback before hurting his knee midway through the season. He missed the rest of the year for the Wildcats and freshman Morgan Newton played well for Kentucky. If Hartline is fully recovered, he should win back the starting job. However, if he is not fully recovered, the Wildcats could have a quarterback battle on their hands. Newton might also see time as a second option at quarterback. |
| South Carolina Gamecocks |
1. Can South Carolina finally develop a running game under Steve Spurrier?
Steve Spurrier came to the Gamecocks as an offensive guru, but South Carolina has yet to develop an offense that scares opposing defenses in his time there. One of the main reasons for South Carolina's lack of production has been the lack of a running game. With running back Jarvis Giles having a year under his belt and true freshman Marcus Lattimore coming in, the Gamecocks will look to turn things around in 2010. |
2. How will the Gamecocks replace linebacker Eric Norwood?
The Gamecocks have had a plethora of great linebackers over the past few years, but with the departure of Eric Norwood, the Gamecocks have no clear star at linebacker heading into 2010. They will have to get good production out of the linebacker position in 2010 to have a legitimate shot at the SEC East. Norwood was a leader and someone will have to step up to fill that void in the spring. |
3. Can Stephen Garcia become an elite SEC quarterback?
Garcia had a pretty good 2009 season, but for the Gamecocks to compete for the SEC East this year, he will have to take things to the next level in 2010. With the emergence of some young receivers last year, including Alshon Jeffery and Tori Gurley, Garcia should have plenty of passing options in the spring. He will be one of the more experienced quarterbacks in the league, so if he can put it all together in the spring, the Gamecocks should be a contender. |
Tennessee Volunteers
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1. How will the team react to all the offseason turmoil surrounding the program and the hire of Derek Dooley as head coach?
The Volunteers had perhaps the most tumultuous offseason in all of college football after Lane Kiffin decided to bolt for USC. New head coach Derek Dooley brings a new demeanor and purpose to the Tennessee locker room. For some of the guys that have been around for a few years, having three coaching changes in as many years will be tough to adjust to. How Tennessee responds to Dooley's style in spring practice could determine how things go early in the Dooley era. |
2. Who will play quarterback for the Volunteers?
With quarterback Jonathan Crompton graduating, Tennessee will have to break in a new quarterback with little to no experience. Crompton didn't set the world on fire during his time as a Volunteer, so production-wise, Tennessee could improve next year. But whether or not senior Nick Stephens, freshmen Tyler Bray, Matt Simms or Nash Nance can get the job done is anyones' guess. |
3. How does Tennessee replace safety Eric Berry?
The Volunteers will have to replace arguably the best safety in the program's history. Berry's talent helped to cover up some of the other deficiencies on the Tennessee defense and the Volunteers won't have that to rely on next season. In addition to replacing Berry, the Volunteers will have to replace two starters at linebacker and two starters on the defensive line. |
Vanderbilt Commodores
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1. How will Vanderbilt replace six talented starters on defense?
The Commodores will have one of the toughest rebuilding tasks on the defensive side of the ball in the SEC. They lose four stars, defensive end Broderick Stewart, linebacker Patrick Benoist, cornerback Myron Lewis and safety Ryan Hamilton. The defensive line must replace three starters in total and the half of the secondary must be replaced. The Commodores have some talented youngsters to plug in who could make an early impact in spring practice. |
2. How will quarterback Larry Smith develop as a passer?
Larry Smith certainly provides a legitimate running threat for the Commodores, but he was woeful throwing the ball in 2009, completing just over 46 percent of his passes a year ago. It will be interesting to watch his progression over the spring and to see if Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson tries to adapt the offense at all to utilize Smith's athleticism with a Wildcat package or some spread offense looks. |
3. Can the freshmen running backs avoid a sophomore slump?
Freshmen running backs Warren Norman and Zac Stacy were excellent in their rookie seasons and added a whole new dimension and some athleticism to the Vanderbilt offense. If they can continue to impress in the spring behind a retooled offensive line that looses three starters, the Vanderbilt offense could be much better than it has been in the past few years. |
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