The Southeastern Conference produced national champion LSU and five of the top 15 teams in the final Associated Press poll for the 2019 college football season.
On the 2020 recruiting landscape, the SEC has six of the top eight classes in the 247Sports.com team rankings.
It's no stunning revelation that SEC teams have been assembling the most talent and delivering the most successful results in recent years, and there may be no better gauge of that than what transpired this week. The NFL announced that 120 college players gave up remaining eligibility to enter April's draft in Las Vegas, with SEC programs combining for 36 of those early departures.
LSU's nine early exits led all programs nationally, with Alabama's six and Georgia's five ranking second and third.
"A lot of guys will have to step up," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told ESPN New Orleans this week. "This is (quarterback) Myles Brennan's time, and he's got to step up. We've got to replace our offensive line. Dare Rosenthal is going to be our starting left tackle. We've got to step up on defense, and we've got to find a defensive coordinator.
"We've got to find a passing-game coordinator, but we have a lot of pieces in place and a lot of people who want to come to LSU. Recruiting is going great, and I'm excited about it."
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end Thaddeus Moss, edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson and safety Grant Delpit are among those leaving Baton Rouge after a memorable 15-0 season capped by last week's 42-25 triumph over Clemson in the title game of the four-team playoff, yet nobody will be shedding too many tears. LSU is turning the page possessing arguably two of college football's top five players for 2020 - receiver Ja'Marr Chase and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
This is also an area in which LSU has some experience, with a record 11 Tigers declaring early for the 2013 draft, with that contingent including running backs Michael Ford and Spencer Ware, defensive linemen Bennie Logan, Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, and defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Reid and Tharold Simon.
Alabama is moving on without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, right tackle Jedrick Wills, outside linebacker Terrell Lewis and safety Xavier McKinney. Those departures, however, were lessened by the return of running back Najee Harris, left tackle Alex Leatherwood, receiver DeVonta Smith and inside linebacker Dylan Moses.
"I've always said that if you're a first-round draft pick, you ought to go out for the draft," Alabama coach Nick Saban told reporters Wednesday during his annual appearance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. "If you're not, you ought to come back and create value for yourself by how you play so you have a lot better security and a lot better future and a lot more guaranteed money from a business standpoint.
"Most of our guys have made a good decision that way."
Georgia's five early exits were all on offense - quarterback Jake Fromm, running back D'Andre Swift, left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Solomon Kindley and right tackle Isaiah Wilson. The Bulldogs led the nation this past season in scoring defense and received good news on that side of the ball when inside linebacker Monty Rice, the team's leading tackler, and safety Richard LeCounte III elected to return.
Versatile offensive lineman Cade Mays transferring from the Bulldogs to Tennessee is another departure from Georgia's talented front, but right guard Ben Cleveland is expected to come back from an academic suspension to team with returning center Trey Hill and head a group that also includes Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer and Xavier Truss.
Florida's optimism for 2020 has been heightened by cornerback C.J. Henderson being the only Gators junior who declared for the NFL draft, while Tennessee, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt were the three SEC teams that didn't have a single player leave early. The Rebels and the Commodores were a combined 3-13 in SEC games this past season, but the Volunteers were 5-3 in conference contests and managed to retain junior left guard Trey Smith.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.