Although the recruiting classes in the SEC East didn’t get the hype of their conference mates in the West, there are plenty of good defensive players who should be able to make an impact as true freshmen.

We take a look at five who have a real good shot to stand out in 2016:

Chauncey Gardner, CB, Florida: The Gators have had a nice run of cornerbacks who performed well as freshman like Vernon Hargreaves III and Jalen Tabor. Gardner already has a spring in with the team and has the skill set to be the next player in line with that group. With Hargreaves in the NFL and Tabor appearing ready to jump after this season, Gardner will get plenty of opportunities to prove he can play on the big stage.

Julian Rochester, DT, Georgia: As part of a revamped defense under new head coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs will need to be big and tough in the middle of the defensive line. Rochester is 6-foot-5, 320 pounds and has the type of skill set that Smart has seen from the linemen he coached at Alabama. Rochester got into some legal troubles in his first spring as a college student, but Smart let him play in the spring game and will likely let him play often in the fall.

Stephon Taylor, DT, South Carolina: The biggest get for Will Muschamp on signing day was Taylor, who had Texas and Florida State high on his list as well. Taylor said he wasn’t interested in the Gamecocks until Muschamp took the job because the old staff under Steve Spurrier never recruited him. Taylor’s relationship began while Muschamp was a head coach at Florida and that gave the Gamecocks a chance. With the sort of transition that will happen with South Carolina this year, expect Taylor to get a lot of opportunities as Muschamp will have to lean on several young players.

Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt: The one-time Mississippi State commit surprised a few when he chose the Commodores and stuck through his pledge. Now with a spring under his belt, the only four-star prospect in Vanderbilt’s recruiting class will see a lot of time in the secondary probably playing some cornerback and safety with his good size (6-2, 205). If the Commodores can start to turn things around in Derek Mason’s third season, it will be with strong efforts from his young players. Williams has the most star potential of anyone in the class.

Tyler Byrd, CB/WR, Tennessee: The Volunteers got a commitment and signature from Byrd after convincing him to flip from the Miami Hurricanes in the final weekend before signing day. Byrd, an Army All-American, didn’t make the switch to sit, but it looks like he’s switching positions.

Butch Jones said recently that Byrd will begin his career at receiver. If that doesn’t take, he could switch back and possibly play some nickel. With Byrd and Nigel Warrior, that certainly would give the Volunteers a nice boost of young athleticism in the secondary. Either way, looks like Byrd will find his way on the field in 2016.