SEC Football: Georgia and Kentucky lead the way with returning starters

There are 17 days till college football season, and today we talk about the two SEC teams who return the most starters in 2017.

One of the most important factors when predicting the success of an SEC football teams is experience. Other than Alabama, for an SEC team to make a run and have a magical season, experience goes a long way.

Tennessee and LSU led the way with 17 returning starters going into last season, and each team carried a lot of hype going into last season. While the Volunteers and Tigers’ seasons didn’t end in a conference championship, they were, in fact, two of the best teams in the SEC last fall.

Now let’s take a look at the two teams that have the most returning starters in the SEC this season, which leads us to no. 17 on the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.

Georgia and Kentucky return 17 starters from last season, most in SEC

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Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia returns seven starters on offense and 10 starters on defense, making them almost everyone’s favorite to win the SEC East. The two biggest things to look at for the Bulldogs is their quarterback and their defense.

ATHENS, GA – NOVEMBER 26: Jacob Eason (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Jacob Eason was the no. 1 pro-style quarterback in the nation coming out of high school, and he has a full season of experience under his belt. Many people, Greg McElroy for one, have been very critical of Eason this offseason. While he did struggle at times in his freshman season, he was, after all, a freshman.

Eason threw for 2,430 yards, 16 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and completed 55.1 percent of his passes. Those are not world-beating numbers by any means, but that was with inconsistent play at wide receiver and a shaky offensive line.

The offensive line is the biggest question mark for the Bulldogs. Georgia only returns two starters on the offensive line. While they did bring in an impressive offensive line haul in 2017 recruiting class, including 5-star Brooklyn-native Isaiah Wilson and 4-star Andrew Thomas, it’s difficult to put too much stock into a freshman’s impact.

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky has some hype coming into the 2017 season for the first time in I don’t know how long. Even in the 2007 season when they were ranked in the top 10, they didn’t have this much buzz going into the season.The Wildcats return eight starters on offense and nine starters on defense. Ryan Micklin wrote a story for Southbound and Down about Kentucky’s preseason hype.

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The return of quarterback Stephen Johnson and sophomore running back Benny Snell are a dangerous combination. Johnson threw just 13 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, but he brings a a running element that makes the Wildcats’ offense dangerous.

Kentucky was the only SEC football team to have two 1,000-yard rushers last season, and while they will be without Stanley “Boom” Williams, Snell is back and ready to be the Wildcats’ workhorse. Snell was eighth in the SEC with 1,091 rushing yards and was tied for third with 13 rushing touchdowns.

The Wildcats also return one of the SEC’s top tackling duos with linebacker Jordan Jones and safety Mike Edwards. Jones was third in the SEC with 109 tackles, while Edwards was sixth in the conference with 100 tackles. Jones also added four sacks, while Edwards was tied for the team-lead with three interceptions.

Next: John Franklin III leaving Auburn

Only time will tell us how Georgia and Kentucky’s seasons will play out, but with all the experience that they return, they will likely be two of the most dangerous SEC football teams in 2017.

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