Depth is a necessity in the SEC.

If you don’t have it, you won’t win.

Games are often decided in the second half at the line of scrimmage, when wills are imposed in the trenches. Running back (along with linebacker) is one of the league’s deepest positions heading into the 2015 campaign and there’s five teams with considerable talent at their disposal.

Editor’s note: Individual star rankings are based on the 247Sports Composite.

SEC’s 5 deepest backfields in 2015

1. Georgia Bulldogs: Armed with one of the SEC’s deepest backfields ever this season, Mark Richt’s run-game unit comes in just ahead of dual 1,000-yard returning rushers at Arkansas due to the Bulldogs’ wide range of talent — five players who could potentially start at other SEC programs. It obviously starts at the top with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, but Keith Marshall’s a first-team caliber back when he’s healthy and third-year sophomore A.J. Turman made waves this spring as one of offense’s most valuable players. Don’t forget about Brendan Douglas either, a junior with 575 yards and five scores as a career backup behind Todd Gurley.

  • Nick Chubb, Soph. — 2014 five-star; SEC Freshman of the Year, 1,547 yards, 14 TD
  • Sony Michel, Soph. — 2014 five-star; Avg. 7.3 yards per offensive touch as frosh, 6 TD
  • Keith Marshall, Sr. — 2012 five-star; 1,029 career rushing yards, 9 TD
  • A.J. Turman, Soph. — 2013 four-star
  • Brendan Douglas, Jr. — 2013 three-star; 575 career rushing yards, 5 TD

2. Arkansas Razorbacks: The only SEC offense to welcome back two first team all-conference caliber horses, no returning tandem in the league has come close to matching Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins’ production totals over the last two seasons. There’s little separation from a talent perspective between the two and each delivers his own unique skill set. Williams brings the power, while Collins provides excellent vision. A third player, senior Kody Walker, emerged during the spring game, a household name among Arkansas fans but maybe not SEC-wide. The Razorbacks could run into a similar problem facing Tennessee’s starting backfield of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. If one of their two superstar backs goes down with an injury, can a third-teamer pick up the production in his absence? Walker’s talented enough and most importantly, has the experience to do so.

  • Jonathan Williams, Sr. — 2012 four-star; 2,321 career rushing yards, 16 TD
  • Alex Collins, Jr. — 2013 four-star; 2,126 career rushing yards, 16 TD
  • Kody Walker, Sr. — 2011 three-star; 250 career rushing yards, 7 TD

3. Auburn Tigers: By now, everyone knows Gus Malzahn’s system is ‘interchangeable parts-friendly’ and that’s just what the Tigers have this season with two newcomers and a pair of sophomores all fighting to be top dog in the backfield. A lead back should separate himself from the rest of the pack by the third or fourth game, just like SEC leading rushers Cameron Artis-Payne and Tre Mason managed to do during the two previous seasons. Spring practice tells us Robinson and Thomas have the edge, but Barber isn’t far behind.

  • Jovon Robinson, Jr. — 2015 five-star, top-rated JUCO RB
  • Roc Thomas, Soph. — 2014 five-star; 214 career rushing yards, 2 TD
  • Peyton Barber, Soph. — 2013 three-star; 54 career rushing yards
  • Kerryon Johnson, Frosh. — 2015 four-star

4. Alabama Crimson Tide: The Crimson Tide would’ve been higher had Bo Scarbrough not suffered an unfortunate season-ending ACL tear this spring days after tailback Tyren Jones’ dismissal. Two men down leaves Alabama with projected 1,000-yard rusher Derrick Henry, multi-threat option Kenyan Drake, early enrollee DeSherrius Flowers and five-star newcomer Damien Harris who is set to arrive this summer. No longer playing in T.J. Yeldon’s shadow, Henry will have to shoulder much of the burden until the first-year pair proves they’re ready to contribute. Still on his way back from serious injury, Drake will move around on offense and likely will be just as much a receiving option as a backfield threat in his final campaign.

  • Derrick Henry, Jr. — 2013 five-star; 1,372 career rushing yards, 14 TD
  • Kenyan Drake, Sr. — 2012 four-star; 1,087 career rushing yards, 17 TD
  • Damien Harris, Frosh. — 2015 five-star
  • DeSherrius Flowers, Frosh. — 2015 four-star

5. LSU Tigers: Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron may have the SEC’s top individual ballcarrier in his arsenal, but the rest of LSU’s prospective running backs this season are relatively unproven. That doesn’t mean the Tigers don’t have several talented options, however. Sophomore Darrel Williams was ‘the other’ back to come in with Leonard Fournette last season and despite being stuck behind two veterans and the aforementioned five-star, managed 302 yards and three scores. When Fournette is not toting it 25-plus times this season, expect Williams to hear his number called often and especially in short-yardage situations.

  • Leonard Fournette, Soph. — 2014 five-star; 1,034 career rushing yards, 10 TD
  • Darrel Williams, Soph. — 2014 four-star; 302 career rushing yards, 3 TD
  • Derrius Guice, Frosh. — 2015 four-star
  • Nick Brossette, Frosh. — 2015 four-star

Just missed the cut: Mississippi State — Dontavian Lee, Ashton Shumpert, Aeris Williams; Florida — Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane, Jordan Scarlett