Alvin “Bud” Dupree, Za’Darius Smith, Braylon Heard, Javess Blue. The Wildcats bid all of these players adieu after the 2014 season. They were all impact players in their positions and will be missed.

Coach Mark Stoops also has corralled some exciting talent in the 2016 and 2017 recruiting classes. But Kentucky wll have to wait a while for them to take the field.

But what about right now? With a new season comes new impact players. Let’s review Kentucky’s 10 best players going into 2015.

10. LB Ryan Flannigan: Among returnees, he’s the second-leading tackler. Flannigan spent a majority of last season learning his craft. That paid off during the last two games of the season, as he nearly doubled the amount of tackles he’d made in a game up until that point.

9. RB Jojo Kemp: Despite sharing the position with Stanley “Boom” Williams, who’s still to come on this list, and Braylon Heard, who is now gone, Kemp produced a respectable season last year. He was the third-leading rusher, with 323 yards and 4 touchdowns, just as many as Heard. This season, he will serve as Williams’ back up.

8. WR Ryan Timmons: With so many veteran wide receivers leaving, the Wildcats are fortunate that their leader in receptions last year is returning. Timmons finished the season with 536 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. He will be relied on to score more, as well as lead the rest of the sophomore wide receivers.

7. DE Jason Hatcher: Hatcher made the second-most tackles for loss among UK returnees. Especially now that Smith and Dupree are gone, the Wildcats expect Hatcher to step up. However, the team recently announced he will serve a two-game suspension due to a violation of team rules. This is the second time he’s been suspended while he’s been part of the program.

6. QB Patrick Towles: He passed for 2,718 yards, fifth-best in the SEC, and averaged 226.5 yards per game. He also rushed for 306 yards and 6 touchdowns. His arm strength and mobility are assets. He will need to improve his accuracy and decision-making skills if he wants to continue to grow as a quarterback.

5. C Jon Toth: Toth is one of the best centers in the SEC. Phil Steele named him to his preseason fourth-team all-SEC offense. Toth was also named to the 2015 Rimington Trophy watch list for this season, an award bestowed upon the best FBS center. With him, Kentucky improved from 20 points per game in 2013 to 29 points per game in 2014. As one of the four returning starters to the offensive line, he will be a rock for the rest of the offense and for Towles.

4. LB Josh Forrest: This senior has gained 22 pounds, lost none of his speed, and will terrify offenses. Last season, he  tallied at least 10 tackles in five games. Against Tennessee alone, he made 12 solo tackles and 20 in total. So even though Dupree and Smith are gone, Forrest knows that he’s got the team covered.

3. K Austin MacGinnis: Phil Steele named MacGinnis to his first-team preseason All-SEC special teams unit, which is a pretty big deal. Last year, MacGinnis made the most field goals of any kicker in the SEC, and had the fourth-best completion percentage. He also never missed a PAT. MacGinnis is reliable and can be counted upon to come through if winning a game comes down to his foot.

2. DT Melvin Lewis: A former JUCO transfer, Lewis is considered the most improved player on on the team. He came to the Wildcats having not learned a lot of the skills necessary for his position. Now coaches have commented about him being the one who urges other players to get lined up, to not be late, and to show best effort during practice. Look forward to Lewis improving on his 37 tackles from last year.

1. RB Stanley “Boom” Williams: Williams was Kentucky’s rushing leader last year, and will do the same this year. He also made an appearance on Phil Steele’s preseason All-SEC lists, but as a kickoff returner. While he only averaged 48.6 rushing yards a game, many think his true potential has yet to be seen. With a 40-yard dash below 4.4, he’s one of the fastest players in the SEC. He may truly boom during his upcoming sophomore year.