SEC West preview

Alabama remains favorite to win nation’s toughest division

BRYNN ANDERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS Alabama players pray before the first half of the SEC Championship against Georgia on Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide won 41-24 to claim the program’s eighth SEC title since 2009 and 29th overall dating to the first year of the conference in 1933.

ROBERT CESSNA

robert.cessna@theeagle.com

The Southeastern Conference’s Western Division continues to be the best college football has to offer. It’s the survival of the fittest.

Auburn, which won the national championship in 2010 and played for another in 2013, is the consensus pick to finish last among the seven proud programs. LSU, which has won four national titles and went a perfect 15-0 in 2019 with arguably one of the best all-time teams, is picked to finish in the bottom half.

Leading the way is Alabama, which has won six national titles in the last 13 years and is picked to win another title. A&M is ranked sixth in the nation heading into the season for the second straight year. Arkansas is ranked 19th coming off a 9-4 season, the program’s best in a decade. Ole Miss is ranked 21st after going 10-3. Mississippi State was good enough last year to beat a trio of top 20 teams, and much more is expected in Mike Leach’s third season with quarterback Will Rogers returning.

Here is a preview of Texas A&M’s opponents in the SEC West in order of the preseason media poll.

ALABAMA

The Crimson Tide are primed to go one step further after suffering its only loss last season in the national championship game against Georgia. Alabama had six players on the AP preseason All-America team led by quarterback Bryce Young, the Heisman Trophy winner last year, and junior outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr., whom many are touting as Young’s stiffest competition this year for college football’s highest award.

Passing against Alabama will be a challenge. Anderson had 17.5 sacks and nine quarterback pressures last year. While he’s rushing the passer,cornerback Eli Ricks and safety Jordan Battle (86 tackles, 3 INTs), a pair of junior preseason All-Americans,will be back in coverage. Ricks, who transferred from LSU, suffered a season-ending injury

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early last season, but had 20 tackles, four interceptions and five pass breakups as a freshman.

The Crimson Tide also returns five other starters on defense.

Alabama used the transfer portal to plug some holes, adding former Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs who rushed for 746 yards and four TDs on 143 carries last year. He also had 36 receptions for 470 yards and 2 TDs and returned 23 kickoffs for 589 yards (25.6) and another score. He was a second-team preseason All-American by AP as an all-purpose player.

Alabama senior guard Emil Ekiyor (29 career starts) was a second-team preseason All-American. Also returning in the line are junior left guard Javion Cohen and senior center Darrian Dalcourt.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, who typically has had to replace several staff members annually, returns offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien for a second season, and associate defensive coordinator/safeties coach Charles Kelly is in his fourth season.

“From a staff standpoint, this is the first time in a long time we’ve had both coordinators, continuity in both coordinators, which I think is probably an important thing for us,” Saban said.

ARKANSAS

One of the strengths for Arkansas’ resurgence under head coach Sam Pittman, a longtime offensive line coach, is the guys up front. Arkansas guards Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer return along with center Ricky Stromberg and tackle Dalton Wagner.

Junior KJ Jefferson had a special season accounting for more than 3,300 yards of offense and 27 TDs last year. He threw for 2,676 yards with 21 TDs and only four interceptions, completing 198 of 294 passes for 67.3%. He added a team-high 664 yards rushing on 146 carries with six touchdowns. Running back Raheim Sanders (114 carries, 578 yards, 5 TDs) and Dominque Johnson (97-586-5) also returns. Sanders lost only 8 yards rushing last year.

“We led the Power Five in rushing,” Pittman said. “What that does is tells us what we’re trying to do with our program. We want to be a physical team on both sides of the line of scrimmage.”

The defense returns five starters, including a pair of game-changers in junior safety Jalen Catalon (46 tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PBUs), an AP preseason second-team AllAmerican, and senior linebacker Bumper Pool (125 tackles).

MICHAEL WOODS, ASSOCIATED PRESS Arkansas’ Dalton Wagner, from left, Dominique Johnson and Tyson Morris celebrate after Johnson ran for a two-point conversion against Mississippi State during the second half of the Razorbacks’ 31-28 victory on Nov. 6, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas surprised most experts last season by finishing in a tie for third in the SEC West at 4-4, also going 9-4 overall.

OLE MISS

The Rebels have to replace quarterback Matt Corral, who made the offense click, and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who improved the defense to allow Ole Miss to outscore opponents.

Southern California transfer Jaxson Dart is battling fellow sophomore Luke Altmyer to replace Corral, a Maxwell and Manning awards finalist. Altmyer in limited action threw for 192 yards on 20 of 37 with a touchdown and interception. Dart in six games with the Trojans was 117 of 189 for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions.

Whoever is quarterback will have only four returning starters to work with — tight end Casey Kelly (17-150-1), guard Caleb Warren and tackles Nick Broecker and Jeremy James. Ole Miss added topnotch running backs in TCU transfer Zach Evans (92-648-5) and SMU transfer Ulysses Bently IV (96-610-4). The Rebels also hit the transfer portal for wide receivers, getting Central Florida’s Jaylon Robinson and Louisville’s Jordan Watkins.

Ole Miss’ defense allowed almost a 100 less yards per game under Durkin, who left for Texas A&M. Ole Miss hired Western Kentucky’s Maurice Crum to be codefensive coordinator/linebackers coach, joining Chris Partridge, who is in his third year as co-DC/safeties coach under head coach Lane Kiffin.

The secondary, which picked off two passes in a 29-19 victory over A&M, remains the unit’s strength with AJ Finley (90 tackles, 3 INTs), Tysheen Johnson (47 tackles), Deantre Prince (46 tackles) and Otis Reese (90 tackles) returning.

Ole Miss also added three key transfers on defense — Central Michigan linebacker Troy Brown, Georgia Tech defensive end Jared Ivey and Auburn defensive tackle JJ Peguies.

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First-year head coach Brian Kelly waited until late in fall camp to decide if junior Jayden Daniels or redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier would be the Tigers’ starting quarterback, but it didn’t take him nearly so long to find some of the other parts of the offense.

Junior wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was an AP preseason All-American after catching 38 passes last year for 509 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Malik Nabers (28-417-4) has had a solid camp, Kelly said.

The defense will be led by junior end BJ Ojulari (55 tackles, 7 sacks), a first-team pick on the All-SEC coaches’ preseason team, senior tackle Ali Gaye (19 tackles), a second-team pick, and sophomore lineman Jaquelin Roy (30 tackles, 6 TFL), a thirdteam pick.

Senior linebacker Micah Baskerville had 83 tackles last season and returns as does safety Jay Ward (71).

Kelly used the transfer portal to plug secondary holes by adding Arkansas defensive backs Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr., Oklahoma State cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Louisiana-Lafayette cornerback Mekhi Garner.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Bulldogs are one of the more experienced teams in the SEC West with eight starters returning on both sides.

Junior quarterback Will Rogers leads the way. He threw for 4,739 yards last season with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He completed 505 of 683 passes (73.9%) and had a 147.0 passer rating.

Mississippi State has to replace its top three receivers, but junior Jaden Walley (55-628-6) and senior Austin Williams (52617-4) had solid years. Starting junior running backs Jo’quavious Marks (106-434-6) and Dillon Johnson (89-485-4) return. Senior center LaQuinston Sharp started every game last year, and senior guards Kameron Jones and Kwatrivious Johnson also return.

All eight returners on defense started at least 10 games in 2021. Senior safety Collin Duncan (46 tackles) and junior cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (60 tackles, 3 INTs, 8 PBUs) started every game. Safety Jalen Green (41 tackles,6 PBUs) had 10 starts.Senior linebackers Nathaniel Watson (teamleading 87 tackles) and Tyrus Wheat (46 tackles, 10.5 TFL) also return along with senior defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy (20 tackles), senior nose tackle Cameron Young (51) and senior end Randy Charlton.

AUBURN

The Tigers return seven starters each way led by junior running back Tank Bigsby, who rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 TDs on 223 carries last year.

Bigsby will be running behind some of the most experienced linemen in the country. Tackle Austin Troxell, a sixth-year senior, has played in 32 games. Brandon Council is a sixth-year senior who has played in 39 games, and fellow guard Keiondre Jones is a junior who has played in 24. Senior center Nick Brahms is a sixth-year senior who has played in 40 games.

That line will be protecting T.J. Finley, who transferred from LSU last season, or Zach Calzada, who transferred from Texas A&M this offseason. Calzada has 10 career starts, twice as many as Finley. They are trying to replace three-year starter Bo Nix, who transferred to Oregon.

Auburn lost its top three tacklers from last year, and defensive coordinator Derek Mason left for Oregon.

SEC Overall W L W L

Alabama Ole Miss

7 1 13 2 6 2 10 3 Arkansas 4 4 9 4 Mississippi St. 4 4 7 6 Texas A&M 4 4 8 4 Auburn 3 5 6 7 LSU 3 5 6 7

SEC West Preseason Media Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses) 1. Alabama (177) 2. Texas A&M (3) 3. Arkansas (1) 4. Ole Miss 5. LSU 6. Mississippi State 7. Auburn SEC champion: Alabama (158 votes)

LSU head coach Brian Kelly runs the Tigers’ practice in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 17. Kelly spent the last 12 seasons at Notre Dame before taking over at LSU during the offseason.

GERALD HERBERT, ASSOCIATED PRESS