SEC Football: Who Will Replace the Biggest Departed Star from Each SEC Team

As always, the Southeastern Conference must replace an abundance of superstars from 2014 who'll either be high-round NFL draft picks or components of contenders who simply exhausted eligibility.

From quarterbacks who were leaders of successful offenses to defensive stalwarts decorated with collegiate awards, every SEC team has huge holes to fill.

This year isn't anything like a season ago when a mass exodus of signal-callers, skill-position players and first-rounders gutted the league. But it's still going to be tough to think of a conference devoid of such stars as Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and Missouri defensive end Shane Ray. 

They'll both be taken high in the draft and starring on Sundays when the latest football season rolls around.

Every other team is searching for playmakers this spring as well. Let's take a look at some possibilities to replace the SEC's brightest departed stars in 2015.

Nobody stopped Crimson Tide junior receiver Amari Cooper in 2014.

He wound up with 124 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 TDs in one of the greatest pass-catching seasons in recent memory.

The year earned him a seat in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, an award in which he finished third.

The Miami native bypassed his final season in Tuscaloosa, leaving Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin trying to figure out how you replace his massive production. Quite simply, you don't with a single player. You can't.

Never worry, though. There's plenty of talent at Alabama, as always, and Kiffin's offenses are normally much better when there's a star receiver for quarterbacks to throw to.

So, who'll it be? Of the 73 percent of its receiving yardage that must be replaced, according to AL.com's Michael Casagrande, most of that came from Cooper.

Cam Sims and ArDarius Stewart, as well as Robert Foster, are all talented enough to be extremely productive. Also, 5-star receiver Calvin Ridley is the nation's top-ranked wide receiver who, like Cooper, is a Florida product who's good enough to play as a freshman.

Though he isn't a receiver, if running back Kenyan Drake returns healthy, Kiffin will line him up all over the field, and he could be a viable force.

It'll be a receiver-by-committee approach to replicate Cooper's production, but between Sims, Stewart and Ridley, Bama isn't going to be at a loss for guys who can turn short gains into touchdowns.

In order for the Razorbacks to be a breakthrough contender for the SEC West, they've got to fix some major voids along the defensive front. 

Gone are defensive end Trey Flowers and (a bit surprisingly) defensive tackle Darius Philon, who elected to leave early rather than get another year of seasoning under his belt in Fayetteville. 

Now, head coach Bret Bielema must find a way to replace a lot of departed talent along the front. The most pressing perhaps is Flowers, a pass-rushing beast who, while not elite, will latch on with an NFL team and be a long-time pro.

The most logical choice to replace Flowers' production is fellow starter, Ja'Michael Winston, who is returning for his junior season. Hawgs247 reporter Otis Kirk referred to Winston as a defensive "leader" already this spring.

Some of the candidates to replace Flowers on the outside are Deatrich Wise Jr., Mitchell Loewen, Tevin Beanum and Brandon Lewis. Anthony Brown and Jake Hall also return.

At 6'5", 271 pounds, Wise certainly looks the part. He's a weak-side defensive end in a tackle's body. After getting a couple of sacks as a sophomore, the Texan is ready to take on a bigger role this season. He's already listed as No. 1 on the depth chart, and big things are expected.

If Wise lives up to expectations, Flowers may not be impossible to replace.

There's no way Jeremy Johnson can be Nick Marshall. The two just don't have the same skill set.

That may not be such a bad thing for Auburn offensive-minded head coach Gus Malzahn.

At times last season, the Tigers appeared limited as far as what they could do offensively, especially in the red zone or if their porous defense allowed them to fall too far behind. In certain passing situations, Marshall—who will try his hand at the NFL via defensive back—was far from dependable.

Now, with dropback threat Johnson at the helm, AU becomes a legit passing threat, especially with Duke Williams returning.

With Roc Thomas, Peyton Barber, Jovon Robinson and others setting up shop in the offensive backfield, there won't be a shortage of running options on the Plains. So, if the quarterback can't jet with the best of them, it's really not a huge deal.

Malzahn has proven in the past that he didn't need a running quarterback to have a prolific offense (see: Todd, Chris), so you'll probably see a more balanced attack this year.

If Johnson lives up to massive expectations based off his few spot starts and game action through his first two seasons, Auburn could put up some huge passing numbers this year. If it does, the Tigers may just be a threat again in the West.

Nobody is talking too openly about a "rebuilding" campaign in the Swamp, but there are some massive holes in which to fill. 

None is bigger than the hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role that departed star Dante Fowler Jr. played. 

He'll almost certainly be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft, and while UF recruited extremely well on the defensive side of the ball during the Will Muschamp era, there aren't any slam-dunk replacements upon which Jim McElwain can depend.

The first-year coach told the Tampa Bay Times' Antonya English this spring: "I'm a believer in this: You don't replace a Dante Fowler. The guy is going to be a top 10, whatever, a top-five pick in the National Football League. That's a pretty good league, by the way. So you don't replace that guy."

Last season, tall, lanky Alex McCalister emerged to provide some pass-rush production, and he is a key candidate to replace Fowler at the "Buck" linebacker position. After some weight room work, he has added weight to his 6'6" frame and really could be a force.

Though he won't play linebacker, 6'2", 275-pound 5-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson was one of McElwain's two biggest recruiting coups this past cycle along with Martez Ivey. There's no way a player of his caliber stands on the sideline this year.

Maybe he can provide some of the explosion off the edge for which Fowler was known.

A year ago, the Bulldogs had to replace record-breaking signal-caller Aaron Murray.

Though he was far from the explosive passer, Hutson Mason rode into the Georgia sunset after a final season that saw him throw for 2,168 yards, 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

For an offense that relied on the running game, Mason was an ideal, if not flashy, game manager.

Now, the Bulldogs must again find one of those to replace the steady Mason. Though Todd Gurley is gone to the NFL, UGA has a stable of able runners led by super sophomore Nick Chubb. They'll hand the ball off 35-45 times a game, but in the SEC, you always need a quarterback. 

It's a three-man battle to replace Mason, as Brice Ramsey, Faton Bauta and Jacob Park are all vying for the job. With a new coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer, the gig truly is wide-open.

Ramsey has the most game experience and is, therefore, the favorite to win the job. However, Park is the most physically gifted of the trio and could provide a shocker. Bauta is talented enough to play his way into the mix, too.

While Ramsey is the safe bet right now, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Park get a look if the former struggles. It would be best for the Dawgs if the live-armed Park could win it outright and run away with the starting reins.

Georgia hasn't had difficulty recruiting quarterbacks, so the talent is there. It's just a matter of who can be the most consistent and mix in a touch of the spectacular from time to time.

Much like Arkansas, the Kentucky Wildcats must replace a duo of top-shelf playmakers from their defensive line.

In UK's case, it's certain first-round pick Alvin "Bud" Dupree and Za'Darius Smith. The pair combined for 12 of the team's 27 sacks a season ago, and Dupree looks like a lock to be an NFL stud. 

So, how will Mark Stoops replace them?

While it'll be a difficult proposition, at least the third-year head coach has won his share of recruiting battles, so there's much more talent stockpiled in the Bluegrass State than is normally the case. It isn't exactly John Calipari-caliber blue-chippers, but they're quality players, nonetheless.

Also keep in mind, it wasn't like those two really good players anchored great defenses. Though UK may not have as much star power on that side of the ball in 2015, the Cats may have more depth and therefore a better defense.

Former star recruit Jason Hatcher is the guy who the onus falls on to be the next great Wildcats defender. He managed 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss during his first two seasons backing up the duo and was so good at times that Stoops got all three on the field at once.

Hatcher, the former Trinity High standout from Louisville, is the ideal player to step into Dupree's "Jack" linebacker role and thrive. If he can be a big-play producer this year, UK's defense may help the team turn a corner and go bowling.

LSU coach Les Miles has an easy solution to replacing departed star left tackle and probable top-10 NFL draft pick La'El Collins:

He'll replace the starter with another starter.

Last year's right tackle Jerald Hawkins will utilize his superb athleticism by moving to the left side, and Vadal Alexander (the other returning starter for the Bayou Bengals) will slide into Hawkins' old spot at right tackle, moving over from guard.

It's a move Hawkins told New Orleans' The Times-Picayune's Jim Kleinpeter was "natural" to him. Alexander also chimed in that he has high expectations regardless of two old starters playing new positions.

"I plan for us to be the  best tackle combination in the country," Alexander said. "That's what we're working to be. That's why we came back, to win the national championship."

Position moves are not something Miles has been shy about experimenting with along the offensive line in his LSU career, and it's no different this season.

Ethan Pocic will shift down to center, and a couple of former highly rated recruits, Garrett Brumfield and William Clapp, who redshirted last year, are running with the first-teamers this spring at guard, according to ESPN.com's David Ching.

LSU has plenty of talent on the offensive line. Sure, replacing Collins is going to be really tough, but with two potential pro prospects in Hawkins and Alexander lined up and ready to go, it could be smooth sailing.

Josh Robinson's breakout 1,203-yard and 11-touchdown performance as a junior helped Mississippi State to become one of the biggest buzzes around the nation for much of the season.

But it was a bit of a surprise when star back elected to forego his final season in Starkville and turn pro. What followed was a disappointing NFL combine in which he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash and likely free-fell down the draft.

Regardless, he can't come back now, so the Bulldogs are going to be forced to replace him. Head coach Dan Mullen has several players in place who can soften the blow. Given the success the coach has had with a rushing attack during his six years at MSU, the candidates will probably have success.

The duo expected to get a lion's share of the action are completely different types of players.

Jitterbug Brandon Holloway is a 160-pound speedster who can turn on a dime and make plays in space. He should be able to provide the big-play potential the Bulldogs have been lacking. 

Throw in 220-pound Ashton Shumpert as the answer to Robinson's bulk behind Dak Prescott, and MSU has a couple of runners who can shoulder the load. Then, there's always the dual-threat Prescott, who will enter his senior season as one of the nation's frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy.

It may have been a disappointment for Robinson to go pro, but there are numerous options who could allow the Bulldogs to have an even more versatile running game this season.

If you're noticing a pattern by now, pat yourself on the back: Many SEC teams are having to find replacements for stud defensive linemen.

There's no bigger loss for a conference team in that capacity than in Columbia, Missouri, where SEC defensive player of the year Shane Ray is doing his tour of visiting NFL teams prior to being a certain early first-round selection in the upcoming draft.

Fellow sack mate Markus Golden is also out of eligibility and will be a pro player in 2015.

So, who are next in line in Mizzou defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski's big-man factory?

Sophomores Marcus Loud and Charles Harris are the new starters at end. While the NFL's focus probably will shift inside to the Tigers' tackles, led by Harold Brantley and incoming star recruit Terry Beckner Jr., the ends have some potential.

Brantley is a stud, and that's unquestioned. The trio of linemen who are slated to start with him—Loud, Harris and Josh Augusta—combined for 56 tackles and 3.5 sacks. 

While the ends aren't proven, this isn't the first time Mizzou had to replace its top two pass-rushers. As a matter of fact, it did the year before when Kony Ealy and Michael Sam left. 

When that happened, as ESPN.com's Christopher Hobbs notes: "Not only did the Tigers replace Sam and Ealy, but they also increased their sack total to 44 in 2014. Last season's starting defensive ends, Shane Ray and Markus Golden, accounted for 24.5 of those sacks."

Kuligowski is a mastermind of piecing together championship lines. He'll get his chance again this year.

No matter whether you wanted to get into the "Good Bo" or "Bad Bo" discussion, departed Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace had an extremely productive career manning coach Hugh Freeze's program revitalization.

Now he's gone, and the Rebels must find the heir to the quarterback throne as the Rebs try to take the next step forward.

There are question marks in the running game as well as on the offensive line, but Ole Miss has plenty of talent if it can find the right signal-caller.

Perhaps the most intriguing name in the race is former Clemson quarterback and JUCO recruit Chad Kelly. Now that his latest brush with the law is behind him, he can focus on winning the Rebels' starting gig. He's battling with Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade for the honors.

Freeze noted to ESPN.com's Greg Ostendorf recently that he isn't close to naming a starter due to consistency issues with all three this spring. Kelly's raw ability is shining through, even if his inexperience is evident.

I'm really pleased with everything he's done to this point. It's a process. I'm very aware that any of these young men can make a decision that is wrong. He's got very little rope to do that with, but I’m real pleased with him to this point. He studies film. He's a competitor. He's a team guy. That's been my experience thus far.

Buchanan is the dropback passer, and Kincade is the speedster. Kelly provides a little bit of both as a dual-threat capability, and if he can stay out of trouble, he has the natural ability to step right in for Wallace and shine.

Lots of areas need fixing for head coach Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks as they are coming off a 7-6 season where they lost a ton of talent.

As is the case with several other teams around the league, they have to find a new quarterback. But also gone are running back Mike Davis, a slew of successful receivers and offensive linemen A.J. Cann and Corey Robinson.

Still, finding somebody who can direct the offense the way Dylan Thompson did a season ago has to be the top priority.

Carolina fans are excited about the potential of redshirt sophomore Connor Mitch, who has waited his turn behind Thompson and Connor Shaw while learning the spot. Thus far this spring, the 6'3", 211-pound passer is the clear No. 1.

Gamecocks quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus told the Greenville News' Willie T. Smith III of his new (old) signal-caller early in spring drills:

"He's been here long enough. This is his third spring now, so it didn't surprise me. But I sure didn't tell him he did the best in the world. That's for sure. He's got a lot to go. (The defense is) putting in new coverages and new defenses every day. There is still a long, long way to go."

Three other quarterbacks—Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia and Brendon Nosovitch—are also vying for the starting spot, but it would be a surprise if it wasn't Mitch.

Tennessee began life without A.J. Johnson a little early last year as he and teammate Michael Williams saw their names come up in a sexual assault investigation.

The Vols played the season's final three games without their starting star middle linebacker. As that legal process moves onward, so does UT's football program, and its search to find the next big-time playmaker in the center of its defense.

This spring won't provide a complete picture with an injury to former 4-star middle linebacker recruit and mid-term enrollee Darrin Kirkland Jr. (who will be ready by fall), but the race could have a clear front-runner.

Redshirt freshman Dillon Bates played last year as an outside linebacker, but he is moving inside this spring to see if he can be the answer to the Vols' big need. He told GoVols247's Wes Rucker that he has put on weight naturally and hopes to be around 240 pounds by the spring game.

Coach Butch Jones noted that Bates is progressing at the position:

Dillon's an intelligent football player, but having him miss most of the year and having him back out there, he's going through the learning curve, just like all of our young players are right now. I think the speed of the game was fast for him initially, but Dillon did some great things today. He’s athletic, he’s very [instinctual], and he's smart.

If Bates doesn't stick at the spot, he'll play outside, his natural spot. Kirkland returns to battle in the fall, and there's always the trio of Jakob Johnson, Kenny Bynum and Gavin Bryant who could be factors in the race.

The Vols have plenty of talent to replace A.J. Johnson. The months leading up to the season are all about which one is the best fit right now.

More than once in the past few seasons at Texas A&M, the right tackle position has become a breeding ground for a left tackle who eventually goes on to the NFL.

This season is probably no different.

With Cedric Ogbuehi gone and almost certain to be a first-round draft pick, Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin is searching for the next star tackle in College Station. He'll probably only have to scan to the other side of last year's line.

Germain Ifedi, last year's starting right tackle, could shift to the left side. While he almost certainly is an NFL prospect, he may be better-suited to play on the right side. If so, redshirt junior Avery Gennesy may be the next guy up.

After a decorated JUCO career, Gennesy redshirted last year while Ogbuehi and Ifedi held down the spots. If the 6'5", 305-pound Gennesy can take over the left side, Ifedi will just slide back into his old role.

According to ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff on Gennesy:

He won't be handed the job, but it sounds like he's had a pretty good spring to this point and has a good chance to be the starter at left tackle this fall. It was smart to give Gennesy a chance to play two real seasons with the Aggies, rather than waste 2014 on a season in which he would have played primarily as a backup, but now Gennesy has to show he was worth waiting on.

Replacing Ogbuehi is going to be a tall task, but the Aggies are known for producing stud offensive tackles, so they've probably got the guys lined up to do it. It's only a matter of finding who fits where the best.

A team that plays 32 freshmen like Vanderbilt did a season ago while going 3-9 and winless in the SEC isn't going to have to replace very many key cogs.

VU returns all its quarterbacks, its top two rushers, top three receivers and top six tacklers from last season.

But the Commodores must find a stalwart in the middle of that defensive line to take the place of departed tackle Vince Taylor. The 6'1", 310-pounder from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was a terror at nose guard.

For the season, he finished with 43 total tackles and shared team high with two fumble recoveries. He also had 20 solo tackles, 1.5 quarterback sacks and three tackles for loss.

That big job to replace the big man is expected to fall into the hands of former star recruit Nifae Lealao, a 6'5", 320-pound sophomore who had seven total tackles and one fumble recovery backing up Taylor last year.

As a former 4-star recruit, Lealao surprised many when he chose Vanderbilt over Stanford and California, following Mason there when he left the Cardinal's defensive coordinator role to take over in Nashville. He was expected to make a quick impact, and now he'll have that opportunity.

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.