Time to take a look at the DT's, and it's really quite simple.
Both starters return from last year and should be considered for all-SEC honors.
Jeff Owens....could move into the 1st round with a solid senior season
Jeff Owens (Sr) got all of last year's pre-season hype from this group, and had a pretty good season to back it up. Ya gotta love his high motor and the way that he plays "through the whistle". Owens started all 13 games, picking up 27 tackles, 4 tfl, and 22 qb pressures.
Kryptonite
Geno Atkins (Jr) grabbed the other starting spot midway thru '07. The coaching staff had no other choice. Atkins finished with 7 starts, picking up 41 tackles, 14.5 tfl, 7.5 sacks, 37 qb pressures, and probably saved kittens from a burning building along the way. If Atkins can put up the same kind of numbers while starting the entire season, All-American isn't a stretch.
Brandon Wood and Ricardo Crawford, both redshirt sophomores are talented and each had their SEC initiation last year. Wood saw duty in 6 games, while Crawford saw snaps in 5.
Our coaching staff loves to keep fresh players in the game, so look for all 6 of these guys to play in every game.
We have a couple of very highly regarded recruits coming to campus this year at this position.
Deangelo Tyson ranks in the top 5 DT's in every recruiting service. A very humble kid that grew up in a foster home, cranks it up at gametime. I didn't have a chance to see him in person this year, but the experts rave about his athleticism. Tyson stated in an interview that with the status of our depth chart, he fully expects to redshirt this season.
A.J. Harmon comes in after being highly rated as an OT, OG, and DT. Harmon's preference is to play DT and Coach Garner has made a deal with him...."I told A.J. that if he can report to camp at below 300 pounds, that he will work with the defensive line. Over 300 pounds, he's going to the OL."
We'll see if Harmon has more love for the defensive line or the buffet line. Either way, he'll redshirt.
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