SEC Preview: Five Best Players

Not fair! When guys who are Phil Steele preseason 4th Team All SEC enter serious consideration for "Best Player" in the SEC, its obvious picking just five "best "players is done at the expense of several dozen other worthies.

Oh well, welcome to SEC football. I think you know the guy below.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

Tim Tebow's still but a true junior yet he's already reached a hype saturation point similar to what met Matt Leinart to start the 2004 season. Needless to say, people are starting to get sick of this guy and the fluffy nice guy stories and the photos with buxom women and the circumcisions and the ... well anyway.

Say what you want about Tebow, but he was the main engine for one of the best offenses in SEC history, personally accounting for over 50 touchdowns. I can overcome my cynicism to say "that's awesome!". You should, too.

Florida is threatening to protect Tebow and dial down all the rush attempts, but we're calling that an idle threat until Florida decides its found a feature back or two and can field a defense that won't hemorrhage half the time in league play. Expect a senior return to the top of this list next year since its unlikely the regimented, cookie-cutter NFL can change its game in enough time to be more inviting to the Tim Tebow and Vince Young's of the world.

2. Percy Harvin, WR/TB/KR, Florida

If Tim Tebow is the Gators' Batman, Harvin is their offensive Robin. When healthy, he's on a level not far from what Reggie Bush was doing a few years back. So yeah, about that health part.

Look, I don't think Harvin will ever be fully healthy, he seems to be one of those guys always dealing with nagging issues. It's relatively easy to pass over him on lists like this, but he is so fascinatingly good enough of the time to make it impossible to discount and ignore him.

Expect further details from the infirmary about tennis elbow, gout, salmonella and other complications. That's just how his life is nowadays, but he'll still be out there a good chunk of the time whizzing past future NFL linebackers and defensive backs. That counts for a lot in a league like this.

3. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama

This may be a sentimental nod to Alabama's deep tradition. And maybe it's a nod to the suddenly tackle-mad NFL draft. And maybe it's also a nod to Smith's ridiculous talent as an elite offensive tackle. How many offensive tackles do you know with receiving touchdowns on their resume? Exactly.

Whatever the reason, Smith is a tackle with quick feet that seem to dance in the trenches, and they come with long arms and a big body. But not too big of a body, as he's more Jake Long than Orlando Pace.

There's never much to say about lineman other than to watch one to appreciate what he is as a player. Here's Alabama's schedule, have at it.

4. Knowshon Moreno, TB, Georgia

No pressure or anything, but Moreno's a huge part of the reason why Georgia sits atop many preseason rankings this year. Sure, quarterback Matt Stafford's got NFL written all over him, but Georgia wins by running the football.

The Dawgs' turnaround last year was synce'd to Moreno's emergence as he provided swagger, energy and identity to a solid but unspectacular offense. Moreno will actually have some competition this year from redshirt freshman Caleb King, who is more athletic but probably not as savvy between the tackles.

At worst, Moreno is a more productive Musa Smith, who was a huge part of Georgia's BCS run in 2002. Expectations only grow for his sophomore season, but it's clear he's got a tremendous knack for making plays in a straightforward rush attack.

5. Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina

The wild card here. When healthy (and he rarely has been), Brinkley is perhaps the SEC's best defensive player. Big enough to play defensive end or even tackle but athletic enough to man the middle linebacker position, Brinkley is simply a beast.

Before injuries took him out early last year he was completely dominant individually in a way I've rarely seen from a player. Things get better as he's now healthy and as a senior simply bigger and older than most of the competition out there.

South Carolina's struggling to find a way to reach the upper echelon of SEC play, but if it does it will be because Brinkley is helping the defense play well above itself.