Best of the SEC: How does Texas football DL stack up as we rank all 16 conference teams?

After years of discussions, negotiations and preparation, Texas has finally joined the SEC. But how do the Longhorns stack up as they enter the toughest conference in college football?

We’re ranking the SEC position by position, assigning points for each team — 16 points for first place through one point for 16th. We’ll update the totals with each installment, giving a sense of which teams will contend for the SEC title and College Football Playoff spots.

We’ve already examined SEC quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and offensive lines. Next we rank the SEC schools on the strength of their defensive lines heading into the season:

More: Texas football team lands commitment from Kade Phillips, 4-star CB in 2025 class

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr., center, may be the country’s best pass rusher and is a sure first-round NFL draft pick. He had 10 sacks last season.

1. Tennessee: Vols have edge with James Pearce

There’s not a better pass rusher in the country than future first-round NFL pick James Pearce Jr., a 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior who earned first-team All-SEC honors last season after racking up 10 sacks and 14½ tackles for a loss. But there’s much more to this front than Pearce. Seniors Bryson Eason and Omari Thomas return as starters at the tackle spots and provide all the intangibles plus plenty of production, and 300-pound Jaxson Moi gives quality interior depth after starting seven games for Stanford last season. The Vols also have several young edge rushers that look primed for breakout seasons opposite Pearce, including Joshua Josephs, Tyree Weathersby and five-star freshman Jordan Ross.

2. Georgia: Deep Dawgs still have bite

Sure, the NFL and the portal took their usual toll on the deep and talented roster that head coach Kirby Smart and his staff have constructed, but the Dawgs still…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/best-sec-does-texas-football-201839149.html

Author : Austin American-Statesman

Publish date : 2024-07-22 20:18:39

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