How players leaving early will impact Tennessee and rest of SEC East

A downside to college football success is always apparent this time of year. A good season usually means good players declaring early for the NFL.

Alabama experiences that on a regular basis. LSU routinely has been hit hard by early-outs. And Georgia will lose two standout juniors from its SEC championship team.

But you don’t have to win to lose good players to the NFL draft. Tennessee is proof of that.

Despite winning only four games, Tennessee is losing three juniors to the NFL.

In fact, other than Georgia, no team in the SEC East will be impacted more than Tennessee, which is losing running back John Kelly, defensive back Rashaan Gaulden and defensive tackle Reginald McKenzie.

Georgia will lose defensive tackle Trenton Thompson and All-American linebacker Roquan Smith.

Florida is losing three players early after suffering through a losing season. But only two of the three – defensive tackle Taven Bryan and placekicker Eddy Pineiro – played last season. Wide receiver Antonio Callaway, who also has declared for the draft, was suspended last season.

South Carolina will miss Hayden Hurst, a versatile tight end who caught 44 passes and occasionally was used as a running back. However, the loss could be more than offset by the return of injured wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who caught 59 passes for 783 yards in 2016 and also averaged 6.5 yards on 15 rushing attempts.

Missouri and Vanderbilt didn’t lose anyone early. The Tigers got a break in that there was considerable speculation quarterback Drew Lock would leave for the NFL. They will return nine starters from a high-scoring offense that also will add running back Damarea Crockett, who missed half of the 2017 season with an injury.

Tennessee’s losses will be magnified because of the positions.

Had Kelly returned, UT would have had a nice one-two punch with him and Ty Chandler. Now, the Vols have a corps of running backs with a grand total of 572 yards rushing last season.

Gaulden’s loss could be even more significant. Not only was he talented. He could play any position in the secondary. Moreover, he was UT’s best cover guy.

McKenzie, who was a five-star recruit, never played up to his billing. His best season was his last. He had 35 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

NFL-types might be more interested in McKenzie’s size than his stats. At 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, he’s at least equipped to clog up the middle.

The Vols also are losing senior defensive tackle Kendal Vickers, a three-year starter. So they will need returning tackles Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson to stay healthy next fall. And Tuttle hasn’t had an injury-free season yet.

Kentucky won’t have such concerns. Linebacker Josh Allen, safety Mike Edwards, and tight end C.J. Conrad all decided to return for their senior season. So the Wildcats will lose no one early from a team that qualified for a bowl and beat the Vols head-to-head.

Tennessee has the worst of both worlds. It has lost nine consecutive SEC games, just finished last in the East and it's losing juniors, too.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.