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Which SEC teams have the most returning starters in 2017? Here’s a team-by-team breakdown
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Curious to know how much starting production your school returns in 2017?
College football guru Phil Steele recently released his latest rankings of returning starters and Georgia and Kentucky come out on top in the SEC as the 2017 season heads into the spring session. Both the Bulldogs and Wildcats tie for third most returning starters in the nation with both having 17 returning starters, according to Steele.
As for the SEC schools with the least amount of returning starters, Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss all rank at the bottom, with each having only 11 returning starters.
Here’s the full breakdown for each SEC team:
| Team | Total | Offense | Defense | QB? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 17 | 7 | 10 | Yes |
| Kentucky | 17 | 8 | 9 | Yes |
| South Carolina | 16 | 10 | 6 | Yes |
| Vanderbilt | 16 | 9 | 7 | Yes |
| Auburn | 15 | 8 | 7 | Yes |
| Missouri | 15 | 10 | 5 | Yes |
| Florida | 14 | 9 | 5 | Yes |
| Tennessee | 14 | 7 | 7 | No |
| Arkansas | 13 | 7 | 6 | Yes |
| Miss State | 13 | 7 | 6 | Yes |
| Texas A&M | 12 | 5 | 7 | No |
| Alabama | 11 | 6 | 5 | Yes |
| LSU | 11 | 6 | 5 | Yes |
| Ole Miss | 11 | 5 | 6 | No |
While you’d think having the highest number of returning starters would typically equal the best results on the field, recent returns suggest that isn’t necessarily the case.
Last season, Tennessee led the East in returning starters and the LSU led the West. Alabama ranked dead last in the SEC – and 116th in the nation – yet were barely tested in league play. Texas A&M ranked 13th in the SEC and 114th in the nation in returning starters, yet managed to get off to a 6-0 start. Florida ranked 11th in the SEC and 103rd in the nation and yet managed to win the East.
In 2015, Vanderbilt and Kentucky ranked at the top of the conference in returning starters yet combined to have a 9-15 record. Florida ranked last in the SEC with Alabama ranking next to last in returning starters – they both met in Atlanta for the 2015 SEC Championship Game.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
