The 1 Player Each SEC Team Will Miss Most in 2015
All good things must come to an end, including the careers of some of the SEC's best players this season.
Not including the likely notables who will declare their intentions to turn pro in the near future, there's a long list of SEC standouts who have either ended their college careers or will do so in bowl games over the next two weeks. But rather than rank them by overall importance or the impact of their loss, we've singled out one from each school whose absence will be felt the most in 2015.
Check out our list of the player each SEC team will miss the most next season, along with a look at how they'll look to replace these stars.
Alabama Crimson Tide
1 of 14
QB Blake Sims
Most of the significant losses that Alabama expects to deal with are from its junior class, but the likes of wide receiver Amari Cooper, running back T.J. Yeldon and safety Landon Collins have yet to declare their future plans. Of the outgoing seniors, though, quarterback Blake Sims' departure will require the most adjustment.
Despite only being a one-year starter, the work Sims did this season was no less significant than if he'd been holding his position for three or four years. After an offseason of uncertainty whether it would be him or junior Jake Coker, the Florida State transfer, succeeding A.J. McCarron, Sims started from the outset and quickly entrenched himself as a solid player.
"I don't think anybody doubted him on this team," center Ryan Kelly told John Zenor of The Associated Press (h/t NCAA.com). "We knew wherever he was going to go he was going to give it his all. That's the result that came out this year. He gave it his all and look what happened."
Sims has thrown for a school-record 3,250 yards with 26 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while leading Alabama into the playoffs and a Jan. 1 date with Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. After he's gone, the Crimson Tide will have to break in a new starter for the second straight season, either Coker, sophomore Alec Morris or incoming freshman Blake Barnett.
Arkansas Razorbacks
2 of 14
LB Martrell Spaight
While fellow senior Trey Flowers led the team in tackles for loss and sacks from the defensive line, on many other plays Flowers was engaged with blockers while Martrell Spaight flew in for the takedown. In fact, the 6'2", 231-pound Spaight has been involved in more tackles than any other player in the SEC, with 123 heading into the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 against Texas.
Spaight went from being a limited contributor in his first season with the Razorbacks in 2013 to being a key piece of their defense. His work all over the field helped Arkansas end a long conference losing streak, as he combined for 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack in the back-to-back shutout wins over LSU and Ole Miss.
He is one of five senior starters (including Flowers and fellow linebacker Braylon Mitchell) who are set to graduate after the Texas Bowl. Spaight's spot could be filled by sophomore Josh Williams, who would move from the middle to the weak side, or freshmen Dwayne Eugene or Randy Ramsey.
Auburn Tigers
3 of 14
C Reese Dismukes
Auburn's massively successful and efficient offensive system continued to click this season even after losing significant pieces from the 2013 team, but it might be harder to remain at that level next year. That's not just because quarterback Nick Marshall and top running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are graduating, it's also because the man who has the ball before anyone else is moving on.
Reese Dismukes won the Rimington Award this season, given to the nation's top center, after being a finalist in 2013. A starter since his freshman year, the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Wisconsin will be his 50th career start.
In the past two years, Dismukes has helped initiate and block for a run game that led the SEC and was among the nation's top producers on the ground. His backup, junior college transfer Xavier Dampeer, has appeared in only five games this season, so he or someone else will be coming into the position in 2015 without much experience.
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Florida Gators
4 of 14
DE Dante Fowler
It wasn't much of a surprise that junior Dante Fowler decided to turn pro, as CBS Sports projects him as a first-round pick who is the 14th-best overall prospect. What was surprising, though, was that he chose to make this official before the regular season was complete, announcing on Nov. 18 via Twitter in reaction to the news that coach Will Muschamp would step down.
Fowler has 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss this season, a dependable piece of a Florida defense that ranks ninth nationally in yards allowed. He has 11.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss in his Gators career.
With Fowler on his way out, look for sophomore Bryan Cox Jr. (who starts at the other end but will miss the Birmingham Bowl following hip surgery) to pick up the slack, as will sophomore Alex McCalister and freshman Gerald Willis.
Georgia Bulldogs
5 of 14
WR Mike Conley
Georgia's run game will miss Todd Gurley, who figures to go pro after a tumultuous junior year that included a suspension and a season-ending knee injury. The Bulldogs defense will be good, too, despite some noticeable departures.
And while Georgia will have to break in a new, inexperienced quarterback, what's is really going to make 2015 a critical year for the Bulldogs is that they'll be not only getting a new guy acclimated to the passing game, but he'll be without top receiver Mike Conley.
Conley's numbers didn't break any records this season—entering the Belk Bowl, he has 32 receptions for 577 yards and seven touchdowns—but those were big numbers for an offense that primarily ran the ball in 2014. The same figures to be the case next year, but having a go-to receiver would help get a new quarterback acclimated.
Whoever ends up being quarterback still has junior wide receiver Malcolm Mitchel and freshman tight end Jeb Blazevich to work with, but beyond that the experience drops off.
Kentucky Wildcats
6 of 14
DE/LB Alvin Dupree
Kentucky ended the season on a six-game losing streak, finishing 5-7 and preventing seniors like Alvin "Bud" Dupree from being able to finally reach a bowl game. The Wildcats are very young and have the foundation to get over that six-win hump in 2015, but having to do so without Dupree won't be easy.
Dupree had 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss this season, also contributing the game-winning interception return for a touchdown in Kentucky's epic win over South Carolina in October. He started the final 38 games of his career, and his 23.5 sacks are second-most in school history.
Because Dupree essentially played two positions, switching between defensive end and outside linebacker, filling his shoes will be difficult. Sophomore Jason Hatcher played a similar hybrid role and figures to take Dupree's spot, while backups such as juniors Jabari Johnson and Farrington Huguenin could get more snaps.
LSU Tigers
7 of 14
OT La'el Collins
Offense has not been the better side of the ball for LSU in 2014, but with young players at all the skill positions, this figures to be an area of major improvement next season. That is, providing the Tigers can find the proper replacement for standout left tackle La'el Collins.
The senior has held down that spot on the offensive line for the past two years, after moving from a guard spot as a freshman in 2013. Collins has made it so Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings have only been sacked 23 times this season, and he'll continue to do that in his LSU sendoff in the Music City Bowl Dec. 30 against LSU.
After Collins is gone, though, LSU may need to reshuffle its offensive line. Freshman K.J. Malone will get a chance to take that spot, but so could junior Jonah Austin or one of the offensive line recruits from whom the Tigers have received commitments.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
8 of 14
DE Preston Smith
Quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't made his future plans known at this point, so for the time being we have to assume he's returning. We can't say the same for Preston Smith, who has been Mississippi State's best down lineman this season and will be sorely missed in 2015.
Smith recorded nine sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss this season for the side of the ball that didn't get much credit in 2014 because of how Mississippi State's offense operated. But Smith made huge contributions all season, including two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown in a September win over UAB.
There are six seniors who are expected to start for Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl against Georgia Tech, including three on the defensive line. Smith will be the hardest to replace, though returners such as sophomores Nelson Adams, A.J. Jefferson and Chris Jones will get first crack at the job.
Missouri Tigers
9 of 14
RB/KR Marcus Murphy
Missouri will be losing key players all over the field, on offense and defense, to graduation. Others could be leaving early, if Shane Ray declares for the NFL draft after the Citrus Bowl against Minnesota on Jan. 1.
Marcus Murphy, though, is the only one that will affect two facets of the Tigers' plans for 2015, as he not only represents a key back in the running game, he's also the primary return man on kickoffs and punts. He ranks second in the SEC in all-purpose yards per game, amassing 131.8, scoring eight touchdowns this season in four different ways.
Murphy has four rushing TDs, has caught a pass for a touchdown and has three scores on special teams. Missouri's 42-13 win at Florida in October was his signature performance, as he scored on a rushing TD and also returned a punt and a kickoff for a TD.
The Tigers will still have junior Russell Hansbrough around to carry the ball in the backfield in 2015, but who will fill Murphy's shoes in the return game is anybody's guess.
Ole Miss Rebels
10 of 14
CB Senquez Golson
The name for Ole Miss' defense figures to live on beyond its standout 2014 season, but many members of that Landsharks group are moving on. Senquez Golson was a big part of the overwhelming effort the Rebels got from their defense this season, and his ability to sniff out the ball in pass coverage is going to be hard to replicate.
Golson had nine interceptions this season, tops in the SEC, returning one pick for a score and making a milestone interception in the end zone against Alabama to preserve Ole Miss' signature win over the Crimson Tide in October. Over the course of his career, Golson intercepted 15 passes.
Golson and safety Cody Prewitt are the two biggest losses from Ole Miss' defense, but thankfully returners such as juniors Trae Elston and Mike Hinton and sophomore Tony Conner will be around in 2015 to fill the void.
South Carolina Gamecocks
11 of 14
QB Dylan Thompson
Overall, this was a very disappointing season for South Carolina, going 6-6 after three straight 11-win campaigns and having to finish things up in the Independence Bowl against Miami (Florida). But amid all the struggles came a great individual season from a player who had been patiently waiting his turn.
Quarterback Dylan Thompson led the SEC with 3,280 passing yards while throwing 24 touchdowns. It was his first season with the full-time job, after serving as sort of a relief pitcher to Connor Shaw the past few seasons.
Thompson was a source of dependability on a Gamecocks team that was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play. His departure would be easy to overcome, as freshman Connor Mitch only got to attempts six passes in 2014.
Tennessee Volunteers
12 of 14
LB A.J. Johnson
Tennessee's return to a bowl game has been fueled by a youth movement, with more than 20 true freshman participating in 2014. Next year figures to be more of the same, with newly minted sophomores and another crop of freshmen carrying the flag for the Volunteers.
The underclassmen handling linebacker duties won't be able to just move on without addressing a major void, though, as the school's No. 2 all-time tackler will no longer be a part of the mix in 2015. A.J. Johnson, who has taken down 425 opponents in his four years, is moving on.
Johnson won't get to play in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Iowa, though, as he and a teammate were suspended in November in the wake of allegations of sexual assault. His absence over the final two regular-season games, as well as the bowl, have made it possible for prospective replacements like freshman Jakob Johnson to get an early audition.
Texas A&M Aggies
13 of 14
OT Cedric Ogbuehi
Texas A&M's run of having an offensive lineman taken early in the NFL draft figures to reach three straight years, as senior tackle Cedric Ogbuehi enters his college finale in the Dec. 29 Liberty Bowl matchup with West Virginia as the third-best offensive lineman in the 2015 draft class, according to CBS Sports.
If Ogbuehi goes in the first round, he'll follow in the big footsteps of fellow Aggies Jake Matthews (2014) and Luke Joeckel (2013) who went in that opening group. Ogbuehi should make that happen, as he's been a key piece of A&M's offensive line this season.
When his college career is done, his replacement could come from a number of backups. Sophomores Germain Ifedi, Ryan Lindblade and Avery Jennessy should get first crack at the top.
Vanderbilt Commodores
14 of 14
LB Kyle Woestmann
It wasn't a good year for Vanderbilt, which after three straight bowl appearances fell to 3-9 under first-year coach Derek Mason. The Commodores don't graduate many starters, but of those who are moving on the one who leaves the biggest void is senior linebacker Kyle Woestmann.
A converted defensive end, in 2014 Woestmann made 11 starts at outside linebacker and registered 30 tackles, a sack and 5.5 tackles for loss. He started 24 games in his career and was a captain this past season.
Woestmann helped mentor younger linebackers like sophomore Stephen Weatherly and freshmen Nigel Bowden and Zach Cunningham, a trio who will anchor Vanderbilt's defense in 2015.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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