SEC midseason awards

Most (not all) teams are six games into the 2016 season. With plenty of film and every team seeing at least one tough opponent, the landscape of the Southeastern Conference is beginning to unfold.

It’s time for midseason awards.

Offensive player of the year: Trevor Knight, Texas A&M QB

Trevor Knight’s resumé is strong. He’s scored 18 total touchdowns and is the leader of one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the conference.

Having his starting job taken by Baker Mayfield after three seasons in Oklahoma, Knight shipped out to College Station as a graduate transfer. In his first season in the SEC, he’s making his mark.

While his 53.5 completion percentage is fairly pedestrian, Knight’s dual-threat production is impressive. Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs edges Knight for the lead in total touchdowns by two, but Knight’s nine passing and nine rushing scores are nothing short of incredible. His nine scores on the ground not only lead the Aggies, but the entire conference. The graduate transfer has also rushed for just over 500 yards through the first six games.

It’s okay Trevor, Sadie Robertson didn’t deserve you.

Honorable mention: Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee QB 

It was tough to decide between Knight and Dobbs, so the Volunteer quarterback gets a honorable mention here. The only player with more total touchdowns than Knight, Dobbs has passed for 14 touchdowns, ran for five and even caught a touchdown pass. But where Dobbs falls behind Knight is his tendency to turn the ball over. Tennessee leads the SEC in interceptions with eight, including one to Texas A&M’s Armani Watts to end the double overtime thriller.

Defensive player of the year: Derek Barnett, Tennessee DE

Five sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and 29 total tackles. That’s the stat line for Barnett—arguably the best defensive end in college football—through just six games.

His effort in comeback wins over Florida and Georgia were game-changing, making him the most impactful defensive player in the SEC thus far. His two sacks against the Gators came on big third downs, allowing the Vols to stop Florida’s momentum and create some of their own. As a result, Tennessee scored 38 unanswered points in the second half and won 38-28. And his sack and forced fumble in the end zone against Georgia gave the Vols their first lead of the game.

Without Barnett’s presence, Tennessee might not have been in position to win either of those pivotal games. And with the absence of seniors Cam Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Barnett’s leadership and production have meant all the more.

Honorable mention: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M DE

The only player that compares to Barnett’s skill is Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett. Unfortunately, injuries have limited his production.

Freshman of the year: Jalen Hurts, Alabama QB

Nick Saban fielding a true freshman quarterback? That’s uncharted waters. In the risky decision to not stick with the heir to the Alabama signal caller throne, Blake Barnett, Saban and Lane Kiffin are looking like geniuses.

From the fumble on his first snap under center, true freshman Jalen Hurts has come a long way. It’s impressive that Saban let him back on the field after a mishap like that.

Hurts has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes (third in the SEC) for 1,242 yards, nine touchdowns and only two interceptions (tied for lowest among SEC starting quarterbacks). Not only has he been efficient in the passing game, but he’s been lethal on the ground as well, adding a new dimension to Alabama’s offense. Hurts has rushed for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns (tied with Dobbs for second in the SEC).

Hurts is having an incredible freshman year for the Crimson Tide, leading them to an undefeated record and on track to compete for yet another national title.

Honorable mention: Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M RB 

The freshman running back is leading the SEC in rushing at the halfway point of the season. Kevin Sumlin’s Aggies are undefeated when rushing for at least 200 yards as a team. Last week against Tennessee, Williams led all players with 217 yards rushing on 28 carries. He’s been dynamic and will continue to play a major role in Texas A&M’s pursuit of the SEC West crown.

Coach of the year: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

In what many speculated as a season on the hot seat for Texas A&M’s fifth-year coach has turned to be the program’s best in decades. With the win over Tennessee, the Aggies are 6-0 for the first time since 1994.

For the first time since Sumlin’s arrival in 2012, Texas A&M an abundance of veteran leadership and a strong rushing attack. But maybe the most impressive part of Sumlin’s 2016 campaign?

Bringing Trevor Knight to College Station.

The Aggies have had elite talent at the receiver position for most of Sumlin’s time, but the last couple of years were plagued with inconsistency at the quarterback position. The quarterback situation turned so poorly that all three of their starters over the past two years — Kenny Hill, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray — transferred. This season would’ve had a lot of question marks, but with the addition of Knight, the Aggies were suddenly poised to be on top of the SEC.

With an elite defensive line and and improved secondary (Aggies have only allowed 19 points a game, 21st in the SEC), a powerful rushing game (Williams is SEC’s leading rusher) and Knight under center, Texas A&M might be the best team in the SEC.

After surviving a rocky game with Tennessee, the Aggies have the weekend off before their date in Tuscaloosa with the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Honorable mention: Butch Jones, Tennessee 

The Vols have never quit on Jones and are sitting at the top of the SEC East (5-1, 2-1 SEC). If Tennessee can go on to win the SEC, Jones is a solid candidate to overtake Sumlin for the SEC’s coach of the year.

Surprise of the year: LSU

It could be the Vols’ comeback wins, or Texas A&M’s dominant run through the SEC thus far, but the LSU Tigers have been the biggest surprise so far.

And not in a good way.

Starting the season at No. 5 with running back Leonard Fournette in likely his last season in college football, the Tigers were looking to make a run at not only the SEC, but the College Football Playoff. They lost to unranked Wisconsin to start the season, and it’s been a quick, hard fall from there.

After barely surviving against Mississippi State, one of the bottom teams in the West, and losing to Auburn in heartbreaking fashion, LSU fired Les Miles.

After a decade with the Tigers, Miles is out, interim Ed Oregeron is in. Fournette is hurt. Brandon Harris continued to struggle, so they have a backup leading the way for now. This is not how a potential playoff team’s season is supposed to pan out.

The offense was struggling immensely, leading to the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. LSU is currently 98th in the nation in scoring (25.2 PPG).

But in Oregeron’s first game at the helm against Missouri, the Tigers flipped a switch. The offense had its best game of the season, dominating Mizzou 42-7. Even without Fournette, LSU had two 100-yard rushers with three touchdowns apiece.

If the Tigers can run the ball at that rate and the defense can remain stout, Oregeron and the rest of the team might be able to right the ship. It won’t be easy with games against Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M looming on their schedule. But in some odd turn of events, the Tigers could be a cinderella team of sorts if they can find success.

We might still be talking about the LSU as the SEC’s surprise team at the end of the year.

And maybe in a good way.

Edited by David Bradford 

Featured image by Alison P. McNabb, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

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