Shortly after the bowl announcements, we brought you a ranking of the nine quarterbacks that SEC defenses will face in their bowl games.

Now it’s time to look all over the field and count down the 10 best players, aside from quarterbacks — with the proviso that each school is listed at least once — who SEC fans, coaches and players will get to know better in the postseason.

10. Wake Forest TE Cam Serigne

The ACC first-team all-conference pick has had at least 30 catches in each of his four seasons with the Demon Deacons. This season, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior has 35 catches for 444 yards and eight touchdowns and is one of the top targets for quarterback John Wolford. In the Belk Bowl matchup against Texas A&M, Serigne will be even more important with Wake’s top receiver, Greg Dortch, out injured.

9. Louisville WR Jaylen Smith

Amid all the talk about 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, Smith’s contributions to the Cardinals’ offense should not be overlooked. Smith, a 6-4, 219-pound junior, is fifth in the ACC with 873 receiving yards heading into the TaxSlayer Bowl against Mississippi State. That’s the most for the Cardinals since Devante Parker had 885 yards in 2013 (and that included a bowl game).

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8. UCF LB Shaquem Griffin

An American Athletic Conference first-team selection two years running, Griffin is the hard-hitting heart of the Knights’ defense and one of the most inspirational stories in college football heading into the Peach Bowl against Auburn. Griffin, who had his left hand amputated at age 4, has his sights set on joining twin brother Shaquill, a rookie cornerback with the Seattle Seahawks, in the NFL. Griffin, a 6-2, 229-pound senior, has 5.5 sacks this season.

7. Clemson LB Dorian O’Daniel

A potential first-round NFL Draft selection and an All-American, O’Daniel provides the thump to Clemson’s excellent defense, leading the Tigers with 99 tackles heading into their Sugar Bowl clash against Alabama. The senior, at 6-1, 215, has two interceptions this season and returned both for touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter of a critical victory Sept. 30 at Virginia Tech.

6. Michigan DL Maurice Hurst

Another projected first-round pick, Hurst, at 6-2, 280, is one of the standouts on a stout Wolverines defensive line along with Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich. Michigan is No. 1 in the country in pass defense at 142.7 yards a game and third in total defense at 268.6, presenting a tough matchup for South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

5. Northwestern RB Justin Jackson

Since bursting onto the scene with 1,187 rushing yards as a freshman in 2014, Jackson has been one of the nation’s most consistent offensive threats. He has 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this season for the Wildcats, and Music City Bowl opponent Kentucky should not forget about him coming out of the backfield as he has 43 catches for 266 yards in 2017. The 5-11, 200-pound senior has 5,283 career rushing yards, 14th on the all-time Football Bowl Subdivision list.

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4. Texas DB DeShon Elliott

He’s a first-team All-America pick by multiple selectors and he’ll likely create a headache for quarterback Drew Lock and the prolific Missouri offense in the Texas Bowl. Elliott stood out even on a Longhorns team that is 108th in the country in pass defense (in fairness, Big 12 teams throw a lot) and led the conference with six interceptions. He returned two of those picks for scores.

3. Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews

He earned the John Mackey Award last week as the nation’s top tight end and is a first-team All-American. Andrews is one of many weapons, of course, in the Sooners’ No. 1-ranked offense. But at 6-5, 254, he creates a real matchup problem for Georgia in the Rose Bowl. He has 108 career catches for 1,713 yards and 22 touchdowns.

2. Notre Dame OLs Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey

These two are inseparable as part of one of the country’s top offensive lines. Nelson, at 6-5, 330, is projected as a top-five pick in at least a couple of mock NFL Drafts. He and the 6-8, 315 McGlinchey, both All-America picks by more than one service, have helped Josh Adams rush for 1,386 yards this season. Notre Dame’s O-line against LSU’s front seven will be fun to watch in the Citrus Bowl.

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1. Clemson DT Christian Wilkins

Wilkins is the biggest name on perhaps college football’s best defensive line. The junior is projected to go pretty high in the NFL Draft if he turns pro, and the 6-foot-4, 300-pound monster has played both at end and tackle in his Tigers career. Clemson is second in the nation in scoring defense (behind only its Sugar Bowl opponent, Alabama) and fifth in total defense, and it all starts with Wilkins and friends up front.