While recruiting is the biggest signal for which teams might be improving or regressing, that shouldn’t discredit progression from players already on a roster.

For SEC teams looking to take the next step, there are some players who will need to perform at a higher level this fall. These aren’t necessarily players who have played poorly in the past, but rather those who may be inheriting a bigger role and must raise their game.

Here are the players who need to be better in 2017 than they were last year.

Alabama: Da’Shawn Hand, DL

It’s not easy identifying a player who needs to take a step forward from one of the most dominant teams in the country, but Hand could fall in that category. For starters, Alabama is losing an abundance of talent in its defensive front seven. The linebacker corps should be in good shape, but Hand will be a central part of the defensive line. Nobody is expecting him to transform into Jonathan Allen, but Hand needs to improve on his 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks now that he has a greater role.

Honorable mention: Jalen Hurts, QB

Arkansas: De’Jon Harris, LB

The Razorbacks struggled against the run last season, and their leading tackler, linebacker Brooks Ellis, won’t be back in 2017. Rising junior Dre Greenlaw flashed some nice potential before breaking his foot against Alabama and missing the rest of the regular season. While Greenlaw was out, Harris got a chance to prove what he could do. The inside linebacker responded by registering 37 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack, which earned him a place on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

This fall, Harris seems like a strong candidate to replace Ellis. If he can improve on his strong debut, Arkansas will have two effective inside linebackers to bolster its run defense.

Honorable mention: Santos Ramirez, DB

Auburn: Nate Craig-Myers, WR

Craig-Myers was the top-ranked wide receiver in Auburn’s receiver-heavy 2016 recruiting class, but he finished his freshman year with only four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Injuries reportedly plagued the former 4-star prospect last fall, but he will need to prove that he can make an impact when healthy. Tony Stevens, the team’s leading receiver last year, and Marcus Davis won’t be back, which means the opportunity is there for Craig-Myers to claim a bigger role.

Jarrett Stidham is expected to win the quarterback competition, and he brings new possibilities to the passing offense. Craig-Myers could benefit.

Honorable mention: Byron Cowart, DL

Florida: Tyler Jordan, OL

Outside of the quarterback competition, Florida’s offensive line might be the Gators’ biggest storyline this spring. Both tackle positions are solidified with Jawaan Taylor returning and Martez Ivey shifting to left tackle, but the same can’t be said for the Gators’ guard spots. Jordan seems to be the frontrunner to start at right guard, but he must fend off fellow junior Fred Johnson. Jim McElwain challenged Jordan to improve his conditioning and understanding of the game at a press conference prior to the start of spring practices.

Honorable mention: Antonnneous Clayton, DL

Georgia: Jacob Eason, QB

Eason’s first season didn’t meet some of the wilder expectations that fans had for the incoming 5-star quarterback, but he laid the foundation for what could be a solid career. This season, however, will go a long way toward determining his legacy at Georgia, and the fate of the team as a whole. Now with a full season under his belt, Eason needs to improve upon his freshman numbers. He completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 2,430 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but fans will want to see more accuracy and consistency from the second-year quarterback.

Honorable mention: Terry Godwin, WR

Kentucky: Adrian Middleton, DL

Kentucky returns nearly everyone from its defense last season, and it has a surprising amount of individual talent. Unfortunately, that individual talent didn’t manifest itself into success as an overall unit. The Wildcats could use the most improvement along the defensive line, and Middleton is a player with room to grow, even after a strong sophomore season. The rising junior notched 35 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss, but no sacks, which could be an area of focus for him this spring. New defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc commented on Kentucky’s youth and inexperience up front immediately after taking the job, and Middleton should draw his attention.

Honorable mention: Stephen Johnson, QB

LSU: Danny Etling, QB

LSU has enough talent on hand to compete for a division title in Ed Orgeron’s first season as the full-time head coach, but a lot will depend on how Etling fares in his senior season. Etling will have a lot of responsibility, starting with learning Matt Canada’s offense. The Tigers are looking to become more versatile, but Etling will be surrounded by a lot of new pieces. D.J. Chark is the only returning receiver with more than 10 catches from last season, which means that Etling must get the most out of an unproven unit. If he’s up to the task, he should easily surpass his 2,123 yards and 11 touchdowns from last season.

Honorable mention: D.J. Chark, WR

Mississippi State: Jeffery Simmons, DL

Simmons’ freshman season should not be considered a disappointment by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn’t break out the way other notable 5-star defensive ends have in the SEC during their first year. The biggest room for improvement is in Simmons’ ability to produce sacks. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive lineman did not record a sack last season, but he may have a different role under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who wants his defense to be aggressive and create negative plays. Simmons had 18.5 sacks as a senior in high school, and if he can start producing for the Bulldogs, he will become one of the top linemen in the SEC.

Honorable mention: Nick Fitzgerald, QB

Missouri: Anthony Sherrills, DB

Missouri’s defense struggled mightily last season, and it has a lot of question marks on the roster heading into the spring. While the defensive roles will be sorted out in the coming months, Sherrills is one veteran who will be back for a secondary undergoing a lot of change. As a sophomore, Sherrills enjoyed a breakout campaign and was especially productive against the run, finishing third on the team with 64 tackles. In 2016, the safety took a big step back and missed twice as many tackles as he did the year prior, according to Pro Football Focus. A bounce-back year would help bring stability to the secondary and help improve the team’s porous run defense.

Honorable mention: Eric Beisel, LB

Ole Miss: Breeland Speaks, DL

After a breakout freshman campaign, Benito Jones appears to have a bright future for the Rebels at defensive tackle. Speaks is a strong candidate to man the other defensive tackle spot, and he could help improve Ole Miss’ run defense, which surrendered an SEC-worst 246.33 yards per game in 2016. In order for that to happen, however, Speaks needs to step up his game. The player expected to step in after former star Robert Nkemdiche left for the NFL finished with 28 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack last year.

Honorable mention: Shea Patterson, QB

South Carolina: Malik Young, OL

The offensive line will be a major area of focus for South Carolina this spring. The Gamecocks allowed 41 sacks in 2016, the most in the SEC, and they have hired Eric Wolford to help turn things around. For now, it appears that the 6-foot-4, 294-pound Young will slide over to left tackle and fill the void left by Mason Zandi’s departure. Young had an up-and-down season at right tackle, and he will need to play much better if he is to lock down the most important position on the offensive line. South Carolina has improved at the offensive skill positions, but that won’t mean much if the line doesn’t improve.

Honorable mention: Alan Knott, OL

Tennessee: Jonathan Kongbo, DL

As the nation’s top JUCO player in the 2016 recruiting class, Kongbo arrived at Tennessee with high expectations. In his first season with the Vols, the 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive lineman registered 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Rumors of issues between Kongbo and the Tennessee coaching staff surfaced last season, which only highlighted his lack of production on the field. As the Vols face life without Derek Barnett, they will need more from Kongbo.

Honorable mention: Drew Richmond, OL

Texas A&M: Jarrett Johnson, DL

With Myles Garrett on his way toward becoming a high pick in April’s NFL draft, the Aggies will need to find a way to replace him on the defensive line. Johnson is the player most expect to step up in Garrett’s absence. As his playing time increases, so must Johnson’s production. He has shown his ability to get after the quarterback, logging 4.5 sacks in a rotational role last season, but Johnson may be asked to do even more as a starter. The Aggies’ pass defense was the second-worst in the SEC last season, and if opposing quarterbacks have a lot of time in the pocket, that will only make life harder on the secondary.

Honorable mention: Richard Moore, LB

Vanderbilt: Kyle Shurmur, QB

The Commodores’ starting quarterback showed progression toward the end of last season, but Shurmur needs to take another step forward in 2017. As a sophomore, he threw for over 2,400 yards and nine touchdowns but also tossed 10 interceptions. With Ralph Webb returning at running back, Shurmur can help provide balance to Vanderbilt’s offense, which would make it a little more dangerous on Saturdays.

Honorable mention: Oren Burks, LB