1. Alabama QB: Jacob Coker vs. Blake Barnett

Alabama was pleasantly surprised by the stellar play of Blake Sims in his lone season as the starting quarterback in 2014, but it’s now time to move on to yet another starting quarterback for the 2015 season.

Coker was once among the most touted quarterback prospects in the nation, and when he transferred to Alabama from Florida State to move out from Jameis Winston’s shadow, many figured he’d be the Tide’s quarterback of the future. That obviously wasn’t the case last season, but he’ll have another chance to earn the starting job this year.

His top competitor is incoming freshman Blake Barnett, a five-star dual-threat quarterback prospect who enrolled early at Alabama and arrived on campus earlier this month. If Barnett shows an early mastery of the playbook, Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin may elect to begin grooming him as a freshman in 2015.

2. Auburn RB: Roc Thomas vs. Jovon Robinson

Thomas was a five-star recruit from the class of 2014 who served as Auburn’s third tailback in 2014 behind seniors Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant. Both Artis-Payne and Grant have now graduated, elevating Thomas to the team’s top returning tailback.

However, he’ll have to compete for carries with 2015 signee Jovon Robinson, regarded by 247Sports as the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation this year. Robinson ran for more than 2,300 yards and 34 touchdowns at Georgia Military College in 2014, leading all junior college tailbacks in both categories. However, he did fumble the ball seven times, losing five of them, and if he continues to struggle with ball security he may have to sit behind Thomas for the time being.

3. Texas A&M QB: Kyle Allen vs. Kyler Murray

Allen took over as A&M’s starting quarterback in the middle of last season after Kenny Hill began to slow down from his red-hot start to the year, and he maintained the job for the rest of the season, including a win over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl. Hill has since transferred from A&M, giving Allen a huge leg up in the battle for the starting job in 2015.

His primary competitor will be incoming five-star dual-threat prospect Kyler Murray. The Allen, Texas, native possesses dynamic speed and athleticism in addition to a rocket arm, and if he has a strong showing this August he could leapfrog Allen for the starting job. Unlike Barnett, Murray is not an early enrollee at Texas A&M, so he’ll have to make up for lost time this summer regarding his command of the playbook and his timing with the Aggies’ bevy of explosive wideouts.

4. LSU No. 2 CB: Dwayne Thomas vs. Kevin Tolliver

The LSU secondary took a massive hit when top cornerback Jalen Collins declared himself an early entrant in the 2015 NFL Draft, ending his collegiate career in Baton Rouge. Pair the departure of Collins with the indefinite suspension of cornerback Rashard Robinson, and you suddenly find a glaring hole in the Tigers secondary as we enter the 2015 offseason.

Five-star early enrollee Kevin Tolliver arrived on campus earlier this month after starring in the Under Armour All-America game on Jan. 2, and he should have an opportunity to start right away if he can show the new defensive coaching staff he is capable of matching up with SEC speed and athleticism.

However, returning corner Dwayne Thomas may have some say in the matter. Thomas was far from a superstar in 2014, but he was certainly a contributor on the LSU defense early in the season. He only played in the Tigers first five games, but recorded 24 tackles (including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks) and hauled in an interception in a win over Sam Houston State.

Tolliver may have more natural talent, but if he is slow in adjusting his game to the collegiate level, Les Miles and company may opt to go with experience early in the season.

5. Tennessee RB: Jalen Hurd vs. Alvin Kamara

Most expect Hurd to retain his starting role in the backfield in 2015 after he ran for 900 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman in 2014. However, the next three tailbacks on the Vols’ 2014 depth chart were all seniors this season, leaving plenty of opportunity for Kamara to work his way into the mix down the line.

Kamara was the No. 2 junior college tailback in the nation in 2014, and although he won’t necessarily overtake Hurd in the backfield, he could work his way into a more-or-less even timeshare in the running game. If Kamara can translate his explosive skill set to the SEC in a short amount of time, he and Hurd could play off one another throughout the year.

Both backs could help each other maintain fresh legs throughout the season, allowing the UT offense to wear down opposing defenses late in close games. However, if Kamara cannot integrate himself into the offense fast enough, Butch Jones won’t hesitate to give Hurd a heavy workload as UT aims to build from this season’s bowl victory.