Editor's note: In light of the on-field incident involving Bills safety Damar Hamlin, we want to be sensitive to this situation. There is no easy way to deal with trauma, so in order to account for all preferences, we going to continue our normal content schedule. Our thoughts are with Hamlin and his family as we all hope for his swift and full recovery. If you would like to contribute to Hamlin's charity, we strongly encourage donations be made here.
With the end of each year comes an opportunity to look back and see what went right, what went wrong, and what was just truly unexpected. Much like Spotify Wrapped, I will look back on 2022 to see what transpired and which devy assets had their managers singing along to their favorite tunes.
It just means more. You have likely heard the SEC’s refrain. Stadiums are bigger. Talent is more prolific. Coaches are celebrities. Whether or not you believe the hype, there is no doubt the SEC features titans of college football.
Georgia once again ran through the SEC again in 2022. Their biggest test – strangely enough – was a game at Mizzou on the first weekend of October. No other SEC program even managed a single-digit loss against the Bulldogs, with Kentucky’s 16-6 loss the only other real test for Georgia. They entered the College Football Playoff as the number one seed and a heavy favorite.
Tennessee finally built some momentum while Alabama was far more vulnerable than is normal. Texas A&M fell apart while LSU thrived in year one of Brian Kelly. The season was capped by the tragic loss of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, a national presence and one of college football’s more colorful personalities. Storylines are never scarce, and the devy talent is as strong as ever. We will look at some of the bigger stories below.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
Already a well-respected devy asset following an impressive freshman season, Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders kicked it up a notch in 2022. The huge 6’2” and 227-pound back ran for 1,443 yards and added another 271 yards via the air, chipping in a dozen touchdowns to boot. It was the type of all-purpose campaign devy managers dreamed of, helping Sanders assert himself as one of the game’s best running prospects.
Despite his big frame, Sanders has light feet and can hit the big play. He is smooth at the second level and uses his frame well to push through defenders who do not care to take him head-on. Add in a strong receiving profile, and there are few knocks on Sanders as a prospect. His devy ADP this off-season will likely settle in the top ten overall.
KENTUCKY’S FRESHMAN RECEIVERS
