Georgia Bulldogs: Denzel Nkemdiche
Predicting in the preseason which newcomers are going to have the biggest impact is always a crapshoot.
Case in point: How many of you out there had Johnny Manziel on your Heisman Trophy lists back in August?
We didn’t even include him among the five choices in a SportsNation poll, which asked you to pick the SEC Newcomer of the Year. The winner, by the way, was Missouri freshman receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
It’s a little easier now that the regular season is behind us, so we’ve ranked the top 10 newcomers in the SEC this season. True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and any transfers playing their first season in the SEC were eligible.
Here goes:
1. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: An easy call for the top spot. Manziel, a redshirt freshman, is the front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy. He’s accounted for 43 touchdowns and broke Cam Newton’s SEC record for total offense in a season with 4,600 yards. “Johnny Football” carved apart SEC defenses this season, and that’s not supposed to happen.
2. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia: One half of Georgia’s famed “Gurshall” duo, Gurley showcased the kind of size, speed and power rarely seen from a true freshman in this league. He’s rushed for 1,138 yards to lead all SEC running backs and has scored 15 touchdowns, which includes a 100-yard kickoff return. He’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
3. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR, Tennessee: Transferring in from junior college, Patterson is still raw and not the most polished route runner, but he emerged as one of the most electrifying players in the SEC. He leads the league in all-purpose yardage (154.8 yards per game) and scored touchdowns four different ways -- rushing, receiving, kickoff return and punt return.
4. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama: One of those guys who can do a little bit of everything, Yeldon has 847 rushing yards and has scored 11 touchdowns. He’s already surpassed the freshman rushing totals of both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson and still has two games to play.
5. Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: While most eyes have been on Manziel in Aggieland, Evans has also had a monster freshman season. The 6-foot-5, 218-pound redshirt freshman is fourth in the SEC with 75 catches and one of four players in the league to surpass 1,000 receiving yards (1,022).
6. Denzel Nkemdiche, LB, Ole Miss: The older Nkemdiche can play a little football, too. His younger brother, Robert Nkemdiche, is the No. 1 high school prospect in the country. But all Denzel Nkemdiche did this season was lead all SEC freshmen with 78 total tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. A redshirt freshman, Nkemdiche also has four forced fumbles and three interceptions.
7. Evan Boehm, OG, Missouri: He came to Missouri as one of the most coveted guard prospects in the country and didn’t disappoint. Boehm became the first-ever true freshman to start under Gary Pinkel on the offensive line and was the only player on the Tigers’ injury-ravaged line to start every game at the same position this season, left guard.
8. Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia: The other half of “Gurshall” was plenty explosive in his own right. Marshall, also a true freshman, has 720 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He has four touchdown runs of 52 yards or longer.
9. Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU: The Tigers waited until later in the season to unleash the powerful true freshman, and he enters the bowl game with a team-leading 631 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s only started in four games, but had a pair of long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to help salt away wins over South Carolina and Texas A&M.
10. Bo Wallace, QB, Ole Miss: Even though he turned the ball over too much in his first season after transferring in from junior college, Wallace made a ton of plays to help steer the Rebels to a bowl game. He’s fourth in the SEC in total offense with 3,206 yards and has accounted for 28 touchdowns.
A few newcomers that just missed the cut were Florida defensive end Dante Fowler (true freshman), Alabama receiver Amari Cooper (true freshman), Tennessee noseguard Daniel McCullers (junior college transfer), Mississippi State middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney (redshirt freshman), Mississippi State defensive end Denico Autry (junior college transfer) and LSU cornerback Jalen Mills (true freshman).
Case in point: How many of you out there had Johnny Manziel on your Heisman Trophy lists back in August?
We didn’t even include him among the five choices in a SportsNation poll, which asked you to pick the SEC Newcomer of the Year. The winner, by the way, was Missouri freshman receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
It’s a little easier now that the regular season is behind us, so we’ve ranked the top 10 newcomers in the SEC this season. True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and any transfers playing their first season in the SEC were eligible.
Here goes:
1. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: An easy call for the top spot. Manziel, a redshirt freshman, is the front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy. He’s accounted for 43 touchdowns and broke Cam Newton’s SEC record for total offense in a season with 4,600 yards. “Johnny Football” carved apart SEC defenses this season, and that’s not supposed to happen.
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Daniel Shirey/US PresswireFreshman Todd Gurley led all running backs in the SEC with 1,138 yards.
3. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR, Tennessee: Transferring in from junior college, Patterson is still raw and not the most polished route runner, but he emerged as one of the most electrifying players in the SEC. He leads the league in all-purpose yardage (154.8 yards per game) and scored touchdowns four different ways -- rushing, receiving, kickoff return and punt return.
4. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama: One of those guys who can do a little bit of everything, Yeldon has 847 rushing yards and has scored 11 touchdowns. He’s already surpassed the freshman rushing totals of both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson and still has two games to play.
5. Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: While most eyes have been on Manziel in Aggieland, Evans has also had a monster freshman season. The 6-foot-5, 218-pound redshirt freshman is fourth in the SEC with 75 catches and one of four players in the league to surpass 1,000 receiving yards (1,022).
6. Denzel Nkemdiche, LB, Ole Miss: The older Nkemdiche can play a little football, too. His younger brother, Robert Nkemdiche, is the No. 1 high school prospect in the country. But all Denzel Nkemdiche did this season was lead all SEC freshmen with 78 total tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. A redshirt freshman, Nkemdiche also has four forced fumbles and three interceptions.
7. Evan Boehm, OG, Missouri: He came to Missouri as one of the most coveted guard prospects in the country and didn’t disappoint. Boehm became the first-ever true freshman to start under Gary Pinkel on the offensive line and was the only player on the Tigers’ injury-ravaged line to start every game at the same position this season, left guard.
8. Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia: The other half of “Gurshall” was plenty explosive in his own right. Marshall, also a true freshman, has 720 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He has four touchdown runs of 52 yards or longer.
9. Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU: The Tigers waited until later in the season to unleash the powerful true freshman, and he enters the bowl game with a team-leading 631 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s only started in four games, but had a pair of long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to help salt away wins over South Carolina and Texas A&M.
10. Bo Wallace, QB, Ole Miss: Even though he turned the ball over too much in his first season after transferring in from junior college, Wallace made a ton of plays to help steer the Rebels to a bowl game. He’s fourth in the SEC in total offense with 3,206 yards and has accounted for 28 touchdowns.
A few newcomers that just missed the cut were Florida defensive end Dante Fowler (true freshman), Alabama receiver Amari Cooper (true freshman), Tennessee noseguard Daniel McCullers (junior college transfer), Mississippi State middle linebacker Benardrick McKinney (redshirt freshman), Mississippi State defensive end Denico Autry (junior college transfer) and LSU cornerback Jalen Mills (true freshman).
Game breakdown: Georgia vs. Ole Miss 
November, 2, 2012
11/02/12
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
NO. 6 GEORGIA VS. OLE MISS
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.
CBS
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.
CBS
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia needs wins in its last two games in order to defend its SEC East championship. First up on the list is Ole Miss, which visits Athens on Saturday.
Record: 5-3 (2-2 SEC)
Coach: Hugh Freeze, first season (5-3)
Series record: Georgia leads 31-12-1
Top players: QB Bo Wallace (136-205, 1,649 yards, 10 TDs, 9 INTs), TB Jeff Scott (113-612, 5.4 YPC, 6 TDs, WR Donte Moncrief (39-540, 13.8 YPC, 5 TDs), LB Denzel Nkemdiche (52 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 INTs) Scouting the offense: Although Ole Miss’ roster numbers keep them from playing at the high tempo Freeze would like, they have picked up his fast-paced offense well enough to become a dangerously balanced offense. With dual-threat quarterback Wallace at the controls, the Rebels average 235.6 yards per game passing and 194.4 rushing. The Rebels had major problems at quarterback last season, but Wallace’s emergence -- he was 29-for-37 for 278 yards, one touchdown and one interception in last Saturday’s 30-27 win at Arkansas -- has paid big dividends for Ole Miss.
Scouting the defense: The Rebels have surrendered at least 20 points in every SEC game and gave up 66 to Texas in a mid-September loss. They have also been an opportunistic bunch, using a couple of Auburn turnovers to score key touchdowns that helped them break a 16-game SEC losing streak. However, they have not been particularly effective at defending the run (they rank ninth in the SEC, allowing 148 yards per game) or the pass (ninth, 221.5).
Three keys to victory
Record: 5-3 (2-2 SEC)
Coach: Hugh Freeze, first season (5-3)
Series record: Georgia leads 31-12-1
Top players: QB Bo Wallace (136-205, 1,649 yards, 10 TDs, 9 INTs), TB Jeff Scott (113-612, 5.4 YPC, 6 TDs, WR Donte Moncrief (39-540, 13.8 YPC, 5 TDs), LB Denzel Nkemdiche (52 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 INTs) Scouting the offense: Although Ole Miss’ roster numbers keep them from playing at the high tempo Freeze would like, they have picked up his fast-paced offense well enough to become a dangerously balanced offense. With dual-threat quarterback Wallace at the controls, the Rebels average 235.6 yards per game passing and 194.4 rushing. The Rebels had major problems at quarterback last season, but Wallace’s emergence -- he was 29-for-37 for 278 yards, one touchdown and one interception in last Saturday’s 30-27 win at Arkansas -- has paid big dividends for Ole Miss.
Scouting the defense: The Rebels have surrendered at least 20 points in every SEC game and gave up 66 to Texas in a mid-September loss. They have also been an opportunistic bunch, using a couple of Auburn turnovers to score key touchdowns that helped them break a 16-game SEC losing streak. However, they have not been particularly effective at defending the run (they rank ninth in the SEC, allowing 148 yards per game) or the pass (ninth, 221.5).
Three keys to victory
- Continue high-energy play from Florida game: There aren’t many teams in the country that can hang with Georgia if it plays with the intensity that it carried into last weekend’s 17-9 upset of then-No. 2 Florida. But maintaining that edge on a week-to-week basis will be difficult. Georgia doesn’t have to duplicate that effort, but a comparable level of aggression against Ole Miss would probably be enough to win.
- Get in Wallace’s face: Wallace is fifth in the SEC in total offense at 239 yards per game, but he has also made his share of mistakes in his first season as the Rebels’ starting quarterback -- as evidenced by his 10-9 touchdown-interception ratio. The Bulldogs need to rein him in as a runner like they did against Florida’s Jeff Driskel and pressure him into errors that will make a victory easier to achieve.
- Start fast: Ole Miss is a program that is only learning how to win under a new coaching staff. The Bulldogs need to break their will early in this game. Alabama jumped out to a 27-6 halftime lead and was able to cruise to a win, but Texas A&M fell behind in Oxford and had to battle back in the fourth quarter to win. The Rebels are capable of winning this game if Georgia doesn’t come to play.
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Robert Nkemdiche torn between families
October, 10, 2012
10/10/12
2:58
PM ET
By
Kipp Adams | ESPN.com
No. 1 prospect Robert Nkemdiche surprised many by making his commitment to Clemson in June. On Wednesday, Nkemdiche acknowledged the family is split over his nonbinding verbal commitment and admitted it has not made his decision any easier.
“My recruitment is crazy still, and Ole Miss is making a push for me,” Nkemdiche said. “It does not matter to my dad, but my mom wants me to go to Ole Miss and we are still talking about it, so we have not come to an agreement on it yet. It is tugging my heart in two different directions.”
When Nkemdiche committed to the Tigers, he mentioned it being like a family at Clemson. He has former teammates at Clemson and current teammates committed there, but it appears that connection will now be tested by his own family ties. Last month, Robert’s father said he was indifferent to where his son signs. But his mother, Beverly, told ESPN the Magazine’s Zach Schonbrun that she was not happy to learn of her son’s commitment while returning to Georgia over the summer from Nigeria, where she is a state legislator.
“My recruitment is crazy still, and Ole Miss is making a push for me,” Nkemdiche said. “It does not matter to my dad, but my mom wants me to go to Ole Miss and we are still talking about it, so we have not come to an agreement on it yet. It is tugging my heart in two different directions.”
When Nkemdiche committed to the Tigers, he mentioned it being like a family at Clemson. He has former teammates at Clemson and current teammates committed there, but it appears that connection will now be tested by his own family ties. Last month, Robert’s father said he was indifferent to where his son signs. But his mother, Beverly, told ESPN the Magazine’s Zach Schonbrun that she was not happy to learn of her son’s commitment while returning to Georgia over the summer from Nigeria, where she is a state legislator.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.