By Dave Holcomb
SouthernPigskin.com

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Dave Holcomb ranks his top 15 players in the SEC.

Game day traditions and rivalries are usually considered the biggest driving force in the popularity of college football. The experience of going to a college football game is unlike anything else in sports. But lets not forget about the players. Without them, there wouldnt be any games. This year, like every year, there will be some extremely talented players on the field in the SEC.

Here are the best 15 players in the SEC ahead of the 2021 season:

15. George Pickens, WR, Georgia
The junior wideout could easily be much higher on this list, but Pickens tore his ACL during spring practice, which could keep him out for a majority of the 2021 season. Georgia is hopeful, though, that he could return late in the season to help push for a national championship. Therefore, I felt he had to be included on this list. In 2021, Pickens posted 36 catches for 513 yards and 6 touchdowns in 8 games.

14. Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky
A second-team All-American according to CBS and The Sporting News, Kinnard is returning for his senior season. He has made 24 straight starts at tackle and played in 32 games during his college career. Kinnard anchored the Kentucky offense which finished third in the SEC in rushing yards per game (196.6). He could have been a Day 2 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Kinnard has the potential to become a first-round pick in the 2022 class.

13. Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina
The junior South Carolina running back ranked outside my top 10 speaks to how much talent depth the SEC has. Harris led the conference in rushing yards per game with 113.8 last season. He also scored 15 rushing touchdowns, which was second to only 2021 first-round pick Najee Harris. His career 6.4 yards per rush average is first in South Carolina history (among running backs with at least 1,000 yards). He should continue to write his name in the school record book this fall.

12. Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
Harris is the first of four Alabama players to make our list. Only two other schools had more than one player on this list and neither of them had more than two selections. The junior linebacker finished second in total tackles for the Alabama defense with 79. He also had 4.5 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hurries and an interception in 2020.

11. Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
A first-team All-SEC selection last year, Elam should be one of the best defensive backs in the conference again this season. He posted 39 total tackles, 11 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions in 2020. Elam projects to be a top choice in the 2022 NFL Draft.

10. John Metchie, WR, Alabama
With DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle off to the NFL, Metchie is the new primary target in the Alabama passing game. He filled in nicely for an injured Waddle last year, making 55 catches for 916 yards and 6 touchdowns. Thanks in large part to a 16.7 yards per reception average, Metchie finished fourth in the SEC in receiving yards. Among returning SEC wideouts, Metchie was third in receiving yards per game last year with 70.5.

9. Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
The lone guard on our list, Green enters the season as a member of Athlon Sports Preseason All-American first team. Starting 10 games at left guard in 2020, he was a consensus first or second-team All-American last year. Green was also a semi-finalist for the 2020 Outland Trophy, which is given annually to the best interior lineman in college football.

8. Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn
Bigsby stormed onto the plains as a freshman in 2020, posting 834 rushing yards in 10 games, giving him the seventh-best yards on the ground per game average in the SEC. He averaged more than 6.0 yards per carry as well. The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year will battle Kevin Harris for the title of SECs best running back this fall.

7. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Cross played in three games during 2019, so he retained his freshman status last year. As a first-year player, he dominated at Mississippi State on his way to All-SEC Freshman honors from the conferences coaches. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is already receiving a lot of attention for the 2022 NFL Draft.

6. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M
The junior defensive lineman doesnt dominate on the stat sheet, but his freakish athleticism provides him the chance to make an impactful play on any down. A former 5-star prospect, Leal appears ready to become an unstoppable force on a defense that was already ninth in total defense in the country last year. Leal had 37 total tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups and an interception in 2020.

5. JT Daniels, QB, Georgia
He only played in four games, but Daniels really impressed once becoming the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns with 2 interceptions during four starts. Daniels threw for more than 390 yards twice in just four games. In the other six games, Georgia quarterbacks Stetson Bennett and DWan Mathis didnt reach 300 passing yards even once. The junior quarterback has Athens giddy about winning a national championship in 2021.

4. Will Anderson, LB, Alabama
As good as fellow Alabama linebacker Christian Harris is, Anderson lands in my top 5 after absolutely dominating as a freshman. He earned consensus Freshman All-America honors and became a member of the SEC All-Freshman team in 2020. Anderson finished second for Alabama with 7 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. He also had 52 total tackles, 1 forced fumble and blocked a field goal during the College Football Playoffs.

3. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
With Mac Jones and Kyle Trask in the NFL, Corral returns as the big-named quarterback in the SEC. He averaged 10.2 yards per attempt with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a sophomore last year. He was second in the conference behind only Jones and Trask with 333.7 passing yards per game. Corral also chipped in 506 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground in 2020. His dual-threat ability has Ole Miss eyeing a Top 25 finish for the first time since 2015.

2. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
There doesnt seem to be much debate about who are the SECs top two players heading into the 2021 season. Neal is the consensus No. 2 player in the conference after he dominated at two different offensive line positions in his first two college seasons. Hell go through another transition to left tackle this fall, where he expects to become the SECs best lineman. He anchored right tackle for an offense that finished second in points, third in passing yards and fourth in total offense in the country last year.

1. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
Voted and ranked by many SEC football reporters and writers as the best SEC player heading into the 2021 season, readers will get no disagreement here. In two seasons with the Tigers, Stingley has 65 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 20 pass breakups and 6 interceptions. All six of his interceptions came during his freshman season, but Stingley dealt with injuries last year. Opposing quarterbacks were also deterred from throwing in his direction a lot of times, causing his statistics to drop. Stingley is projected to be a top-five NFL draft pick in 2022.