SEC football has returned. As a former Pac-10 football player, it pains me to say that college football isn’t quite the same without the SEC playing. Ten of the last 14 national champions have come out of the SEC, so the return of the conference has just fueled the excitement in college football.

This weekend there is an SEC matchup that should continue to infuse some energy into the unique year of football. Auburn will travel to Athens to play the Georgia Bulldogs. The game will feature a handful of players who will have a good opportunity to play on Sundays. Auburn’s strength may be their wide receivers while Georgia’s strength is their secondary. Here are some players to watch during the game this weekend.

Auburn Tigers

Roger McCreary, Cornerback

6-foot, 188 pounds

McCreary finished last season leading the team in pass breakups with 11. Last week, he had a 100-yard interception return called back due to a penalty. McCreary showed good hips, competitiveness, and lateral agility in coverage last week. He looks to build on a solid start to the season.

Seth Williams, Wide Receiver

6-foot-3, 211 pounds

Williams is a wide receiver with good size and strength for the position. In 2019, he had 59 catches for 830 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per catch. He projects as a prototypical X or a big slot receiver inside. He’s not the best separator against man coverage, but he is excellent at the catch point and has been very good in contested-catch situations. He does his best work in the short to intermediate area.

Anthony Schwartz, Wide Receiver

6-foot, 179 pounds

Schwartz starts at wide receiver opposite of Williams. He brings world-class sprinter speed to the wide receiver position. While some players with world-class speed don’t always equate to suddenness with their play speed, Schwartz is a legitimately sudden player. Hopefully, Bo Nix can get him involved in the game early and often.

Georgia Bulldogs

There are several players who will have an opportunity to play on Sundays. The Auburn wide receivers will pose a huge challenge for the defensive backs at Georgia. All eyes will be on:

Tyson Campbell, Cornerback

6-foot-2, 185 pounds

The word you’ll hear often associated with Campbell is “potential.” However, that has a slightly negative connotation as it implies that he hasn’t played up to his physical ability quite yet. Campbell has NFL size, speed, and agility. However, thus far, he has been unable to remain healthy and actually make plays in the passing game. This year will be huge for him as he attempts to transfer the “potential” label into production.

Richard Lecounte III, Safety

5-foot-11, 190 pounds

Lecounte III has always provided leadership in the secondary. He has also been proficient at defending the run. However, NFL scouts have wanted to see his production against the pass, primarily in coverage, become more consistent. Last week, he didn’t disappoint. Although he was beaten on a pass play for a touchdown due to a technique lapse on his part, he finished the day with three tackles, two interceptions, and one PBU. What a great way to start the season for the young man.

Eric Stokes, Cornerback

6-foot-1, 185 pounds

Stokes is firmly on NFL scouts’ radars as well. From a technique standpoint, he primarily plays press like his counterpart. NFL scouts would definitely like to see him be far more productive against the pass as well. In his first outing, he didn’t disappoint. He finished the game playing solid in coverage and had his first career interception, which he returned for a touchdown. He will need to continue to make plays when challenged in the passing game to solidify himself as a Day 2 pick.

Jordan Davis, Interior Defensive Line

6-foot-6, 330 pounds

Davis is a massive young man who has good size, length, and excellent natural inline power. He is primarily a two-down run stopper and played well in this regard in the opening game. He needs to play with better leverage inside and also show some pass-rush upside, maybe a strong bull rush, to shake his two-down label from NFL scouts.