Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
By Chris Marler
The SEC in 2025 is as deep, unpredictable, and drama-filled as ever.
Here’s how all 16 teams stack up heading into the season and why you’re probably going to yell about it.
- Kentucky
- Mississippi State
- Arkansas
- Vanderbilt
- Oklahoma
- Florida
10. Auburn
Auburn will be improved and could easily find themselves near the top five of the conference by season’s end. The defense will be good and they have future first rounders in EDGE Keldric Faulk and DB Jay Crawford.
The only position unit that declined is running back. Jackson Arnold should have a resurgence with the talent around him and the wide receivers may be the best unit in the entire country at that position.
Auburn’s biggest concern per usual is their schedule. They could easily be 2-3 at the end of September and that’s before they play Georgia or Alabama.
9. Missouri
Missouri doesn’t have a road game until almost Halloween. Eight of their 12 opponents finished the regular season at 6-6 or worse last year.
They have to replace a three year starter at QB in Brady Cook, but got two of the biggest steals for offensive players in the entire portal in RB Ahmad Hardy and WR Kevin Coleman. Both will be top five in production at their positions in the SEC this year.
Plus, they return a defense that was top 20 in the country a season ago and only got better with the addition of former five star EDGE Damon Wilson from UGA.
8. Ole Miss
Full transparency: I wanted to put Texas A&M here, but I didn’t want to get yelled at online for the next 24 to 72 hours. So here’s Ole Miss instead.
The Rebels will be good, and they have the easiest schedule in the entire conference. They avoid Texas, Alabama, and anyone with a pulse in the non-conference.
They replace a ton of talent and an all-timer at QB in Jaxson Dart. They’re likely taking losses to LSU and Georgia, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they drop one, maybe even two, more against South Carolina, Florida, or at Oklahoma.
7. Texas A&M
I know. I hate it too. Believing in Texas A&M is like believing a politician or something your aunt posted on Facebook. You can do it, but you’re more than likely going to feel like a real idiot later.
Here’s the deal, they will always be good on defense with Elko in command, so I trust that side of the ball. Then, there’s Marcel Reed who goes into his first full year as a starter and should be much better than he was a season ago, and they get four starters back on the offensive line.
I don’t expect them to make the playoff, but I also don’t expect them to finish the season 1-4 like they did a year ago.
6. Tennessee
I’m not sure why Tennessee has fallen off the map for everyone just because they lost Nico Iamaleava. They return a ton of talent still and have one of the easiest schedules in the SEC. Five of their 12 opponents finished last year with a losing record, and they only have four opponents ranked in the preseason. Two of those teams are Oklahoma and Florida which Tennessee should be favored in.
But again back to the original question – why did losing Nico cause everyone to drop this team? Did I miss something? Since when is a guy who threw just one touchdown against a ranked opponent all year and completed less than 64 percent of his passes become such a difference maker.
Nico finished last year with 19 touchdown passes, and 14 of those came against FCS teams or teams with a losing record. I don’t see it.
5. South Carolina
South Carolina lost a ton of talent and experience on defense, including five NFL Draft Picks. They also have a schedule that features home games against Alabama and Clemson with road games at Texas A&M and LSU.
However, they also have one thing no one else has in the entire country – LaNorris Sellers. Sellers is a one of one athlete and quarterback. He gives the Gamecocks a chance, and dare I say an advantage, every single time he steps on the field.
Carolina returns a ton of talent on offense and in their secondary. They also have the lowest turnover on their coaching staff of any team in the conference.
4. LSU
LSU has the ability to be No. 2 on this list, or even No. 1, for that matter. They probably have enough talent this year to at least be tied at No. 3 for Alabama.
I love this team. They’re absolutely loaded on offense at skill positions, and will get better at every single level of the defense in year two of Blake Baker at coordinator.
The offensive line replaces four starters, and the schedule is a gauntlet. Regardless, this team has all the tools to be elite. They just have to get out of their own way. And, a win in week one for a change would help too.
3. Alabama
The dream that Alabama would disappear after Saban left is just that, a dream. Get the jokes out now. Yes they lost to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and whatever semblance of a Michigan team they saw in that New Year’s hurricane called a bowl game in Tampa.
They should be better up front, will be much better at receiver, and they return the best parts of a top ten defense from a year ago. However, the two biggest things Alabama has this year versus last year – depth and Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator.
2. Texas
I flirted with putting Texas at No. 4 to be honest. They lose their entire offensive line and skill position players from last year’s team. Still, they’re solid at quarterback and receiver, bring back one of the SEC’s top running backs, and might just have the best defense in the nation.
That back seven they have in Austin is unreal. Plus, the schedule is more than manageable.
1. Georgia
Spare me the talk about the quarterback. Spare me the talk about who they lost in the draft. Everyone seems to be all over the Texas bandwagon. Call me crazy, but I’ll take the team that beat them twice last year.
UGA will once again have one of the most talented rosters in the country, and this year they get Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss at home. You know, in Sanford Stadium, where they’ve lost once since 2017.
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