Thoughts on the SEC in 2005: Georgia - If Shockley's play reminds anyone of Quincy Carter... look for a three loss season. Tennessee - They should personally apologize to every other SEC team for losing to Notre Dame at home.... that one game did more to tarnish the league than any other game last year. If you want to be declared "best conference", you win those games. Auburn - Perhaps the surprise team of 2005 in the SEC... just way too many kids still there that know how to win. LSU - All the tools, just waiting to see what kind of carpenter Miles is. Florida - It appears this team is getting too much hype over "Urban Renewal" ...given the defense should be a step down from last year.
Quincy Carter did drugs and never really put himself off the field. Shockley is nothing like that. Granted, I only know that because of a good friends son who had Quincy in two classes at UGA and saw him high/drunk during classes
Don't know anything about his personal life, just remember his knack for making bad plays at crucial moments. From the few times I've seen Shockley, he showed some of the same tendencies, which, I guess, is why DG was the starter.
I think South Carolina will be better off than a lot of people think. They didnt have a great 2004 recruiting class, but 2002, 2003, and 2005 were all solid classes. The 2003 class brought in two pro-style quarterbacks in Syvelle Newton (ranked #5 by rivals) and Blake Mitchell (ranked #11 by rivals), either should have the ability to perform in a Spurrier system. Newton is more of an athlete than Mitchell, and I believe he is their #1 WR now. If he stays there, the backup at QB would be RSFR Antonio Heffner, who I havent heard much about. They took a big hit at RB when Demetris Summers was booted from the team, and to me, RB will be their biggest question. At WR, Newton should be a playmaker and sophomore (I think, he may have redshirted) Travis Lee should work his way into a contributing role. The other guys are adequate. The USC offensive line should be very good with a lot of senior leadership and a lot of experience. Depth may be a concern, but without too many injuries, this unit will be the strength of the offense. On Defense, the glaring question is on the line. There are a lot of seniors on the D-line, as well, but these guys arent nearly experienced as the guys on offense. They lost a lot from last year here. The secondary should be outstanding though, so maybe they can make up for the lack of pressure up front. Ko Simpson and Fred Bennett are the stars of the group, but there is speed all over the secondary. At LB, Ricardo Hurley is the leader. He was the former #1 LB prospect in the nation and will be in his final year of eligibilty. Not very big for the MLB spot, really, but he has good speed. He is head and shoulders better than the other guys, IMO, but the others are talented as well. So overall, I see an offensive unit with a talented, albeit inexperienced QB, in a Spurrier system, with an excellent O-line and adequate-to-playmaking WRs on the edges. On defense, they may have some trouble getting pressure on the QB with a 4 man rush, but they have loads of speed all through the secondary and LB corps. They can blitz the LBs to get more pressure, or drop them into coverage. The defense has been at least solid for the last few years, which they look to be again. If the D-line comes through, this will be a very good defense. I pretty much agree with everyone else on the other teams.
Mobile, their OL is anything but excellent. In fact, their own coaches have said through their GamecockCentral site that they are in trouble if any of their current starters get hurt AND that the only two people who stood out as getting "it" during their first few practices were their only two seniors. If anything, their OL will be quite a big problem. They lack depth BIG TIME. And their DB's are even worse with walk-on's playing during their practices due to no depth. With a new QB and their best WR gone....I don't see them sniffing 3rd place in the East. Remember, their DL at times had ZERO pass rush. Its going to be a problem.
I havent read that about the O-line. I assume the two seniors you are talking about are Jabari Levey and Na'Shan Goddard, two of the better tackles in the SEC, IMO. The other senior on the O-line is Freddy Saint-Preux, who was a JUCO D-lineman, and was pretty decent on that side in 2003. He was mainly a backup last year, and should continue to improve in only his 2nd year as an O-lineman. If these three guys stay healthy, I think the line is very good. There is loads of size and strength. Depth is definitely a concern, but I see potential. I still maintain that Ko Simpson and Fred Bennett are excellent in the secondary. Bennett has been limited in the spring due to off-season shoulder surgery, but is still expected to start. Ko Simpson is the real deal and will be playing on sundays. What about Jonathon Joseph? He was a starter in 2004 until breaking his foot, and just recently won the team's Outstanding Defensive Back Award during spring practice. Tremaine Tyler is another returning starter and spring award winner. That should be the 4 starters, and they are all good with loads of speed. The unit has been a little nicked up during the spring, which is why a lot of guys have been getting reps. They have recruited lots of DBs over the last few years, though. I wouldnt expect to see walk-ons much during the fall.
