SEC: Best pass rushes

The SEC has consistently produced some of the best rushers in the NFL and this season has proved that the conference has some star players both veteran and new coming from the defensive line.

Georgia

The Bulldogs pass rush proved themselves in the dominating win over then-No. 1 Texas. Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams proved to be the best pass-rushing duo in the conference with a combined five sacks. Both players are perennial first-round picks whenever they decide to leave for the NFL.

Walker has a total of 4.5 sacks on the season while Williams has only the two that he has from the game against the Longhorns, but has been dealing with the injury bug.

The duo made Ewers’ night a living nightmare with constant pressure on one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has provided three sacks as well for a ferocious pass-rushing group. This group will have to remain strong throughout the rest of a difficult SEC schedule.

South Carolina

This may come as a surprise considering the Gamecocks’ record but the duo on the edge may just be the best overall duo.

Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart are an athletic and fast duo that has completely wrecked games. They are the reason that South Carolina has stayed in so many games including almost defeating LSU and Alabama.

The initial jump these two get off the line is unfair and it’s even more impressive for Stewart who is a true freshman.

Stewart has 4.5 sacks while Kennard leads the way for the team with 8.5 sacks. They are the main reason South Carolina has the record they have and were very close to knocking off some high-ranked teams.

Ole Miss

The Rebels lead the SEC in sacks with a total of 34 and their transfer portal rehaul of the defensive line seems to be paying off.

Suntarine Perkins and Jared Ivey lead the way with Walter Nolen not too far behind. Perkins is in his second collegiate season at Ole Miss and has 8.5 sacks to his name so far this season.

Ivey is second on the team with six sacks and is a transfer from Georgia Tech. However, Ivey transferred to the Rebels after the 2021 season.

Nolen is the big name of the group, coming over from Texas A&M. Despite the sack production not being to the caliber of Ivey and Perkins, he eats a ton of blocks in the middle to help the others get favorable opportunities.

Texas A&M

Speaking of Texas A&M, the Aggies still have a huge pass rush and there is one huge name that leads the way for the No. 10 team in the country.

Nic Scourton’s presence alone will give offensive line’s nightmares but he has five sacks so far this season and is one of the best edge rushers in the country.

His production has slowed down a bit after a combined 3.5 sacks in two games against Arkansas and Missouri. However, as the season ramps up into the most important month of the year, expect to hear his name a lot in the upcoming weeks.

Tennessee

Similar to Texas A&M, Tennessee has one big-time player that really boosts this pass rush to one of the top in the SEC.

James Pearce Jr.’s production this season is also down a bit, but his presence has teams scheming away from him and making sure he plays as little of a factor as possible.

He does have 3.5 sacks this season and entered the season as one of the perennial pass rushers in the country. His numbers are expected to skyrocket as the season continues.

These five teams and their pass rushes are major factors in the reason why these teams are good or have the records they have. However, this list doesn’t even include stars like Deone Walker from Kentucky, Whit Weeks from LSU and R Mason Thomas from Oklahoma.

Andrew Deal is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email asd5765@psu.edu