SEC offenses were more pass-dependent in 2014 than ever before, as five teams averaged more than 260 yards per game through the air, more than in any of the previous five seasons.

However, as the SEC’s passing offenses grow more and more dangerous, teams are loading up with talented defensive backs to counter these aerial attacks. As a result, four SEC defenses held opponents to fewer than 200 yards per game through the air, and all 14 teams in the conference held opponents below 275 passing yards per game.

As the SEC’s secondaries grow more and more potent, we’ve ranked our top five defensive back tandems throughout the conference. These tandems can include both cornerbacks and safeties. The only thing they have in common is a propensity for keeping opposing offenses grounded.

5. Missouri — Aarion Penton & Kenya Dennis: This two-cornerback tandem is among the most underrated in the SEC, something members of the Missouri program have grown far too accustomed to. Penton was one of the best cover corners in the SEC last fall, recording three picks and 10 pass breakups to lead all returning Tigers in both categories (his 10 pass breakups ranked sixth in the SEC in 2014).

Dennis wasn’t far behind with nine pass breakups of his own, and although he only logged one interception he added 61 tackles and a forced fumble as the most physical member of the secondary. The two star corners complement one another well and should help Mizzou contend for its third straight SEC East title this fall.

4. Ole Miss — Tony Conner & Mike Hilton: The Ole Miss secondary lost not one but two All-Americans off last year’s team, yet still returns one of the most feared defensive back tandems in the SEC in 2015 (which could explain how the Landsharks held opponents below 17 points per game last fall). Conner is among the most versatile safeties in the SEC, with an ability to play in the box like a linebacker or deep in coverage like a more natural defensive back. He plays a hybrid position in the Rebels’ 4-2-5 defense, and his versatility and athleticism creates a number of unorthodox looks that leave opposing offenses off balance.

Hilton is a rising senior cornerback who has slowly worked his way up the Ole Miss depth chart during his career in Oxford. Last fall he logged three interceptions and seven pass breakups to go along with a whopping 71 tackles and four tackles for loss in his first season as a starter. Hilton is now poised to take over as the Rebels’ top cornerback, and his physical play should work in Ole Miss’ favor, especially when facing physical SEC West offenses like Arkansas and LSU.

3. LSU — Jalen Mills & Tre’Davious White: It simply wouldn’t be appropriate to exclude Defensive Back U from this list, especially when considering the talent the Tigers return in the secondary. Jamal Adams, a player many think can break into the starting lineup at safety this fall, isn’t even mentioned as a part of the tandem despite hitting harder than anyone else in the LSU secondary (he led all LSU defensive backs in tackles for loss despite starting just two games a year ago).

Mills and White are the incumbent starters in the secondary, and both are expected to build on stellar 2014 campaigns. White is among the most athletic cornerbacks in the SEC. He can stick with even the fastest receivers in coverage (two interceptions and six pass breakups last year), but can also blitz off the edge and create problems in opposing backfields. And for what it’s worth, he’s one of the SEC’s better punt returners as well.

Mills is another versatile safety who can hang in coverage but can also excel when asked to drop into the box on a given play. He logged 62 tackles last season but added a pick and five pass breakups to prove that versatility, and he’s yet another explosive athlete who can fly sideline to sideline to make plays. LSU once again has great depth in the secondary, but the combination of Mills and White is among the SEC’s best.

2. Tennessee — Cam Sutton & Brian Randolph: Aside from Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves (we’ll get to him in a moment), there isn’t another defensive back returning to the SEC in 2015 more accomplished than Sutton. The fellow rising junior may not be a two-time All-SEC performer like his Gators counterpart, but he plays a similar style and is just as effective as the leader of the Vols secondary. His three interceptions led Tennessee last season, and his 13 pass breakups were tied for the conference lead. Sutton is a true star in the making, and now that Tennessee is headed back toward relevancy, he may burst onto the national radar this fall.

Randolph is the experienced senior of the group, starring at the back end of Tennessee’s defense. He recorded two interceptions and three pass breakups in coverage, but did most of his work in the box, logging 88 tackles and a forced fumble. Randolph is an intelligent football player who knows how to be in the right place at the right time to make plays, and he’s a valuable asset as the last line of defense for the orange and white.

1. Florida — Vernon Hargreaves & Marcus Maye: The Gators enter the 2015 season with one of the SEC’s deepest secondaries, at least on paper. The headliner, rising junior Vernon Hargreaves, enters what will likely be his final year on campus after earning first-team All-SEC honors as a freshman and sophomore in 2013-14. Although he wasn’t thrown at often, he still managed to record three interceptions and an SEC-high 13 pass breakups, and aside from Alabama’s Amari Cooper he limited but dominated every No. 1 wideout he faced.

His running mate on this list could have been any of the following three players: cornerback Brian Poole, cornerback Jalen Tabor or Maye. Poole and Tabor could be the starting corners on a number of SEC defenses, and the fact that each fills a more defined role behind Hargreaves makes Florida’s defense even more dangerous. But Maye’s play at the safety position warrants an elaboration. He registered five pass breakups and an interception when playing in coverage, but was even more dangerous when taking on ball-carriers, recording 62 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.