The SEC West features seven teams who could find themselves ranked in the preseason Top 25.

All seven could — and should — make bowl games again in 2015, so competition will be fierce for every slot in the standings. On a micro level, that means a lot of future NFL talent, and plenty of elite college players.

Here are the 10 best individual players in the SEC West entering the fall.

Also Considered: Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell, Alabama LB Reggie Ragland, Ole Miss S Tony Conner, Auburn WR D’haquille Williams

10. RB Derrick Henry, Alabama: Will the offensive line outside of left tackle and center get adequate push? How much will Kenyan Drake, Damien Harris and DeSherrius Flowers contribute out of the backfield? Those questions will help determine the production of Henry, who is built more like a linebacker at 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry as an underclassman, so given a huge workload, Henry could challenge for the SEC rushing title.

9. DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M: Officially listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Garrett surely will have added some muscle weight between the end of the 2014 season and the opening kickoff in September. Explosiveness isn’t a factor, as Myles reportedly ran a hand-timed 4.4-second 40-yard dash this offseason after breaking the SEC freshman record with 11 sacks. But he needs to get stronger against the run and better equipped to handle elite offensive tackles, as most of his production came against lesser competition. Do that and he could threaten to become an All-American.

8. DE Jonathan Allen, Alabama: Allen is a more polished version of Arkansas’ Trey Flowers ahead of last season. A first-team all-SEC selection in 2014, Allen is just adequate as a pass rusher. But within Alabama’s 3-4 base scheme, he’s an ideal run-stuffer who not only holds the point of attack, but often drives firing offensive tackles or guards backward. He’s one of the SEC’s best defensive linemen against the run.

7. DT A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama: Robinson is among the most gifted defensive linemen in the SEC in terms of physical ability, on par with Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss. A five-star member of the ’13 class, Robinson just started matching that natural ability with technique and production near the end of last year’s SEC schedule. If his developmental trajectory continues, he’ll be a disruptive force in the middle of the Tide defense and one of the most difficult players in the country to block.

6. QB Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: There’s a reason there’s so much intrigue surrounding the strong-armed 6-foot-5, 240-pound Johnson. Some even argued that coach Gus Malzahn should’ve started him ahead of Nick Marshall last season, even though Marshall led Auburn to a BCS Championship Game appearance in 2013. Johnson is a different player than Marshall or Cam Newton, but Malzahn ought to be able to maximize his ability and leverage it for an outstanding offensive season.

5. OT Cam Robinson, Alabama: The first true freshman to start at left tackle for the Tide since Andre Smith, the No. 6 overall pick in ’09, Robinson has the potential to be at least as good. At 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, Robinson held his own against some of the SEC’s best pass rushers in ’14. Now it’ll be his turn to start testing defensive players to see if they’re good enough to compete at the highest level.

4. RB Leonard Fournette, LSU: If any player is equipped to handle preseason hype, it’s Fournette, who has faced Heisman Trophy expectations and comparisons to Adrian Peterson since before he arrived on campus in Baton Rouge, La., last year. It took the first half of last season for Fournette to settle down on the field, and he rushed for more than 20 carries just three times as a freshman. With backfield mates Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard gone, and big questions remaining at quarterback, expect the Tigers to lean more on Fournette this fall.

3. OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss: Recovered from a fractured fibula, the Rebels left tackle is poised to lead an experienced offensive line that looks to make major improvements. Already an All-SEC performer, there’s not much that Tunsil has left to prove at the collegiate level as an individual. But it’s crucial that he protect Chad Kelly, or whomever Ole Miss starts at quarterback, as well as get some push to help out the running game, as the Rebels try to score some points to support an elite defense.

2. DT Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss: A second-team All-American in ’14 despite what Nkemdiche himself deemed as a season below his potential, the headliner from the ’13 class already has performed very well. If he can find a way to reach that final gear and keep his motor high on every play, he could be unblockable this fall. Don’t expect a ton of tackles for loss or sacks for Nkemdiche, who will face constant double teams. But the rest of the Rebels defense, already at a talent advantage, more or less will play 11-on-10 thanks to the prized defensive tackle.

1. QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State: After accounting for 4,435 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2014, Prescott appears ready to become an even better passer in ’15 based on spring practice. There are questions about whether the Bulldogs’ defense and offensive line will provide Prescott as much help this fall as it did during a historic ’14 season. But if any one player is positioned to single-handedly dictate the success of a unit in the SEC West this season, it’s Prescott with the Mississippi State offense. He ought to be able to take advantage of a slew of decent skill players, pick his spots as a runner and position himself for the 2015 NFL draft.