In the past week alone, a few SEC stars removed themselves from Auburn’s 2020 schedule.

LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase, last season’s Biletnikoff Award winner; LSU defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin, a stunningly strong interior disruptor; and Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman, a Wake Forest grad transfer who was hoped to be a valuable insertion for Kirby Smart’s much-criticized offense, all announced they will be opting out of the 2020 season.

So, who’s the best of the rest?

Auburn annually plays one of the toughest schedules nationally because of the talent it faces every game, and teams like LSU (defensive back Kary Vincent also opted out), Georgia and Texas A&M (top cornerback Elijah Blades opted out), will miss some of their best players but have no shortage of star power down the depth chart thanks to elite recruiting and development.

Across the Tigers’ 10 scheduled opponents for their upcoming season, Auburn will face more than its fair share of first-round NFL talents and national college football award contenders. I ranked the top 10 players on Auburn’s 2020 schedule based on my own assessments of who the top talents in the conference will be this season.

There isn’t much emphasis on whether a star player will be attacking a weaker Auburn position group, or if a player has had success against Auburn in the past (if that was the No. 1 factor in my rankings, Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle would be miles ahead at the top).

Let’s dive into the list.

LSU S JaCoby Stevens

Georgia LB Monty Rice

Georgia WR George Pickens

Kentucky C Drake Jackson

Alabama OG Landon Dickerson

Alabama DT Christian Barmore

Texas A&M WR Jhamon Ausbon

South Carolina CB Israel Mukuamu

Alabama having its star linebacker back may be exactly what the Crimson Tide needs to reinvigorate its defense as a whole after an off 2019 season.

Dylan Moses suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall camp — one of a handful of hits to Alabama’s talented linebacking corps last season. Without Moses, the Tide didn’t play up to Nick Saban’s standards on that side of the ball for much of the season.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defender could have gone pro but decided to return for a final season in Tuscaloosa — a common theme among Crimson Tide players on this list.

Moses led Alabama in tackles in 2018, with 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble, to boot. Along with Auburn’s K.J. Britt and Missouri’s Nick Bolton, Moses is expected to play like a first team All-SEC linebacker, and will probably contend for national defensive awards, too.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

The SEC’s leading rusher during the 2019 regular season with 1,343 yards and 10 scores, Kylin Hill entered his name in the 2020 NFL Draft in December before later opting to return for his senior year.

But what will that final season in Mississippi State’s offense look like? With air-raid maestro Mike Leach at the helm, with designs to open up MSU’s offense, the Bulldogs’ emphasis on the ground game is expected to see a decline.

So Hill won’t be the same bell cow who racked up 242 rushing attempts last season, but he will undoubtedly be featured prominently in Leach’s offense as a versatile runner and a pass-catcher. He’s far too talented not to be.

But he’s not the top-rated running back on this list.

Auburn at Miss State on Nov. 14

Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning’s unit carries lofty expectations into the 2020 season, and the return of Richard LeCounte on the back end is a big reason why.

After leading Georgia in tackles in 2018, LeCounte was a turnover machine for the Bulldogs during their SEC East- and Sugar Bowl-winning season last year. The senior safety forced two fumbles, was second in the league in picks with four and recovered an SEC-best three fumbles.

With Georgia replacing former All-SEC talent J.R. Reed at the other safety slot, LeCounte will be relied on to direct traffic in the secondary and keep up his turnover antics while he’s at it.

Auburn at Georgia on Oct. 3

If LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. is the class of the SEC at defensive back, Patrick Surtain II could be the best of the rest.

A junior who blends a physical, 6-foot-2 frame with some of the best one-on-one coverage skills in the country, Surtain broke up nine passes in coverage last season with two interceptions. He’s one of the better tacklers on Alabama’s defense, too, with 42 stops and three forced fumbles.

After starting as a true freshman in 2018, Surtain will look to make it three consecutive seasons as one of the top cover corners in the nation.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

Alex Leatherwood wowed his coaches (and his opponents) at left tackle last season after spending his sophomore year as an All-SEC right guard for the Crimson Tide.

In protecting Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side, the 6-foot-6, 312-pound lineman excelled further, earning a few All-America nods and first team all-conference honors, while shooting his NFL draft stock up significantly.

Despite his projected first- or second-round rating for the draft, Leatherwood returned to Tuscaloosa for his senior campaign — and no one is probably more thankful for that than new Tide quarterback Mac Jones.

Leatherwood is a reliable veteran for Saban, having started 28 games at multiple positions along the O-line. He’s versatile enough to swap around spots in a pinch, though Alabama would prefer to have its preseason All-American stay at the all-important left tackle slot.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

Another monster lineman who returned for his senior year, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound Trey Smith looked to be the future at left tackle for Tennessee in 2018 before blood clots forced him to be shut down for the season.

Upon returning to the Vols last year, Smith, like Leatherwood, showed his adaptability by moving from tackle to left guard, where he was named first team All-SEC alongside Leatherwood.

After taking a few games to settle in at his new position — and after slowly being worked back from a possible career-threatening condition — Smith was one of the best interior linemen in the nation last season. According to Pro Football Focus, through the last six games of the season, only one Power 5 offensive guard consistently graded out better than Smith (Ohio State All-American Wyatt Davis).

Smith didn’t allow a single sack all year and let up just two quarterback hurries after the halfway point of Tennessee’s season.

Led by the hopeful 2021 NFL first-round selection Smith, the rest of Tennessee’s offensive line is talented, as well, with two former 5-star prospects in Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright, along with sixth-year senior Brandon Kennedy.

The Vols' front five will look to compete with Alabama’s to be tops in the conference this season.

Tennessee at Auburn on Nov. 21

The distinct crimson flavor on this list continues with the SEC’s best tailback.

Saban always has a stud (often multiple studs) in the backfield — whether it’s Heisman winners Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, or more recent standouts like Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs.

And Najee Harris, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound athletic anomaly, can hold his own against the best backs of the Saban era.

After 1,369 yards through two years as Damien Harris’ backup, Najee had 1,224 yards on the ground last season, plus 304 yards as a pass-catcher. In all, he accounted for 20 Alabama touchdowns last year.

Against a crowded defensive front, Najee Harris can look the part of Henry, bulldozing over linebackers. When he gets into the open field, he’s spectacularly acrobatic, hurdling defenders more than a few times last year for extra yardage.

Simply put, no one in the conference can run better than Najee Harris right now. There’s no reason to think Alabama won’t lean on him especially early in the season to take pressure off new QB Mac Jones.

And don’t look now, but if Najee Harris can run for the same yardage mark he did last season or better, he’ll eclipse Henry as Alabama’s all-time rushing leader.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

There’s no one Gus Malzahn hates to see on a football field more than Waddle, Alabama’s blur of a receiver.

In his two Iron Bowls thus far, Waddle has 171 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, plus a kick-return TD. He was nearly unstoppable — more so uncatchable — in Auburn’s shootout win over the Tide last season.

So is he Alabama’s best receiver, or is it DeVonta Smith? Waddle could be the best breakaway player in the nation, but Smith seems to be more versatile and possess a greater downfield presence.

Still, what Waddle brought to Alabama, especially as a kick returner, was unmatched last year and isn’t likely to be replicated by even the best special-teams weapons across the country in 2020.

And he’s still growing, having seen steady improvement in his skill set from 2018 to 2019, as well as a bigger role in the offense. We know he’s one of Mac Jones’ favorite targets, and that should strike fear into every SEC defense the Tide face this year, including Auburn’s.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

Like Najee Harris, Tide senior wideout DeVonta Smith looks to move into the elite levels of Alabama’s record books this year.

Already sixth in program history in career receiving yards and fourth in touchdowns, Smith will pass the likes of Julio Jones, Jerry Jeudy and Calvin Ridley on those lists if he can replicate his 2019 season where he led Alabama’s loaded receiving corps with 1,256 yards, 14 touchdowns and an eye-popping 18.5 yards per catch.

Even when Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy became first-round picks in April’s draft, many scouts said Smith is even better. Since his walk-off touchdown as a true freshman in the 2017 national title game, he's only improved.

He’ll be able to stretch the field, which is obviously dangerous in its own right, but will also allow Waddle to find space in the short passing game.

With Tagovailoa under center, every game for Alabama’s offense felt like a pick-your-poison scenario with which receiver was going to get his. Now with the Tide working in some former rotational players in the starting group, Smith and Waddle are the unquestionable leaders in the passing game and shouldn’t miss a beat following their dominant 2019 seasons.

Auburn at Alabama on Nov. 28

Cases could be made that last season, the 18-year-old true freshman Stingley was the best cornerback in college football, the best defensive back, the best freshman, one of the best defensive players and one of top 10 or 15 players in the sport.

Read again: Stingley was an 18-year-old true freshman.

The Baton Rouge, La., native was a consensus All-American last season during LSU’s national-title run, leading the team in interceptions with six and passes defended with 15. Stingley turned in PFF’s best cornerback coverage grade in the nation.

As the season progressed, Stingley’s interceptions and pass breakups got better every game. By the time he leaped over Auburn receiver Seth Williams for one of the most impressive picks of the year, it was apparent Stingley had NFL-ready coverage skills as a true freshman.

He showed out on the biggest stages, too. During LSU’s SEC Championship win over Georgia, he picked off Jake Fromm twice. In LSU’s two games in the College Football Playoff, Stingley allowed just two catches against the electric offenses of Oklahoma and Clemson.

Most quarterbacks likely won’t even look his way in 2020.

LSU at Auburn on Oct. 31

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