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SEC’s five biggest winners of the offseason

Jan 29, 2026 | 10:00 AM
Pete Golding

Amber Searls-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

It was a chaotic and busy start to the offseason in the SEC. Who won the offseason so far in the SEC? Here’s my top five teams. 

Ole Miss 

Making it further than any other team in the conference is usually a pretty good head start. Outside of Dabo Swinney and the NCAA, Pete Golding has answered every single question that his program has had to field since he was hired. 

The retention from last year’s roster was incredible. Some sportsbooks listed the initial over/under for players that would leave Ole Miss and follow Lane Kiffin to LSU at 7.5. They only lost four, and one of those required a buyout of over a half a million dollars. 

Ole Miss is also expected to win their case for Trinidad Chambliss to gain another year of eligibility, regardless of the NCAA’s previous rulings. Sept. 19 cannot get here soon enough, but the program is built for success all season and beyond for the Rebels, not just their revenge game in week three. 

LSU 

The portal king strikes again. 

Lane Kiffin finished with a top four class in the portal every year he was at Ole Miss, and that didn’t change just because of his new zip code. LSU reeled in over 40 players and signed three of the top four players in the portal. 

What’s more impressive is that if you talk to anyone in the sport, or just follow the money from NFL contracts, the three most important and valuable positions in football are quarterback, left tackle, and rushing the passer. LSU landed the No. 1 player in the country at each of those positions out of the portal, and will have the best offensive mind in the sport calling plays next year, not Joe Sloan. 

South Carolina 

South Carolina had arguably more questions to answer than anyone this offseason. 

A season that started with a No. 13 preseason ranking ended with a 4-8 record and the potential for everything to come crashing down if the domino pieces didn’t fall accordingly. They did fall accordingly, and they didn’t stop. 

South Carolina retained its three best players from last year’s roster, and then totally revamped the offensive line, signing the No. 2 left tackle in the portal Jacarrius Peak.

Shane Beamer brought in several new coachesl, something he hasn’t had to do in any previous year while at the helm in Columbia. His past offensive coordinator hires were mostly failures, but his plucking of Kendal Briles from TCU was brilliant and now gives his star quarterback a play caller that won’t be slowed down from his own inability to adapt to modern college football. 

Looking at you Mike Shula. 

Kentucky 

It’s rare that the January attention winner for Kentucky sports is football and not basketball. 

Bringing Will Stein in has given new life to this program, and the dreaded four letter word that Wildcat fans often use for March is being used for the team that plays during the Fall – hope. 

Stein signed a top ten class in the transfer portal with 29 players, 20 of which were Power Four players and 14 from the SEC. They signed former five-stars at running back and left tackle, and have the opportunity to be the closest version of Indiana in the SEC next season. 

No, I don’t think they’ll win a national title, but the turnaround from perennial basement dweller to eight wins is definitely in play. 

Tennessee 

I don’t know who will be Tennessee’s quarterback in 2026. I should probably be more concerned about that, but with Josh Heupel’s offense consistently putting up the type of production they do every year, I’m not. 

There is a lot of elite blue chip talent on this roster, and while most of it is young, it’s still elite talent. Tennessee has had a top 12 scoring offense in four of the last five years under Heupel. 

I don’t know if they’ll put up 40 points per game like they did last year, but bringing in Jim Knowles as the defensive coordinator is the best offseason coordinator hire that anyone made in the SEC. Knowles had a top two scoring defense in two of the past three seasons and pairing him with Heupel’s offense should be incredible for the Vols. 

Chris Marler

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