By Chris Marler
LSU’s Secondary
Listen, this may be uncomfortable and may cause some to be mad or defensive, but let’s have an honest conversation for a second. LSU is not DBU anymore.
Before anyone flips out, let’s objectively look at the drop off from the last five years compared to the previous 20. The Tigers secondary ranked tenth or worse in four of the last five years in pass yards per game allowed and yards per attempt. That’s including being last or second to last for two of those four years.
That should change in year two under Blake Baker. LSU stockpiled blue chip players in the transfer portal finishing with a top three class and having nine players ranked in the top 100. Three of those nine were defensive backs, and that haul doesn’t even include them signing the top corner in the 2025 recruiting cycle in DJ Pickett.
The entire defense should be much better this year, but the secondary especially has some dudes that will help get back some of the lost luster from the DBU days.
Auburn’s Wide Receivers
There is not a single player in the country who is improving his situation more than Jackson Arnold. He’s leaving OU where his top five receivers missed over 70 percent of the season from injury and joins an Auburn team that has a top three WR room in the entire country. Auburn signed two five stars in the 2024 cycle. Cam Coleman was the prize from that class, and he’s been great so far. They’ll pair him with a top five player in the entire portal in Eric Singleton from Georgia Tech.
Auburn hasn’t had a 1,000 yard receiver since 1999. That could easily change this year.
Missouri’s Front Seven
Missouri had a top 20 defense nationally in yards per game and points per game just a season ago. They return seven starters from last year’s unit, but they also went out and signed six players from the portal who were starters at the FBS level last year as well. That’s a ton of instant experience, talent, and depth to a unit that was already one of the most underrated and overlooked in the league.
The biggest difference in the 2025 defense versus the 2024 one – star power. Missouri signed former five star EDGE rusher and No. 7 player in the portal, Damon Wilson from UGA. They also brought in Big 12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year Josiah Trotter at linebacker.
South Carolina’s Offensive Line
South Carolina has had one of the worst O-Lines in America each of the last two seasons. They allowed 41 sacks in each of the last two seasons. That’s even worse than it sounds when you consider that means they gave up the same amount with LaNorris Sellers, an elite athlete that can avoid the rush, and the other Spencer Rattler who ran a 40 time under five seconds.
They lose all three interior offensive lineman from last year, and despite losing 93.5 percent of the total snaps taken, there’s nowhere to go but up for this year’s line. Carolina went to the portal to bolster those three spots. Then at the tackle positions, they have two former freshman starters who have improved significantly. One of those is former top 50 prospect Josiah Thompson who is already getting noticed for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Alabama’s Secondary
This is more so a case of the hot girl getting her braces off or a millionaire winning the lottery. Alabama’s secondary was already good a season ago, but this year will be one of the best in the country. Last year’s unit had several first year starters and freshmen getting baptized into the SEC like Zabian Brown. That unit was talented, but they were very thin and lacking depth. The little depth they did have was primarily freshman since they lost 12 DBs to the portal or NFL Draft during the offseason.
This year, they return every starter except Malachi Moore including arguably the best safety duo in the conference with Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb. They return both starting corners and bring in five star freshman Dijon Lee who was a consensus top 15 player in the country in last year’s recruiting cycle. Sabb and Jackson are both projected first rounders, and Bray Hubbard still may be the most valuable member of the entire unit.
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