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2021 SEC football season preview: Predicted order of finish, best players, breakout stars

By Ethan Lee

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Nick Saban, running back Najee Harris #22 and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood #70 of the Alabama Crimson Tide hold up the SEC Championship trophy at the conclusion of the game against the Florida Gators during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 19, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Nick Saban, running back Najee Harris #22 and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood #70 of the Alabama Crimson Tide hold up the SEC Championship trophy at the conclusion of the game against the Florida Gators during the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 19, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: JT Daniels #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs prepares to throw the ball during a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: JT Daniels #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs prepares to throw the ball during a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images) /

SEC Championship Game prediction: Alabama vs. Georgia

Another year, another SEC Championship Game that should feature the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. Looking back over the past 10 seasons, either Alabama or Georgia has made it to the SEC Championship Game a total of 11 times (Alabama six times and Georgia five times). During that timeframe, the two teams have faced each other in this game twice with the Crimson Tide coming out on top of both occasions.

Expect this season to be no different.

It will be interesting to see how Alabama’s defense responds to Georgia’s offense with Daniels under center. He is poised to contend for the Heisman and could make things difficult for a talented Alabama defense.

Prediction: Alabama 38, Georgia 34

SEC Offensive Player of the Year: Georgia quarterback JT Daniels

Mississippi State isn’t the only team in the SEC that has ties to the Air Raid offense. While it seems incredibly unlikely that the Georgia Bulldogs will be throwing the ball around as much as MSU, Monken also has some connections to the Air Raid coaching family tree. That, along with the fact that Daniels is an incredibly talented quarterback who has shown plenty of potential already, makes it seem incredibly possible that Daniels has a stellar season this year. Plus, it never hurts that Daniels will have a solid defense backing him. The Bulldogs should win a lot of games because of that, which will put Daniels in the perfect position to get plenty of attention this year.

SEC Defensive Player of the Year: LSU defensive back Derek Stingley Jr.

LSU is known for its talented and dominant defensive backs and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Derek Stingley Jr. step up this season. Stingley has already shown that he can be a star, he was a key part of LSU’s 2019 championship team, and he can demonstrate that he can be a star again this season.

As LSU went on its remarkable championship run a couple of seasons ago, Stingley was routinely locking down talented receivers and picking off quarterbacks. During that season, Stingley snagged six interceptions and racked up a total of 38 tackles. Look for him to be a big part of whatever LSU does this season. He’s entering into his junior season and can be a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses.

Breakout player: Mississippi State wide receiver Jaden Walley

There shouldn’t be any shortage of passing yards from the Mississippi State Bulldogs this season. With Will Rogers at quarterback and Mike Leach overseeing things, this offense showed the potential to be solid down the stretch last year. One guy who really took advantage of opportunities last season was Jaden Walley, a true freshman wide receiver who started off slow but finished the season with 100-yard receiving games in four of the five finals games of the year.

It’s not a shocker that Leach loves to have his teams throw the ball around and a guy like Walley stands to benefit from that. With a full offseason to get up to speed on Leach’s Air Raid and connect with his quarterback, Walley could really breakthrough and have a phenomenal season that catches everyone’s attention.

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