In 2016, three SEC freshman running backs topped 1,000 yards rushing: Damarea Crockett, Benny Snell and Trayveon Williams.

How unexpected was that? It was the first time in at least a decade three true freshman running backs reached that milestone in the SEC. And none of the three was ranked higher than No. 20 among running backs in the 2016 class. Williams was No. 20. Crockett was No. 43 and Snell No. 74.

The 2016 class set the bar. Can the 2017 incoming running back class clear it?

Many of these highly touted freshmen will enter the SEC with the potential to earn a starting job, and nearly all will plug some kind of hole or fit a role in the deepest conference in America.

1. Najee Harris, Alabama – No. 2 RB, No. 3 Overall

Highlights:

In the upside down world of 2017, Alabama has a returning dynamic quarterback and a competition at running back. Though Bo Scarbrough began to show flashes late in the season, his light was extinguished just as quickly by a fractured fibula in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Enter Najee Harris, a prolific prospect with a running style as violent and undeterred as his path to Tuscaloosa.

Harris is a beast, simply put. He’s hard to catch, and even harder to tackle. His powerful legs never stop moving, throwing defenders by the wayside as he thunders toward the end zone. His mix of power, speed, and football IQ will fit in neatly with nearly any offensive coordinator that takes the reigns in Tuscaloosa.

For an Alabama program that specializes in turning freak athletes into musclebound monsters, it’s going to be scary to imagine what Harris will be in three years.

No prospect is a sure thing, but Harris’ gaudy high school totals and uncoachable toughness seem to make him a sure fit for Alabama.

2. D’Andre Swift, Georgia – No. 4 RB, No. 33 Overall

Highlights:

Georgia went north to Philadelphia to find the electrifying D’Andre Swift. Pennsylvania’s No. 1 rated prospect by 247, Swift will join a Bulldog backfield already loaded with talent.

Though Nick Chubb and Sony Michel will be returning this year, it would be easy to see this freshman carving out a role because of one trait: speed. The aptly named Swift, 5-8, 222, looks like a blur on tape – pairing elusiveness and a slippery running style with a Philly swagger that will have Georgia fans trusting the process for years to come.

Swift is adept at finding space, and once he sees daylight he can turn that space into six points with his straight-line speed. Though his tape doesn’t prominently feature it, Swift seems like a natural fit as a pass-catching back, and Georgia might use that versatility to throw him a bone in their crowded backfield this season.

Still, Georgia is the only Power 5 team returning two 1,000-yard rushers. Though Swift has a solid case to be one of the best prospects in the SEC, his time to shine may be 2018.

3. Ty Chandler, Tennessee – No. 4 RB, No. 68 Overall

Highlights:

Tennessee enters 2017 with arguably the biggest need at running back in the SEC. With Jalen Hurd transferring, his dynamic backup Alvin Kamara bolting for the NFL and Josh Dobbs, the team’s rushing leader from the quarterback spot graduating, the cupboard was looking pretty bare in Knoxville.

Luckily for Butch Jones and crew, they would only need to travel to Nashville to find Ty Chandler.

Coming from a strict pro-style offense in high school, Chandler’s biggest highlights often come behind the line of scrimmage. His vision, patience, and decision-making skills pave the way for smooth cuts and wide-open holes.

Subtract the spread-option prowess of Dobbs, add an unproven offensive coordinator in Larry Scott, and it might be hard to predict the Vols offensive identity in 2017. Chandler is a home run recruit because he can do a little bit of everything.

Though John Kelly is slated to be the starter, as he carried the ball 98 times last season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Chandler starting by midseason. Kelly was effective in a limited role last year, but he was only a 3-star recruit back in 2015. With a new coach in place, and the entire staff seated firmly on the hot seat, Chandler’s talent could win out.

4. Devan Barrett, Auburn – No. 11 RB, No. 166 Overall

Highlights:

Just as Chandler showed vision from pro-style running, Auburn’s Devan Barrett is a perfect fit for Gus Malzahn’s unique spread attack.

Just look at his highlights – multiple formations, many of which are in the shotgun. Multiple backs, multiple responsibilities, and those sweet, sweet sweep plays that make up the bread and butter of Auburn’s offensive game plan.

Barrett is skilled at selling fakes, reading defenses, making plays in space, and catching the ball out of the backfield. Versatility is a must at Auburn, which once rode a former defensive back under center to the BCS Championship Game.

With Jarrett Stidham in at quarterback, Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway returning at running back, and Devan Barrett ready to step in when needed, the lovers of points on the Plains will be licking their chops.

5. Kylin Hill, Miss. State – No. 13 RB, No. 201 Overall

Highlights:

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is renowned for many things, but most years recruiting isn’t his strong suit. That changed this year when Mullen was able to reel in a 24th-ranked class, headlined by in-state stars Willie Gay and Kylin Hill.

Hill is adept at combining two of the hardest skills for a running back to possess: running from the shotgun and running downhill between the tackles. While his speed doesn’t jump off the tape, he makes good decisions quickly and gets north/south in a hurry.

For a Mississippi State team that abandoned the running back as a primary source of rushing yards early in the season, Hill could provide not only balance but also a complimentary weapon to Nick Fitzgerald’s established ground game.

Hill’s skill set is perfect for the Bulldogs because it provides a perfect read-option dive man for when Fitzgerald decides to put it in his belly. Combine that with the always innovated Dan Mullen, and this duo could be bad news for opponents in Starkville.

*All rankings based on 247 Sports composite rankings