Todd Gurley ranked as SEC’s top player by Athlon Sports

In leading up to the 2014 college football season, noted football publication Athlon Sports polled a panel of 23 experts as to who were the SEC’s best returning players. Each voter submitted a list of 15 names in order from top to bottom, and in compiling the rankings, a familiar player emerged to fans of the Georgia Bulldogs, as running back Todd Gurley emerged as the top vote-getter in the conference.

The star running back garnered 19 out of 23 first-place votes, and according to the data, Gurley was the only player that was listed on each and every ballot. After a sophomore season that saw him battle injury concerns (though he still gained more than 1,400 total yards), Gurley has been listed as a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate by many outlets (including this one), and versatile ball carrier was recently given the honor of being selected as a preseason All-American by Sports Illustrated.

Georgia also placed linebacker Ramik Wilson on the list (he finished in a tie for 9th-place), but one notable omission from the Athlon rankings was Leonard Floyd, who some feel could become a breakout player this season. This certainly won’t be the last accolade received by Todd Gurley in the coming days, and he can begin his potential Heisman run with a big game in the season opener against Clemson.