For as much as the SEC has adopted spread offense concepts over recent years, it’s still the best defensive conference in the nation.

Those who need convincing should look to the list of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which was released Wednesday. Three SEC players are up for the award, which recognizes the country’s best defensive player as voted upon by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen, LSU safety Grant Delpit and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams are the trio of SEC players in the running for the Nagurski Trohpy. The other two finalists are Michigan linebacker Devin Bush and Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Allen is first in the SEC with 15.5 tackles for loss, second nationally with five forced fumbles and third in the country with 11 sacks. The Wildcats senior pass-rusher has earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors four times this season.

Delpit has managed to be a rangy defender capable of snagging interceptions or stopping ball-carriers in his sophomore season. His five interceptions are tops in the SEC and tied for third nationally, and he’s the Tigers’ third-leading tackler with 63 total stops.

Williams, another sophomore, has burst onto the scene with dominant performances over the last month, such as a his 10-tackle, 2.5-sack performance against LSU. The Crimson Tide’s defense has experienced a resurgence around the space-eating defensive tackle, who was named the Outland Trophy Defensive Player of the Month for October.

All three of these superstar SEC defenders have a shot to win the Nagurski Trophy, which will be presented Dec. 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.