SEC Football: Each Conference Team's Returning Production Ahead of the 2022 Season
The 2022 college football season is less than two months away, and every SEC team will be bringing back at least half of its production from last season.
ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked each Division I college football team based on returning production -- a percentage that indicates how much of a team's passing yards, tackles and other statistics from the previous season will be back. The SEC East looks to be a tough battle between a handful of veteran teams and the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. On the other hand, the SEC West might have a little less production returning, but the division's seven teams know how to recruit talented athletes every year.
Here is where each conference team ranks on Connelly's list in terms of returning production ahead of the 2022 season.
No. 12 Mississippi State, 80 percent
MSU leads all SEC teams by returning 80 percent of its production from 2021. The Bulldogs have a veteran quarterback in Will Rogers and lost only three big playmakers to the NFL last season.
No. 17 Tennessee, 77 percent
The Volunteers are the only other group that is returning more than three-fourths of production. Quarterback Hendon Hooker is looking to have a Heisman-worthy season and give his team a chance to win the SEC East.
No. 35 South Carolina, 71 percent
Much of the hype around South Carolina this offseason has been regarding transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler. However, the Gamecocks will be bringing back experienced players on both sides of the ball, including cornerback Cam Smith and tight end Jaheim Bell.
No. 42 Kentucky, 68 percent
The Wildcats finished 2021 with a 10-3 overall record and have a solid chance of matching that this season by returning over two-thirds of their production. Quarterback Will Levis is already projected as a high draft pick and will be trying to show that Kentucky is more than a basketball school.
No. 45 Vanderbilt, 68 percent
Vanderbilt has struggled mightily in seasons past, but the Commodores will be looking to turn that around. Returning 68 percent of its production should help the team improve in some areas.
No. 49 Missouri, 67 percent
Like Vanderbilt, the Tigers have had a tough few years. There are plenty of questions surrounding the program, but the amount of returning production that Missouri has could help the Tigers shock a few teams once the season arrives.
No. 50 Alabama, 67 percent
Alabama finished as the second-best team in the nation last season and will return two-thirds of its production in 2022. The Crimson Tide is usually a playoff contender by the end of the regular season, and they will likely be in the thick of the title race once again.
No. 56 Auburn, 66 percent
Auburn's offseason has been filled with plenty of transfers and a few crazy rumors. The Tigers lost some top players to the portal -- including signal-caller Bo Nix -- and will look very different this year.
No. 64 Arkansas, 65 percent
Arkansas had a breakthrough year in 2021, but can the Razorbacks carry that success into the new season? Dual-threat quarterback KJ Jefferson is one of the team's top returners and will have more responsibility on his shoulders than ever before.
No. 73 LSU, 63 percent
Brian Kelly is taking over the Tigers at a difficult time. There's no denying that LSU brings in plenty of talent every year, but a group that returns only 63 percent of production and has a brand new head coach will have to work a little harder than most other teams.
No. 77 Ole Miss, 62 percent
Ole Miss returns only 62 percent of its production from last season, but Lane Kiffin has reloaded with star transfers on the offensive side of the ball that should help some. It's up to the new faces to show that they were recruited to play in the SEC for a reason.
No. 79 Georgia, 61 percent
After winning the CFP National Championship last season, the Bulldogs had 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Georgia will feature quite a few new faces in its starting lineup, but title-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett will return.
No. 81 Texas A&M, 60 percent
Despite returning only 60 percent of production from last season, Jimbo Fisher and his Aggies recruit some of the best players in the country. Texas A&M has been close to reaching the college football playoffs before; will they be able to finally make it this year?
No. 85 Florida, 59 percent
Florida has the least returning production in the SEC and a new head coach in Billy Napier. The SEC East will not be easy for the Gators to navigate this season, but they can put together a solid year.
