Here at SDS, we respect the elder statesmen of the SEC. Throughout the season, we hit you with the “Senior Citizens” post, letting you know who the top seniors in the conference were each week.

Looking ahead to 2015, here are the seniors we think will step up to provide veteran leadership with their play.

  • Alabama — C Ryan Kelly: Kelly will be counted on to anchor the interior of Alabama’s offensive line, which is losing three starters.
  • Arkansas — QB Brandon Allen: Quarterback continuity is a rarity in the SEC these days, but Arkansas gets its signal caller back for another year.
  • Auburn — LB Cassanova McKinzy: McKinzy will be the man in the middle for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp after eschewing the NFL draft.
  • Florida — LB Antonio Morrison: Morrison will be one of the few upperclassmen holdovers from the Will Muschamp era on the defensive side of the ball, helping the Gators to transition to the new coaching staff.
  • Georgia — C Hunger Long: Georgia brings back three of five offensive line starters, but is losing center David Andrews to graduation. Long will have to step up to match Andrews’ MVP-level performance.
  • Kentucky — LB Josh Forrest: Kentucky’s defensive effort waned badly as the season wore on, but Mark Stoops gets his middle linebacker back to direct the offense.
  • LSU — OG Vadal Alexander: LSU ran to Alexander and left tackle La’el Collins’ side of the line as often as possible. With Alexander poised to come back for his senior season, LSU will hope that he can continue to hold down that side of the line.
  • Mississippi State — QB Dak Prescott: With all the talent Mississippi State is losing, the Bulldogs will need Prescott to be even more superhuman than he was in 2014.
  • Missouri — LB Kentrell Brothers: Mizzou is losing it’s defensive end tandem, but returns a pair of excellent linebackers. Brothers, a terror from sideline to sideline, will be counted on to provide leadership all over.
  • Ole Miss — DB Mike Hilton: The Rebels graduate their two best defensive backs, but Hilton is more than capable of playing a larger role than he did in 2014.
  • South Carolina — RB Brandon Wilds: With a questionable quarterback situation, Steve Spurrier should, in theory, lean on the run, meaning plenty of work for Wilds, a rising fifth-year senior .
  • Tennessee — LB/DE Curt Maggitt: Along with Derek Barnett, Maggitt is part of the most fearsome pass-rushing pair in the SEC for 2015.
  • Texas A&M — C Mike Matthews: The Aggies offensive line was shaky all year, and will undergo some shifting for 2015. Matthews will be the man in the middle counted on to hold it together.
  • Vanderbilt — TE Steven Scheu: This past year didn’t go quite as planned for Vanderbilt, but Scheu proved to be a reliable outlet for the array of Commodores quarterbacks. As the offense matures, he’ll continue to provide a reliable set of hands.