Check where Alabama football and other SEC players were rated in the SI Top 100 for 2018. Plus, a Tide true freshman is highlighted.
For the third season in a row, SI.com selected the Top 100 players for 2018. The list only includes returning players so there are no Alabama football true freshmen on the list.
Ten of the SEC’s 14 schools had players chosen in the Top 100. The four without a single player are Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida and Texas A&M. Alabama football has the most players with seven. Georgia has five players selected and Ole Miss has four. Mississippi State, Missouri, LSU and Auburn each have two players on the Top 100 list. South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee have only one player each on the list.
SI explained the evaluation process with this statement,
"In constructing our rankings, the most important factor we assess is how significantly each player’s production will impact his team’s success this season—not how good he was last year, where he sat on 2017 statistical leaderboards or what type of NFL draft prospect he is"
The list is a credible effort, particularly so when considering the task, as SI labels it, is impossible. There is no doubt the list is worthy of attention. More broadly, we wonder if it is a good indicator of overall team strengths and winning records. For example, does Texas A&M with no Top 100 players have little to no chance against Alabama football with seven Top 100 players? Early odds have the Crimson Tide favored by as much as three touchdowns.
SEC players in the Top 100
Alabama
- Jonah Williams – No. 12
- Mack Wilson – No. 19
- Raekwon Davis – No. 28
- Dylan Moses – No. 51
- Damien Harris – No. 70
- Tua Tagovailoa – No. 84
- Isaiah Buggs – No. 91
Georgia
- Deandre Baker – No. 46
- Jake Fromm – No. 65
- Andrew Thomas – No. 68
- Jonathan Ledbetter – No. 73
- Rodrigo Blankenship – No. 100
Ole Miss
- A.J. Brown – No. 21
- Greg Little – No. 45
- D.K. Metcalf – No. 47
- Jordan Ta’amu – No. 76
Auburn
- Jarrett Stidham – No. 83
- Derrick Brown – No. 86
LSU
- Greedy Williams – No. 11
- Devin White – No. 75
Missouri
- Drew Lock – No. 33
- Albert Okwuegbunam – No. 85
Mississippi State
- Nick Fitzgerald – No. 41
- Jeffery Simmons – No. 77
South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee
- Deebo Samuel (S. Car.) – No. 18
- Trey Smith (UT) – No. 59
- Benny Snell (UK) – No. 66
Should Alabama football fans challenge the list?
Five SEC quarterbacks were ranked higher than Tua. The others all have more playing experience. Four of the other five have more impressive stats. Tua is the only one to have won a national championship.
A follow-up list by SI will reassure Alabama football fans about a key Crimson Tide position. SI added five true freshmen expected to make the biggest impact in 2018. Patrick Surtain Jr. made the group of five. Georgia’s James Cook also made the true freshmen list.
Next: The 5 Top QBs to face the Tide in '18
In case anyone wonders if a school outside the SEC has more than seven players on the Top 100 list, look no further than Clemson. The Tigers have nine players on the list and three of them are in the top 10.