The SEC is filled with talented athletes whose flamboyant styles and excellence on the football field have made them household names throughout the south and beyond.

The list goes on and on, but these five have risen to the forefront. Here’s a look at our five most popular players returning to the SEC for the 2016 season:

LSU RB Leonard Fournette

From the time he struck his first Heisman pose, the nation has been keeping an eye on one of the country’s most exciting running backs.

Overshadowed late in the 2015 season by LSU’s collapse and the emergence of Alabama Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, Fournette enters 2016 as a favorite to follow in Henry’s footsteps and win the prize for college football’s most outstanding player.

Entering into his junior season, most believe that Fournette will be the most prolific back in the SEC if not the entire nation.

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Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly

The big (6-2, 215) strong-armed quarterback returns for his senior season much to the delight of Ole Miss fans. But SEC fans appreciate the accomplishments and the natural ability.

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He’s already thrown for more than 4,000 yards (31 TDs) in his career, keeping Ole Miss in contention for SEC honors. He was a fluke play from guiding the Rebels to the 2015 SEC Championship Game, and he’ll be the focus again as Ole Miss makes another run at it in 2016.

Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett

The SEC leader in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (19.5), Garrett followed up a stellar freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. As with all destructive defenders, he’s the type of player you can’t seem to take your eyes off.

The quickness and agility off the edge gets him up the field into opposing backfields and into the limelight with regularity. He is only getting better with experience and 2016 should be another explosive season for one of the nation’s top defensive ends.

Alabama WR Calvin Ridley

When you can make people forget about Amari Cooper, you’re pretty good.

That’s what Ridley did in his freshman season at Alabama. No wide receiver in the history of that storied program had a better freshman season.

Touted by some as the nation’s top high school wideout prospect, Ridley set the Tide single-season freshman record for receiving yards 1,045. It was Cooper’s record he broke, and now all eyes are on Alabama’s latest superstar in the making.

He led the team in receiving yards and receptions (89). He will be the focus of the Alabama offense for years to come.

Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk

Perhaps no other player in the country burst onto the scene in his freshman season like the Aggies wide receiver.

He did it all in 2015, electrifying Kyle Field with his receiving skills as well as an ability to also create explosive plays on punt and kick returns.

In addition to leading the Aggies in receiving (80 catches, 1,009 yards) he also averaged 24.1 yards per punt return. He took two of those to the house while setting the Aggies freshman record for all-purpose yards (1,789 yards). Aggies fans can’t wait to see what Kirk will do for an encore in 2016.