By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Arian Foster and Tyson Jackson are speed bumps for those who digest preseason all-conference selections and regurgitate them to project the upcoming season.
Last July, Southeastern Conference coaches picked Tennessee’s Foster as one of the two best running backs in the league and LSU’s Jackson as one of the premier defensive linemen.
In December, neither could be found on the first or second unit of the coaches’ All-SEC team.
Foster’s failure was about the lack of production by him and his team. As a junior, he had 245 carries for 1,193 yards and considered entering the NFL draft. Instead, he returned to Knoxville and carried 131 times for 570 yards. His only 100-yard game was against Alabama-Birmingham and he ran for one TD all season.
As a team, the 5-7 Vols finished ninth in the league in rushing, one notch ahead of Arkansas. The average of 123 yards per game came after then-Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer hired Dave Clawson as offensive coordinator and told him to beef up the running game.
Like the Vols, LSU wound up 3-5 in the league and Jackson was one of those who paid the price.
Projected as a contender in the Western Division, the Tigers were ninth in the league in scoring defense and total defense and 11th in passing defense. Arkansas supplied the coup de grace, completing 25-of-40 for 280 yards in a 31-30 victory.
Despite the lack of postseason accolades, Jackson was the No. 3 player selected in the NFL draft.
Other preseason picks absent from the postseason vote included Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram, LSU linebacker Darry Beckwith, Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbee, and South Carolina defensive back Captain Munnerlyn.
Ingram never had a chance. During a non-contact drill in August, the fifth-year senior tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He could have applied for another year of eligibility, but he came close to leaving Gainesville after his junior year and didn’t want to delay his entry into the NFL draft for another year. In April, he was the 17th pick of the fifth round.
Both Beckwith and Ellerbe missed games with knee sprains.
Offsetting the disappointments are the surprises. Last year, Alabama center Antoine Caldwell, LSU running back Charles Scott and defensive linemen Terrence Cody of Alabama and Robert Ayers of Tennessee were first-teamers in December who were absent in July.
Caldwell finished ahead of Arkansas’ Jonathan Luigs, the Rimington Trophy winner in 2007, partly because Alabama ran the ball better than the Razorbacks. Scott gained almost 1,200 yards and scored 18 touchdowns to moved into the spot vacated by Foster. This year, Scott is on the preseason first team along with Arkansas’ Michael Smith and either could be excluded in December. Smith’s production will hinge on his durability and whether Dennis Johnson or Ronnie Wingo or somebody else emerges as a suitable sub.
A year ago, the coaches were correct on exactly half of their 22 first-team preseason picks. This year, Florida has six players on the first team and Alabama has five. LSU is not represented on defense, something that is almost certain to change in December when the all-conference team reflects results.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
