GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jim McElwain is the only coach in SEC history to make it to the SEC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons. That won’t stop media members from making one of Florida’s rivals the favorite to represent the East in Atlanta, but based on the last two seasons, the Gators wouldn’t have it any other way.

The early media buzz surrounds Georgia, but here are five reasons why Florida can win the SEC East again in 2017:

1. The Gators could have one of the top receiving corps in the SEC

The most important position on offense, quarterback, is still a question mark, but if Florida finds its man, the pieces are in place for the Gators to have a high-powered passing attack. In three recruiting classes, McElwain has rebuilt UF’s receiving corps into an impressive assortment of blue-chip talent with size and speed. The corps is led by Antonio Callaway, Florida’s leading wideout the past two seasons, and Tyrie Cleveland, the No. 2-ranked wideout of the class of 2016.

To put it simply, good things happen when the Gators find a way to get the ball in Callaway’s hands. On the opening scoring drive against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, Callaway had three receptions, including the touchdown. It can be difficult to get him those catches when opposing defenses are devoted to covering him, but that could change.

After a rough start to his freshman season – firing a BB gun at a campus dorm and nagging hamstring injuries – everything points to 2017 being the breakout year for Cleveland. He checks the boxes physically for a go-to wide receiver: 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, upper-body strength and impressive speed.

2. Running back is another area of strength

In a rare 1,000-yard rushing season, Kelvin Taylor was Florida’s do-it-all back in 2015, and he left for the NFL instead of returning for a senior season. To replace Taylor, McElwain employed a four-man rotation in 2016. Three of those ball-carriers are back (Jordan Cronkrite has opted to transfer), with two newcomers arriving this fall.

In the second half of last season, Jordan Scarlett (179 carries, 889 yards, 6 TDs) took on more of a feature-back role for the Gators, with freshman Lamical Perine (91 carries, 421 yards, TD) making it a one-two punch. The third veteran back, junior college transfer Mark Thompson, had an up-and-down season (68 carries, 299 yards, 2 TDs) but finished the year on a high note, making the key play of the Outback Bowl.

There’s no question that Georgia has the SEC East’s most talented backfield with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, but if Scarlett, Perine and Thompson all continue to improve, Florida’s running backs will keep defenses honest and open up the passing game.

3. Offensive line returns all but one

Florida’s offensive line doesn’t have a lot to brag about, as the Gators were last in the SEC in total offense (344 yards per game) and 10th in the conference in sacks allowed (2.2 per game), but it’s still a team strength to be replacing only one starter heading into 2017. LT David Sharpe left early to enter the NFL Draft, but he’s being replaced by Martez Ivey, a 5-star tackle in the class of 2015. Ivey has impressed at left guard in his first two seasons, and has filled in at times at his natural position.

While the line may not have the best reputation, it’s a veteran group with chemistry. Based on experience alone, the Gators should be better up front in 2017.

4. Despite the losses, there’s still experience on defense

During McElwain’s tenure – and throughout the post-Tim Tebow era – the Gators have leaned on their defense. Eight starters from last year’s squad are gone due to either graduation or early entry into the NFL Draft. With so much talent to replace, fans and media members alike are expecting a drop-off. UF’s defense might not dominate like it has the past two seasons, but the drop-off probably won’t be as bad as Florida’s rivals hope.

There’s no getting around that eight starters are difficult to replace. The replacements, however, have a lot of experience themselves due to last year’s vicious injury bug that sidelined key starters at various times. Depending on how position battles work out, new defensive coordinator Randy Shannon could be looking at starting 11 players who started at least one game in 2016.

This time around, the Gators could use a little luck. If injuries aren’t as bad, it should be a defense that holds its own in the SEC East. Depth, however, is a concern, as the Gators lack experienced backups at linebacker and in the secondary.

5. Home sweet home

The Gators are 11-1 at home in two seasons under McElwain, and they’ll be getting both SEC West games at home this fall. As part of last year’s compromise with LSU for playing the rescheduled game in Baton Rouge instead of Gainesville, the Gators are getting the Tigers at home this year, along with cross-rotation matchup Texas A&M, which was already scheduled for The Swamp.

With Tennessee and Vanderbilt also coming to Gainesville, and the Georgia showdown annually played in front of a split crowd in Jacksonville, Florida only has three conference road games in 2017 (Kentucky, Missouri and South Carolina). That’s about as favorable as an SEC road schedule ever gets.