SEC Impact Players: Ranking the top 25 taking the field in 2017

No. 24 Skai Moore, LB, South Carolina

The redshirt senior missed the entire 2016 campaign with a herniated disc in his neck and it was a huge loss for the Gamecocks, as he was the team's leading tackler from his freshman season in 2013 to his third year in 2015. Still, South Carolina surpassed a lot of expectations by winning six games and making it to a bowl game in coach Will Muschamp's first year. 

Now the Gamecocks are building off that by bringing back on the top defenders in the SEC to a group that already features plenty of veterans in the starting rotation.

Moore will be the unquestioned leader of a defense that could be one of the top units in the SEC. Moore brings versatility with his open-field tackles as well as his pass defense; in two of the past three years, he led the team in interceptions. With a full year to rest up, and a second year under Muschamp, he should be one of the top linebackers in the conference. 

- Ben Kercheval, CBS Sports

No. 23 Shea Patterson, QB, Ole Miss

There's not a more exciting young talent in college football than Patterson in 2017. Ole Miss was an afterthought last season after injuries trampled an otherwise promising year, but those who watched the final three games with Patterson under center saw flashes of something special. When starter Chad Kelly went down to injury, Patterson burned his redshirt to try to salvage bowl eligibility. 

The Rebels finished 1-2 in those games and out of the postseason, but Patterson was a bright spot. He threw for 880 yards and six touchdowns in those outings, and he showcased some Johnny Manziel-like escapability and flair for the dramatic in the process.

In his first full year as the starter in 2017 and with a new offensive coordinator from Sam Houston State in Phil Longo, Patterson will need to learn to play more within the system, but he's got the arm talent and the receiving talent around him to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country.

- Barton Simmons, 247Sports

No. 22 Marquis Haynes, DE, Ole Miss

The Florida native has amassed 24.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for a loss over the course of his three-year career, putting him just three sacks shy of Greg Hardy's all-time school record. In addition to the aforementioned sacks, he has 23 quarterback hurries, nine forced fumbles, seven pass deflections and one interception over 38 career games. 

Heading into the 2017 season, Haynes is the unquestioned leader of an Ole Miss defense that will be looking to improve after finishing near the bottom of the pack in the SEC a season ago. But the Rebels should be fine on the defensive front thanks largely to the presence of Haynes, who headlines a group that will be among the most athletic fronts in the league. 

Haynes likely would've been a mid-round pick had he elected to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, but instead he opted to return for his senior year. He could possibly improve on that projection with more consistent play and another big season.

- Chance Linton, 247Sports

No. 21 Austin Allen, QB, Arkansas

Allen is the quarterback that has reintroduced Bret Bielema to the forward pass. In his final year at Wisconsin, Bielema's team threw the ball only 20 times per game. Last season at Arkansas, Allen averaged 31 attempts per game. There are a lot of reasons for that jump in activity, but the biggest factor is the talent level of the trigger man. 

In his 13 starts last fall, Allen threw for 3,430 yards and 25 touchdowns while spending a lot of his time scrambling behind a line the struggled to protect him. With four starters returning on that offensive front, Allen's second year as a starter could see his numbers continue to rise.

Allen's 15 interceptions were his Achilles heel as the Razorbacks were 1-4 in games that Allen threw multiple picks. In his second year of Dan Enos' offense, Allen hopes to mirror the same kind of steady improvement that his brother, Brandon Allen, saw in Fayetteville when he jumped from a 49 percent passer as a sophomore to a 66 percent passer as a senior and an NFL draft pick to the Jaguars. With a big step forward in 2017, he'll have Arkansas looking to eclipse eight wins for the first time under Bielema and have the NFL knocking.

- Barton Simmons, 247Sports

No. 20 Armani Watts, DB, Texas A&M

Watts has quietly been of the best in-the-box safeties in football during his career. Injuries slowed Watts' production some in 2016 as he missed four games, but the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder still managed 56 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The year before, Watts led the Aggies with 126 tackles. 

Watts is a head-hunter in the secondary, equally capable of covering a tight end over the top and blowing up a running back in the A-gap. Watts' role changed a bit in 2016 as he played more in coverage, which is why his total tackle numbers dropped a bit.

In 2017, the Aggies will feature an inexperienced front seven, and you can expect Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis to lean on Watts for help against the run. Myles Garrett is no longer anchoring the Aggie defensive line, but this Texas A&M defense will not be without a star.

- Chris Hummer, 247Sports

No. 19 Jacob Eason, QB, Georgia

No matter how imperfect Eason was during his freshman season, Georgia fans can point to one play as the reason for their sky-high expectations of the second-year quarterback. With just eight seconds left against Tennessee, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound gunslinger fired a 47-yard rope to Riley Ridley for the go-ahead touchdown. 

That play didn't hold up as the game winner thanks to a Hail Mary from the Volunteers as time expired, but that throw in that moment showed the college football world Eason's potential. Add it to a pair of fourth-quarter, game-winning drives against Missouri and Kentucky and, well, much will be expected from Eason in 2017.

In his first season under center, Eason threw just eight interceptions compared to 16 touchdowns and completed 204-of-370 passes for 2,430 yards. Those numbers would have been better had it not been for dropped passes throughout the season by a young, inconsistent Georgia receiving corps.

- Jake Rowe, 247Sports

No. 18 Braden Smith, OL, Auburn

A CBS Sports second-team All-American, the senior returns following a pair of dominating seasons for the Tigers at right guard. After seeing time as a reserve offensive tackle as a true freshman, the Olathe, Kansas, native has been a fixture for the Tigers on the right side since taking over the starting role as a sophomore. One of the best run blockers in the game, the 6-foot-6, 303-pounder has played in 39 career games for the Tigers with 27 consecutive starts under his belt.

With the graduation of starting right tackle Robert Leff and plenty of options at the guard position for offensive line coach Herb Hand, Smith moved back to right tackle in spring practice for the Tigers, and it was a smooth transition for him even with Auburn putting more emphasis on the passing game under new coordinator Chip Lindsey. 

Athletic enough to get outside and pull on running plays and screen passes, Smith should be one of the top offensive linemen in the country this year.

- Jason Caldwell, Inside The Auburn Tigers on Scout

No. 17 Ralph Webb, RB, Vanderbilt

Through the ups and downs, Webb has been a constant for Vanderbilt during the Derek Mason era, setting a school record with 3,342 rushing yards in his career while pin-balling his way through and around defenses. When Webb announced in December that he'd return for his senior season, he likely had his eyes on another personal prize: SEC lore. 

The 5-foot-10 Webb has a great shot at becoming the eighth player in the conference's history to exceed 4,000 yards. He won't touch Herschel Walker's career record (5,259), but Webb is within striking distance of names like Bo Jackson, Kevin Faulk and Darren McFadden.

What makes Webb so good? He lacks top-end, breakaway speed, but he's quick enough to get to the edge. His vision might be elite, and with Webb's shiftiness, that creates a dangerous combination when he gets to the second level. If the Commodores can piece together a better passing attack, Webb will have plenty more room to run - all the way into the SEC history books, and perhaps higher on this list, too.

- Trey Scott, 247Sports

No. 16 Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama

Cam Robinson may have received all the postseason accolades, but a compelling case could be made that the best and most consistent member of Alabama's offensive line in 2016 was actually playing on the opposite side. Like Robinson before him, Williams arrived in Tuscaloosa as a 247Sports Composite five-star recruit and immediately secured a starting spot on the Crimson Tide offensive line. 

In fact, since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, only two true freshmen have started from Day 1 along the offensive line: Robinson and Williams. And the 6-foot-5, 301-pounder didn't disappoint, starting all 15 games at right tackle and establishing himself as one of the best freshmen in all of college football.

The California native helped pave the way for Alabama to average 245 rushing yards per game on 5.8 yards per carry, with both marks ranking second in the SEC. 

- Chance Linton, 247Sports

No. 15 Frank Ragnow, Center, Arkansas

After starting 13 games at right guard in 2015, Ragnow moved inside to center last season and emerged as not only the best player at the position in the SEC, but perhaps the entire nation. Ragnow didn't miss a game and his play never wavered as he went on to garner All-SEC honors from the AP.

Possessing the size and strength to dominate at the line of scrimmage and the athleticism to make him a force at the second level, Ragnow thrives in the run game. According to Pro Football Focus, the Razorbacks averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 58 runs between center and left guard last year, and much of that success can be attributed to Ragnow. But the 6-foot-5, 319-pounder is extremely proficient as a pass blocker as well, as evidenced by the fact that he didn't allow a single sack in 13 games last season.

- Chance Linton, 247Sports

No. 14 Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida

A three-star prospect out of Miami, Callaway exploded onto the scene as a true freshman in 2015 playing in all 14 games. He hauled in 35 receptions for 678 yards and four touchdowns and was the first true freshman in Florida history to record three 100-yard receiving games. Earning Freshman All-American honors, he also excelled in returning punts, bringing back two for touchdowns. His team-high 1,211 total yards on 69 plays averaged to 17.6 yards per play -- the highest average per play for a freshman in school history.

Despite missing spring practice due to off-the-field issues before his sophomore season, Callaway continued where he left off, catching 54 passes for 721 yards and three touchdowns. He showed his versatility when he became the first player in Florida history to score touchdowns five different ways when he added a rushing touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown to his resume. 

With his 89 receptions in two years, Callaway recorded the third most of any receiver in school history in their freshman and sophomore campaigns, trailing only Jabar Gaffney (138) and Percy Harvin (93).

- Bob Redman, Fightin' Gators on Scout

No. 13 Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia

The former 247Sports Composite Player of the Year finished his sophomore season with a bang, tallying eight tackles, three sacks and four tackles for a loss in Georgia's 31-23 win over TCU in the Liberty Bowl. He was a force for his entire sophomore season with 56 total tackles and 9.5 tackles for a loss despite dealing with double teams on a regular basis. All of that was done with a shoulder injury that had to be surgically repaired this offseason.

At 6-foot-3, 308 pounds, Thompson possesses the bulk of a defensive tackle with an explosive first step of a defensive end. The only thing separating him from dominance is consistency and technique. The opportunity to put up big numbers will be there because of the fact that he's a three-down player. Thompson plays the run well and that'll keep him on the field on first and second down. His ability to rush the passer will give him ample opportunity to pin his ears back on third down.

- Jake Rowe, 247Sports

No. 12 Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama

He might not garner the same praise nationally as some of his former teammates that are now on NFL rosters, but Payne certainly requires the attention of opposing offenses. Alabama's nose guard has been the anchor of the defensive front the last two seasons -- in a literal sense. Like an anchor, Payne keeps offensive linemen from drifting to his teammates, especially the Crimson Tide's linebackers, absorbing double teams and allowing players like Reuben Foster to roam freely and make plays at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield.

At 6-foot-2, 319 pounds, Payne is an athletic defensive tackle that can make plays of his own when he's not serving as a human barricade. The former five-star recruit quietly registered 36 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2016, with the highlight of his second season in crimson being a scoop, dive and score on the road at Ole Miss to nullify an early three-score lead for the Rebels.

- Charlie Potter, 247Sports

No. 11 Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama

If one wanted to measure a healthy Scarbrough's impact on Alabama's offense, look no further than last year's College Football Playoff National Championship. Before Scarbrough exited the contest with a lower-leg fracture late in the third quarter, the Crimson Tide held a 24-14 lead, having rushed for 164 yards and largely controlling time of possession. After Scarbrough's injury, Alabama's running backs totaled just 24 yards (Scarbrough had already rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns) and the Crimson Tide did not manage a third-down conversion the rest of the way. 

Scarbrough's 2016 production (812 yards, 11 touchdowns) didn't quite meet expectations, but the former five-star recruit flashed his potential in the most important stretch of the season for Alabama, rushing for 454 yards and six touchdowns over the team's last four games against Auburn, Florida, Washington and Clemson.

At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, Scarbrough is a freakish combination with linebacker size and wide receiver-like speed. This season could prove a breakout campaign for the junior -- though he'll have to fight for touches in a crowded backfield -- if he can manage to stay healthy.

- Chris Hummer, 247Sports

No. 10 Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn

The last time Gus Malzahn had an above average quarterback at Auburn, the Tigers played for a national title. That's the kind of pressure that will fall on the shoulders of the star transfer signal caller. Stidham comes to Auburn from Baylor, where he spent one season before deciding to get out of town following all the mayhem that took place within the Bears program. 

After a year off, he decided to finish his career at Auburn, and he comes to The Plains as the most accomplished quarterback the Tigers have had in a while. Not that it's saying all that much. 

Stidham played in only 10 games at Baylor, but in those contests he completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. Those kinds of numbers offer a significant upgrade over what Auburn has been able to get from quarterbacks like Sean White and Jeremy Johnson the last two years. Stidham could also open up Malzahn's offense in a way we haven't seen since he was only the offensive coordinator calling plays for some kid named Cam Newton.

- Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

No. 9 Nick Fitzgerald, QB, Mississippi State

It would be impossible for Mississippi State to replace Dak Prescott, right? Well, Fitzgerald did his best Prescott impression in 2016, becoming yet another quarterback success story under Dan Mullen's tutelage. Fitzgerald, as a redshirt sophomore, threw for 2,423 yards and 21 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in addition to 1,375 yards rushing (second in the SEC) and 16 touchdowns on the ground (first in the SEC).

Fitzgerald is certainly a different player than Prescott -- Fitzgerald completed 54.3 percent of his passes in 2016 vs. Prescott's 66.2 completion percentage in 2015, while Prescott never ran for 1,000 yards in a single season with the Bulldogs.

Fitzgerald isn't likely to lift Mississippi State to a midseason No. 1 ranking, nor do we anticipate him earning Heisman Trophy buzz, but he gave Mississippi State hope for the future despite a 6-7 campaign. Entering this season, Fitzgerald is in the running to be the top overall quarterback in the SEC.

- Chris Hummer, 247Sports

No. 8 Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Ridley's sophomore campaign was much quieter than his breakout run as a Freshman All-American. But Ridley still proved immensely productive with 72 receptions despite catching passes from occasionally inconsistent freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts. Now entering his junior season, Ridley is quietly and quickly climbing Alabama's receiving record lists. 

He's 68 catches away from passing Amari Cooper to become the Crimson Tide's all-time receptions leader, and Ridley needs just five touchdowns and 1,109 yards to pull into second behind Cooper in those respective categories.

With Hurts expected to take a significant step forward as a passer his sophomore year, Ridley's production should only tick upward. At 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds, the former five-star recruit -- the top-ranked wide receiver in the 2015 class per the 247Sports Composite -- is as steady as they come at his position.

- Chris Hummer, 247Sports 

No. 7 Kamryn Pettway, RB, Auburn

Talk about coming out of nowhere . . . that was the case for Pettway last season. Starting his career at fullback, Pettway got a look as a rusher during spring practice because of departures following the 2015 season. When he was suddenly thrown into the mix, he finished with 1,224 yards in just 10 games.

During a four-game stretch against Mississippi State, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, the 6-foot, 235-pounder ran for 770 yards and scored six of his seven touchdowns.

With new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey bringing a more balanced attack to the Auburn offense, Pettway's heavy workload may be diminished somewhat. However, the addition of transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham means teams will have to respect the Tigers' passing game, which may open up bigger running lanes for Pettway in 2017.

-  Jason Caldwell,
 Inside The Auburn Tigers on Scout

No. 6 Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

It's hard to apologize to SEC defenses for being subjected to one more year of Chubb because they already know what's coming. Chubb's blend of size, vision, speed and power makes him one of the premier backs in all of college football. His two seasons of at least 1,000 yards rushing are proof of how productive and dangerous he's been.

And yet, there is a feeling that his career is not quite complete. Knee and ankle injuries have capped just how high Chubb's ceiling can go. Often mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate, he has never made so much as a trip to New York for the finalist ceremony. He's also never been on the field for a Bulldogs victory over Florida or Georgia Tech. Nor has he been part of a SEC Championship Game. 

Georgia hasn't represented the East in Atlanta since the 2012 season when it nearly knocked off Alabama. There's just a lot of unfinished business to attend to in 2017. 

- Ben Kercheval, CBS Sports

No. 5 Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M

A change in offensive coordinator and scheme at Texas A&M threw a wrench in the expectations for Kirk last season, and the instability at the QB position hasn't helped either. Kirk continues to be a threat to score in the special teams game every time a team decides to punt his way, but implementing that athleticism and ability into the Aggies offense has been more of a challenge.

Kirk's season-end numbers were fine -- we're talking about a Top-10 all-purpose threat among SEC players with 12.9 yards per play and 100+ yards per game averages, after all -- but he was a 100-yard receiver in just two of eight SEC games and too often it was easy to wonder if just one more touch could have changed the result in one of Texas A&M's three one-score losses in their final five games (1-4 overall in that stretch).

- Chip Patterson, CBS Sports

No. 4 Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

When teams make mistakes against Alabama, they pay for them. And when those mistakes show up, it's often Fitzpatrick that comes to collect payment. The Tide defense dominated college football last season thanks in part to its 11 defensive touchdowns. Fitzpatrick had two of those, and over the course of his two years in Tuscaloosa, he's set an Alabama record with four pick-sixes while also scoring on a blocked punt. He's been everywhere for the Tide.

As a versatile player that can be a blitzer, a lock-down cover guy or a roaming ball hawk, Fitzpatrick is one part Jalen Ramsey and one part Tyrann Mathieu. Now as his junior season approaches, Fitzpatrick looks poised to fill in for Eddie Jackson at safety in a role that will allow him to hunt down even more touchdown opportunities. In a defense that will be losing a lot of beef up front, Fitzpatrick's veteran leadership on the back end should help keep Alabama near the top of the national defensive statistical leaders.

- Barton Simmons, 247Sports

No. 3 Arden Key, LB, LSU

Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is out of the SEC, giving this LSU pass rush specialist even more spotlight in 2017. Key became a household name for SEC fans last fall when he turned in a dominant sophomore campaign, starting in 11 games and recording 12 sacks -- just one behind Tennessee's Derek Barnett, who led the conference with 13. Key finished the year with three forced fumbles, 11 quarterback hurries and 14.5 tackles for loss, which was best on LSU's team in a year where the Tigers were one of the nation's top defensive units.

Key is the SEC's top returning pass rusher, and he's already proven to be a perfect fit at outside linebacker in LSU's new 3-4 scheme. Expect him to line up at the Buck linebacker spot again for second-year defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. 

-Shea Dixon, 247Sports

No. 2 Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama

This isn't an overstatement: Hurts was a first-year player the likes of which we haven't seen in college football for a long time. Hurts became the first true freshman to start for the Crimson Tide at quarterback since 1984. All he did was help Alabama to yet another national championship appearance -- a last-second loss to Clemson -- and win the conference's Offensive Player of the Year.  And with apologies to Blake Sims, Hurts was the first true dual-threat quarterback to play in Lane Kiffin's system at Alabama.

Say what you will about Kiffin, but the marriage between him and Hurts worked magnificently. The frosh accounted for nearly 250 yards of total offense per game and 36 touchdowns. The fact that Alabama only started toying with an athlete of Hurts' caliber this past year seems Saban gave the rest of college football a merciful, 10-year head start.

- Ben Kercheval, CBS Sports

No. 1 Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

With Leonard Fournette's departure to the NFL, out goes one of the greatest running backs in LSU history, the school's top single-season rushing record holder and a Louisiana legend. With Guice, in steps a player who may be even better. The Fournette folklore is compelling, but Guice's self-made reputation is already quite the story.

In just six career starts, Guice has already set the single-game rushing mark at LSU and boasts two of the top three single-game marks in school history. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native also holds the mark for the longest run from scrimmage in LSU history with his 96-yarder against Arkansas last year. Heading into his junior season, Guice has rushed for more than 1,800 yards, and despite his limited start count, his 1,387 yards in 2016 is the fourth highest total in school history.

- Barton Simmons, 247Sports