#MeansMoreMailbag: Best teams for future SEC realignment, Top pass rusher after Will Anderson

The dust still hasn’t settled on the transformative move that shocked the college football world, so let’s keep the discussion going from an SEC perspective. 

Who should the conference look to add for future SEC realignment? That plus Florida versus Auburn recruiting takes, the SEC’s second-best pass rusher after Will Anderson and more in this week’s #MeansMoreMailbag.

As a reminder, each week I’ll answer your SEC questions. Be sure to fill up the mailbox via a DM or comment on Twitter @JesseReSimonton, email [email protected] or the @On3 Instagram account. 

On to the questions…

Which teams should (Greg) Sankey look to add now that USC (and UCLA) has joined the Big Ten? — Luke

I posted a similar inquiry on Twitter on Thursday, so here’s my four-team preference for the SEC:

Clemson

North Carolina 

Florida State 

Virginia Tech. 

Notre Dame would be a home run addition but it’s hard to see the Irish seriously considering joining the SEC. So with ND out, the above four would be my preference if I were commish Greg Sankey. 

It maintains the league’s standing footprint (where every program in a state touches another program), and gives the conference another big-timer (Clemson), an academic-athletic power (North Carolina), a historical blue-blood with tons of upside (FSU) and further access to another recruiting rich state and passionate fan base (Va. Tech). 

You can make the case for Miami (although I think UF might balk at three SEC teams within the state), NC State and others but the aforementioned quartet would be my preferred choice after taking a swing at Notre Dame. 

Which fan base will be most satisfied about their 2023 recruiting class once the season ends: Auburn or Florida? — Robert

This isn’t even a debate. While the Gators had a tough two weeks on the recruiting trail after missing out on 4-star quarterback Jaden Rashada and several other priority blue-chip targets, they still have a Top 5 class in the SEC (19th nationally) and did land a trio of 4-star commits last week. Billy Napier will ultimately be judged by how he closes his first full-recruiting cycle — and after landing Kamari Wilson and Shemar Turner at the 11th hour in Year 0 — he’s teased the capability of avoiding any Dan Mullen-comps.

Meanwhile, Bryan Harsin has done little to quell concerns about his ability to recruit in the SEC. For a coach who really could’ve used a strong summer on the trail to engender any drop of optimism from Tigers faithful entered the July dead period with a total of two commits — none ranked higher than a 3-star prospect. Auburn did receive some good news Friday afternoon from 4-star in-state tailback Jeremiah Cobb announced his verbal pledge but 

In perhaps the best year of prospects ever produced in the Yellowhammer State (19 recruits are ranked at least 4-stars), Auburn has just two commits from Alabama. The Tigers currently have the No. 14 — as in last — class in the SEC. 

Meanwhile, AU’s two biggest rivals — Alabama and Georgia — rank 1-2 in On3’s team recruiting rankings in the SEC. 

The Tigers won’t finish with the worst class in the league, but their current recruiting struggles look to be another data point that suggests Harsin isn’t long for The Plains. 

After Alabama’s Will Anderson, who is the best pass rusher in the SEC? — Michael 

A couple candidates for the 2022 season: 

Derick Hall of Auburn, who returns as the league’s second-leading sack artist (9.0 last season) behind Anderson. 

Florida’s Brenton Cox Jr., who was plagued by a lack of effort at times in 2021 but still managed 8.5 sacks. 

Then there’s a pair of Peach State products in Nolan Smith at Georgia and B.J. Ojulari at LSU, both of whom are great (but very different) edge players. A sleeper candidate might be Georgia’s super-senior Robert Beal, who had 6.5 snaps as a backup for the Bulldogs a year ago. 

But my pick? Anderson’s teammate — Dallas Turner. The sophomore hardly saw the field in Alabama’s first eight games (three total tackles), then he was inserted into the rotation and not only flashed his 5-star upside but became a legitimate terror off the edge opposite Anderson. En route to a Freshman All-American season, Turner finished the year with 8.5 sacks — with 5.5 coming in the final four weeks of the year against Auburn, Georgia twice and Cincinnati. I see Turner recording north of 10 sacks easily in 2022. 

Georgia (not Kentucky) is definitely Florida’s most important game in 2022. Tell me why I’m wrong? — Spencer

This isn’t a question of biggest rivalries or marquee matchups. Obviously, the Cocktail Party has a legacy and carries weight, regardless of the year or measure of the two schools, but in 2022, Florida’s game against Kentucky stands out due to its place on the schedule and the expectations surrounding the Gators this fall. 

Billy Napier won’t be picked to beat Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs in Year 1. Conversely, Florida does not want to cede further ground to a Kentucky program it dominated for decades before the Dan Mullen regime. A win in Week 2 would be a nice momentum boost early in the season for Napier and the Gators. A loss at home could lead to a season-long swoon with a schedule that includes UGA, Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee, among others.