Who has the most talent in the SEC at DB?

The SEC almost contains as many five-star defensive backs as running backs. The current scoreboard is 10-9.

Alabama claims four of those nine, and all four are underclassmen defensive backs. Florida and LSU each boast a pair of five-star defensive backs as well.

RELATED: Who has the best talent in the SEC at QB?

Add in 75 four-star defensive backs and it’s easy to understand why quarterbacks in the SEC didn’t excel last year.

Here’s a look at the team-by-team talent, followed by a few observations:

• Alabama has a huge advantage in talent at defensive back (as opposed to skill or on-field production). The Tide roster includes a jaw-dropping 14 four- or five-star defensive backs. LSU (9) and Florida (8), both of which have nationally-elite secondaries, aren’t even close to that sort of depth. Bama’s pass defense has no excuse this year.
• Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has worried publicly about his secondary, especially the depth. The Tigers also recently lost three defensive backs to transfers. But behind Alabama, LSU and Florida, Auburn has the next-most pure talent at the position in the SEC.
• It helps to be a touted recruit in the SEC at defensive back, more than most positions. But there are some former three-star recruits who are key players in 2015: Jonathan Jones (Auburn), Quincy Mauger (Georgia), A.J. Stamps (Kentucky), Taveze Calhoun (Mississippi State), Aarion Penton (Missouri), Kenya Dennis (Missouri), Trae Elston (Ole Miss) and Cam Sutton (Tennessee).
• The defensive backs at Missouri and Tennessee should play much better than their recruiting rankings, and Florida has one of the nation’s best collections of defensive backs entering the fall. But there’s a paucity of pure physical talent at the position in the SEC East, as South Carolina — which got shredded in the secondary last fall, in part due to a horrendous pass rush — is tied with Georgia for the second-best average star rating.
• Two SEC schools don’t boast a single four- or five-star defensive back: Arkansas (3.0) and Missouri (2.9). Kentucky (3.1) and Vanderbilt (3.1) have better talent in the secondary based on recruiting rankings .

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown of the scholarship defensive backs in the SEC. Star ratings listed below are based on the 247Sports composite rankings.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

5: Tony Brown, Marlon Humphrey, Kendall Sheffield, Minkah Fitzpatrick
4: Anthony Averett, Ronnie Clark, Ronnie Harrison, Cyrus Jones, Laurence “Hootie” Jones, Geno Smith, Maurice Smith, Bradley Sylve, Deionte Thompson, Jabriel Washington
3: Jonathan Cook, Eddie Jackson

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

3: De’Andre Coley, Jared Collins, D.J. Dean, Cornelius Floyd, Joshua Liddell, Davyon McKinney, Santos Ramirez, Henre’ Toliver, Nate Dalton, Ryan Pulley, Willie Sykes
N/A: Scotty Thurman

AUBURN TIGERS

4: Stephen Roberts, Joshua Holsey, Nick Ruffin, Tim Irvin, Johnathan Ford, Tray Matthews, Jordan Colbert, Javarius Davis
3: Jonathan Jones, Markell Boston, T.J. Davis, Jeremiah Dinson

FLORIDA GATORS

5: Vernon Hargreaves III, Jalen Tabor
4: Duke Dawson, Marcell Harris, Marcus Maye, Keanu Neal, Brian Poole, Nick Washington
3: Deiondre Porter, Quincy Wilson, Chris Williamson, Kylan Johnson

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

4: Malkom Parrish, Tramel Terry, Reggie Wilkerson, Rashad Roundtree, Rico McGraw
3: Johnathan Abram, Devin Bowman, Kennar Daniels-Johnson, Shattle Fenteng, Quincy Mauger, Dominick Sanders, Jarvis Wilson, Juwuan Briscoe, Deandre Baker, Kirby Choates

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

4: Glenn Faulkner, Darius West
3: A.J. Stamps, Fred Tiller, Cody Quinn, Zack Blaylock, Jaleel Hytchye, Jared Tucker, Blake McClain, Mike Edwards, Kendall Randolph, Marcus Walker, Kei Beckham, Chris Westry, Derrick Baity
2: J.D. Harmon

LSU TIGERS

5: Kevin Toliver II, Jamal Adams
4: Donte Jackson, Dwayne Thomas, Tre’Davious White, Xavier Lewis, Corey Thompson, Ed Paris, Rickey Jefferson
3: Jeremy Cutrer, John Battle, Jalen Mills

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

4: Will Redmond, Jamoral Graham, Jamal Peters
3: Tolando Cleveland, Kivon Coleman, Cedric Jiles, Deontay Evans, Brandon Bryant, Taveze Calhoun, Chris Rayford, Kendrick Market, Chris Stamps, Maurice Smitherman, Mark McLaurin
N/A: Jahmere Irvin-Sills

MISSOURI TIGERS

3: Cortland Browning, Logan Cheadle, Kenya Dennis, John Gibson, Aarion Penton, Tavon Ross, Shaun Rupert, Anthony Sherrils, Ian Simon, Finis Stribling IV, Chaston Ward, Thomas Wilson, Cameron Hilton, T.J. Warren
2: David Johnson

OLE MISS REBELS

5: Tony Conner
4: Tony Bridges, Tee Shepard, C.J. Hampton, Kailo Moore, Armani Linton
3: Trae Elston, Kendarius Webster, C.J. Moore, A.J. Moore, D.K. Buford, Mike Hilton, Cameron Ordway, Montrell Custis, Jalen Julius

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

4: Chaz Elder, Wesley Green, Chris Lammons, D.J. Smith
3: Ali Groves, T.J. Gurley, Al Harris Jr., Rico McWilliams, Chris Moody, Jasper Sasser, Darin Smalls, Jamari Smith, Antoine Wilder, Rashad Fenton, Toure Boyd, Isaiah Johnson

TENNESSEE VOLS

4: Micah Abernathy, Todd Kelly Jr., Justin Martin, Evan Berry, LaDarrell McNeil
3: Rashaan Gaulden, Emmanuel Moseley, Malik Foreman, Cameron Sutton, Darrell Miller, Stephen Griffin, Brian Randolph
2: Devaun Swafford, MaLeik Gatewood

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

4: De’Vante Harris, Noel Ellis, Nick Harvey, Armani Watts, Justin Dunning, Larry Pryor, Roney Elam
3: Donovan Wilson, Justin Evans, Alex Sezer, Tavares Garner, Devonta Burns, Victor Davis, Jonathan Wiggins

VANDERBILT COMMODORES

4: Emmanuel Smith, Ryan White, Donovan Sheffield
3: Jalen Banks, Tre Bell, Oren Burks, Taurean Ferguson, Tre Herndon, Bryce Lewis, Torren McGaster, Jahmel McIntosh, Tre Tarpley, Ladarius Wiley, Andrew Rector
2: Andrew Williamson