Former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly led the SEC in yards passing in 2015, and he was the odds-on favorite to do so again last season.

Only the third 4,000-yard passer in conference history alongside Tim Couch and Johnny Manziel, Kelly had an enviable receiving corps at his disposal and appeared to be worthy of a mention when discussing Heisman Trophy candidates.

Instead, Kelly disappointed to some degree in 2016 — the yards were there, but he turned it over too much and the Rebels fell flat as a result — and missed the last three games after tearing a ligament in his knee. While he still finished fifth in the league, Austin Allen of Arkansas was the most prolific passer.

Now it’s Allen who returns to school looking to defend a title. He’s one of several players in the SEC on both sides of the ball hoping to be every bit as productive in 2017 as they were a year ago, if not more.

Here are five conference leaders in particular from this past season and their odds of repeating as champions.

Arkansas QB Austin Allen

As mentioned above, Allen led the league in 2016 with 3,430 yards passing and did so surprisingly as a first-year starter.

That being said, he’ll have an almost entirely new cast of characters catching passes this time around. Six of the top seven receiving threats in Fayetteville a year ago are no longer with the program and can’t help Allen any longer.

Receivers Drew Morgan, Keon Hatcher, Dominique Reed and Cody Hollister, not to mention tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, were all seniors and out of eligibility. Running back Rawleigh Williams III, who contributed with 15 catches out of the backfield, was forced to retire following spring practice due to lingering neck issues.

Wideout Jared Cornelius and tight end Austin Cantrell are the only Razorbacks remaining on the roster who reeled in double-digit passes last season. One of them most prove capable of being Allen’s new primary option.

Additionally, Allen has taken entirely too much punishment already. He’s an injury waiting to happen if his blocking doesn’t improve.

ODDS: 3-to-1

LSU RB Derrius Guice

The SEC was positively loaded at the running back position last year, so Guice was only supposed to be a backup.

Nevertheless, with future first-round pick Leonard Fournette in and out of the lineup due to a bum ankle, Guice ended up leading the league with 1,387 yards rushing despite only starting about half the schedule.

He was given double-digit carries in just eight of 12 games. But in those eight contests, whether Fournette was in street clothes at kickoff or sidelined mid-game, Guice (below) averaged a sensational 161.9 yards on the ground. That included a 252-yard effort at Arkansas and a Tigers record 285 two weeks later at Texas A&M.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Now that Fournette is gone and the job is all his, Guice could very well run for 2,000-plus yards and be in the Heisman conversation. But the conference is no less loaded with quality ball carriers than it was a season ago.

Nick Chubb. Damarea Crockett. Kamryn Pettway. Benny Snell. Ralph Webb. Trayveon Williams. They’re all back for 2017.

ODDS: 4-to-1

Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk

It wasn’t a banner year at the receiver position for the SEC in 2016. Kirk’s conference-leading 83 catches was impressive, though.

Soon to be a junior and more than likely on his way to a first-round selection in next year’s draft, Kirk will really have his work cut out for him if he wants to go back to back as the league leader in receptions.

It has very little to do with Kirk himself or the offense in which he’ll put his talents on display. At 5-foot-11 and an even 200 pounds, he’s tough to jam at the line of scrimmage and dangerous once he has his hands on the ball in open space. Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin finds all kinds of ways to get him touches, too.

However, Kirk will once again be breaking in a new signal caller. It could be Jake Hubenak, who’s the most experienced. It could be Nick Starkel, who’s coming off a redshirt. Or it could be Kellen Mond, who’s an early-enrollee freshman.

Early prognostications suggest A&M will struggle in 2017. If that turns out to be the case, Kirk’s numbers could take a dive.

ODDS: 5-to-1

Alabama CB Minkah Fitzpatrick

Another Crimson Tide defender on his way to being taken in Round 1 of the draft, Fitzpatrick is a natural in coverage.

As a sophomore in 2016, Fitzpatrick led the SEC with 6 interceptions — additionally, he returned a pair of them for touchdowns. He’s versatile enough to play corner, nickel and safety in coach Nick Saban’s system.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the ‘Bama secondary is loaded with playmakers. Some scouts like safety Ronnie Harrison’s potential at the next level just as much as Fitzpatrick’s. It’s not like enemy field generals can simply ignore Fitzpatrick’s side of the field and exploit weaknesses elsewhere.

That being said, there is a certain amount of luck involved when it comes to picking off passes in droves. Every now and then, an INT is more the result of a fortuitous bounce than receiver-like ball skills.

Unlike more aggressive corners, Fitzpatrick isn’t necessarily a gambler. That’s why he doesn’t get burned very often.

ODDS: 9-to-1

Auburn K Daniel Carlson

Splitting the uprights 28 times, no kicker in the conference made as many field goals last season as Carlson.

As a matter of fact, he made six more than second-place finisher Gary Wunderlich. Even if Wunderlich had nine fewer attempts, Carlson is more of a weapon from long distance and given extra opportunities to put his right leg to use.

But remember, the Tigers haven’t had much of a downfield passing game prior to the arrival of JUCO transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. If the former Baylor product is as good as advertised, maybe this offense puts the ball in the end zone more often. That could mean more extra points for Carlson and fewer field goals.

Any way you slice it, Carlson is one of the premier three-point artists in America and has the full faith and confidence of coach Gus Malzahn. Once Stidham and Co. are inside the 40-yard line, Carlson can start getting loose.

There almost surely won’t be a better kicker in the league this year than Carlson. Still, there are a lot of outside factors at play.

ODDS: 2-to-1