SEC Football: Predicting Every Team's 2015 MVP
The SEC is loaded with stars in 2015, many of whom are absolutely vital to their team's success.
But just because there's plenty of star power on teams across the conference doesn't exactly mean that those stars are going to be their team's most valuable player.
The MVP of a team is someone who is vital to its success, whether they light up the stat sheet or not.
Who will be the MVP of each team in the SEC in 2015? Our picks, based on talent, scheme and depth, are in this slideshow.
Alabama Crimson Tide: RB/WR Kenyan Drake
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Alabama's 2014 MVP was obviously wide receiver Amari Cooper, and given the circumstances and roster turnover that head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin have to deal with this year, the obvious choice for 2015 would be a wide receiver.
Well, sort of.
Kiffin needs to have a go-to guy in his offense like Cooper, receiver Marqise Lee in 2012 at USC and former Trojans running back Reggie Bush when Kiffin was offensive coordinator in 2005.
Because of that, running back/wide receiver Kenyan Drake will be the most valuable player in Tuscaloosa in 2015. His versatility and Kiffin's ability to line him up in situations where he can shine will help the entire offense get into its groove, ease the transition to the new quarterback and still serve as the "changeup" back to bruiser Derrick Henry.
If Drake is successful, Alabama will be back in the thick of the College Football Playoff talk.
Arkansas Razorbacks: QB Brandon Allen
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No, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen likely won't be an All-American, isn't the first player who comes to mind when you think of the Arkansas offense and won't help the Razorbacks play the kind of defense that propelled them to last season's November surge.
He will, however, keep them in every game they play in 2015.
Allen isn't known as a gunslinger and has the stigma of being nothing more than a game manager. What's a quarterback's first responsibility? Managing the game properly. He threw 20 touchdowns and only five picks last season, and he proved that he has the ability to make smart decisions the majority of the time.
Nobody else on the Arkansas roster has proved that they can do that.
Allen may become more of a difference-maker with new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, but even if he doesn't, he's still going to make smart decisions and give Arkansas a chance.
Auburn Tigers: DE Carl Lawson
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After finishing last season with just 21 sacks, it was clear that Auburn desperately missed defensive end Carl Lawson.
The former stud recruit and impact player as a freshman in 2013 missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL, and Auburn struggled to find a way to get pressure in the backfield.
Lawson participated in virtually every aspect of Auburn's spring practice except for full-contact scrimmages, and he should be a full go at the "Buck" position in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's system. In that spot, he'll be counted on to make a living in the backfield, get after the quarterback and make life easier for the defense as a whole.
Auburn needs Lawson to be a star in 2015, because while Byron Cowart has plenty of potential and Gimel President has experience, neither has the combination of ability and experience that Lawson has.
Florida Gators: DB Vernon Hargreaves III
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Sure, we could get creative and pick whichever quarterback wins the race as Florida's MVP, select wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson or go with any offensive lineman who stabilizes one of the most unstable units in the country.
But let's be honest: The easy choice is the right choice—cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.
The junior and surefire high draft pick whenever he comes out locks down his side of the field, is physical at the line of scrimmage and has recovery speed that's second to none in college football.
Quarterbacks know him and shy away from him, which is a tremendous benefit for the Florida defense. Sure, there are other great defensive backs on the roster, but they all are better because of Hargreaves.
Georgia Bulldogs: RB Nick Chubb
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As is the case for Florida, the obvious answer for Georgia's MVP is also the right answer—running back Nick Chubb.
Ideally, Georgia would like to have Sony Michel and Keith Marshall to take some pressure off of Chubb, stay healthy and not have the Heisman candidate carry the ball 35 times per game. The threat of Chubb taking the ball and taking over, however, has to exist if Georgia is going to contend for the SEC East title in 2015.
The 5'10", 222-pounder from Cedartown, Georgia, proved in a pinch as a true freshman that he has the ability to take the punishment between the tackles, and he has the athleticism to be a home run hitter in space.
With Chubb clicking, it will take a ton of pressure off of the new quarterback, wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley and Georgia's talented tight ends.
Kentucky Wildcats: QB Patrick Towles
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Kentucky has a quarterback battle on its hands between veteran Patrick Towles and redshirt freshman Drew Barker, although that's more of a technicality.
"[Towles] probably has the leg up right now (over redshirt freshman Drew Barker), but we'll see moving forward," head coach Mark Stoops said last month, according to VaughtsViews.com. "Again, we're certainly going to leave that open to compete throughout the summer and throughout fall camp."
Towles was solid last season, when he threw 14 touchdowns and nine picks, and had Kentucky on the brink of bowl eligibility. With new offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson in house and a new receiving corps outside, Kentucky needs some experience under center, and Towles can provide it.
He has a strong arm, is a better runner than he gets credit for and is familiar with the speed of the game. That is a recipe for success, and it could get Kentucky to a bowl game for the first time since 2010.
LSU Tigers: RB Leonard Fournette
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As Leonard Fournette goes, so will go the fortunes of the LSU Tigers.
If he's on and playing at the level that's expected of him both as a running back and kick returner, LSU will be in virtually every game and have a chance to win if it can find a way to at least resemble a two-dimensional offense from time to time.
As a true freshman in 2014, Fournette rushed for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns as he evolved to become LSU's No. 1 running back as the season progressed. Now he's being counted on to be the leader of a running back corps that's loaded with youth on a team that has major quarterback concerns, which means he has to be on from the moment toe meets leather this September.
Mississippi State Bulldogs: QB Dak Prescott
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Mississippi State's MVP is also pretty obvious, since it's the same player as last year—quarterback Dak Prescott.
Prescott, who finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting a year ago and earned the most votes in program history, helped propel the Bulldogs to their first No. 1 ranking in program history and a berth in the Orange Bowl.
After passing on the chance to jump to the NFL, he is back in Starkville without running back Josh Robinson and three offensive linemen from last year's squad. It's even more likely to be the "Dak Prescott Show" in 2015, which means plenty of Heisman love and plenty of pressure on the senior's shoulders.
Missouri Tigers: LB Kentrell Brothers
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Missouri's defense has been a big reason why the Tigers have played for back-to-back SEC titles, and it's going to be up to linebacker Kentrell Brothers to be the leader of that defense in 2015.
With so much uncertainty up front, the experience Brothers has earned over the last two seasons playing both inside and outside will be invaluable to head coach Gary Pinkel's crew.
He's a hard-hitter, has a nose for the football and is incredibly versatile. He led the team in tackles last season with 122, and he finished fourth on the 2013 SEC East champs.
The Tigers need a reliable linebacker who can provide a pass rush, play disciplined football and make sure the younger players are doing their jobs, and Brothers is the guy for the job.
Ole Miss Rebels: OT Laremy Tunsil
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Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is dealing with his own off-the-field mess at the moment, but on the field, if Ole Miss is going to be a legitimate contender in the SEC West in 2015, it needs its superstar left tackle.
Tunsil was banged up late last year with a biceps injury before suffering a broken leg in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against TCU, and the Rebels struggled as a result.
In a season in which Ole Miss is breaking in a new quarterback and desperately needs to find a way to run between the tackles, some stability at left tackle would go a long way toward ensuring that the offense plays at a level that head coach Hugh Freeze expects.
Without Tunsil, Ole Miss isn't sniffing SEC West contention.
South Carolina Gamecocks: WR Pharoh Cooper
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South Carolina is littered with questions on both sides of the ball, including along the defensive line and secondary, at quarterback and at running back.
One spot where it doesn't have much of a concern is at wide receiver, where ultra-versatile junior Pharoh Cooper returns as the SEC's leading returning receiver and will hope to ease the transition for the eventual winner of the quarterback battle.
The 5'11", 208-pounder can do it all, from stretching the field deep to going over the middle to serving as a running threat, and he can even complete passes when asked. He is, by far, the most versatile offensive player in college football, and he is an integral part of the Gamecocks' plan.
If head coach Steve Spurrier's crew is going to jump back into SEC East contention, it'll be due in part to Cooper having another stellar season.
Tennessee Volunteers: QB Joshua Dobbs
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Quick, name Tennessee's backup quarterback.
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Joshua Dobbs was impressive down the stretch both through the air and on the ground, but behind him, there is a whole lot of unknown.
Dobbs is the only quarterback currently on the roster who isn't a true freshman, which puts enormous pressure on the junior to not only thrive and benefit from a full offseason of work as the unquestioned starter, but also to stay healthy and not put himself and his team at risk.
With high hopes in 2015, Dobbs gives Tennessee its best—and only—shot at a division title this season.
Texas A&M Aggies: DE Myles Garrett
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If Texas A&M's defense is going to undergo a massive turnaround in 2015, it'll need its star to shine brighter than ever before.
That star is defensive end Myles Garrett.
As a freshman in 2014, Garrett broke Jadeveon Clowney's freshman sack record by notching 11.5 sacks and evolved into more of a three-down defensive end as his freshman season progressed.
Now with new defensive coordinator John Chavis in College Station, and his ability to produce a pass rush with ultra-athletic defensive ends, Garrett is set up for a huge sophomore season for the Aggies.
He's the kind of player who demands attention, and even if he's double- and triple-teamed, he can free up the rest of this teammates to fly to the football.
Vanderbilt Commodores: RB Ralph Webb
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Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb was mighty impressive last year, rushing 212 times for 907 yards and four touchdowns. Think about that for a minute—he was that successful on a team that had zero quarterback stability to speak of in an offense that was about as predictable as the sunrise.
That's how good Webb really is. While he isn't as physically intimidating as other SEC running backs (looking at you Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb), the 5'11", 200-pound Webb is lightning-quick, packs a mean punch and can take the punishment between the tackles.
In new offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's system, there needs to be at least one ultra-reliable running back to shoulder the load.
Webb was that guy last year, and he will be that guy this year in Nashville.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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