Missouri must try to usurp history to remain at the top of the SEC East. Florida, in the early 1990s, is the only SEC program to win a division three consecutive years.

The team will try to surprise the conference once again by relying on its most balanced defense since the team transitioned into the SEC as well as an efficient running game behind a powerful offensive line.

The formula may not be as sexy as it was in 2013, with a trio of tall, high-flying receivers, or 2014, with a pair of coveted NFL pass rushers, but if it wins games, who cares?

Here are Missouri’s 10 best players entering preseason practice:

1. RB Russell Hansbrough: I ranked the running back at No. 2 on my list after last season, before defensive tackle Harold Brantley suffered major injuries in a car accident that will prevent him from playing. Hansbrough, an unassuming spoke entering last year, proceeded to rush for more than 1,000 yards. Now he’s the No. 1 option on offense, and the team has become more effective on the ground than in in the air.

2. LB Kentrell Brothers: A two-year starter at weakside linebacker, Brothers picked up his game after the non-conference schedule, peaking in the SEC championship with a team and career-high 14 tackles against Alabama. Athletic and fast, Brothers appears poised to mature in his preparation and attitude and give the Tigers one of the SEC’s best linebacker tandems in 2015. He led the team with 122 tackles and five tackles for loss.

3. C Evan Boehm: The most experienced player on the team, Boehm has started 40 consecutive games for the Tigers entering the 2015 season. A conscientious hard worker, he endured a mental flare-up, for lack of a better term, against Indiana last year. But he’s a legitimate All-SEC candidate and the anchor for an underrated and veteran offensive line.

4. LB Michael Scherer: Replacing long-time thumper Andrew Wilson in the middle of the Tigers defense wasn’t a small challenge, particularly when Scherer earned the job almost by default due to some 2014 offseason missteps by Brothers, at least in the eyes of the coaches. But Scherer became one of the biggest tackling machines in the SEC, finishing the year with 114 stops. If he can learn to shed blocks and be more physical, he could compete for an All-SEC spot before his time in Columbia, Mo. is done.

5. CB Aarion Penton: The most natural cover corner on the roster, Penton endured a one-game suspension last year. Although he improved, sometimes it was jolting, with stops and starts. But he’s ready to become a No. 1 SEC cornerback now. Penton is the favorite to lead the team in pass breakups and interceptions, assuming offensive coordinators attack him as equally as Dennis.

6. CB Kenya Dennis: Dennis, not Penton, accompanied the team to Hoover, Ala., for SEC Media Days. He’s the more physical, aggressive player. Last season, Dennis rose from JUCO transfer and nickel candidate to full-time starter. He’s a potential NFL draft selection after the year. Offenses still can use his aggression against him at times. But he’s going to be an above-average SEC cornerback this fall.

7. LT Connor McGovern: If McGovern still played right guard, he’d be as high as No. 3 on my list. He’s one of the strongest players in the SEC, a weight-room fanatic and a bulldozer in the running game. He didn’t perform as well last season at right tackle, so I’m skeptical that he’ll be one of the most effective players on the team at left tackle. But he should be yet another Mizzou linemen turned NFL draft pick following the season.

8. QB Maty Mauk: The junior quarterback probably wouldn’t have made this top 10 list based on his performance last season. But we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt since he played through a portion of the year with a shoulder issue. Another stagnant year won’t do. Mauk must channel his strong improvisation skills, make better decisions and learn to operate in the pocket now and again. Still, he’s one of the more exciting quarterbacks to watch in the SEC, and can make some throws most would never attempt.

9. DE Charles Harris: Groomed to be a starter at defensive end beginning this season, Harris follows a legendary pedigree of NFL draft picks. Mizzou knows how to produce top-notch rush ends. He won’t have as much help without Brantley and Loud, but the team is counting on him to get after opposing quarterbacks and will devote practice and training resources toward him to ensure that happens.

10. WR Nate Brown: This is a speculative choice. But Brown will get every opportunity to become the No. 1 pass-catching option, perhaps just ahead of Sean Culkin, J’Mon Moore and Wesley Leftwich. If he can stay healthy, he’s athletic enough to become an asset in a passing game that needs to find trustworthy players.