Post-spring player rankings

While not the most loaded position in the SEC, there is more than enough cornerback talent to go around. From returning veterans to rising stars, the conference is home to perhaps the best corner in the nation as well as several other top-notch players who will contend for first-team All-SEC status.

With spring practice behind us, here are the 10 best cornerbacks in the SEC:

10. Tee Shepard, Ole Miss — A fomer No. 1-rated junior college corner who missed last season (his first at Ole Miss) with a toe injury, Shepard will replace unanimous All-American and SEC interceptions leader Senquez Golson in this year’s starting lineup. Shepard is a bit bigger than Golson at 6-foot-1 and nearly 200 pounds, and if he can shake off the rust and return to his old level of play — a level that originally earned him a scholarship to Notre Dame out of high school — he’ll fit right in with the Landsharks.

9. Will Redmond, Mississippi State — The Bulldogs were consistently beaten through the air last year, but Redmond was perhaps the best cornerback on the team as a backup. He’s capable of playing both in the slot and out wide, and his experience will help carry a rebuilding defense.

8. Jared Collins, Arkansas — Collins burst onto the scene as a playmaker late in the season in 2014. He’s one of the strongest tacklers at the position in the SEC, recording 53 stops last year to go along with 13 pass breakups. Collins will help anchor a talented secondary as Arkansas seeks to build on its late-season success from last year.

7. Cyrus Jones, Alabama — Jones missed the entire spring with a hip injury, but he enters the fall as Alabama’s best cover man. A former wide receiver, Jones has the size and instincts to shadow receivers. He had three interceptions last year, a number that could rise as he continues to improve his technique. He’ll be helped by improved play across from him from guys like Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey.

6. Tre’Davious White, LSU — White may be the most explosively athletic cornerback on this list, and he functions as a stellar punt returner as well. With speed to go stride-for-stride with receivers and the ability to go up high to defend passes, it’s tough to get anything past the rising junior. With an inexperienced player across the formation from him in Ed Paris, White will be counted on to match up with the SEC’s best receivers this fall.

5. Brian Poole, Florida — Most of the shine in the Gators secondary goes to Poole’s opposite corner, but he’s an All-SEC caliber player in his own right. Poole and Vernon Hargreaves form the best cornerback tandem in the SEC and together they’ll make it very difficult to throw against Geoff Collins’ defense.

4. Kenya Dennis, Missouri — Like the rest of his Tigers teammates, Dennis is under the radar in the SEC. He was the best member of a stellar secondary last year, and he’ll take up that role once again this year. While he had just one interception and nine pass breakups last year, Dennis is as good of a cover man as there is in the conference.

3. Jonathan Jones, Auburn — Auburn’s defense got torched plenty last year, but Jones was one of the brightest spots. His six interceptions tied for second in the SEC and Jones was tied for the conference lead with 18 passes defended. With Will Muschamp now in charge, the new DC has already said he plans to let Jones operate on an island this fall, giving him a chance to shine.

2. Cameron Sutton, Tennessee — Sutton was a bit under-appreciated on a Tennessee team that had a sneaky good defense last season. He led the SEC in pass breakups, holding his own even as teams threw his way. With Justin Coleman gone, it’ll fall to Sutton to be not just UT’s best cover man but a veteran leader on the defense this fall.

1. Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida — Hargreaves is the best defensive back in the SEC, bar none. He’s already been a first-team All-SEC performer in both of his two years on campus. With next-level technique, athleticism and ball skills, Hargreaves has the ability to blanket any receiver in the country, and he put up solid numbers last year despite teams avoiding him. He’ll be an All-American candidate and could well be a first-round pick next spring.