The Mississippi State Bulldogs lost a tremendous number of key pieces from last year’s 10-win team, and they’ll have to find new playmakers on both sides of the ball this offseason to try and keep the program among the best in the nation during Dak Prescott’s final college season.

Prescott and a handful of other players are back for one more go around, and while MSU searches for its future core of talent, these five players will likely carry the team through a season in the daunting SEC West.

Here are the Bulldogs five best returning players for the 2015 season:

5. WR Fred Ross: As Jameon Lewis struggled during his senior season while battling nagging injuries and the tragic death of his brother, Ross emerged as a true No. 2 threat in the MSU passing game. He hauled in 30 passes for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns, three of which came in the second half of the season, and for the year he averaged more than 16 yards per catch proving himself to be a player capable of stretching the field vertically.

4. LB Beniquez Brown: Brown was second on the team in tackles last season with 62, trailing only top NFL Draft prospect Benardrick McKinney in that category. Brown will now assume the role of a defensive leader from the middle of the field, and between his consistent tackling, his ability to make plays in the backfield (7 tackles for loss last year) and his abilities in coverage, he’s one of the most complete returning players on the defensive side of the ball.

3. DT Chris Jones: The only five-star recruit of the Dan Mullen era, Jones has been a monster in the middle as promised during his career in Starkville. Regardless of what his numbers say, the mammoth 6-foot-5, 308-pound defensive tackle routinely occupies multiple blockers in the trenches, freeing up opportunities for other players on the defense to make plays, like McKinney or fellow NFL prospect Preston Smith. He’s poised to have his best season yet as a junior in 2015, and as opposing offenses aim to avoid him he’ll dictate more on the field than you think each week.

2. WR De’Runnya Wilson: As a sophomore in 2014 Wilson showed the traits of a true No. 1 wideout in the SEC, making some spectacular catches along the way while consistently leading the team in targets, catches and yards each and every week. The former basketball star has great leaping ability and his route running has improved ten-fold since his arrival in Starkville. With Prescott back for one more season, the tandem should become one of the most lethal in the conference, as Wilson has the tool to make plays across the middle, on the outside, down the field and in goal line situations.

1. QB Dak Prescott: If you started reading this piece wondering who No. 1 might be, you’re either naive or didn’t watch a single Mississippi State game last season. Prescott is not only the best returning player on the team; he’s perhaps one of the greatest players in Mississippi State history. He threw for more than 3,000 yards, ran for more than 900 for the second year in a row and was named the first-team All-SEC quarterback while finishing in the top 10 in Heisman voting, higher than any MSU star ever. He’ll return in 2015 with more experience, another offseason of development and plenty of confidence, giving him all the tools to have an even better year in 2015 than he did in 2014.