Texas A&M Aggies

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is rolling out his early top five rankings at each position this week.

Here's what he's looked at so far:

• Wide receivers and defensive ends
• Running backs and safeties

Now, we're taking a look at Kiper's top quarterback and cornerback draft prospects. We'll start with the quarterbacks and look at the corners later today.

Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel ranks third on Kiper's list, while Alabama's AJ McCarron comes in at No. 5. Ole Miss' Bo Wallace made Kiper's "Next up" list, while Georgia's Aaron Murray made his "More I like" list.

Manziel is getting all sorts of draft attention after his record-breaking, Heisman-winning season. He's the most talked about quarterback in the country and while he doesn't have an elite arm, he's extremely athletic and slippery. He's looking to develop more into a passer, but his ability to improv will continue to help him when his arm can't.

McCarron is someone who could have left for the NFL this year, but decided to stay in school. He makes great decisions with the ball (he threw 30 touchdowns to three interceptions last season) and certainly knows how to win. He has two national championship rings and is going for his third straight. He hasn't been asked to do a lot at Alabama, but he's put up some pretty good numbers and is easily the most talented quarterback Saban has had at Alabama.

Wallace has a tremendous amount of athleticism, but he had a lot of decision-making issues last year. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, but threw 22 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. Fixing his turnover issue is the biggest thing Wallace has to work on this fall. He has good arm strength and can get out of trouble situations with his feet.

Then you have Murray, who isn't getting a lot of draft love. He flirted with heading to the NFL, but also decided to stay in school. Murray's height (listed at 6-1) has hurt his draft status, but he has a solid arm, moves around well with his feet and has really improved his decision making. He had the stigma of not coming up in big games, but showed improvements in 2012 with his second-half effort in the Dawgs' win against Florida and with the way he played against Alabama in the SEC championship game. He'll probably end the 2013 season with a handful of SEC/Georgia records and should become the first SEC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in four straight seasons.

Other draft-eligible quarterbacks I'm keeping an eye on this fall:

• Jeff Driskel, Florida: He wasn't great last year, but there's no denying Driskel has talent. He's more comfortable with the playbook, and he has a lot more confidence. He must have more command and develop better chemistry with his receivers this fall.
• James Franklin, Missouri: He spent most of last season battling injuries, but finally isn't dealing with excruciating shoulder pain. His confidence was up this spring and that will go a long way this fall.
• Zach Mettenberger, LSU: He really came along in November and has all of his receiving targets back. People at LSU feel like he's much more comfortable with Cam Cameron's guidance.
• Tyler Russell, Mississippi State: He's had an up-and-down career with the Bulldogs, but when he was on last year he was extremely efficient. He lost all of his receivers from last year and can't press like he did late last season.
• Connor Shaw, South Carolina: It's hard to find a tougher quarterback out there. Shaw has dealt with a lot of injuries, but when he's been on the field, he's had a lot of success. Here's a chance for him to really improve his draft stock.

Alabama might have fallen to No. 2 in ESPN colleague Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25, but I'd like to think that most of the college football world still considers the Crimson Tide to be the favorites to win the national championship again.

Alabama lost nine draft picks, including three first-rounders, but Nick Saban has a host of talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the Tide's schedule isn't too daunting after the first two games.

But there are teams that will test the Tide's road to a national championship trifecta in 2013. Colleague Travis Haney picked five teams from around the country that could challenge Alabama's title hopes this fall. Ohio State topped his list, while Texas A&M made it from the SEC.

No surprise there with the Aggies. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel returns with a bundle of riches to accompany him in the Aggies' backfield.

Johnny Football might not have Luke Joeckel protecting him, but Jake Matthews provides quite the safety net with his move to left tackle, and there is still talent and experience up front. Mike Evans leads a young but talented group of pass-catchers.

The defense is a concern, with five members of last season's front seven gone, but the Aggies will still be equipped to win most shootouts.

A&M benefits from getting Alabama at home early in the season, but has to play Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri on the road. Even beating Alabama early doesn't guarantee the Aggies will make it to Atlanta over the Tide.

Here are four other SEC teams that could wreck Alabama's title train this fall:

Florida

The Gators will yet again be elite on defense. First-round draft picks Sharrif Floyd and Matt Elam might be gone, but Dominique Easley moves back to his more natural position at defensive tackle and could one of the best at his position this fall. Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy could be the top cornerback duo in the SEC, while inside linebacker Antonio Morrison has the makings of being a budding star.

The offense is still a concern, especially with the lack of proven receiving talent, but quarterback Jeff Driskel has found a lot more confidence in his second year under offensive coordinator Brent Pease, and he'll have a much tougher offensive line and another loaded backfield to work with.

Georgia

Sure, the defense is younger and less experienced, but people in Athens are excited about the younger guys taking over. They were very receptive to coaching and showed continued improvement this spring. Linebacker Jordan Jenkins has playmaker written all over him, while freshman Tray Matthews could be the next big thing at safety. Having Damian Swann back at cornerback is huge.

Offensively, Georgia will be able to score on just about everyone. Aaron Murray is looking to be the first SEC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in four seasons, and should leave with a handful of SEC/Georgia records. He has five offensive linemen returning, the best one-two running back punch (Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall) and plenty of receivers to throw to, including Malcolm Mitchell, who has moved back to offense full-time.

LSU

Yes, the Tigers lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but Les Miles seemed pretty happy with where his defense was -- especially his defensive line -- at the end of spring. Jermauria Rasco could be a big-time player at defensive end for LSU, while linebacker Lamin Barrow has the talent to be an All-SEC performer. The return of cornerbacks Jalen Collins and Jalen Mills should continue the Tigers' trend of having an elite secondary.

The offense should be better, too. Zach Mettenberger is way more comfortable in the offense and has developed better chemistry with his receiving targets, which all return from last season. He'll have a solid offensive line in front of him and a loaded backfield. Although, it will be important to see what happens to the suspended Jeremy Hill, who could be the Tigers' top offensive weapon.

South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney hasn't left, and the Gamecocks should once again be stacked along their defensive line. South Carolina does have to replace its two-deep at linebacker and has a couple of holes in its secondary, but we all know that a good defensive line can mask weaknesses behind it.

And the offense should be pretty balanced this fall. South Carolina possesses two solid quarterbacks and a talented running back stable led by rising sophomore Mike Davis. Bruce Ellington is back at receiver, and it sounds like the very talented Shaq Roland is finally starting to come around and should be a valuable receiving target this fall. This team has the personnel to make it back to Atlanta.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- While all eyes will be on the two quarterbacks Saturday and how they fare in their first outing as starters, a bigger key will be how well the players around them play.

That was more or less Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin's message to his redshirt freshman, Johnny Manziel, who does have a gunslinger side to him. Hence the nickname Johnny Football.

But what Sumlin wants him to do, especially in this game, is to use the people around him. Get the ball to Ryan Swope. Lean on Christine Michael. Let that veteran offensive line do its job.

It's much the same deal for Florida's Jeff Driskel, who's making his first start as the Gators' quarterback.

For all the talk about what Florida's quarterbacks haven't done the past couple of years, they haven't gotten a lot of help from their receivers, either. They need more plays similar to the one Frankie Hammond turned in last week, where somebody gathers in a short pass and turns it into a 50-yard play.

Where this Florida offense has a chance to be different than last season is at running back. Mike Gillislee appears to be that workhorse that can get it done between the tackles and also break some big plays.

The two quarterbacks will indeed be on center stage Saturday at Kyle Field. But their supporting casts will decide the game.

Tom Rinaldi and Desmond Howard preview Florida at Texas A&M and discuss which quarterback, Jeff Driskel or Johnny Manziel, will have the bigger impact.

When Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin delivered the news to his team that the Aggies’ opener against Louisiana Tech was postponed because of Hurricane Isaac, he could sense how devastated his players were. But imagine how he felt.

Everything is new for the Aggies, but it's also all new for Sumlin, who left Houston to coach the Aggies. Instead of seeing what his team is made of after a long offseason that consisted of installing a new offense and defense, he has to wait ... for A&M's first SEC game.

“There are pluses and minuses to both sides of this equation, it’s just how you handle it with your team,” Sumlin said last week about the postponement. “It all gets down to preparing and getting your guys ready to play on Saturday.”

Instead of having a game under their belts, the Aggies will host No. 24 Florida this Saturday a game behind. Sure, Texas A&M had the benefit of having a couple of more days to prepare for the Gators, but practicing and playing are two different things. Going through the motions against players you’re familiar with just doesn’t match up with playing and seeing someone different.

That’s where Florida has the advantage this weekend. While the Gators’ offense seemed to mirror its struggles from the past two years in its sluggish 27-14 win over Bowling Green, the Gators did have the chance to actually play someone inside of a stadium with fans around them. They were full go, while A&M rested.

"It's an advantage to go in there having played with some new players and a new QB for us, but there will be some new wrinkles in what they do,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said.

“We are at a little bit of a guessing game from the standpoint of them not playing. But that's always with the first game and you go through that as a coach and you go through that going into a bowl game after you've had some time off, we just need to adjust to what we're doing, we need to play fast, we need to have a great tempo because I know they will offensively. We need to get lined up and get our cleats in the dirt and play."

The Gators will be going into the A&M game a little blind, but it’s not like they gave the Aggies a ton of tape to pore over, either. Florida was incredibly vanilla Saturday. You didn’t see much creativity on offense or defense. First-year offensive coordinator Brent Pease barely opened his playbook, especially in the passing game.

Obviously, having two quarterbacks audition for the starting spot contributed to that. But Saturday gave Pease and his quarterback -- Jeff Driskel -- something to build off of. Driskel wasn’t great, but he's the guy now and the offense can officially mold around him. Expect to see Florida’s playbook open up a little bit to play to Driskel’s strengths.

And look for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to bring a little more heat to A&M’s backfield, especially with first-year starting quarterback Johnny Manziel lining up for his first collegiate game. Unlike Driskel, Manziel doesn't have the luxury of any game experience, so expect some jitters and wide eyes.

It also helps Florida that Bowling Green's offense is similar to Sumlin's when it comes to all of those quick throws and screens. The Gators got a little preview of what to expect Saturday.

Anxiety should be flowing on both sidelines this weekend. The Aggies are playing their first game, and it’s the SEC opener. The Gators are taking an unproven offense into a very hostile environment.

But having a game out of the way is a big advantage for Florida. Not everything went right, and some of Saturday looked mediocre, but a game was played. The Gators have film to critique and build off of. Changes can be made.

A&M has practice film and nerves to work with. The Aggies aren’t sure yet what works and what doesn’t.

Sumlin will have his team prepared as best he can, but he’ll have to deal with watching all of the kinks being worked out in Week 2. He’ll have to suffer through the early mistakes that you expect in Week 1.

Unlike Muschamp, he doesn’t quite know what he’s dealing with in College Station.

Each week this season, GigEmNation will visit with a reporter that covers Texas A&M's upcoming opponent. This week, we visit Michael DiRocco of ESPN's GatorNation.

Sam Khan Jr.: After playing two quarterbacks -- Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett -- against Bowling Green, coach Will Muschamp named Driskel the starter for Saturday. What's your assessment of the quarterback situation heading into the Texas A&M game?

Michael DiRocco: This will be Driskel’s game from start to finish. Muschamp has elected to go with the more mobile Driskel because that adds an additional element to the Gators’ offense. Driskel was solid against Bowling Green (10-for-16, 114 yards, 1 TD) but he missed several throws and hesitated on several others. That’s normal for all young quarterbacks, though, but getting past that is something that could have been accelerated a bit had he not had to split practice reps with Brissett throughout the spring and in August.

SK: With Texas A&M starting a redshirt freshman quarterback (Johnny Manziel) who will be making his first start, what kind of approach do you think we should expect to see from Florida's defense?

MD: The Gators will play almost exclusively nickel against the Aggies, which allows them to take advantage of their deep and talented secondary. The best way to rattle a young QB is to put pass rushers in his face and make him make quick decisions. UF would love to do that with just the front four, but the Gators were inconsistent with that last week against Bowling Green. If they can’t, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has got several blitz packages designed to get pressure up the middle. Safety Matt Elam is a pretty good blitzer who may figure prominently in those plans.

SK: After piling up 220 rushing yards on the ground against Bowling Green, do you see the Gators continuing to emphasize the run, and particularly Mike Gillislee, when they come to College Station?

MD: Absolutely. Muschamp wants to be a pro-style, power-run team – Alabama is the blueprint – and that means a heavy dose of Gillislee. He’s the Gators’ best back and he’s coming off a 24-carry, 148-yard performance. The question will be whether the Gators will continue to be stubborn and try to run the ball against stacked fronts or if they’ll open the offense up a bit. Muschamp says he’ll take the handcuffs off offensive coordinator Brent Pease this week, but with a young QB making his first career start, the safest play would be to go conservative.

SK: It appeared that the Gators struggled in short-yardage running situations on Saturday. Is that an aberration or do you suspect that could be a lingering issue for Florida?

MD: That’s could be a lingering issue because it’s on the offensive line. The unit didn’t get much movement at all in those short-yardage plays. It’s a group that was supposed to be tougher and stronger this season after working with new strength and conditioning coordinator Jeff Dillman. It didn’t look that way against Bowling Green in those short-yardage situations. Maybe that was an aberration, but if the line had trouble with the Falcons, what will it do against SEC defensive lines?

SK: The Gators' defense is clearly fast and athletic. How do you see the unit responding to an accelerated offensive tempo, which Texas A&M is expected to employ?

MD: It’s a concern, but it’s a veteran defense in its second season in Quinn’s system. That should mean better communication from the sideline and on the field between players. The Gators have studied tape of Kevin Sumlin’s Houston teams and should be prepared for the up-tempo style. Plus, it’s Texas A&M’s first game and there’s bound to be glitches, especially with a freshman QB. That might keep the Aggies from being as crisp with the up-tempo pace as they will be later in the season.

SK: Though his tenure hasn't been long, give me your assessment of the job Will Muschamp has done so far.

MD: He’s done a very good job recruiting, although his first class – which he assembled in about two months – hasn’t produced much in the way of significant contributors. This year’s group of freshmen shows promise, specifically defensive ends Jonathan Bullard and Dante Fowler, offensive linemen Jessamen Dunker and D.J. Humphries, tight end Kent Taylor and receiver Latroy Pittman. His game-day coaching ability remains a question mark.

Here's a quick primer for Week 2 in the SEC:

SATURDAY

Auburn (0-1) at Mississippi State (1-0), Noon ET, ESPN: Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is looking for his first win against a West opponent not named Ole Miss. Auburn is looking to rebound after its rush defense was shredded against Clemson. It won't get easier for that defense Saturday. This game set the tone for both teams last year and probably will again.

East Carolina (1-0) at No. 9 South Carolina (1-0), 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network: Quarterback Connor Shaw's shoulder will be monitored all week, and the receivers have got to step up this week. The good news is that Marcus Lattimore shook off the rust early in his return against Vanderbilt and is back to his bullish ways. The Gamecocks know all too well that they can't sleep on the Pirates, so the focus should be good this week.

No. 23 Florida (1-0) at Texas A&M (0-0), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Gators have named Jeff Driskel the starting quarterback and that's a step in the right direction. This offense struggled mightily in the opener, but now those players know who their quarterback is. That can only help with chemistry and timing. The Aggies are opening the season with Florida after their original opener was postponed. Florida's defense could provide first-time starting quarterback Johnny Manziel with a bunch of problems, but this team will be itching to get on the field. Expect an electric environment in College Station.

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We're inside a month now until the first game of the 2012 season involving an SEC team.

Here's a quick glance at Week 1:

THURSDAY, AUG. 30

South Carolina at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

• The Gamecocks lost the last time they played on a Thursday night in Nashville. Vanderbilt won 24-17 in Week 2 of the 2008 season.

Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech, in Shreveport, La., 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

• The Kevin Sumlin era at Texas A&M kicks off with one of those games the Aggies won't get much credit for winning, but will get slammed if they lose.

FRIDAY, AUG. 31

Tennessee vs. NC State, Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

• As openers go, this is about as critical as it gets for Tennessee's Derek Dooley, whose Vols are coming off back-to-back losing seasons.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 1

Buffalo at Georgia, 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network

• After opening against Boise State last season, the Bulldogs get a tune-up to open the 2012 season before traveling to Missouri in Week 2.

Bowling Green at Florida, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

• Who will be the Gators' starter at quarterback? Is it Jacoby Brissett or Jeff Driskel? The reality is that they'll both probably end up playing.

Clemson vs. Auburn, Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

• This is the rubber game. Auburn rallied to win in overtime in 2010, while Clemson rolled up more than 600 yards of total offense to win easily last season.

North Texas at LSU, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

• Former Florida assistant Dan McCarney has upgraded North Texas' program significantly, but the Mean Green won't be much of a test for the Tigers.

Jacksonville State at Arkansas, 7 p.m. ET, Pay-per-view

• As Ole Miss learned the hard way two years ago, the Gamecocks are not one of those teams you want to take lightly.

Central Arkansas at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ET, Pay-per-view

• The Rebels, with first-year coach Hugh Freeze at the helm, will be looking to break a seven-game losing streak.

Jackson State at Mississippi State, 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net

• It sounds like the Bulldogs want to throw it more this season with Tyler Russell. The opener should give us an idea of how much more.

Southeastern Louisiana at Missouri, 7 p.m. ET, Pay-per-view

• All eyes will be on Missouri quarterback James Franklin and his surgically repaired right throwing shoulder.

Michigan vs. Alabama, in Arlington, Texas, 8 p.m. ET, ABC

• It's easily the most attractive opener of the 2012 season involving an SEC team. Alabama takes its first step toward defending its 2011 national title.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 2

Kentucky at Louisville, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

• The Wildcats had won four in a row over their archrivals until the Cardinals prevailed 24-17 in Lexington last season. This is a big one for Joker Phillips & Co.