The fax machines have barely cooled off from National Signing Day one week ago. But already, many of the signees are on campus attending classes and prepping for spring practice.

Which early enrollee from each SEC team will have the biggest impact during the 2015 season?

  • Alabama: S Deionte Thompson. Hootie Jones likely will start at strong safety, but the Tide lost Landon Collins, Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams. Thompson should make an immediate impact on special teams, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him at free safety, at least as a backup. Geno Smith, Jabriel Washington and Maurice Smith also are on-roster candidates at the position.
  • Arkansas: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter. Hjalte Froholdt is the higher-rated player and also an early enrollee, but Ledbetter is a junior college transfer that Bret Bielema expects to play immediately. Even without Darius Philon, the Razorbacks return some good players at the position in Taiwan Johnson and Bijhon Jackson. But whether it’s as a starter or a backup, expect the 6-foot-3, 280-pound Ledbetter to see the field early.
  • Auburn: RB Jovon Robinson. The No. 1 JUCO player in the country this year, he’ll try to follow players like Nick Marshall, Duke Williams and Cameron Artis-Payne who have made huge impacts for the Tigers after transferring into the program. He’ll compete with Roc Thomas to win the lead back job. Expect them to both get carries, but with a strong spring Robinson can secure a higher percentage.
  • Florida: TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe. Jim McElwain’s first commitment, Imatorbhebhe is one of two early enrollees along with three-star WR Kalif Jackson. A three-star versatile H-back, it’s unclear if Imatorbhebhe will make an immediate impact, but he’ll have a chance to impress the coaching staff in spring ball and it’s not as if the Gators have a half-dozen players who can perform his role.
  • Georgia: DE Jonathan Ledbetter. Natrez Patrick also is a strong early-enrollee candidate, but UGA appears to be grooming him as a linebacker, and the Bulldogs aren’t exactly hurting for pass rushers. The team does need immediate help along the defensive line, though, where Ledbetter will compete for early playing time at strongside defensive end.
  • Kentucky: TE C.J. Conrad. Redshirt freshman Darryl Long and Nebraska transfer Greg Hart could contend for time at the position. Hart still must get a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible in 2015. But the Wildcats enter spring practice without a single tight end who has caught a college pass, and Conrad can be penciled in as the stater. A former receiver, Conrad morphed from a 175-pound sophomore to a 220-pound senior. UK wants him at 240 by the fall, but the four-star recruit should be ready to perform.
  • LSU: CB Kevin Toliver II. David Ducre has an excellent chance to play fullback right away. But Toliver II could start at cornerback opposite Tre’Davious White, considering Jalen Collins left early for the NFL, Rashard Robinson is facing an indefinite suspension and Dwayne Thomas recovering from a torn ACL. He’ll likely have to upend sophomore Ed Paris during spring practice to start at corner, but even if he doesn’t, expect the 6-foot-2 corner to make an immediate impact.
  • Mississippi State: OT Martinas Rankin. To be fair, WR Donald Gray is 1b. Both players have an opportunity to start immediately, with Gray serving as the Jameon Lewis prototype. But Rankin, 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, is penciled in as the starting left tackle for 2015, protecting Heisman candidate Dak Prescott from all those SEC defensive ends. Expect some strong competition during spring practice, but Rankin is the tentative favorite to win the job.
  • Missouri: OT Malik Cuellar. The JUCO transfer will compete to start at offensive tackle. He played both left and right as a pulling tackle for City College of San Francisco. The Tigers return Taylor Chappell, who started at right tackle to close the season, and Mitch Hall, who moved to guard after starting 2014 at tackle. But the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Cuellar, who’s relatively new to offense, has a high ceiling and could leverage spring ball into a starting job.
  • Ole Miss: QB Chad Kelly. The Rebels have several early enrollees who could make an immediate difference, including CB Tony Bridges and DT D.J. Jones. But, barring even more off-field trouble, Kelly will start at quarterback. The one-time Clemson player got kicked off the team, spent a year at junior college and then got in more legal trouble. But if he learns the offense and keeps his act together, he’ll give Ole Miss a very capable SEC signal-caller.
  • South Carolina: Lewis
  • Tennessee: RB Alvin Kamara. Considering the Vols have 10 early enrollees, eight of whom rate as four-star signees, the group is saturated with potential impact players. DE Kyle Phillips and Kamara have the best arguments. The running back will share carries with Jalen Hurd, but the one-time Alabama back is physically capable of playing an important role in the Tennessee offense.
  • Texas A&M: WR Christian Kirk. This is another tough call as WR Damion Ratley, S Justin Evans, LB Claude George and TE Jordan Davis all have a chance to compete for snaps during spring practice, and some have legitimate chances to start. The Aggies are loaded with receivers, but Kirk is too talented to redshirt. Whether it’s as a kick returner or as a fourth or fifth option at receiver or both, A&M will find a way to utilize his quickness and versatility.
  • Vanderbilt: DE/OLB Nehemiah Mitchell. A 6-foot-5, 265-pound pass rusher, Mitchell made 9.5 sacks this season for City College of San Francisco. There’s a good chance he will compete for the starting outside linebacker spot vacated by senior Kyle Woestmann. Vandy returns three of the four listed on the final two-deep depth chart, including returning starter Stephen Weatherly. Weatherly led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, but the backups did not make a huge impact, so Mitchell could easily inject himself into the rotation at the least.