Around the SEC East: 2nd Year Players who will Breakthrough in 2020

Every year new recruits arrive on campuses around the country with high hopes and dreams of stardom. Fans are ready for them to take college football by storm and the recruits are ready to be the next superstar. Truth is not many true freshmen become impact players in their first season, and need time in the weight room and experience to have an impact. The next year new recruits arrive and last years class is no longer on fans minds. This feature will focus on recruits from the 2019 recruiting class who will breakthrough and make their mark in 2020. Note: All recruiting rankings are referencing the 247 Sports composite.

Florida

Kair Elam was a top 75 recruit in the Gators 2019 recruiting class. The Gators are traditionally strong in the secondary but Elam saw playing time as a true freshman and made his presence felt. For the season Elam had 11 tackles, 4 PBU and 3 INT in a reserve role. The 6’2″ 187 lb Elam has excellent size and length at the corner position. He has good speed and quickness and can play in the slot or outside, but is probably better suited on the outside. Elam has excellent ball skills and capitalizes on opportunities to convert turnovers. He is a physical corner but has room to add some more strength without sacrificing quickness and agility. Elam is advanced for his age, but needs to continue to work on his technique. Elam is already finding a way to impact games and should really come into his own with a year of development.

Florida lost first round draft pick CJ Henderson to the NFL Draft and will have an opening at CB. Henderson was excellent in 2019, and leaves a big hole in the Florida defense for 2020. With Elam’s strong play as a reserve in 2019 he appears to be the front runner to fill that position in 2020. Elam has the ability to play corner at a high level and should be a plus in the Gators secondary. His ability to convert turnovers makes him a player who can flip the momentum of the game. Florida has high hopes in 2020, and Elam will be a big factor in whether or not they are successful. Elam can be a big time playmaker in the defensive backfield who will shine this season for the Gators.

Georgia

Dominick Blaylock was a top 50 recruit in the Bulldogs 2019 recruiting class. He became a big play threat in his first year with Georgia, catching 18 passes for 310 yards and 5 TD. The 6’1″ 195 lb Blaylock is a talented receiver who has a muscular build. He is not a burner with great long speed but has good speed and great quickness in short areas. Blaylock uses his strength and quickness to pick up yards after the catch in bunches. He is a good route runner, especially for a younger player and creates good separation. He has good hands and catches the ball when he uses his hands and not his body. Like all young players Blaylock needs to continue to progress, but he is an effective weapon on offense.

Larry Cager is no longer at Georgia and it appears the wide receiver group will be led by George Pickens (#8 WR), Demetris Robertson and Blaylock. Pickens is an absolute stud in the making and Robertson is an experienced and talented player. This should give Blaylock plenty of space to make big plays. The Bulldogs brought in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken to open up the Georgia passing game which should help create opportunities for Blaylock. We expect Blaylock to make the most of his chances and join Pickens among the top WRs in the conference in 2020.

Kentucky

Jared Casey was a four star recruit in Kentucky’s 2019 recruiting class. He redshirted in 2019 only recording 1 tackle in very limited playing time. The 6’2″ 232 lb Casey has a good combination of size and athleticism. He has a good mix of speed, quickness and strength. Casey is at his best when he is playing downhill and attacking the quarterback or the running game. He takes good angles and shows good burst in pursuit of ball carriers. Casey recognizes the play well and fills his gaps quickly. He needs to continue to get better at disengaging blockers who get their hands on him, and he will need to improve in coverage. He has the physical ability to do both things and will just need the coaching. Casey has the ability to be a complete linebacker for the Wildcats.

Casey was probably not going to play much this year as the Wildcats return a lot of talent on defense. In fact, the Wildcats return a lot of talent overall, and it wasn’t easy to find a young player who would breakthrough in 2020. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, starting linebacker Chris Oats will miss the season with a medical issue. Jamin Davis will be the likely replacement for Oats in the starting lineup but this will make Casey a key reserve on the team. He should see more playing time and will have the opportunity to make an impact in 2020 that he did not have before. He is a talented player and should show well with the extra playing time.

Missouri

Devin Nicholson was a three star recruit in the Tigers 2019 recruiting class. Nicholson saw his playing time increase over his true freshman season and even earned a couple starts at the end of the year. The 6’3″ 215 lb linebacker collected 24 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 FF for the season. Nicholson is a smart player who reads the game well. He has decent athleticism and a good frame to add more weight. He will need to continue to get stronger without sacrificing speed. Nicholson reacts well to plays and is a good tackler. He played well as a freshman but will need to continue to grow into a quality SEC linebacker.

Linebacker Cale Garrett is no longer at Missouri and will be missed on the Tigers defense. Nicholson was able to get two starts filling in for Garrett last season and will look to secure that position this year. Nicholson played well but with a new linebackers coach and a new head coach nothing is promised for 2020. He does have some experience and some good tape from 2019 to lean on and with a good camp will be the likely starter this coming season. Nicholson is the type of player who finds plays on the field, look for him to have an impact for the Tigers in 2020.

South Carolina

Zacch Pickens was a five star recruit in the Gamecocks 2019 recruiting class. He got playing time as a true freshman and recorded 16 tackles in 12 games. The 6’3″ 300 lb Pickens has good size and athleticism on the interior. He has great quickness and uses his quick get off to be disruptive in the backfield. Pickens has rare speed for a guy his size and can run plays down from behind like a much smaller player would. He will need to continue to improve his technique to get the most out of his raw abilities. Now with a year at the college level Pickens should be ready to be an impact defensive lineman for the Gamecocks.

Pickens was a reserve for the Gamecocks last season but was thought of as the likely replacement for star defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw. Kinlaw will be making plays on Sundays and it appears Pickens’ time is now at South Carolina. He will be expected to be an impact player this season along the defensive front. Pickens has the athleticism and size to become a star in his own right, and we believe that will happen sooner rather than later. With five star freshman defensive lineman Jordan Burch arriving this fall the Gamecocks defensive linemen will have to play well to keep their spots. Pickens has had a year to grow and learn, and he is ready to become a leader on the defensive line.

Tennessee

Quavaris Crouch was a top 75 recruit in the Vols 2019 recruiting class. He earned playing time as a true freshman on both sides of the ball but primarily played defense. Crouch tallied 28 tackles, 1 TFL and 2 PBU on defense in 2019. The 6’1″ 246 lb Crouch is a good athlete at the linebacker position. He has good speed and burst and closes down on ball carriers well. He has good side to side ability and can cover a lot of ground at the second level. Crouch is a good blitzer and can play as an outside linebacker in an odd front, or as a traditional inside linebacker. He will need to continue to improve in coverage and needs to maintain his mobility to ensure he can cover down field. Crouch is an athlete that has the potential to impact the game in many ways.

Daniel Bituli and Darrell Taylor are no longer playing linebacker for the Volunteers. It is expected that Crouch will man one of these two spots whether it be on the inside or on the outside. Crouch has the ability to become an impact player at either spot but will need to settle in at one or the other. Crouch has the physical tools, he just needs reps to become more comfortable at linebacker. As he plays more he will be able to diagnose plays quickly and react faster. Crouch got good experience last season and will be able to take the next step in 2020. We see him breaking through and becoming a quality linebacker for Tennessee.

Vanderbilt

Keyon Brooks was a three star recruit in the Commodores 2019 recruiting class. Brooks was the backup running back last season and ran for 252 yards and 1 TD on 56 carries, he also added 57 yards receiving. The 6’1″ 202 lb runner has good speed and acceleration. He is a patient runner who does a good job of waiting for the play to develop before bursting through the hole. Brooks is not a burner but can run away from defenders and score on big plays. Brooks has room to add some good weight and should develop into a strong runner with good speed. There is hope that Brooks can be a feature back in 2020.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn was a thousand yard rusher for the Commodores in 2019 but is in the NFL now. Brooks was his primary backup and will have the first crack at securing the starting running back job. With a new offensive coordinator, Brooks will need to have a strong camp to show he should be the starter in Nashville. Brooks flashed some ability in an otherwise difficult season for Vanderbilt in 2019 and should be up to the task. With some improvement in the passing game to take pressure off the running attack, Brooks could have a thousand yard season of his own in 2020.

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