Laura Rutledge breaks down how Jalen Hurts looked in his first showing in Brian Daboll's new offense for Alabama during the spring game. (2:30)

With spring practice officially over in the SEC, it was time for rethink our conference power rankings. ESPN reporters Edward Aschoff, Sam Khan Jr. and Alex Scarborough voted, leading to a minor shakeup near the top of the rankings and a little shuffling around at the bottom.

1. Alabama: Nick Saban's No. 1 goal of the spring was to improve the downfield passing game. Not only did he get the result of Jalen Hurts throwing for 300 yards during A-Day, but so did true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. The secondary needs to get its act together, but the pieces are there for yet another top defense.

2. Auburn: Gus Malzahn's offense isn't the only thing that's quarterback driven. You could argue that the entire team is built that way. So if Jarrett Stidham can build off a solid spring game performance and become a dynamic player at the position, the Tigers could find themselves in the race to Atlanta.

T-3. LSU: Ed Orgeron can say all he wants about how the offense beat up on the defense all spring, but the evidence says otherwise. Danny Etling & Co. put together a weak performance during LSU's spring game. Matt Canada may have the playbook to take the Tigers into the 21st century, but how much of it will be used and how quickly?

T-3. Florida: The good news is that Felipe Franks appears ready to take over at quarterback, causing the move from fourth to tied for third in our rankings. The bad news? No one knows the state of the defense now that so many of Will Muschamp's recruits are gone, including the latest crop of stars heading to the NFL (see: Jarrad Davis, Caleb Brantley, Marcus Maye, Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson, etc.).

5. Georgia: Of course Kirby Smart was pleased with the way spring ended. The former defensive coordinator got to watch his defense rack up five sacks. But Year 2 of the Jacob Eason era got off on the wrong foot as the strong-armed quarterback once again struggled with his accuracy at G-Day, completing a paltry 44 percent of his passes.

6. Tennessee: Lowered expectations coupled with a relatively soft nonconference schedule (Georgia Tech, Indiana State, UMass, Southern Miss) could mean a bounce-back season of sorts for the Vols. Quinten Dormady's 10-for-10 passing performance during the spring game gave reason for hope as well.

7. Texas A&M: It's bad enough that a quarterback didn't separate himself this spring. Then Kirk Merritt, a speedy wideout who could have stretched the field, was dismissed from the team. Those two reasons were enough to drop the Aggies a spot in our rankings. Kevin Sumlin has pieces left -- wideout Christian Kirk and running back Trayveon Williams, to name a few -- but how they fit together remains unclear.

8. Arkansas: Austin Allen could be one of the top three quarterbacks in the SEC, and he'll have one of the league's best centers in Frank Ragnow. With Paul Rhoads taking over a perennially underachieving defense, there's reason to believe the Razorbacks could put together a solid season.

9. Mississippi State: Nick Fitzgerald was one of the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country last season, so let's not get carried away by one bad scrimmage. The more important news was that last season's terrible defense seemed to improve under Todd Grantham, forcing a handful of interceptions and even scoring twice on pick-sixes during the spring game.

10. Ole Miss: Good luck getting a gauge on the Rebs these days. Shea Patterson could be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, and it might not make a difference if that defense doesn't improve. Ole Miss has been hit hard by the draft, scholarship limitations will begin to show up before long, and no hope of a bowl berth means this season could go any number of directions.

11. South Carolina: Practically every key player on offense is back, led by quarterback Jake Bentley, who came on strong as a true freshman late last season. The defense has a long way to go, but the return of Skai Moore at linebacker could be a difference-maker for coach Will Muschamp.

12. Kentucky: If Mark Stoops was hoping to avoid a quarterback controversy, he might have hoped for better than an 8-for-18, no-touchdown, one-interception performance from Stephen Johnson during the spring game. Now you have to wonder whether Drew Barker can win back the starting job, and how effective the offense will be after making significant strides last season.

13. Vanderbilt: Spring football has been over for a while now in Nashville, but this past weekend had to be hard to see linebacker Zach Cunningham and offensive lineman Will Holden go in the NFL draft. For a program that struggles to recruit elite talent, replacing those stars could take time.

14. Missouri: The Tigers' stock may be low, but that doesn't mean it's not a good buy. There's a lot to prove after finishing seventh last season, but the first-team defense showed life during the spring game, allowing just one touchdown. With Drew Lock back at quarterback, we could see a more well-rounded team in Year 2 under coach Barry Odom.