Yesterday we kicked off our SEC football Q & A sessions by talking about the teams that could contend for the SEC Division & Conference Championship. Today we will take a look at some of the unknown players in the conference who could become stars this season.

Joining us once again is John Pennington, the founder of MrSEC, Lisa Cornwell of SECPRESSPASS, Christian D’Andrea of the Vanderbilt blog Anchor of Gold and The Saturday Edge’s own Alabama expert Chris Richmond.

[box] Question # 2: Name me a few unknown players that could become stars this season[/box]

John Pennington – MrSEC: Bama safety Ha Ha Clinton Dix and linebacker Adrian Hubbard could become the latest household names from Nick Saban’s defense.  Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans could be Johnny Manziel’s go-to receiver in College Station.  And South Carolina defensive end Chaz Sutton could benefit from all the attention offensive linemen will give to his teammate, Jadeveon Clowney.

Lisa – SEC Press Pass: I still think Donte Moncrief is the most underrated player in the conference. And in Hugh Freeze’s offense, the sky is the limit for this young man. Last season as a sophomore, Moncrief finished sixth in the conference in receptions (66) and 5th in receiving yards (75.3 per game).

On the other side of the football, Arkansas defensive end Chris Smith may end up being one of the SEC’s top picks in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Christian D’Andrea – Anchor of Gold: Vanderbilt answer: Brian Kimbrow (RB) and Caleb Azubike (DE). Both players showed flashes of greatness as true freshmen last year, and they’ll have the chance to shine with extended playing time in 2013. Azubike has a rare blend of speed and strength at the edge, and he’s been solid on the inside and out this summer. Kimbrow, who may be the SEC’s fastest player, put on some more bulk and will have the chance to fill Zac Stacy’s shoes in Nashville this fall.

SEC answer: Kentucky tailback Raymond Sanders had a strong 2012 season despite the Wildcats’ complete lack of success in the passing game. If Mark Stoops can get the ‘Cats aerial attack up to speed, it could result in a breakout year for the underrated senior. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace was very solid last year, and a big season with the Rebels could vault him into the SEC’s top tier of signal callers.

Chris Richmond – The Saturday Edge: As far as Alabama goes, watch out for Adrian Hubbard and Denzel Devall. Hubbard showed flashes last year, leading the team in sacks, but he might be ready to take the next step and have a Courtney Upshaw-type presence at the Jack position. Deion Belue could also be all-conference after an up and down 2012. Corners under Saban tend to improve dramatically after their first year starting.

From other squads, I see LSU’s Anthony “Freak” Johnson stepping up in a big way. There’s a couple other guys on LSU’s offensive line (Vadal Alexander and La’el Collins) who I think will be excellent. I also think Dorial Green-Beckham will have a great sophomore year after disappointing in his freshman campaign. One more guy that has really already been a great player but doesn’t seem to get enough recognition is Texas A&M’s Deshazor Everett, who had the game-sealing interception against Alabama next year. Dude is big time.

Please let us know who you think will be some of the breakout players in the SEC this year by leaving a comment below.  

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