25 Players in 25 Days: #15 T.J. Searcy

Position: Defensive End
Classification: Senior
Hometown: Thomaston, Ga.
Listed Height: 6-5
Listed Weight: 260 lbs.

Key notes from Liucci’s thoughts on Searcy

• I've been talking about T.J. Searcy as a guy who is overlooked. I don't want to throw out the Cashius Howell comparison. I don't know if he will come out and win the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He will be a quality SEC edge defender. He caught my eye down the stretch as someone who was improving on the field. There is a period of adjustment there.
   
• Around mid-season, I started to notice him more. In the second half of the season, he started to catch my eye. Arkansas was the first time that I really noticed him. He is long and athletic and plays really well against the run. He plays with good leverage and came in the offseason as one of the guys who have benefited from Tommy Moffitt in the offseason. He says he was 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, and he looks every bit of it. He has always been the NFL-looking defensive end type, but he added muscle.
   
• He has played a lot of SEC football, more than anyone on the roster. It showed down the stretch. He was consistently solid last year. If he takes the next step, he will be a really good defensive end in this league. Marco Jones will end up as a really high draft pick in the next two years, and we really like the new guys like Anto Saka and Ryan Henderson. You also focus on how you replace what is left. Because he didn't put up big numbers, he gets lost in the shuffle.
   
• If he doesn't, it will be because you see a lot of all three of these guys. He has a great shot to start, and he and DJ Hicks will give a ton of veteran presence in Mike Elko's defense.
   
• People are sleeping on Searcy. I think people recognize Hicks, but I think the most slept on is Searcy. The guys who are coming back are talked about a lot more than Searcy. He is a returning starter at the end.