Why 2016 Could Be the 'Year of the New RB' in the SEC

Unless you've been living in a cave for the last couple of years, you've undoubtedly heard of star SEC running backs Leonard Fournette of LSU, Georgia's Nick Chubb and Tennessee's Jalen Hurd.

If you paid extra attention to the SEC in 2015, you already know that Vanderbilt's Ralph Webb, Auburn's Jovon Robinson and the Alabama duo of Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris are immensely talented.

But the star power, and potential star power of the SEC, could be joined by some newcomers to the conference in 2016.

There are several running backs who have never notched a single carry for an SEC program who could become stars this year on teams that not only could jump into division title contention, but also need those players to become stars in order to do so.

Who are they?

Florida RB Mark Thompson

How good is Florida running back Mark Thompson? The 6'2", 242-pounder from La Mott, Pennsylvania, played two seasons at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College and set the program record with 26 career rushing touchdowns, according to his Florida bio.

He stepped foot on Florida's campus, and his size and power immediately earned comparisons to the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

"Maybe one, that’s Derrick Henry," linebacker Jarrad Davis said, according to Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports. "Mark Thompson, I like the way he carries himself around the building, I like how he works out and he kind of reminds me of myself a little bit, like I’m looking in the mirror. That guy, I feel like he’s going to be special."

With a week to go before the end of fall camp, that potential already is becoming reality for Thompson—who is getting his first real taste of SEC football.

"I've had some 'Welcome to the SEC' moments, but I've also had some 'I'm here in the SEC' moments," Thompson said, according to Chris Harry of FloridaGators.com. "It's the best of both worlds."

Best of both worlds, indeed.

Thompson has the power and size that not only can handle the punishment between the tackles, but it also might be required for a Florida team that, while talented, is still figuring out its identity up front. What's more, the top-ranked junior college running back in the class of 2016 boasts a 4.37 40-yard-dash time on his 247Sports recruiting page and can be the workhorse Florida needs in the post-Kelvin Taylor era.

Sure, there are other talented running backs vying for the job, including Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite, but Thompson should elevate himself into feature back status early in the 2016 season.

Ole Miss RB Eric Swinney

Ole Miss hasn't finished higher than seventh in the SEC in rushing offense over the last three years, and the absence of a bruising rushing threat between the tackles is a big reason why. During that time, Jaylen Walton has served as the edge threat with current quarterback Chad Kelly and former quarterback Bo Wallace absorbing too much running responsibility between the tackles.

Redshirt freshman Eric Swinney is here to fix the glitch.

A stress fracture in his leg ended his true freshman campaign before it started, but the 5'9", 197-pounder from Riverdale, Georgia, has been the talk of the town this spring in Oxford.

"He’s not scared to lay his head down and run someone over, and at the same time, he’s not scared to juke someone," quarterback Chad Kelly said, according to Parrish Alford of the Daily Journal. "He understands the game plan. It’s going to take longer for him to get the feel for the game, but he’s picking it up really well."

If the potential Swinney has shown this spring becomes reality in the fall, Ole Miss will not only be in the mix for the SEC West title and its third straight New Year's Six bowl berth, but perhaps for the College Football Playoff.

Head coach Hugh Freeze is accustomed to navigating through offensive line issues, including those that hampered the team last spring and the absence of star tackle Laremy Tunsil for the first seven games of the 2015 season. It's not a "non-issue," but it's a fixable issue.

The absence of No. 1 wide receiver Laquon Treadwell hurts, but Ole Miss is loaded with a bunch of No. 2 receivers, including Quincy Adeboyejo, Damore'ea Stringfellow, tight end Evan Engram, Van Jefferson, Damarkus Lodge, D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown and Tre Nixon. Ole Miss doesn't have to replace Treadwell; it just has to find a way for that ultra-talented group to replace his production.

If Swinney can take pressure off the passing game by earning the attention of opposing defenses, that will be much easier to accomplish for head coach Hugh Freeze.

Texas A&M RB Keith Ford

Jackson Laizure/Getty Images

OK, so Keith Ford has logged carries at the FBS level. But not in the SEC.

The former Oklahoma running back transferred to Texas A&M a year ago and sat out the 2015 season, as former Aggie Tra Carson topped the 1,000-yard mark in an offense that wasn't exactly feared under former coordinator Jake Spavital and offensive line coach Dave Christensen.

The combination of Ford's eligibility and the arrival of new coordinator Noel Mazzone—who helped Paul Perkins top the 1,300-yard mark twice and Johnathan Franklin rush for 1,734 yards in 2012 at UCLA—should transform Texas A&M's offense from the finesse offense we've seen in the past into a unit that can get down and dirty when it needs to.

Ford, a 5'11", 215-pounder from Cypress, Texas, rushed for 194 yards through the first three games of the 2014 season for the Sooners before an foot injury knocked him out of action for five games and allowed then-freshman Samaje Perine to become a star.

He's been banged up this spring with an ankle injury, but he is in a perfect position to become the star many predicted him to be when he was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school.

Arkansas RB Devwah Whaley

Former 4-star running back Devwah Whaley was one of the cornerstones of Arkansas' 2016 recruiting class, after gaining 1,530 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns in 2015 for Beaumont (Texas) Central High School.

He's stepping into a situation at Arkansas where 6'2", 251-pound Kody Walker will likely start fall camp as the No. 1 running back in Fayetteville.

But this is Arkansas.

This is Bret Bielema's team.

The one thing he prides himself on more than anything else is the ability to find running backs who not only can succeed working off of each other, but understand that multiple players getting 15 carries per game helps the offense more than one player getting 25.

With Rawleigh Williams still recovering from a neck injury suffered last October, Whaley could step foot on campus and immediately contend for playing time.

"He's a very physical player. He's up to 228 pounds, runs really well and has some really good track times," Bielema told Bleacher Report in February. "What's going to set him apart is how he's going to handle the transition from the spread to the power eye."

Whaley might not be the true No. 1 for the 2016 Razorbacks, but in a perfect world for Bielema, he won't have a true No. 1. That likely means plenty of carries for Whaley, as long as he isn't a liability in pass protection.

All three of these running backs are on teams that have the talent to contend but need some stability on the ground to reach that potential.

Add them to the already-long list of established stars and others who have played in the conference previously, and this crop of running backs could be the best in SEC history.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.