College Football SEC Power Rankings: Preseason Projections for All 16 Teams

Brant's SEC rankings and college football projections for all 16 teams. His 2025 season outlook for the SEC, including Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and more.

We are now so close to football that I can almost smell it in the air. Tomorrow, the kickoff will be underway in Ireland, marking the start of the 2025 college football season.

In the meantime, speculation season continues. From top to bottom, the SEC is college football's strongest conference. Every game, even Mississippi State, has to be taken seriously. There are no "gimmies" in this conference, and games only get harder every week. Sure, there are only eight conference games as opposed to nine. But you'd better play your butt off in those eight games, because the season can be lost before your eyes very quickly.

Let’s take a look at how the loaded SEC stands as we come closer and closer to a new college football season. Note that these power rankings are not necessarily predictions on how the season may go, but how I feel the landscape of the conference looks with each team’s current roster as we enter a new season.

16 - Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State finished 0-8 in SEC play in 2024 and lost to Toledo out of conference 41-17. The Bulldogs were as down as down can be, yet Jeff Lebby is back for another season after immensely struggling in year one. Lebby is on the hot seat and cannot afford another abysmal showing this season, but the SEC looks to be just as deep and strong, if not even more so than last season.

Quarterback Blake Shapen is back after missing all but four games with a shoulder injury last season. His experience, along with the expertise of fifth-year running back Davon Booth and fifth-year tight end Seydou Traore, gives the Bulldogs some reliable veterans to lean on offensively. Lebby leaned into the transfer portal in an attempt to improve this team, with nine projected starters being transfers.

The schedule does not work in Lebby’s favor either. The Bulldogs open up with a tough G5 matchup against Southern Miss, which is practically Charles Huff’s Marshall team from a season ago. They follow that with a home game against Arizona State, and also play against Northern Illinois, which upset Notre Dame in 2024.

On the SEC schedule, they play Tennessee, at Texas A&M, at Florida, Texas, at Arkansas, Georgia, at Missouri, and Ole Miss. There are no easy games in this conference, and if Lebby wants to stick around, he needs to ensure that the Bulldogs are not the one team that opponents can downplay.

Key Games: Aug 30 at Southern Miss, Nov 1 at Arkansas, Nov 28 vs Ole Miss

15 - Kentucky Wildcats

After a disappointing 2024 season, Mark Stoops ran to the transfer portal to reset his team for 2025. He added former Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada, who went off for 3,744 yards and 35 touchdowns at Incarnate Word a season ago. Joining him on a revamped offense are former Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell, former Alabama receiver Kendrick Law, and former Clemson receiver Troy Stellato.

The Wildcats may lack the talent of the top-end SEC teams once again, but Stoops has a proven ability to do more with less. The SEC season starts early with a rematch against Ole Miss, which Kentucky beat on the road last year, on September 6. The schedule is not easy, featuring games at South Carolina, at Georgia, against Texas, and against Florida, but this team should have fight, at least early on.

Key Games: Sep 6 vs Ole Miss, Nov 1 at Auburn, Nov 29 at Louisville

14 - Arkansas Razorbacks

After narrowly coming out of the season with a winning record (7-6), Sam Pittman is around for another season in Arkansas, and he revamped his team through the transfer portal.

Quarterback Taylen Green is still in place as the starter after passing for 3,154 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 602 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Surrounding him are three new starters on the offensive line, all transfers, and a completely revamped wide receiver room through the portal.

The Razorbacks’ signature win last season came over Tennessee, and they also closed out the year with a nice bowl win over Texas Tech. It may be an uphill battle to make a bowl game this year, and Pittman is firmly on the hot seat.

The non-conference schedule contradicts typical SEC scheduling, as the Razorbacks play at Memphis and host Notre Dame in back-to-back late September weeks. Road games against Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas look to be very hard to pull off. It could be a long season, but it is tough to know what this team is made of, given the heavy dosage of transfer portal players.

Key Games: Oct 11 at Tennessee, Oct 18 vs Texas A&M, Oct 25 vs Auburn

13 - Auburn Tigers

Ranking a team I tabbed as one of my picks, albeit bold, to make the CFP as thirteenth (!) in the SEC speaks to the depth of this conference. Auburn has not had the success in recent years to justify ranking them much higher, but make no mistake, Hugh Freeze has the most talented team that has stepped foot on campus in Auburn in years.

Quarterback Jackson Arnold never put it all together at Oklahoma, but he was thrust into a bad situation a season ago and still showed flashes at times. If he falters, freshman quarterback Deuce Knight has been touted as a future star. At receiver, the young trio of Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, and Eric Singleton Jr. is as good as any group in the nation.

On defense, junior Keldric Faulk is one of the SEC’s premier defenders after recording seven sacks a season ago. 

Hugh Freeze threw his visor in frustration with Jackson Arnold today, saying, "when we have the right thing called, the expectation...is we execute it."

Freeze added, "from this point forward," the offense needs to execute at a higher level.

🔗 https://t.co/VyaXuUP6JC pic.twitter.com/i6MSYSzAou

— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) August 14, 2025

It is one thing to talk about all the talent and another for it to all gel together, and the schedule is not easy for the Tigers. They open the season on the road at Baylor, a team that returned a lot of talent after finishing strongly a year ago. Auburn's first SEC game is at Oklahoma, where Jackson Arnold will certainly be met by a strong crowd. They also play both Georgia and Alabama, but have the luxury of playing both games at home.

With the talent on the roster as well as the potential of being overlooked in a deep conference, this year’s Tigers should be a scary opponent and have significant upset potential.

Key Games: Aug 29 at Baylor, Sep 20 at Oklahoma, Nov 29 vs Alabama

12 - Oklahoma Sooners

Brent Venables has been a disappointment thus far, and this feels like a make-or-break year for the former Clemson defensive coordinator. The Sooners’ transition to the SEC was not as easy as rival Texas’ was, but that can change if the historic program can get back on the right track in 2025.

Injuries and inconsistent quarterback play ravaged Oklahoma a year ago, and the latter should no longer be a problem with Washington State transfer John Mateer under center. While his status could be up in the air due to some old Venmo transactions that insinuated sports gambling, it seems unlikely that he will face a suspension. With Mateer under center, this offense takes a step forward.

Defense is Venables’ bread and butter, and the Sooners return a lot of talent, starting with the defensive line. After a nine-sack season, R Mason Thomas should be among the SEC’s best defenders.

The Sooners will be tested early, as Michigan comes to town in Week 2. The SEC schedule includes some tough road games, traveling to South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, along with a neutral-site game against preseason #1 Texas. Oklahoma has to do more than just make a bowl game if Venables wants to stick around, but it may be an uphill battle even to do that.

Regardless, this team should be improved with a more potent offense than we saw a season ago.

Key Games: Sep 6 vs Michigan, Sep 20 vs Auburn, Nov 29 vs LSU

11 - Vanderbilt Commodores

After being one of college football’s best stories a season ago, Vanderbilt is no longer overlooked heading into 2025 after returning quarterback Diego Pavia and tight end Eli Stowers. Running back Sedrick Alexander is back, too. Clark Lea’s offense should be firing on all cylinders. Breakout star cornerback Martel Hight is back as well, returning most of the core players from last year’s underdog team.

Manning Award Watch List

⚓️ Diego Pavia pic.twitter.com/uvCUUnLijn

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) August 14, 2025

The Commodores famously knocked off Alabama a season ago and also played Texas tight. They will once again be a pesky team in the conference. 

The magical run all started in Week 1 with a win over Virginia Tech last season, and the rematch comes under the lights on September 6th in Week 2 this year. The schedule is not easy, as the Commodores have to travel to Columbia, Tuscaloosa, Austin, and Knoxville. Still, this team showed us last year that they will fight under any circumstances.

Key Games: Sep 6 at Virginia Tech, Oct 25 vs Missouri, Nov 8 vs Auburn

10 - Tennessee Volunteers

It remains to be seen how the Nico Iamaleava saga this offseason will impact Tennessee this upcoming season, but former Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar is a proven decision-maker at the collegiate level. Aside from the secondary, which should be a strong suit this season, the Volunteers are undergoing a lot of turnover from last year’s playoff team.

Senior tight end Miles Kitselman may be the most reliable target on the offense, while the cornerback trio of Jermod McCoy, Rickey Gibson III, and Boo Carter should be imposing for any opposing quarterback.

Josh Heupel should get the most out of this team, and the schedule is full of winnable games. Just how far can Heupel take this revamped group?

Key Games: Sep 13 vs Georgia, Oct 18 at Alabama, Nov 22 at Florida

9 - Texas A&M Aggies

Year one under Mike Elko was not bad, as the Aggies nearly qualified for the SEC championship. With another year of experience under the belt for redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, the Aggies have a safe floor.

North Carolina State transfer receiver KC Concepcion has a chance to be one of the conference’s most explosive playmakers, and guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams has a first-round ceiling. The running back room is getting healthy, and a rotation featuring Le’Veon Moss, Rueben Owens, and Amari Daniels is as good as any in the nation.

The Aggies’ strong suit a season ago was their defense, and while they lost a good amount of impact players, Elko reloaded. This should still be one of the top units in the SEC.

Key Games: Sep 13 at Notre Dame, Oct 25 at LSU, Nov 15 vs South Carolina

8 - Missouri Tigers

Eliah Drinkwitz has been consistent over the past few seasons, and that should remain the case heading into 2025. The core of the Tigers’ team is built on transfers, so there’s truly no saying what the ceiling and floor will look like, but with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula under center, the offense could be dynamic. 

"I'm a fan of Beau Pribula. I know that they haven't settled on quarterback yet, but I saw him at Penn State last year. Hard for them to keep him off the field."

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt sees #Mizzou as an intriguing team for the postseason: https://t.co/tSO4hKXorq pic.twitter.com/KeeSsil60J

— MizzouToday (@MizzouToday) August 13, 2025

Louisiana-Monroe transfer running back Ahmad Hardy could be among the best in the nation after breaking out for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman. Former Jackson State and Mississippi State receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. projects as the WR1, offering a trio of stud transfers for Drinkwitz to lean on offensively.

The Tigers are a wild card in the conference this season. They could be as good as 10-2 or as bad as 6-6. The schedule is very manageable with no Texas or Georgia, and the toughest road game is either Auburn or Oklahoma. Playoffs are not out of the question for coach Drinkwitz.

Key Games: Sep 20 vs South Carolina, Oct 11 vs Alabama, Oct 25 at Vanderbilt

7 - Florida Gators

Florida won their last four games in 2024 with DJ Lagway at the helm, including impressive wins over LSU and Ole Miss. Billy Napier needs to carry the momentum over into 2025 to win the support of the fans, and the hype may have already bubbled up a bit too far for this year’s Gators. That being said, there is a lot of talent on this roster.

Lagway will have no shortage of options in the passing game, with Eugene Wilson III expected to be healthy, along with Cal transfer J. Michael Sturdivant and true freshmen Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III. Sophomore running back Jadan Baugh is back after a freshman breakout season, and a talented offensive line led by senior center Jake Slaughter should help create one of the SEC’s most talent-filled offenses.

Caleb Banks is my early fav in the 2026 NFL Draft. Had a 1st round grade this year. Watch ⬇️

Florida has other 2026 studs too…

🐊 WR Eugene Wilson III
🐊 WR J. Michael Sturdivant
🐊 OC Jake Slaughter
🐊 EDGE Tyreak Sapp
🐊 OG Roderick Kearney
🐊 OT Austin Barber

🎥 @Sanjit__T https://t.co/JT3CnATf9P pic.twitter.com/oTAWjHdkHw

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) April 29, 2025

The defensive line is anchored by seniors Tyreak Sapp and Caleb Banks, who both offer early-round NFL talent. There is no shortage of talent on either side of the ball, but can Napier put it all together with yet again one of the nation’s most demanding schedules?

Key Games: Sep 20 at Miami, Nov 1 vs Georgia, Nov 22 vs Tennessee

6 - LSU Tigers

Brian Kelly is known for assembling talented rosters and failing to achieve with them. The Tigers are again one of the most stacked teams in college football, but how far can they go? 

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is back for a second year as the starter, and his receiving corps is loaded in true LSU fashion. Returners Chris Hilton Jr. and Aaron Anderson are joined by Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson and Kentucky transfer Barion Brown. Tight end Trey’Dez Green, who flashed as a freshman, is joined by Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp. The options are limitless all across the field for Nussmeier, who is expected to be a first-rounder in 2026.

Star linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr. will be the focal points of the defense, but transfer Mansoor Delane and Ashton Stamps should form a very strong cornerback duo as well.

Just like last season, Kelly will be tested right out of the gates as LSU travels to Clemson in Week 1 under the Saturday night lights. That game feels like a must-win to get off on the right foot before a grueling SEC schedule. The talent is all there, but can Kelly coach this team to the promised land?

Key Games: Aug 30 at Clemson, Sep 27 at Ole Miss, Nov 8 at Alabama

5 - Ole Miss Rebels

After losing a lot of talent to the NFL, Lane Kiffin did what he does best and reloaded in the transfer portal. Outside of junior Cayden Lee, the receiver room is made up exclusively of transfers and freshmen. Oklahoma State transfer De'Zhaun Stribling, Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace III, and former Arkansas tight end Luke Hasz should be three of the top targets for first-time starter Austin Simmons, who has the potential to be one of college football’s most exciting players.

The defense is projected to start seven transfers, which could go either very well or very poorly for Kiffin. Former Nebraska EDGE Princewill Umanmielen and former LSU EDGE Da’Shawn Womack should be two of the key contributors.

Replacing Jaxson Dart is no easy feat, but Austin Simmons has all of the tools necessary to step in and make a day-one impact. He put together a touchdown drive against Georgia last season while filling in for Dart, and might just be the smartest kid in all of college football.

Austin Simmons put the CFB World on NOTICE with his drive against Georgia
pic.twitter.com/PhrWmqzhb9

— Barstool Ole Miss (@BarstoolOleMiss) March 26, 2025

The Rebels cannot afford to slip up early against Kentucky again and play on the road this year in Week 2. There are some more challenging games, such as Tulane and LSU, early in the season, but the back stretch is where things get tough.

Key Games: Oct 18 at Georgia, Nov 1 vs South Carolina, Nov 15 vs Florida

4 - Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide’s disappointing 2024 season is in the rearview mirror, and Kalen DeBoer has a very talented team and a very eager fanbase at his fingertips. Junior quarterback Ty Simpson was recently named the starter. Simpson has waited his turn for the past three seasons, and now finally gets his chance to lead the Crimson Tide while surrounded by elite weapons.

Ryan Williams is joined by senior Germie Bernard and Miami transfer Isaiah Horton at receiver. Senior Jam Miller is back at running back, and future first-rounder Kadyn Proctor will hold down the left side of the offensive line.

Defensively, the Tide were not at their best a season ago, but were also very young. LT Overton, Justin Jefferson (not the one you are thinking of), and Keon Sabb will be leaders of this unit, retaining a lot of last year’s production.

The schedule provides a lot of classic SEC matchups spread throughout the season, as the Tide travels to Athens in late September, welcomes Tennessee to town in mid-October, and hosts LSU in early November. There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Tide this year, but only time will tell if DeBoer will bounce back in year two.

Key Games: Sep 27 vs Georgia, Oct 25 at South Carolina, Nov 29 at Auburn

3 - South Carolina Gamecocks

Despite losing a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, the expectations are high for the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2025. Most of the hype is due to sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who improved week after week a season ago. If he continues to develop, we are looking at a potential first overall draft pick in next year’s draft.

This LaNorris Sellers throw> pic.twitter.com/3K2drkny3g

— Daniel Harms (@InHarmsWay19) August 14, 2025

While stars like Kyle Kennard and Nick Emmanwori are off to the NFL, Dylan Stewart is back after recording 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a true freshman. He should be the face of the Gamecocks’ defense this year.

The hype is prevalent for Shane Beamer’s team going into the season, and while they may not be as well-rounded as they were a season ago, Sellers’ play should keep them in any game. 

Key Games: Oct 11 at LSU, Oct 25 vs Alabama, Nov 29 vs Clemson

2 - Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart lost a lot of defensive production from a season ago, but has a plethora of talented former backups ready to make the next step, per usual. Daylen Everette should be one of the nation’s best cornerbacks, and KJ Bolden was a stud as a true freshman at safety.

On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Gunner Stockton is set to start after taking the reins late in the SEC Championship last year. He is surrounded by returners in running back Nate Frazier, wide receiver Dillon Bell, and tight end Oscar Delp. While there is undoubtedly talent on the offensive side of the ball, it remains to be seen if Stockton can fully unleash this offense to its highest ceiling.

From what we saw last season, he needs to take a big step forward to keep this offense afloat.

Key Games: Sep 13 at Tennessee, Sep 27 vs Alabama, Nov 15 vs Texas

1 - Texas Longhorns

The AP number one team in the country is also number one in my SEC power rankings. The Arch Manning hype is inflated with his lack of experience, but the rest of the Longhorns’ roster sets Manning up well to succeed. This team reminds me a lot of Ohio State’s team last year - full of returning studs, filling the gaps with transfers. 

The running back rotation is deep, with Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter, and Jerrick Gibson all likely to contribute. Manning will be throwing to a loaded group of receivers, including Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore Jr., and Stanford transfer Emmett Mosley V.

Cal transfer Jack Endries is one of the nation’s best tight ends.

On defense, this unit should be absolute clamps at all levels. Ethan Burke and Colin Simmons form a scary EDGE duo. Anthony Hill Jr. returns at middle linebacker, and Malik Muhammad and Michael Taaffe will show out at different levels in the secondary.

Colin Simmons (@ColinSimmons__) executes a speed chop/rip & gets the sack. Great get off, rush angle & plan! #PassRush #HookEm pic.twitter.com/bS1PKJFkge

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 16, 2024

No team faces a tougher Week 1 game, and playing Ohio State on the road will only create an environment for this team to grow closer and grow quickly. 

The schedule is not easy, but it is hard to imagine a world where the Longhorns miss the playoffs.

Key Games: Aug 30 at Ohio State, Oct 4 at Florida, Nov 15 at Georgia

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