Ranking SEC East football defensive backs. Why Tennessee is No. 5 | Adams
This is the seventh and last in a series ranking SEC East football teams by position groups.
Georgia lost two defensive backs, including star cornerback Kelee Ringo, from its national championship team. But its secondary could be as strong as ever this season.
1. Georgia: Former five-star recruit Daylin Everette could fill the other cornerback position opposite returning starter Kamari Lassiter. But the strength of the secondary will be in the safeties.
Javon Bullard, who plays the star position, was the defensive MVP of the national championship game with two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the rout of TCU. Veteran safety Dan Jackson returns after missing the last month of the 2022 season with a foot injury. And safety Malaki Starks had 68 tackles last season as a freshman.
If healthy, Tykee Smith would strengthen the secondary at star or safety. He was a third-team All-American at West Virginia before transferring to Georgia but has been plagued with injuries, resulting in foot and knee surgeries.
Texas A&M transfer Smoke Bouie, a former four-star recruit, will compete for playing time at star and cornerback. Five-star signee Joenel Aguero, a safety, should play as a freshman.
2. Missouri: The Tigers won't be lacking in experience and have added depth through the transfer portal.
Five starters return, including the cornerback tandem of Ennis Rakestraw and Kris Abrams-Draine, who combined to break up 26 passes last season.
The safeties are just as experienced. Jaylon Carlies led the team in tackles with 81 and intercepted three passes and forced a fumble. Safety Joseph Charleston had 53 tackles while Daylan Carnell, who plays the star position, had three interceptions.
Florida cornerback Tre’Vez Johnson, who had 64 tackles in three seasons, and Sidney Williams, who played sparingly at Florida State, joined Missouri as transfers.
3. Kentucky: The Wildcats ranked seventh nationally in passing yards allowed per game and could be good again in the secondary if a couple of transfers come through.
Kentucky added transfer cornerbacks from Cincinnati (JQ Hardaway) and Ohio State (Jantzen Dunn) as possible replacements for Keidron Smith and Carrington Valentine. Both were four-star recruits.
Andru Phillips, who had 34 tackles last season, has experience at cornerback and nickel.
The Wildcats are well fortified at the back end of the secondary. Jordan Lovett, who had 62 tackles and two tackles last season, returns at safety. So does Zion Childress, a late-season starter. Childress had nine tackles against Georgia in his first start. He had five tackles, a sack and pass broken up against Louisville.
Jalen Geiger also returns. Geiger incurred a season-ending knee injury in the second game after opening the season as a starter.
4. South Carolina: The Gamecocks will miss cornerbacks Darrius Rush and Cam Smith, who are NFL-bound. Their likely replacements are O’Donnell Fortune and Marcellas Dial.
When Smith moved to nickel back last season, Dial subbed for him at cornerback. He had 45 tackles and three interceptions. Fortune had two interceptions.
Safeties Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith will return as starters. Emmanwori led the Gamecocks with 85 tackles last season. Smith had 54 tackles and two interceptions.
Kaljuan Banks is expected to start at nickel back.
5. Tennessee: The Vols will have one of the most experienced secondaries in the country. That would be cause for celebration unless you checked the NCAA stats for 2022 when only four other teams gave up more yards per game passing.
In a best-case scenario, the Vols learned from their mistakes and will put their experience to use this season.
BYU transfer cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally could help. He started for the Cougars last season after transferring from Vanderbilt, where he also started.
That will give Tennessee yet another defensive back to go along with safety Jaylen McCollough (37 starts) and cornerback Warren Burrell (22 starts).
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The Vols have five returning defensive backs who made at least 30 tackles last season. McCollough had 57, and Tamarion McDonald had 56.
6. Florida: The Gators once promoted themselves as “DBU.” Don't expect them to live up to that moniker this season.
In fact, they’re counting on three freshmen to provide depth, especially if they don’t add another defensive back through the transfer portal. Freshmen Ja’Keem Jackson, Dijon Johnson and Jordan Casteel were all listed as second team on the spring depth chart.
Cornerback Jason Marshall led the team with eight passes defended last season. Nickel back Jaydon Hill had 24 tackles and two interceptions, and safety Kamari Wilson had 39 tackles.
Cornerback Jalen Kimber and nickel back Jadarrius Perkins also have experience.
7. Vanderbilt: The Commodores were even worse than the Vols in passing yards allowed per game. But not much worse.
Vanderbilt ranked 128th out of 131 FBS teams, one spot below Tennessee.
Like the Vols, they aren’t short on experience. Nickel back C.J. Taylor had 59 tackles last season. Safeties De’Rickey Wright and Jaylen Mahoney each had 55 tackles.
Cornerback B. J. Anderson is another returning starter. Richard Ja’Dais, who played sparingly last year as a freshman, could be the other starter at cornerback.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ranking SEC East football defensive backs and why Tennessee is No. 5
