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Basically ... The strong veteran defense of last year has major holes to fill. The biggest problems are in the secondary needing to replace all the starters, but there are good young prospects to hope to create a solid unit as the year goes on. The front seven isn't going to be flashy, but it'll be strong in time.
Star of the defense: Senior DE Jeb Huckeba
Player that has to step up and become a star: Cornerbacks Michael Cox and Chris Houston
Unsung star on the rise: Junior LB Clarke Moore
Best pro prospect: Senior DT Arrion Dixon
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Huckeba, 2) Moore, 3) Dixon
Strength of the defense: Linebackers
Weakness of the defense: Secondary
Defensive Line
Projected Starters
- Defensive end Elliott Harris, Jr. - Harris has played tackle as well as end, but he works better on the outside. He tends to disappear at times, which is frustrating because he can be a
dominant force when the motor is running. Splitting time last year, Harris finished with 53 tackles and two sacks.
- Defensive tackle Jeremy Harrell, Soph. - A good sized reserve seeing plenty of action last year filling in when needed, Harrell will get the start on the nose coming off a 25 tackle
season.
- Defensive tackle Arrion Dixon, Jr. - Dixon became a very quick, very active rock in the middle of the line last year making 64 tackles as the team's best interior pass rusher hurrying the
quarterback a team-leading 11 times. He was out this spring with a shoulder problem, but is supposed to be fine by the start of the year.
- Defensive end Jeb Huckeba, Jr. - Huckeba has filled out nicely transforming himself from a good linebacker to a decent sized, 248-pound end. He became a terror at getting into the backfield
with 14 tackles for loss and was fourth on the team with 70 tackles. He isn't flashy; he's just a good playmaker.
Top Backups
- DT Titus Peebles, Sr. - Peebles got a ton of practice time this spring with Dixon out. he's a good sized player with experience making ten tackles last year, but he's nowhere near as quick as
Dixon is.
- DT Keith Jackson, Soph. - Jackson became a solid contributor as his freshman year went on and will get every shot to take the nose guard job away from Jeremy Harrell.
- DE Reggie Banks, Jr. - At 275 pounds, Banks gives the Hogs a good-sized bandit end or a decent, quick backup tackle.
The Skinny: Line coach Tracy Rocker (now a college football hall-of-famer) has some good tools to work with. There could stand to be a little more of a pass rush from the ends other than
Jeb Huckeba and the depth could use a little more beef, but this isn't a bad line and it'll certainly hold its own.
Player to keep an eye on: Reggie Banks ... Defensive Line Rating: 7
Linebackers
Projected Starters
- Marcus Whitmore, Sr. - Whitmore will work with Michael Robinson to take over Caleb Miller's old job on the weak side. While more of a special teams performer than a linebacker so far,
Whitmore is expected to become a reliable starter with his overall experience and quickness and has taken over a leadership role with the added responsibility..
- Clarke Moore, Jr. - Moore was looking like an All-SEC caliber player, but a broken leg knocked him out for most of the season. He's back and expected to be the emotional leader of the
linebacking corps with his hard-nosed style.
- Desmond Sims, Soph. - A valuable backup last year, Sims looked good on the strong side making 32 tackles. More suited for a safety, he's still learning the subtle nuances of linebacker but
should be just fine with a little more experience.
Top Backups
- Pierre Brown, Jr. - Brown might be the Hogs' best overall combination of linebacking skills, but he hasn't put it together yet to prove he can be a top starter. So far, he's been a fantastic
reserve and will start out backing up Sims on the strong side.
- Sam Olajabutu, Jr. - Olajabutu was tremendous filling in for an injured Clarke Moore making 85 tackles, two interceptions and three tackles for loss. He's not quite the run stopper that Moore
is, but he's better in pass coverage.
- Michael Robinson, Jr. - Robinson is still a bit raw, but he's a rising playmaker with excellent speed and quickness. He'll combined with Marcus Whitmore on the weak side.
The Skinny: There will be few linebacking corps deeper than this one even though there aren't any stars to make people jump up and take notice. This is a good, solid group of linebackers
that'll be one of the team's biggest strengths. It'll get even better if John Jackson is able to return after an indefinite suspension.
Player to keep an eye on: Clarke Moore ... Linebacker Rating: 8
Secondary
Projected Starters
- Cornerback Michael Coe, Soph. - Mostly a special teamer in his first year, Coe will get the first look at the field corner position taking advantage of his size and athleticism. He's still
learning the position after starting his career as a receiver, but he was one of the rising stars this spring.
- Free safety Vickiel Vaughn, Jr. - Vaughn might only have 23 tackles from last year backing up Tony Bua, but that makes him the crusty veteran of the secondary. He's not anywhere near the
hitter that Bua was, but he has good range and should turn out to be solid as he gets more comfortable. As is, he established himself as the leader of the secondary in early practices.
- Rover Lerinezo Robinson, Jr. - Robinson can play either safety position seeing a little bit of time in both slots last year making 18 tackles. He has the potential to be a guided missile in
the secondary, but he has to prove he can be a consistent run stopper.
- Cornerback Chris Houston, RFr. - While very raw, the boundary corner job is his to lose as one of the top recruits of last year and one of the best all-around athletes in the secondary. With
time, he'll be a good one.
Top Backups
- Free safety Kevin Woods, RFr. - Possibly the most promising defensive back of the bunch, Woods will push Vaughn hard for time at free safety after looking solid in practices..
- Cornerback John Johnson, Soph. - While not as big as Michael Coe, Johnson is fast and quick moving over from running back to help out the decimated secondary
The Skinny: Much will be made out of the loss of all the defensive backs of last year with graduation and early defections to the NFL hitting the secondary hard, but truth be told, this
was sort of an overrated group. It improved last year and was solid, but it wasn't quite the amazing wall of pass defense it should've been. Make no mistake about it, this year's secondary is
going to take some massive lumps and will be burned over and over again, but the prospects are there for a decent future. How quickly can these inexperienced players turn into playmakers?
Player to keep an eye on: Michael Coe ... Secondary Rating: 5.5
Special Teams
- Placekicker Chris Balseiro, Jr. - Balseiro turned into an excellent and reliable kicker last year connecting on 11 of 15 kicks. He didn't miss inside 40 yards over the last half of the season
when he took hold of the starting job.
- Punter Jacob Skinner, Soph. - Skinner had a solid freshman season averaging 39.9 yards per kick putting 18 inside the 20. He has All-SEC potential as he gets more consistent with time.
The Skinny: The special teams are set. The kicking game is solid and there are plenty of good return men options. The kickoff returns could use a little more pop after only averaging
19.3 yards per return last year.
Special Teams Rating: 8
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