#MeansMoreMailbag: The significance of WR injuries at Alabama and Florida, plus Top 5 SEC players not named Will Anderson or Bryce Young

Fresh off vacation and slew of 2022 SEC Unit Rankings, it’s way past time for a fresh #MeansMoreMailbag. 

In today’s edition, I look at some notable wideout injuries in the SEC, the Top 5 players in the conference no-named Will Anderson or Bryce Young and more. 

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…

Injuries happen this time of year during training camp, so how big are the wide receiver losses at Alabama and Florida? — Jake

They’re not nothing, Jake. 

For those who missed the latest news, Crimson Tide sophomore JoJo Earle will be sidelined for roughly two months after suffering a Jones fracture in his foot last week. Earle, who was a Freshman All-SEC return specialist, was being talked about as breakout star early in Alabama’s camp and was projected to start at slot and punt returner. 

Nick Saban even said that Earle “was having a really, really good camp,” and that the wideout “will be missed.”

The Tide have plenty of blue-chip options to replace Earle for the first six weeks of the season (candidates include redshirt freshman Christian Leary and Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell), but their 2022 wide receiver room was already lacking known quantities and now Earle’s injury only further exacerbates that issue. Toss in the preseason knee injury to starting tight end Cameron Latu, who hasn’t practiced yet in fall camp, and quarterback Bryce Young could start the season without seven of his top eight targets from his Heisman Trophy season. 

As for the Gators, the potential loss of Ricky Pearsall stands to be even more significant if the Arizona State transfer misses any time to start the season. After just a week of camp, Pearsall was being talked about as Florida’s best playmaker in a new-look offense. The shifty slot receiver was drawing rave reviews from teammates and local beat writhers alike. Pearsall injured his foot Tuesday and the severity remains a bit cloudy. Gators Online reported that X-rays were negative, which would be very good news for Billy Napier, Anthony Richardson & Co. The Gators receiver room was already a question mark entering 2022, so they really need Pearsall, who led ASU with 48 catches, 580 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2021, to be healthy and available when the season starts against Utah in three weeks.

Thoughts on Missouri naming Brady Cook its starting quarterback so soon? – Ben

I was a bit surprised that the Tigers tabbed Cook so early in fall camp, especially after head coach Eli Drinkwitz aggressively tried to add JT Daniels, Jayden Daniels and others from the transfer portal this offseason. Missouri did bring in the well-travelled Jack Abraham to compete for the starting job, but evidently, Drinkwitz had seen enough after just a few practices — leading me to believe it wasn’t much of a competition at all. 

Cook was decent in his lone start in the Armed Forces Bowl loss to Army last season (27 of 34 for 238 yards and two total touchdowns), and he clearly entered fall camp with a leg-up over Abraham, Tyler Macon and 4-star freshman Sam Horn. He will now be Mizzou’s fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in the last five years, but let’s see if he can hang-on to the job or if he’s merely keeping the seat warm for Horn, who has impressed early during his time in Columbia.

While do-everything tailback Tyler Badie is gone, Missouri doesn’t lack weapons on the perimeter. With Cook now the cemented starter, he’ll have three weeks to establish real chemistry with 5-star fewrshman Luther Burden, Tauskie Dove (the Tigers’ leading receiver with 576 yards in 2021), Dominic Lovett, Mookie Cooper and Barrett Banister, among others.

Will Anderson and Bryce Young are the best players in the SEC, so what does the rest of your Top 5 in 2022 look like? – Cameron

Anderson and Young aren’t just 1-2 in the SEC, but America. CJ Shroud and Caleb Williams have higher NFL upside, but I’m taking Young as my QB1 in college.

In terms of the Top 5 players in the SEC after Alabama’s star-studded duo though?

I’d go with a pair of Georgia standouts — defensive tackle Jalen Carter and tight end Brock Bowers — to start the list, followed by LSU wideout Kayshaun Boutte, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and Alabama safety Jordan Battle. 

Carter is a monster, while Bowers and Boutte (when healthy) were uncoverable (I just made up a word) in 2021. Hooker is coming off a ridiculously efficient season (31 touchdowns to three interceptions), while Battle is among the more underrated players in the entire country. 

1. Carter
2. Bowers
3. Boutte
4. Hooker
5. Battle

Which game do the Vols win this year: Georgia or Alabama? – Andrew 

Tennessee hasn’t lacked offseason hype, with many, like Andrew, predicting that the Vols pull-off a major upset over either the Bulldogs or the Crimson Tide. 

SEC Network analyst Roman Harper went on TV this week and said the Vols will go 10-2 with a win over UGA.

The moment Tennessee's offseason hype train hit DEFCON 1. https://t.co/D9UaW87CFb

— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) August 11, 2022

While I’ve pegged Tennessee to finish No. 2 in the SEC East, I don’t foresee them beating either UGA or Alabama in 2022. Worry about beating Pitt and Florida first. The Vols haven’t beaten a Top 5 team in close to 20 years.

But in the spirit of the question: I’ll say the Vols stand a better chance at securing a signature win on the Third Saturday of October for the first time since 2006.

ESPN’s FPI agrees, too, giving UT a 11.9% chance of upsetting the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide versus just a 7.4% chance of winning in Athens on Nov. 5. 

Why?

The Alabama game is in Neyland Stadium, and perhaps more importantly, it comes at a very interesting spot on the schedule for the Tide: The week prior to traveling to Knoxville, Alabama will play the GAME OF THE SEASON (or at least that’s what many have billed its showdown with Texas A&M). Could the Tide be ripe for post-Aggies beatdown hangover? Perhaps. 

The Vols were frisky for a few quarters against the Tide in 2021, so an upset can’t be ruled out. As it stands, their defense will need to show dramatic improvement on third down and against the pass if they have any hopes of beating either UGA or Alabama this fall.