By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Linebackers are the enforcers of the defenses.

It’s a position that is all about physicality and requires endless hours of film study.

However, in the SEC, linebackers must be relentless and have great instincts, speed, and a tenacity to intimidate opposing players.

These players know how to hunt down ball carriers, blitz the quarterback, or play zone coverage. They are the most active defenders on the field. I believe this is a very deep group of talented young men that will make a tremendous impact on the field this fall.

Here are my top five linebackers in the SEC for the 2020 season.

5. Erroll Thompson, LB, Mississippi State: When Mike Leach was named head coach at Mississippi State, defensive captain Erroll Thompson decided to return for his senior season.

Thompson, a two-year starter at Mike linebacker led the Bulldogs with 84 tackles in 2019 and 217 career tackles.

The 6-foot 1, 250 pounder is a smart, instinctive, hard hitting senior; who is one of the best linebackers in the SEC.

The Bulldogs will have a new defensive coordinator in Zach Arnett, but the return of Thompson should help stabilize the unit, at least in the linebacker corps.

4. Monty Rice, LB, Georgia: Monty Rice led the vaunted 2019 Georgia Bulldogs defense in tackles with 89.

He will return for a fourth year between the hedges, and the leadership and toughness of Kirby Smart’s defense will be as great as it has ever been.

The 6-foot-1, 235 pounder was a 2nd team All-SEC player in 2019. Rice was co-winner of the Vince Dooley Defensive MVP, given at the team’s postseason award gala.

Rice can fly from sideline to sideline and has been a very productive middle linebacker for the Dawgs.

In 2020, Rice and the rest of their Senior class will attempt to finish the job and lead the Dawgs back to the College Football Playoffs.

3. Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama: Dylan Moses’ knee injury that robbed him of his 2019 season was cruel, but instead of declaring for the NFL draft, the former All-American decided to return for one more ride at Alabama.

The 6-foot-3, 235 pounder is a freak athlete, who can play inside and outside linebacker.

Moses was a Butkus Award finalist as a sophomore, when he recorded 86 tackles.

Moses is scary fast running a sub 4.5 after knee surgery. If not for the health concerns, Moses would be the top linebacker in the nation. Alabama’s defense took a setback in 2019 without Moses, but 2020 Bama will be right there with Georgia as the top unit in the SEC.

2. K.J. Britt, LB Auburn: K.J. Britt was First Team All-SEC in 2019. He finished with 69 tackles (10 for loss) and sacked the quarterback 2.5 times.

2019 was Britt’s first year as the full-time starter. In Auburn’s biggest games, Britt came up solid with 6 tackles against Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama. In the Outback Bowl against Minnesota, he led the team with eight tackles. I can’t wait to watch what Britt can do in only his second season.

1. Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri: A consensus First Team All-SEC pick as a sophomore,

Bulton registered an astonishing 107 tackles (74 solo tackles) for the Tigers in 2019.

Bolton raked in plenty of awards in 2019: Third team All- American, SEC’s top Graded Linebacker (Pro Football Focus), and SEC All-Academic team.

The 6-foot, 232 pounder averaged 8.92 tackles in 2019. He is far and away the best mike linebacker in the SEC.

New Coach Eliah Drinkwitz will have the luxury of having the SEC’s best returning linebacker. Bolton is a dominant athlete, who is willing to mix it up in the trenches.

He possesses elite sideline to sideline speed and functions as a positive against both the run and pass.

Just outside the Top 5: Shane Lee, Alabama; Buddy Johnson, Texas A&M; James Houston, Florida; Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee; Lakca Henry, Ole Miss; Sherrod Greene, South Carolina; Jamin Davis, Kentucky.

Breakout player: Jabril Cox, LSU; Cox is a two-time FCS All American at North Dakota State and recent graduate transfer.