The SEC should feature some of the nation’s best defenses in 2026, but not every team is positioned to take a step forward.
Coaching changes, coordinator continuity, roster turnover and overall stability will shape which units improve and which ones regress. As the countdown to kickoff continues, here’s a look at the SEC defenses most likely to rise — and those facing the biggest step back this season.
Better: LSU
LSU ranked in the top seven of the SEC in rush defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense.
The defense was definitely the strength of the team despite leaving a lot left to be desired overall. This year, the combination of retention and portal additions should return LSU to one of the most stifling defenses in the conference and maybe the country.
The linebacking corps should be elite with Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery, plus Davhon Keys. The secondary has elite talent in the starting unit and Dasahwn Spears is a star in the making and one of the most underrated players in the league.
Then, there’s the defensive front. They should have an upgrade at rushing the passer with Princewill Umanmielen and the freshman class could be one of the best to ever come through the program despite being incredibly young.
The best news for LSU is that Blake Baker’s defense will be capable of winning games this year. However, unlike last year, they may not be forced to since Lane Kiffin’s offense should score plenty of points.
Worse: Alabama
Alabama returns the best secondary in the SEC. No one should be concerned about the back four in this year’s defense. The front seven, however, are a much bigger concern.
Alabama got gutted in the front seven from the NFL Draft and portal. They lost Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson from the linebacking corps and former blue chippers Qua Russaw and James Smith bolted for Ohio State.
The Tide returned just one starter in the front seven. Maybe it won’t matter that much, and the additions from the portal like Caleb Woodson and Devan Thompkins will step in right away.
The post-Saban era has proved to be anything other than dominant up front, finishing eighth and ninth in yards per carry allowed in the last two seasons. They also continuously fail to get to the quarterback (outside of the Oklahoma CFP game) and finished last year with 2.07 sacks per game.
None of the defenses in Saban’s final four seasons finished outside the top four in the SEC in sacks or had less than 2.69 per game in a season.
Better: Tennessee
Tennessee could make the biggest defensive leap in the SEC this season. After finishing third in scoring defense in 2024 (16.1 ppg), the Volunteers plummeted to last in the conference by allowing 28.8 points per game in 2025.
Tennessee finished in the top six in the SEC in scoring defense from 2023 to 2025, but last year’s unit was dreadful. They finished the season 8-5, and in those five games they allowed an average of 37.8 ppg.
In steps Jim Knowles as the defensive coordinator.
Tennessee boasts a top ten linebacker unit and three of its top four returning tacklers will be in the middle of the defense. They should be better on the back end too with portal additions. It can sometimes take a year or two for players to fully grasp Knowles’ defense, but this year should be an instant upgrade from last year’s.
Worse: Missouri
Missouri has to find a way to replace what was arguably the best edge rushing duo in the league.
The Tigers finished 16th in the nation in rush defense (103.3 ypg), 11th in TFLs with 85 and fifth in the SEC in sacks with 36. The defense racked up 228 pressures last season. The problem is that 43 percent (97 total) of their pressures and 42 percent (15 total) of their sacks came from Damon Wilson II and Zion Young who are both gone.
Missouri’s offense should be one of the better units in the SEC this season. The defense, however, looks poised to take a significant step back.
Better: South Carolina
The thing to like most about this South Carolina team ahead of next year is that they are built almost identically to the 2024 unit.
They make the list without really having a bad season the prior year. You tend to know what you’re going to get in a Clayton White defense. The Gamecocks have been the best team in the SEC over the last five years when it comes to turnovers with 110. This year should be no different.
The biggest difference between last year and this year will be their quality depth and skill off the edge. Dylan Stewart will be paired with a freshman five-star Julian Walker similar to how he was paired with SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kennard in 2024. There’s also a wealth of talent and depth in the interior defensive line and all three linebackers return behind them.
Better: Ole Miss
The 2024 defense for Ole Miss was loaded. Last year’s unit wasn’t nearly as dominant. The Rebels dropped from first to ninth in the SEC in scoring defense and gave up 26.3 ppg in conference play.
The 2024 team allowed over 30 points just once in 13 games. Last year’s defense did it four times, including in each of their final two games of the season in the CFP. This year’s team probably won’t be as dominant as the one that allowed just 14.4 ppg, but they won’t need to be either.
The work Pete Golding and this staff did in the portal should pay huge dividends for them this season.
