AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USRating the SEC’s defensive linemen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pat Dye told me a long time ago that the thing that separates the SEC from other leagues is its defensive linemen. Not only are they big, they are very fast and they know how to hit.
Just ask Ohio State.
In the final NCAA statistics for 2006, the SEC placed three defenses in the top 8 (No. 3 LSU, No. 6 Florida, No. 8 Georgia) and three more in the top 26 (No. 19 Auburn, No. 23 Alabama, No. 26 Arkansas).
They all had great defensive linemen.
So here are my top five defensive linemen in the SEC as we head into the 2007 season. If you disagree, I’d be interested to see your top five.
1. Glenn Dorsey, DT, Sr., LSU: This one’s easy. Dorsey should be an NFL millionaire right now but he wanted to come back and see if he could lead LSU to a national championship. He’s the best defensive lineman in college football.
2. Derrick Harvey, DE, Jr., Florida: Ohio State’s Troy Smith is still having nightmares about this guy. He was the defensive MVP in the BCS championship game with three sacks. Speed, Speed, Speed.
3. Quentin Groves, DE, Sr., Auburn: Groves has 23 career sacks and needs just four more to become the all-time leader at Auburn. He has posted seven multiple sack games in his career and is on the watch list for every major defensive award for which he is eligible.
4. Tyson Jackson, DE, Jr., LSU: Will combine with Glenn Dorsey to give LSU the best defensive end/tackle combination in the country. Had 10 tackles for loss as a sophomore. He’ll be a first-team All-SEC player.
5. Antwain Robinson, Jr., DE, Arkansas: The Hogs lost Jamaal Anderson to the Atlanta Falcons but the Hogs return Robinson, who had 14.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore.
HONORABLE MENTION
Titus Brown, Sr., DT, Miss. State: Was a second team All-SEC pick last season. Over his career he has 23.5 tackles for loss.
Wallace Gilberry, DE, Sr., Alabama: After a solid junior season where he posted 10 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks, Gilberry is ready to have a monster senior year.
Marcus Harrison, Sr., DT Arkansas: Harrison is still trying to recover from ACL surgery on April 10. But if this guy gets on the field in September at full speed, he just might be an All-SEC player.
Sen’Derrick Marks, DE, Soph., Auburn: Played 13 games at defensive tackle last season as a freshman. Last spring the coaches moved him to DE where he will get a lot of opportunities to make plays against offenses worried about Quentin Groves.
Xavier Mitchell, DE, Sr., Tennessee: The Vols were ranked No. 8 in every major defensive category that matters last season. That won’t change until the guys up front start making some plays. Mitchell had 13 quarterback hurries last season.
Comments
By jay
August 6, 2007 9:19 AM | Link to this
Are you kidding me? No georgia players again? You have got to put Jeff Owens on here. He is at least one of the top 10 dlinemen in the SEC. Just goes on to show the AJC bias once again.
By innocent bystander
August 6, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this
I would very much like to hear your rationale for putting Sen’Derrick Marks on the honoraboe mention list and leaving Jeff Owens off.
By Quaildawg
August 6, 2007 10:03 AM | Link to this
Thank you Tony for opting to not recognize any UGA player(s) once again. Obviously no players on UGA’s roster are “MAN ENOUGH” to compete in this league. GATA, QD
By joe
August 6, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
No Dogs again??? We might as well forfeit the entire season…
By Cedric
August 6, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
Wait until they see J. Wynn come around that edge and just slam em to the turf. I think with our tandem up the middle and the speed coming off the edge we should be fine. Don’t need the acolades just the wins baby. Mr. Barnhart can you please give us some info on who might just be the Dawgs starting front seven please. Thanks!
By KW
August 6, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
I would have to switch Harvey and Groves around. I know Harvey did it on a bigger national stage last year, but Groves is much more consistent and did it without the help of someone like Jarvis Moss.
It should definitely be interesting to see how Jeff Owens does now that he doesn’t have Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses back.
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
What about Josh Thompson with AU?
By Merculf
August 6, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
There are so many players that didn’t make the list.This is a list of the top 5. I would put Groves over Harvey as well. Look what happened when they played head to head. AUBURN beat UF and groves had a big part in that!
By Common Sense
August 6, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
All this will change at the end of the season when UGA has at least two interior D-linemen as All-SEC.
By 2N4YEARS
August 6, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this
Who cares what Tony thinks. He’s only ‘one’ opinion. He’s not God. He’s not ‘Mr. College Football’ (not sure where he got that name from), and he’s not a very good sports writer. While he might be accurate on a couple of those guys he leaves others out. Hey, did any of you notice Tony in that photo last week at the Southern Sports banquet?? Looked like that tie Mr. Tony was wearing was Yellow (Gold) & Blue. Wonder why.
By reality check
August 6, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
This list is as good as any.
Georgia has some young players on the defensive line who have not yet played much if at all who will one day be playing on Sunday. Richt has even said some of the players we redshirted last year could have helped us last year.
Some of that talent will emerge this year.
By Big Dawg
August 6, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this
Tony,
I have to disagree with you on leaving Jeff Owens off of your list and I would be willing to bet that a few of the Dawgs defensive linemen will appear on the post season All SEC team.
Go Dawgs
By Rusty Banks
August 6, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this
Nice list. I’d probably swap Robinson and Gilberry. Marks is also solid.
24 days til kickoff….
http://www.rustybanks.com
By scooter11
August 6, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this
Preseason polls are just as bad as postseason polls. Play the regulare season games, then play games that matter at the end of the season. Results will determine who’s best. And ranking individuals in team sports is useless, too.
By War Eagle
August 6, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this
SenDerrick Marks, honorable mention, is a good example of "Star Power. He was a TWO star out of Mobile AL, Auburn made him his only SEC offer. If injuries dont hit on him,, he will be a great one, possible All American his Jr and Sr years..He came from the same high school Dante Green, 5 star, all world, starter as a true freshman,was dismissed from the team for shooting a gun in the air at a Frat party in early 2000.You never know???
By SEC is Football
August 6, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this
Does it really matter if any UGA players make these lists. Would you not agree that all that matters is who makes it at the end of the season???
By Pago Pago
August 6, 2007 4:41 PM | Link to this
Exactly, who cares about this pre-kick off list. Our record at the end is what we care about..
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
Tony,
To make these DAWGED fans happy maybe you should have done a top 5 UGA defensive linemen.
I don’t know if that would even make them happy.
To question TB about his knowledge is just STUPID.
That shows how myopic you are!
TB is th best.
Regard,
Tony Barnhardt SR
Just kidding Tony you are the best!
Where is Josh?
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 5:46 PM | Link to this
Top 5 UGA Defensive Linemen:
1.Clark Co Corrections inmate number 123685
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 5:55 PM | Link to this
Clark Co Corrections inmate number 123982
Clark Co Corrections inmate number 123983
Clark Co Corrections inmate number 123555
5.Clark Co Corrections inmate number 123785
By Unbiased Observer
August 6, 2007 5:55 PM | Link to this
The AJC is biased AGAINST UGA?!?!?!?! Please be joking…
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 6:11 PM | Link to this
I just found out that blogging on my BB is not easy, but you get the jist, and it’s Clarke not Clark.
Sorry I’ve never been to the JAIL.
By TampaGator
August 6, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this
KW. Moss played on the opposite defensive end side of Harvey. How does that help Harvey do anything? Maybe, he was awesome in the NC game because he played next to Steven Harris??? (I don’t think so), the guy who replaced Marcus Thomas at DT. The truth is, Harris’ play was enhanced because he lined up next to Harvey. Ray McDonald played next to Moss and maybe he helped Moss some. Not Harvey. Harvey ate up both OSU’s the single and double covers during the NC game (and the doubles on him allowed Harris to have a good game, too). He will be double teamed a lot more this year because the Gators are seemingly weak at DT (but that is only on paper(you will soon learn the talents of the names of such players as Sanders, Marsh, Davis, Brown, McMillan, Dunlap, and Estopianan—sp?)). So we will see how great Harvey is this year…and believe me, he is an outstanding DE…maybe the best in the country. And, by the way, Moss is being replaced by a kid that is faster and stronger than he was. His last name is Cunningham (from the Atlanta area by the way). He was challenging Moss towards the end of last year and he had a fantastic spring…and the DL coaches are just raving about his talents…and they know DL talent. The Gators defense is going to be very young…but it may be the fastest (by far) and most talented group Florida has ever put on a football field (they just might make too many mistakes because of their youth, I am afraid). If they gel quickly, the LSU game might be a preview to the SEC championship…and the right to play USC for the National Championship in January. But I am just a Gator fan who is biased about the team he follows…just like you.
By TampaGator
August 6, 2007 6:24 PM | Link to this
And Merculf…what game were you watching. Auburn could barely move the ball on the Gators all game long. The Gators had a ton of offensive in the game. The Gators shot themselves in the foot during that game…most of the second half. Check the statistics from the game. Harvey was a force in that game. The players who gave the Gators (Leak mostly) problems, were their LBs, strong safeties, and CBs blitzing from the outside (remember the “fumble”). Auburn did not win that game. Florida lost it going in for the winning FG or TD…with the help of the field official…and the replay officials. Again, biased reporting from a Gator fan.
By JD
August 6, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this
Roswell Ed- It is nice of you to take a break from your child porn sites to check on the blogs. Get a life dude.
By Roswell Ed
August 6, 2007 8:21 PM | Link to this
JD:
Maybe in your child porn cruising time you run across someone with the handle ROSWELL ED but I can assure you that it is not me it is your NM boyfriend.
The only time I was interested in teenagers was when I was one.
So the next time when you’re chatting/spanking with pedo Roswell Ed from NM please note that it is not this AJC ROSWELL ED.
PS
Send your wife over and she can inspect my HARD DRIVE if you like!!
By Matt
August 6, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this
UGAY Sux!
By Anonymous
August 7, 2007 2:00 AM | Link to this
Roswell Ed, I’m not a Dawg fan, but I can only imagine what drives an otherwise sane adult to spend as much time as you do trading juvenile and nonsensical barbs with other overgrown boys who should be working at something productive. Grow up. Please. Your mother, wife and daughters would die of shame if they ever read your AJC blog comments.
By concerned citizen
August 7, 2007 2:03 AM | Link to this
Note to Roswell Ed: It’s ‘gist’ not ‘jist.’
By DawgByte
August 7, 2007 8:59 AM | Link to this
Tony I agree… I’m not familiar with most of the players on your list, but UGA’s D-Linemen have much to prove in 2007. Jeff Owens is a solid player, but not a dominant force (yet). I’ve seen Kade Weston blow-up an entire side of an opponents O-line, but his overall play is inconsistent. Part of which is due to technique and the other is conditioning. Dixon can hold his own, but is not a premier SEC D-L (yet).
In short, I believe this is an area of weakness for Georgia and could cause us problems if we don’t have a core unit that steps up in a major way. Part of our 2006 mid-year slump was due to our defensive line giving up too many key third down plays and too much yardage on the ground. It wasn’t until the Auburn game that they came back from a mid-season vacation.
By milledgevilledawg
August 7, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this
Tony Barnhardt is an obvious Tennessee Vols fan.
He picked UT to win the national title like five seasons in a row a few years back. Barnhardt has a huge mancrush on Phil Fulmer.
By Rockies Dawg
August 7, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
It baffles me why people get upset by what these and other sportswriters think. Really — it’s like getting upset by your 9 year-old’s perspective about tax policy… With the exception of Tony B, do the other beat writers covering college football for the ajc have any remaining credibility?