Tight end was perhaps the most underutilized position in the SEC in 2014, as only four in the entire conference caught at least 25 passes last season.

Worse yet, a number of the SEC’s best tight ends from 2014 have since graduated from their respective programs, including South Carolina’s Rory Anderson, Arkansas’ A.J. Derby and Mississippi State’s Malcolm Johnson.

But a handful of talented tight ends will be back for the 2015 campaign with hopes of becoming more involved on the field.

Here are the top 5 tight ends returning to the SEC this fall:

5. O.J. Howard, Alabama: Howard was among the biggest disappointments in the SEC last season regardless of position, as the once touted tight end only caught 17 passes in 14 games and didn’t catch a single ball until Alabama’s fourth game of the season. Nearly one-third of his yards for the season came in an 81-yard performance in a loss to Ole Miss (during which Howard allowed a smaller Senquez Golson to haul in an interception in the end zone in the final minute to seal the Tide’s fate), and he never caught more than three passes in any game. Nevertheless, Howard has a 6-foot-6 frame with great leaping abilities, and he still possesses the skill set to be an impactful pass catcher as he enters his junior season. Alabama is changing quarterbacks once again following Blake Sims’ graduation, and if Howard can build a rapport with the new signal caller he could see his numbers skyrocket.

4. Jeb Blazevich, Georgia: Blazevich, a four-star signee in Georgia’s 2014 recruiting class, was a pleasant surprise in the Bulldogs run-heavy offense last season. He was an above-average blocker in aiding Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb to rush for more than 2,000 combined yards, and although he also failed to ever catch more than three passes in a single game his 14.9 yards per catch average proved he was dangerous when he got his hands on the ball. As Blazevich gains experience he should only post better numbers in the coming years, beginning in 2015.

3. Evan Engram, Ole Miss: Engram possesses a slender build and still resembles the wide receiver he once was, but he has adjusted his skill set to the tight end position in his first two seasons at Ole Miss. His 38 catches and more than 600 yards in 2014 were better than most SEC tight ends, and as the season progressed he emerged as a threat not only across the middle, but down the seam on inside vertical routes as well. As Engram continues to fill out and bulk up, he’ll be used in more conventional ways at the tight end position, but he’s already proven that even while lined up as a tight end he’s one of the most dangerous receiving threats in the entire conference.

2. Steven Scheu, Vanderbilt: No team relied on its tight end as heavily as Vanderbilt did in 2014, as Scheu led the team in catches and yards as a junior. He was second in the SEC in catches and yards by a tight end to Engram, but can handle more conventional tight end responsibilities as a blocker. He was also Vandy’s No. 1 receiving option, warranting additional attention from opposing defenses that may have limited his numbers to an extent (playing with four different starting quarterbacks didn’t help either). Scheu is an established threat as he enters his senior season in 2015, and if Vandy can stick with one quarterback and can find a secondary pass-catcher to balance the offense, Scheu’s numbers may experience an even greater rise.

1. Hunter Henry, Arkansas: Henry’s numbers weren’t as gaudy as Engram or Scheu’s, but that’s due in large part to sharing time with one of the other few star tight ends in the SEC in 2014 in graduated senior A.J. Derby. Together the tandem was more effective than any other collection of tight ends in the conference, and now that the starting job is Henry’s alone he’s poised to have a breakout season as a junior in 2015. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Henry has the prototypical build of a star tight end yet he runs routes and catches balls like a receiver. He’s more than capable of blocking defensive ends and linebackers in the run game to help pave the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, and when Arkansas utilizes the play-action fake Henry will become one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the conference.