The Campus2Canton writing staff will cover all of the conferences from now until the beginning of the college football season. To view previous conferences, click one of the links below:
- Independents
- Sun Belt – East West
- Mountain West – Mountain West
- MAC – East West
- AAC – Part 1 Part 2
- C-USA – East West
- Pac-12 – North South
Writing about the SEC is a task; it’s hard to mention all relevant players and keep an article readable and under 19,000 words. I’m going to eliminate all non-essential words like the, and, it, words that aren’t critical. So it will be a lot of player names and stats separated by ellipses and grunts.
Okay, that’s not practical, but it would be a fun exercise. The East features your 2022 National Champion, Jared Palmgren’s Georgia Bulldogs, but it’s considered the ‘weaker’ division between the East and West. Florida is making waves under a new head coach by recently getting commits from some big names. Kentucky always plays tough, and Missouri is recruiting better also. South Carolina totally revamped their team – will it lead to success? Tennesse can hang with any team in the country on offense, but their defense is holier than the Pope. And Vanderbilt… well, yeah. Insert ellipsis and grunt.
- Fantasy Relevant
- Roster Fillers
- Stashes
- Players to Avoid at Cost
All teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Florida Gators
Fantasy Relevant
Anthony Richardson has played just 21% of Florida’s offensive snaps this season.
— Felix Sharpe (@sharpereview) October 28, 2021
He’s still the team’s second leading rusher.
Even at 21% of the team’s offensive snaps, AR-15 is on a 12 game pace of 835.2 yards rushing.pic.twitter.com/FxymuZmIfu
The Gators will finally turn the reins over to the electric Anthony Richardson, and he’s garnering first-round hype with hopes of a Heisman run. He’s one of the most dangerous runners at the QB position, rushing for over 400 yards and three TDs in limited action last season. Richardson is 6’4” and 235 lbs. and he has a cannon for an arm. With that, though, he has looked erratic as a passer. If he can get his completion percentage up and still rush for 1,000 yards, Richardson is going to have a monstrous 2022.
New head coach Billy Napier has featured a run-heavy approach while at the University of Louisiana, and his offenses rushed for more yards than passed in two of the previous three seasons.
Along with Napier, running back Montrell Johnson followed the coach to Gainesville and will be the Gators’ lead back. He was the lead back in 2021 for the Ragin’ Cajuns and rushed for 838 yards at a 5.2 YPC clip. Johnson also reached paydirt a dozen times and added six receptions. I could see redshirt junior Nay’Quan Wright and redshirt senior Lorenzo Lingard stealing a few touches, but it’s Johnson’s backfield, and he’s in for a good season.
Roster Fillers
Who gets the yardage and scores via the air if Richardson finds his stride passing? I wish we had more of an idea on that. I like the talent of former five-star Justin Shorter, and maybe he finally puts it all together. Xzavier Henderson is another that could emerge, and I loved his profile coming out. There are just too many unknowns in the WR and TE rooms.
Stashes
Keep an eye on Trevor Etienne – you know the last name, but Travis’ younger brother is a different player. I love his size at 5’9” and 215 lbs. it will be interesting to see if he can carve a role in the backfield after this season.
Players to Avoid at Cost
All Gators are priced appropriately – in CFF, Richardson is a value if he lives up to the hype.
Georgia Bulldogs
Fantasy Relevant
Brock Bowers is one of the top tight ends in college football, if not the top one. As a freshman, he caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 TDs; it will be tough to replicate that season. If anyone can, though, it’s Bowers. He’s the most established pass-catching offense on the Bulldog offense, and Stetson Bennett should lean heavily on him again.
Ironically, the second best option could be another TE, phenom Arik Gilbert. He looked unstoppable in the spring game, and the team will try to get both of them on the field. Gilbert is an athletic freak, and if he’s truly put it all together finally – he’s going to have an amazing 2022.
Then it gets murky. I like Kendall Milton to be the lead back and have a strong season, but he will likely split carries and not be fantasy relevant because of it. Talent is there, and Georgia needs a lead back. But their RBs have not been strong CFF assets for several years – the team doesn’t feature a back, and it hinders them as far as production.
Roster Fillers
Adonai Mitchell and Arian Smith are the top WRs, but neither will likely be consistent assets for CFF. Both will be playing on Sundays, but Georgia doesn’t feed alpha receivers and hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Terrence Edwards in 2002. Both guys could top 700 and score some TDs, but they are not viable for fantasy weekly.
Stetson Bennett runs the offense and could work if your team needs a steady fill-in. He threw for 2,862 yards with 29 TDs and 7 INTs in 2021, also rushing for 259 yards. He isn’t sexy and won’t win you weeks but if you need a one-week starter, check out who Georgia is playing and give Bennett a look.
Stashes
Incoming freshmen Branson Robinson and Andrew Paul have the potential to be studs, but I like the well-rounded skill set of Paul a bit more. Robinson has NFL-ready size and is a powerful runner who doesn’t mess around when he gets the ball. He’s gonna run dudes over, make a cut here and there, but mainly a north-south runner. Paul was only a three-star commit but came on late in the process and had many offers from big schools. He does a lot of things well and could seize this backfield as soon as next season.
In my opinion, Gunnar Stockton is the future QB, and I’m not investing in any other one on the roster. Stockton is a well-built guy with good footwork and arm strength. He makes plays on the run and is mobile enough to force himself to be accounted for.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
Kentucky Wildcats
Fantasy Relevant
Quarterback Will Levis has all sorts of hype and is gaining traction as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Will Levis showed impressive flashes last season for Kentucky. Plenty of arm talent and mobility. Bombed this one.
— Joe DiTullio (@DiTullioJoe) July 23, 2022
Needs to work on his ability to read the entire field and his decision-making this season, but the tools are there. pic.twitter.com/v4hmVMVAWk
For me, it’s not there yet, but the tools are definitely there. Levis had 2,826 yards passing with 24 scores to 13 picks and added 376 yards and nine scores on the ground. The numbers should be nearly identical in 2022. Hopefully, he can reduce the INTs. Levis has a good arm and is a playmaker, but I’d like to see him be more consistent and read defenses better. He’s a good QB for CFF, will give your squad QB2/3 numbers weekly, and is an NFL prospect too.
We still don’t know the future of Chris Rodriguez, but if he plays, he’s a good fantasy back despite limited pass-catching duty. He rushed for 1,378 yards and ten scores last season at a 6.1 YPC average. He had 13 receptions, but I don’t see Kentucky increasing that number much. C-Rod is a good college back, but I’m not sure he has much of an NFL future.
I like the potential of former Virginia Tech receiver Tayvion Robinson in this offense. He will run out of the slot and should see a similar role to Wan’Dale Robinson’s last season in Kentucky. Tayvion should get a load of targets and be used creatively; he’s a dark horse for a big fantasy 2022.
Roster Fillers
Ramon Jefferson will likely fill in were Rodriguez to miss time and is worth a pickup in case.
Stashes
Freshmen Barrion Brown and Dane Key will give this offense a jolt and could see playing time this season. Brown is a track star, fast and versatile; he can track balls well and has a good change of direction despite a long stride. Key is a deep ball threat who tracks the ball well, wins contested catches, and is a natural hands catcher. Both of these guys should be stars in the next few years.
Players to Avoid at Cost
Sometimes, people get a little froggy and leap early at Rodriguez, but his ADP is all the way down to 95. That is a good price but any higher without knowing the suspension is too risky for me.
Missouri Tigers
Fantasy Relevant
Freshman Luther Burden is going to be a superstar, early too, and a good fantasy season for him this year is definitely in the cards. He was the #3 overall recruit in the class and balled out at the spring game. Burden is strong and elusive, incredibly dangerous after the catch, and is still improving. He’s going to be a stud.
This year – the new QB Brady Cook looked good but has only played in seven games over two seasons. If the offense, which has averaged 35 throws a game under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, continues at that clip and Cook is decent, Burden could have a monstrous freshman season.
Running backs in the system have also been proficient, and the competition is still not settled, but Nathaniel Peat should be the starter when it’s done. He’s averaged nearly six yards a touch in limited action and could handle a workload similar to Tyler Badie’s from last season. Peat isn’t as electric, but with a full workload – he’s a viable fantasy starter.
Roster Fillers
Mookie Cooper could see a mess of targets and have a good season if the offense is humming as well. A former Ohio State transfer, he had 17 grabs for 194 yards and a score last season and profiles best from the slot.
Stashes
If Cook doesn’t work at QB, one of the other QBs will need to step up. Freshman Sam Horn is intriguing but may have a future in baseball if he chooses to. Horn is a player that slings the ball around and can make many throws but needs to learn to read defenses and take better care of the ball. An intriguing prospect for the Tigers.
Players to Avoid at Cost
Peat’s ADP is currently at 77, and I feel like he was a value all offseason. The fact that he hasn’t staked his claim as the lead back makes me a touch nervous, and I wouldn’t take him that high in a CFF draft today.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Fantasy Relevant
This is a tough offense to get a read on and has added immense talent on offense, starting with Spencer Rattler. By now, you know the story; let’s spare those details. Rattler is the player to make or break this offense. I believe this offense will hum with him at the helm, and there is going to be fantasy goodness. Rattler should be a QB2/3 for CFF purposes, but you will have to watch matchups – the Gamecocks have a nasty schedule.
Marshawn Lloyd was among the highest regarded backs in the 2020 recruiting class, and I loved his skill set. Is this the year he finally gets the total workload and puts it all together? I hope so, but all signs point to a committee.
South Carolina has a bevy of pass-catching options, and I don’t see anyone emerging other than tight end Jaheim Bell. He’s an athletic beast of a man and one of my favorite candidates to break out in 2022.
Roster Fillers
The bevy I spoke of above is wide receivers Josh Vann, Corey Rucker, and Antwane Wells Jr., with tight end Austin Stogner. Vann led the team in 2021 with 43 receptions for 679 yards. Rucker transferred from Arkansas State, where he raked in 59 grabs for 826 yards and scored nine times.
Wells could be the most intriguing of the bunch. He transferred from James Madison, where he secured 83 receptions for 1,250 yards and 15 TDs in Division II. Stogner followed Rattler from Oklahoma and has a rapport with the QB, but I don’t love his talent with the surrounding group.
Stashes
None.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
Tennessee Volunteers
Fantasy Relevant
Hendon Hooker can legitimately make a claim at overall QB1 in fantasy this season. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 31 TDs, only three INTs, and rushed for 616 yards with five scores on the ground. With him at the helm, this is one of the most potent offenses in the country.
As the season went on, Cedric Tillman became Hooker’s go-to receiver, and finished the season with four straight 100-yard games. And against Georgia’s vaunted defense, he topped 200 yards. Tillman has legit NFL upside at 6’3” and 215 pounds and will be one of the top receivers in the country this season.
Roster Fillers
Some other guys stand to benefit from the offensive output but may not be as fantasy relevant. I’m not buying into the Bru McCoy hype, but he’s got the prestigious pedigree, the ninth-ranked player in the entire class of 2019. Maybe he finally realizes the talent, and he could be dangerous in this offense, but I’m not holding the bag and hoping for some magic beans.
Jabari Small should be the lead back and has looked really good in limited time. He rushed for 796 yards and nine scores last season, adding nine catches for good measure. Small has good size and will be a good depth back for fantasy, but he will likely not get a full workload.
Stashes
Freshman RB Justin Williams-Thomas is the truth – 6’0” and 210 lbs. coupled with true track speed; he’s going to hit big next year but could see time in the rotation now.
Players to Avoid at Cost
I don’t care what Hooker and Tillman cost. Get ’em.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Fantasy Relevant
This trio of guys could be fantasy relevant this season, but I don’t see any of them being guys you want to lean on weekly. Yet.
New starting QB Mike Wright, not of Fantasy Footballers fame, is a dual-threat QB who can push the offense to a different level and open up the RPO game. He’s got a solid arm and can make dynamic plays on the run, something new for this Vandy team.
Re’Mahn Davis nearly hit 1,000 yards as a freshman at Temple and can catch passes; if the offense opens up, it’s within the realm of possibility for him to hit the 1K mark again. Davis is a good runner, and possible NFL talent. He could be startable in the right matchups.
Receiver Will Sheppard leads a receiver crew with many vacated targets to fight over. He had 43 receptions for 577 yards and four scores in 2021 and could see that number double if the offense finds its groove.
Roster Fillers
All three guys could be considered fillers even; as I said, I don’t want to rely on them, but players you want on your radar/benches.
Stashes
Freshman QB AJ Swann was a four-star and is the future QB, but how long will he have to wait? With the new rules, Wright could have anywhere from two to eleven years of eligibility left; I can’t understand the rules anymore. Swann is a pure QB who throws with touch and easily pushes the ball downfield. He’s mobile enough to escape the pocket and make throws on the run.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
