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SEC football 2018 preview: Breakout stars, biggest games, predictions

By Jeremy Morris

Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide, Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide, Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
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Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift (7) (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift (7) (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Breakout Stars

After his appearance in the second half of last season’s National Championship Game, Tagovailoa is competing for and likely to win the starting job this fall. He may be the most widely known player in college football history compared to the amount of actual experience he’s seen. That says a lot about how impressive he was on the biggest stage possible given his first real opportunity to lead the Tide on offense.

In one half against Georgia, Tagovailoa completed 14-of-24 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. He made the last and most memorable throw of the 2017 college football season when he hit DeVonta Smith in stride as he streaked down the sideline to score a decisive 41-yard touchdown in overtime.

With Tagovailoa’s ability as a passer, Alabama has a completely new level of balance and a huge added potential for big plays on offense. I picked Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham as Offensive Player of the Year but Tagovailoa is just as likely to take home the award. Although he hasn’t been named the starter, he also enters the season on a short list of Heisman favorites.

A lot of schools like to call themselves [insert position]-U. No one has more claim to running back-U over the last 10 years than Georgia. With Nick Chubb and Sony Michel gone to the NFL, D’Andre Swift steps in as the primary ball carrier for the Bulldogs in 2018. Last year as a freshman, he carried the ball 81 times for 618 yards (7.6 yards per carry) and scored four total touchdowns. He only saw double-digit carries once last season but had 50 or more rushing yards in five games.

Swift will have a pair of highly touted freshman behind him to help carry the load, a talented quarterback to balance the offense and another good offensive line to open holes and clear the way up front. One other factor worth noting, D’Andre Swift — very strong name for a running back.

Marquez Callaway had 24 catches for 406 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore last season. A quarter of his production in terms of yards came in the season opener against Georgia Tech. Callaway’s 115 yards and two touchdowns were key to Tennessee escaping with what would ultimately be the biggest and only notable win of the season. The Vols had troubles at quarterback and the coaching staff led by Butch Jones was notorious for failing to recognize and use the talent at their disposal (if you’re questioning that statement, see Alvin Kamara, John Kelly, and the slew of four/five-star receivers Tennessee underutilized from 2013-2017).

With either senior-transfer Keller Chryst or returning junior Jarrett Guarantano under center, Callaway should have a more reliable quarterback. Under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt and offensive coordinator Tyson Helton, he should see much more of the ball in 2018. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Callaway is a big target with reliable hands and has off the charts talent as a playmaker after the catch. He breaks tackles, makes defenders miss and has the breakaway speed to turn in big plays. In his career, he has also returned 15 punts, averaging 14.9 yards per return, and he’s taken one back for a touchdown.