The term franchise player is used more often in the realm of professional sports than at the college level, indicating not only the most talented player in a given organization but also the most iconic player.

To be a franchise player one must of course be a transcendent talent perceived to be among the elites of the sport, but he or she must also be marketable and must possess leadership qualities on and off the field as well.

Franchise players are the faces seen on advertisements to renew season tickets, on television commercials promoting an upcoming game, on ESPN interviews talking about a future matchup. To simplify even further, a franchise player is the first name you think of when his or her team is even uttered in conversation. They truly are the face of the team.

College teams certainly aren’t franchises — they can’t pay their players nor can they keep them longer than four years. Nevertheless, each college team still has that one iconic talent on its roster who fans think of before all other members of the team.

The 2015 SEC football season is still many months away, but there aren’t likely to be many changes to anyone’s roster between now and Week 1 this fall. With that in mind, we went ahead and named a franchise player for all seven SEC East teams in looking ahead to a new season:

Florida — CB Vernon Hargreaves III: Hargreaves is the only defensive player serving as a franchise player in the SEC East, and for good reason. He’s almost certainly the consensus most talented cornerback returning to the SEC in 2015, and may be among the 3-5 best cornerbacks in the entire country when the 2015 season begins this fall. The rising junior was superb in 2014, recording three interceptions and 13 passes defended while shutting down his side of the field to opposing offenses week after week. He only stands to improve this season while learning his role in Geoff Collins new defensive system at UF, and this should benefit Florida greatly in a division with as much quarterback turnover from 2014-15 as the East has undergone. Look for Hargreaves to contend for All-America honors this season before deciding whether to leave Gainesville a year early for the NFL.

Georgia — RB Nick Chubb: It’s remarkable to think that Chubb was merely an unproven recruit at this time last season yet to make his collegiate debut, and now just 12 months later is perhaps the brightest star returning to the SEC in 2015. Despite starting just eight of Georgia’s 13 games last season, he finished second in the SEC in rushing for more than 1,500 yards, including at least 100 yards in all eight of his starts. The Bulldogs have since had to change quarterbacks and brought in new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who is historically loyal to the run when its working in a given game. Thus, Chubb should be able to avoid a sophomore slump and continue punishing opposing defenses with his physical running style this fall, and the Dawgs offense will only go as far as he and the rest of the Georgia tailbacks take it.

Kentucky — RB Boom Williams: His numbers as a freshman in 2014 won’t make your jaw drop, especially when compared to a player like Chubb, but Williams is far and away the most dynamic member of Kentucky’s 2015 roster as it stands today. He can play like a traditional tailback, with an ability to run between the tackles and on the outside. He’s as capable a pass catcher as he is a runner, and he can return kicks as well. No one else in the UK program has the kind of explosiveness that Williams is overflowing with, and he showed flashes as a rookie last year of what he’s capable of when made the focal point of an offense. He should be Kentucky’s focal point in 2015 despite its Air Raid scheme, which should allow Williams to post some impressive numbers.

Missouri — QB Maty Mauk: Missouri’s passing game suffered a major blow this offseason as its top three wideouts and top pass-catching tailback all graduated and exited the program. The offense returns a few capable linemen as well as tailback Russell Hansbrough, and the defense should be dangerous as usual, but the Tigers will only go as far as Mauk can take them in 2015. Even if Hansbrough proves to be one of the top backs in an SEC loaded with star backs, it will be up to Mauk to carry the passing game with a young, inexperienced group of wideouts being inserted into the lineup. If Mauk shows tremendous improvement this offseason, he’s experienced enough and has enough raw talent to get these receivers acclimated to the SEC sooner than later. However, if he continues to show the lack of poise in the pocket and inaccuracy that he displayed last season, Mizzou will be in big trouble after winning two straight East titles.

South Carolina — WR Pharoh Cooper: There’s no questioning that Cooper is the SEC’s most versatile weapon entering the 2015 season, and he’ll need to excel in each of his many roles within the South Carolina offense to keep the Gamecocks clicking on that side of the ball after losing Dylan Thompson and Mike Davis this offseason. Cooper is a true No. 1 threat at wide receiver, is as good a runner as many tailbacks in the FBS, can throw better than likely any non-quarterback in the nation and is a dangerously explosive kick and punt returner as well. Few players can take over a game in so many different ways, which is why Cooper is heads and tails ahead of the rest of his teammates in the discussion regarding the Gamecocks’ franchise player.

Tennessee — QB Joshua Dobbs: The Volunteers were a completely different team when Dobbs took over at quarterback, rallying from a 3-5 record to win four of Dobbs’ five starts including their first bowl win since 2007. Now he’ll be the team’s starting quarterback for a full season for the first time, and the expectations in Knoxville are high based on the trend of the program, the play of Dobbs under center and the top 5 recruiting class Butch Jones hauled in this winter. Dobbs is an above-average passer who’s still improving rapidly in that regard, and he’s a dazzling runner with athletic abilities that simply can’t be taught. The more he learns to use both skill sets to his advantage, the better off Tennessee will be as it aims to reclaim an SEC East title in 2015.

Vanderbilt — RB Ralph Webb: There were few bright spots from Vandy’s 2014 campaign, but Webb was absolutely one of them. He only ran for 907 yards and four touchdowns at 4.3 yards per carry, but he amassed those numbers against frequent eight-man boxes due to the Commodores’ lack of a passing game or even one consistent quarterback. His numbers began to dip in SEC play as the season wore on, but again, that was due largely to facing heavier defensive fronts than any other back in the conference. As Vandy settles on a quarterback (either Johnny McCrary or Patton Robinette) and develops its new run-heavy scheme under new coordinator and former Wisconsin OC Andy Ludwig, Webb should blossom into a star in 2015 capable of leading VU to its first SEC win of the Derek Mason era.