First-year tailbacks were en vogue in the SEC last season, as five teams were led in rushing by a freshman in 2014 — Georgia (Nick Chubb), Kentucky (Boom Williams), LSU (Leonard Fournette), Tennessee (Jalen Hurd) and Vanderbilt (Ralph Webb).

This got us thinking: Which other tailbacks in SEC history have dominated to that degree as first-year players in the league. With that in mind, we ranked the 10 best rookie seasons by SEC tailbacks in the conference’s history.

(NOTE: The following are rookie backs, not necessarily freshman. A junior college transfers’ first year in the SEC was also considered for the list below.)

10. Darren McFadden, Arkansas, 2005: McFadden’s numbers rose significantly in each of his three seasons as a Razorback, meaning his 1,100 yards at 6.3 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns were actually a low point for the former Hog. That’s remarkable, especially considering he spent each of his three seasons, including the rookie campaign detailed above, sharing time with fellow future NFL backs Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis in the Arkansas backfield. He’d go on to rush for more than 1,600 yards and more than 1,800 yards in his final two seasons, but his brilliance all began as a true freshman taking the conference by storm now 10 years ago.

9. Dalton Hilliard, LSU, 1982: Hilliard, whose son Kenny just closed the book on his LSU career and began a career in the NFL, remains one of the iconic stars of LSU’s longstanding football history. His legendary career began in 1982, a year in which he ran for 900 yards at 4.7 yards per carry. Those numbers are good, but I understand why some may feel they don’t stack up to the numbers posted by other players on this list. However, it’s worth noting that Hilliard ran for 11 touchdowns that year, caught more than 30 passes for more than 300 yards and added another five touchdowns as a receiver, bringing his grand total for the season to 16. He finished second in the SEC in rushing that season, third in rushing touchdowns, placed in the top 10 in the conference in receptions and second in total touchdowns from scrimmage. Needless to say, Hilliard was a star at LSU from his first day on campus, and that’s how he’s remembered more than 30 years later.

8. Reggie Cobb, Tennessee, 1987: Cobb was a versatile back who wasted no time making an impact as a runner and receiver in his first year in Knoxville. He led the Vols in rushing that year with just shy of 1,200 yards, good for third in the entire SEC that season, and he added 17 touchdowns on the ground, good for the second-highest total in the conference. Moreover, he added 13 catches for 198 yards (better than 15 yards per catch) and three touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield, adding a second threat that gave opposing defenses fits. By season’s end he finished fourth in the SEC in yards from scrimmage and second in the nation in total touchdowns from scrimmage, laying the foundation for a fantastic three-year career as a Volunteer.

7. Siran Stacy, Alabama, 1989: Stacy is far from a household name among SEC fans, but perhaps he should be. He’s an interesting case for this list considering not only was he a fabulous freshman, but his rookie year in the SEC was his best as a student-athlete. He ran for just shy of 1,100 yards as a freshman in ’89, scoring 17 touchdowns while averaging 5 yards per carry. He was third in the conference in rushing that year, and he led the conference in touchdowns, cracking the top 10 in the nation in that category. Better yet, he added a whopping 36 receptions, which would have cracked the top 25 in the SEC last season, resulting in another 300-plus yards and another touchdown to add to that impressive total. He was a complete player and a bonafide superstar, but he never ran for 1,000 yards again as a member of the Tide.

6. Rudi Johnson, Auburn, 2000: Johnson is an example of a SEC rookie who wasn’t a freshman when he debuted in the conference, joining Auburn for his lone season in the FBS in 2000 after playing junior college ball in Kansas. He made his one year on the plains count, rushing for more than 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns as the workhorse out of the backfield. He was named the 2000 SEC Player of the Year, and he led the SEC in rushing (he also led the SEC in carries and finished second in the nation in that department). He spent little time making a big impact in a foreign conference, constituting one of the best rookie years ever by an SEC tailback.

5. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina, 2010: Gamecock fans like to say that Marcus Lattimore gave his knees to the University of South Carolina, considering his 555 carries in less than three full seasons resulted in a knee injury that kept Lattimore from ever realizing his NFL dream. But what Lattimore did on 249 carries as a true freshman in 2010 is nothing short of amazing. He ran for 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns at nearly 5 yards per carry, and added 29 receptions for another 400-plus yards and two more touchdowns. He closed the year as a freshman All-American, a second-team All-American regardless of classification, a first-team All-SEC honoree and the SEC’s Freshman of the Year, finishing first in the conference in plays and yards from scrimmage.

4. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 2007: Moreno arrived at Georgia in 2006 and debuted in 2007 after redshirting his first year on campus. In his debut season, playing alongside current NFL stars Matthew Stafford and A.J. Green, Moreno promptly ran for more than 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging better than 5 yards per carry in the process. He finished second in the SEC in yards that season and third in touchdowns, and he helped lead UGA to an 11-2 season including a Sugar Bowl victory over Hawaii. He’d go on to rush for more than 1,400 yards the next season, then left for the NFL, where he’s played for six seasons.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia, 2014: Why shouldn’t Chubb be included on this list? After all, he only started eight games last year as a true freshman with little buzz surrounding his name, yet still finished second in the SEC in rushing at season’s end. He ran for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns as a true freshman, rushing for at least 100 yards in each of his first eight career starts (he’s still yet to start a game and fall short of the 100-yard mark). Furthermore, he proved himself to be a workhorse back who can handle 30-plus touches a game, and Georgia should depend heavily on its star tailback in the coming years as a result.

2. Todd Gurley, Georgia, 2012: Last year, Gurley was the suspended/injured junior who made way for a new freshman phenom in Chubb, but it was Gurley who was Georgia’s last stud freshman when he debuted in 2012. That year he ran for just shy of 1,400 yards at better than 6 yards per carry, adding a whopping 17 touchdowns on the ground to finish second in the conference in that category. He also caught 16 passes on the year, helping to raise his yards from scrimmage total to better than 1,500 yards at season’s end. Gurley’s since been drafted in the top 10 of last weekend’s NFL draft, but his freshman season will forever live on as his only collegiate season with at least 1,000 yards.

1. Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980: Walker played three years at Georgia from 1980-82 and was a three-time consensus All-American as a Bulldog. His most impressive season was his freshman season, when he burst on the scene to the tune of more than 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in only 11 games, averaging 5.9 yards per carry in the process. He was named the SEC Player of the Year as a true freshman, and finished third in the Heisman voting, indicating he wasn’t just one of the best freshmen in the SEC, but one of the best players from any class in the entire nation.