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Every team hopes that the spring and/or summer can act as a microwave for incoming recruits to enter, pop out and be ready to go.
However, not even the sweltering summer heat in the Southeast can speed up that process for many recruits. It will take time for many of them to fill the holes that they’re eventually expected to fill.
That’s why it’s a luxury for schools to see familiar faces from one year to the next, especially these days with the coaching turnover, player transfers and the allure of the NFL.
Now, think of the significance of that in the most competitive conference in college football.
Of course, it doesn’t hold the same weight for some teams whose glaring struggles in a particular area may not lead fans to dance when being told that 90 percent of their atrocious offense or defense will be back this fall.
Still, in many cases it says a lot about the stability some teams will enjoy thanks to proven stars and experienced veterans.
Here’s a look at the SEC teams with the highest percentage of its total yards from 2015 coming back for 2016. Please note the total yards isn’t referring to total offense, but rather the combined individual yards passing, rushing and receiving.
| SCHOOL | PCT TOTAL YDS RETURNING | 2015 TOTAL YDS | 2016 TOTAL YDS RETURNING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LSU | 96.9 | 7,428 | 7,198 |
| 2. Tennessee | 90.9 | 8,078 | 7,347 |
| 3. Georgia | 79.0 | 7,297 | 5,765 |
| 4. Ole Miss | 71.7 | 11,138 | 7,989 |
| 5. Kentucky | 68.4 | 6,989 | 4,781 |
| 6. Vanderbilt | 65.7 | 6,011 | 3,952 |
| 7. Missouri | 61.9 | 5,371 | 3,324 |
| 8. Auburn | 58.8 | 7,147 | 4,205 |
| 9. South Carolina | 56.1 | 6,849 | 3,845 |
| 10. Florida | 53.6 | 7,630 | 4,090 |
| 11. Texas A&M | 43.9 | 8,854 | 3,892 |
| 12. Mississippi State | 39.6 | 10,117 | 4,009 |
| 13. Arkansas | 35.9 | 9,566 | 3,442 |
| 14. Alabama | 32.1 | 9,829 | 3,151 |
Over the last two seasons, LSU has experienced a dramatic change for the better in this area.
In 2014, the Tigers had one of the lowest percentages in the entire country. That was a year after becoming the first team in SEC history with a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher before subsequently losing all four players who made that happen.
Now, LSU tops the list with a whopping 96.9 percent of its production from 2015. Mix that with the decision of many juniors on defense electing to come back for their final years, and the Bayou Bengals are sitting pretty on both sides of the ball this season.
In fact, every Tiger who accounted for at least 100 yards from scrimmage is back on the roster with the exception of receiver John Diarse (137 receiving yards), who decided to transfer to TCU.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is the only other school at or above the 90 percent mark (90.9 percent). The Vols’ trio of QB Josh Dobbs and RBs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara make up 5,508 of their 7,347 yards.
The Tigers and Vols were first and second, respectively, in the SEC in rushing offense last season. Other than those two programs, Kentucky is the only other SEC squad with nine returning starters on offense, and it ranks No. 5.
Georgia (No. 3) and Ole Miss (No. 4) round out the top five. The Bulldogs are the only team among them whose quarterback situation is still up in the air as five-star QB Jacob Eason looks talented enough to start under center.
Interestingly — and this speaks to how prolific the Rebels offense was last season — Ole Miss actually has the most total yards returning in 2016 (7,989) despite not having the highest percentage. A lot of that is thanks to senior QB Chad Kelly, who brings back his SEC-leading 4,542 yards of total offense.
The two teams who played for the SEC championship last season, Alabama and Florida, are both among the bottom five. The Gators (53.6 percent) are technically lower since it was reported that QB Treon Harris will move to receiver, but there’s no update on whether he’ll even be with the team in the fall.
If you were to remove his total production of 1,909 (which includes -5 receiving yards), Florida would be at 28.5 percent, which would be last in the SEC. However, you won’t hear many complaints out of Gainesville that Harris won’t be the signal-caller.
The defending national champion Crimson Tide currently sits in last with only 32.1 percent back on the field in Tuscaloosa. Bama clearly has gaps to fill on offense as its 3,151 total yards returning is also last, even fewer than Missouri’s 3,324.
Of course, Alabama is a different animal since it has an incubator in coach Nick Saban, who defies the opening statement in this story. Saban dealt with the same thing entering the 2015 season as his squad only returned about 24 percent before winning the national championship.
That’s not to say Saban wouldn’t love to have Derrick Henry back.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
