My Preview for all 16 SEC teams in 2024:
- Texas Longhorns
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ole Miss Rebels
- LSU Tigers
- Missouri Tigers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gators
- Texas A&M Aggies
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Vanderbilt Commodores
Alabama Crimson Tide
Projected 2024 Record: 11-1
2023 Record: 12-2
Toughest Games: vs Georgia, at Tennessee, at LSU
Alabama’s schedule is brutal. Outside of the three games I mentioned above, they also must play at Wisconsin, at Oklahoma, and at home against Mizzou and Auburn. Alabama usually has tough schedules playing in the SEC, but this may be one of the toughest yet.
Filling Nick Saban’s shoes will be a tough task for Kalen DeBoer, but if anyone can do it, it’s him. The roster looks pretty new as well, but the talent is there to win a championship. First, I’ll start with may be the strength of the team. The run game. The o-line should be one of the top units in the country as they return two, possibly three, All-American caliber players in Tyler Booker, Parker Brailsford, and Kadyn Proctor. The running backs should be the best group Alabama has had since 2020 when they had Najee Harris. Justice Haynes, Jam Miller, and even Richard Young all seem like they could be stars. The QB room will once again be led by Jalen Milroe. I expect him to take the next step in his progression as a QB and a leader in year 2. The most important thing for him is to have better pocket awareness. He has all the tools to be a dangerous playmaker like Bryce Young, he just hasn’t put it all together yet. The biggest weakness on the offense is WR, as the group is unproven. Germie Bernard probably has the most potential as an all around star, Kendrick Law probably has the best speed and potential to be a real gamebreaker, Kobe Prentice is probably the best route runner, while Ryan Williams was a huge recruit who could end up being a Biletnikoff guy in his career. I like Emmanuel Henderson as WR 5 as well.
The defense should be good, but there is some inexperience in the secondary. The D-line was young, yet still good last year, and I expect them to be even better this year. Alabama has the best LB duo in the country. Fight me. Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell are STUDS. The secondary is where I am very curious as Malachi Moore is the only returning starter. Transfers Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb should be ready to plug in and play,a nd Devonta Smith may have had a bigger role in last year’s experienced secondary if it weren’t for injury. The second corner spot is what concerns me. Alabama has several big recruits with promise (Jaylen Mbakwe, Zavier Mincey, Zabien Brown, and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr), but all of them are true freshman. Who knows, maybe one of them could be the next Kool-Aid McKinstry and be an All-American right away. We’ll see.
Alabama should be really good again, and the offense should be a force to be reckoned with. The front 7 of the defense should be one of the best in the country, but the success of this team may lay on the secondary taking a step up immediatly.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Projected 2024 Record: 3-9
2023 Record: 4-8
Toughest Games: vs LSU, vs Ole Miss, vs Texas
Sam Pittman could be coaching for his job this year, and things aren’t looking good. Arkansas was a massive disappointment last year, and they lost many of the positives from a pretty bad team. They do, however, return their best player in DE Landon Jackson. The offensive line was awful last year, and they return two starters from that group. The only thing that would get me excited for Arkansas’ offense is the arrival of OC Bobby Petrino. The defense looks a little better than the offense as Arkansas’ D-line should be really good. The secondary should be decent as well, but the LB corps (usually a strength) does not return any starters, and could be the defense’s weakness.
While they don’t have to play in the SEC West anymore, the schedule is still brutal. Outside of the three toughest, they must play at Mizzou at the end of the year and at Oklahoma State in week 2. This is not an ideal schedule for a coach on the hot seat.
Arkansas is going to have their hands full this year as they don’t get a chance to play against any of the other “bad” SEC teams. I like Sam Pittman, but his time as Arkansas’ head coach could be over when it’s all said and done.
Auburn Tigers
Projected 2024 Record: 8-4
2023 Record: 6-7
Toughest Games: at Georgia, at Missouri, at Alabama
Hugh Freeze is building something at Auburn. He is recruiting well, and has hired a good staff. The improvement was obvious last year, and I believe they will take the next step this year. The running game should be really good with a good o-line, and one of the best RB corps in the SEC including star RB Jarquez Hunter. QB Payton Thorne is a really good running threat, but I have my doubts on whether or not he can be a top-tier SEC quarterback. The receivers have potential to be dangerous this year as they return underrated TE Rivaldo Fairweather and they have a couple of incoming freshman prospects in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson. Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis should be good as well. The defense should be especially good in the front 7 with the return of Jalen McLeod and Eugene Asante. The secondary isn’t as experienced, but could be just as good with a great corner duo in Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee.
The schedule is a little more manageable than usual as they don’t have to play Ole Miss or LSU, but it’s always going to be tough when you have to play Georgia and Alabama every year.
Auburn is on the rise, but I’m not sure if the passing game is going to be good enough to get them to playoff contention. If Auburn can keep recruiting like they did this offseason, then they could be dangerous in the very near future.
Florida Gators
Projected 2024 Record: 7-5
2023 Record: 5-7
Toughest Games: vs Georgia, at Texas, vs Ole Miss
Florida probably has the toughest schedule in America. I’ll take you through the whole thing. First, they must play Miami, who I have going to the playoffs. They get a break against Samford and then must play Texas A&M. They must play at Mississippi State, and it is never easy to win on the road in the SEC. Then they play against their second power non conference game with UCF coming to town. Then they play at Tennessee, go back home to play Kentucky, neutral site against Georgia, at Texas, home against LSU and Ole Miss, and then at Florida State, a potential playoff team. They play against 7 teams that could find themselves in the playoffs and three more that could be in the top 25 plus another road SEC game. Billy Napier is coaching for his job this year, and, in my opinion, making a bowl game would be a success.
I actually have more faith in Florida than most. I think Florida has a good roster, including the most underrated QB in the SEC in Graham Mertz. Not only did he put up good stats, but I saw him in that Missouri game, and man, that guy has GUTS, and that is something Florida needs. They did lose Trevor Etienne, but Montrell Johnson is just as good at the running back position. The WR group is underrated as well, and I think Eugene Wilson III could have a breakout season. They bolstered the O-line with some transfers, and get some guys back healthy as well, which should lead to improvement. The defense lost some talent to the portal, but they get a lot of players back from injury, and some potential stars from the portal in the secondary. The defense should be improved.
Florida should be a really good team, but the schedule is one of the most difficult I have ever seen. Making a bowl game is a daunting task, but I think they can do it.
Georgia Bulldogs
Projected 2024 Record: 10-2
2023 Record: 13-1
Toughest Games: at Alabama, at Texas, at Ole Miss
With the retirement of Nick Saban, Kirby Smart is now the best coach in college football. They have the best talent in the country, but there are a few places where I am skeptical. They have one of the best QBs in college football in Carson Beck, who could be a top NFL Draft pick as well. Georgia is always really good at RB, but this year they add Trevor Etienne, and he automatically gives Georgia their best home-run threat. They return almost everyone on a really good O-line (that was dominated by Alabama’s non-elite D-line last year I should have you know), and they return most of their receiving corps. Who do they not return? Their most important pieces. TE Brock Bowers and WR Ladd McConckey. When those two players were locked up (like they were against Alabama) the offense was mediocre at best. TE Oscar Delp should be really good, but Brock Bowers might be one of the best college TEs we will ever see. That being said, WR Dominic Lovett showed some star potential last year.
I have mixed feelings about the defense. Georgia had two of the best defenses of all time when they repeated as national champions, but their defense was not elite last year, and I am not sure if they can be elite this year, albeit, they will still be very good. The problem for UGA is inexperience, and lack of returning All-America-esque talent. Mykel Williams, Smael Mondon Jr, and Malaki Starks are some of the best players in the country period, but the rest of the unit, especially in the secondary, does not have much experience. At this point, I really am nit picking what will be one of the best defenses in the country, but last year they didn’t quite reload like they did in 2022, and I’m not sure if they can get back to the level they were in their championship years this season.
The schedule is by far the toughest they have ever had. Georgia usually gets to feed on a much easier SEC East, an easy non-conference, and an embarrassingly bad Auburn team every year, but this year that all changes. In the non conference, they must play Clemson in week 1, and Georgia Tech is better than they’ve been in years. Auburn is also much better than they have been since their division winning 2017 season. Those should be tough games themselves, but the rest of the conference schedule is the hardest part. First and foremost, on the road against 3 national championship contenders in Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss. They also must play Kentucky on the road who should be a quality team. They also have to play Florida at a neutral site as always, and they have a home game against Tennessee, who could contend for a playoff berth. This schedule is one of the toughest in the country.
Georgia should be one of the best teams in the country, but they must now deal with an insane schedule, and an offense without Brock Bowers. They should be a title contender again, but the tough in conference schedule may prevent them from making the conference championship.
Kentucky Wildcats
Projected 2024 Record: 8-4
2023 Record: 7-6
Toughest Games: vs Georgia, at Ole Miss, at Texas
Kentucky has been a consistantly good team under HC Mark Stoops, and now they must adjust to a new SEC schedule. Outside of Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas, they must also play at Florida and Tennessee and at home against Auburn and South Carolina. A tough schedule, but not as hard as some other SEC schools get.
I think Kentucky might have the best roster they’ve ever had under Mark Stoops this year. The O-line should be really good, the receiver room may be the best they’ve ever had as Barion Brown and Dane Key are a dangerous duo, RB Chip Traynum should be good as he transfers from Ohio State, and I have a lot of faith in Georgia transfer QB Brock Vandagriff as he could be even better than Will Levis was a few years ago. The defense is where stuff gets really exciting. They return 9 starters from a unit that was one of the best in the SEC. They also add LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson from Georgia, who was a starter for the Bulldogs the last few seasons. Deone Walker, JJ Weaver, and Maxwell Hairston are all some of the best defensive players in the conference as well.
This could be one of the best Kentucky teams of all time, but they still don’t quite have the talent that some of the top teams have. Don’t be surprised if the upset a playoff contender though as they may go deep in the season as a dark horse playoff contender.
LSU Tigers
Projected 2024 Record: 10-2
2023 Record: 10-3
Toughest Games: vs Ole Miss, vs Alabama, vs Oklahoma
LSU actually has a pretty favorable schedule as they avoid Texas, Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee while they get to play against three of the worst teams in the conference in South Carolina, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt. USC is a pretty tough non conference game in week 1, but they should be able to get the win.
LSU’s offense should be in an interesting year of transition. The O-line might be the best in the country as they have two All-American level tackles in Emery Jones Jr and Wil Campbell, both of which could be top 10 draft picks. I think Garrett Nussmeier is a downgrade from Jayden Daniels, but basically anyone is downgrade from him. I think Nussmeier could be one of the better QBs in the conference, based on what I’ve seen from him. It also helps that he’ll have a great O-line. The RBs aren’t obvious NFL guys, but they should be productive because of the line. The WRs are unproven, but it seems like LSU always has NFL receivers, so they should be good. I especially like TE Mason Taylor as a receiving option.
The defense can’t really be any worse than last year as it was probably the worst in the SEC, at least out of teams that matter (sorry Vandy). They hired Mizzou’s DC Blake Baker, and he did a really good job for the Tigers. I expect him to get LSU back on track as well. Harold Perkins Jr and Major Burns should be two of the best players in the conference, but the rest of the defense is unproven. They attacked the portal for depth, and we’ll just need to see how all these players adjust to the new system.
LSU is always one of the most talented teams in the country, and the offense should be really good again. Brian Kelly is one of the top coaches in the country, and the new DC should bring improvement. LSU will definitely contend for the playoffs as all of their hardest games are at home, and we’ll see if Brian Kelly can get his first playoff win.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Projected 2024 Record: 5-7
2023 Record: 5-7
Toughest Games: at Texas, at Georgia, at Ole Miss
This is a rebuild year for the Bulldogs. They return 0 starters on offense and only 2 on defense. There is some reason for optimism, as I think HC Jeff Lebby was an underrated hire. He has led successful offenses wherever he has been, and the offense should be improved this year because of that. I also like transfer QB Blake Shapen. Transfer WRs Kelly Akharaiyi and Kevin Coleman should be pretty good as well. I am less optimistic about the run game as I don’t think the line or the running backs are really good. The defense may be one of the worst in the conference as they are full of former backups and transfers. They lost 7 of their top 8 tacklers from last season, and they should have a lot of growing pains throughout the season.
The schedule is tough like any SEC team, but the non conference is manageable as Arizona State will be their power conference opponent, and they also get a winnable game at home against Arkansas.
Mississippi State will need time to rebuild, but the offense should be able to keep them in some games. I’m excited to see what the Bulldogs can do in the next few years as this will be an uphill battle in the loaded SEC.
Missouri Tigers
Projected 2024 Record: 10-2
2023 Record: 11-2
Toughest Games: at Texas A&M, at Alabama, vs Oklahoma
Mizzou has the easiest schedule in the SEC. They get to play against Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt while they avoid Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, and Tennessee. This schedule is perfect for Mizzou to contend for the playoffs.
Missouri surprised everyone last year as they went 11-2, and they I don’t expect them to slow down this year. Brady Cook is a good QB, and he has some weapons to throw to. WR Luther Burden III is an All-American while Theo Wease Jr and Mookie Cooper are nice compliments. The running game might take a step back as they lost 3 starters on the line, ad RB Cody Schrader. They should still be fine, but the passing game will be the vocal point. The defense lost their DC to LSU, but the talent is still there. The lost Darius Robinson to the draft, but the rest of the front 7 will still be very good, and maybe even better as they develop. They got some transfers in the secondary, but I expect them to take a step back as they lost 3 DBs to the NFL.
Missouri is a really good team with a really nice schedule. They were one of the best stories of last season, and I they should be just as good if not better this year with a really good passing game, and a really good front 7. They should contend for the playoffs, but they aren’t complete enough to contend for the playoffs.
Oklahoma Sooners
Projected 2024 Record: 8-4
2023 Record: 10-3
Toughest Games: vs Texas, at Ole Miss, vs Alabama
Oklahoma bounced back in a huge way last year, and they actually should have one of the best defenses in the country. The LBs and the secondary should be really good especially with the returns of Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman Jr. The d-line will be relying on some transfers though, and will definetly be the weakness of the defense. That may be Oklahoma’s downfall as the O-line will be there weakness on offense. They aren’t really built in the trenches like the other top teams in the SEC. The rest of the offense looks great though. I think Jackson Arnold could have a huge year 1 at QB as he has a great WR corps to throw to with Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony, Deion Burks, and Nic Anderson as targets. RB Gavin Sawchuck has a strong name and should be good if the line can block for him.
So, Oklahoma is looking pretty good right? Like a playoff contender? Well their schedule is looking to make that goal as hard to reach as possible. Their road games are at Auburn (who are always way better in Jordan-Hare), Ole Miss, Mizzou, and LSU (3 playoff contenders) while their home/neutral games include 3 more playoff contenders in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama.
Oklahoma has the potential to contend for the playoffs if they exceed expectations in the trenches, but even with improvement, the schedule about as brutal as it could possibly be. The should have a good year 1 in the SEC, but they are still a step behind their rival, Texas.
Ole Miss Rebels
Projected 2024 Record: 11-1
2023 Record: 11-2
Toughest Games: at LSU, vs Oklahoma, vs Georgia
Ole Miss is going all in this year. They were able to get almost all of their main contributors back from a top-10 team last year, and they add several impact transfers including DE Princely Umanmielen, DT Walter Nolen, CB Trey Amos, G Nate Kalepo and WR Juice Wells Jr, who could all be All-SEC players as well as LB Chris Paul Jr who is one of the better LBs in the conference. They also have a plethora of players already on the roster who are All-SEC level with QB Jaxson Dart, RB Ulysses Bentley IV, WRs Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, TE Caden Prieskorn, and G Jeremy James. The roster is stacked, and if there is any year for Ole Miss to make a run in the playoffs, it’s 2024.
The schedule is decent as well as they don’t play Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, or Missouri. They also get easier games against South Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.
Ole Miss will be really good this year. They have a chance to compete for the SEC championship and the National championship. I have only one concern. My least favorite former Bama DC of all time. Pete Golding. While he helped Ole Miss improve last year, I’m not sure if he is capable of leading a championship defense based on his performance at Alabama.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Projected 2024 Record: 5-7
2023 Record: 5-7
Toughest Games: vs LSU, vs Ole Miss, at Alabama
I’d like to make things clear. I don’t think South Carolina is a bad team. I actually think they are pretty good and would be a dark horse contender in the Big 12 or ACC, they just happen to be in the SEC. They are a step ahead of Arkansas and Mississippi State, but still a step behind Texas A&M and Florida. A lot of people seem to think Shan Beamer is on the hot seat after a disappointing season last year, but I really doubt the Gamecocks could find anyone better if they fired him.
The offense should be pretty good. The O-line was pretty bad last year, but that was mostly because of injury. They now have a lot of experience coming back and a 5-star recruit. RB Rocket Sanders (a transfer from Arkansas) should be a big upgrade over the underwhelming RBs they’ve had the last few years. The QB battle is interesting between Auburn transfer Robby Ashford and LaNorris Sellers (I would like to mention that Auburn QBs seem to be much better when they transfer i.e. Malik Willis, Emory Jones, and TJ Finley, so Ashford might be pretty good now. Who knows) as both QBs could be pretty good. The receivers aren’t great though as they lost Juice Wells Jr to Ole Miss and Xavier Legette to the draft.
The defense could be good as well with a lot of potential and experience in the secondary while LB Debo Williams could be an All-SEC performer. The D-line might be decent with the addition of 5 star DE Dylan Stewart.
South Carolina has a tough schedule as always. They play against most of the top teams in the conference and they have to play Clemson every year.
South Carolina will have tough time making a bowl game, but it is definitely a possibility. Unfortunately, this could be Shane Beamer’s last year in Columbia despite it being a very good coaching fit in my opinion.
Tennessee Volunteers
Projected 2024 Record: 9-3
2023 Record: 9-4
Toughest Games: at Oklahoma, vs Alabama, at Georgia
Alright, before I dive deep into the rosters, I’d like to vent a little bit of steam here. My entire life, Alabama has completely dominated Tennessee, year in and year out. Whenever my parents would tell me that this was some sort of big rivalry, I was confused because Alabama would always crush Tennessee by 30 or so points. If you swapped Tennessee’s jerseys with Mercer’s I wouldn’t have batted an eye. That was the extent of Bama’s domination in this rivalry throughout my life. Tennessee finally got a win 2 years ago against Alabama as the time expired one of the dumbest field goals I had ever seen. Last year, Tennessee had the lead in the first half, and Alabama still ended up winning 34-20 in yet another blow out. So obviously, 2022 was just an outlier, right? Not according to Tennessee fans. It seems like they feel like they own Alabama all of a sudden, even after having a -11 point differential in the last two years, which is the best two year stretch they’ve had against Bama in my lifetime. Tennessee has won 1 out of their last 17 games against Alabama with only two of those losses coming within a score. I felt like it was necessary to give those dad gum Tennessee fans a couple facts that they are ignoring. Oh yeah, one more thing. Tennessee hasn’t won an SEC championship since 1998, so, most players on the Tennessee roster weren’t even born the last time Tennessee did anything impressive.
In all seriousness, this year’s Tennessee team will probably look more similar to the 2022 Tennessee than the 2023 Tennessee. They’ve got some good WRs coming back in Bru McCoy and Squirrel White. The running game should be good again as they return several lineman and RB Dylan Sampson. What will decide if Tennessee is good or great is QB Nico Iamaleava. He has a lot of hype, and people are saying that he could be end up being one of the best QBs in Tennessee history. I think he will be good in year 1, but those are unrealistic expectations for a guy who hasn’t ever started a meaningful game in his career.
The defense was much improved last year especially the pass rush. DE James Pearce Jr is possibly the best pass rusher in the country, and they return 2 more starters on that great d-line this season. The secondary could be the biggest weakness of the team as they lost 10 DBs in the offseason. They got some transfers to replace them, but I doubt their ceiling as a unit.
Tennessee’s schedule isn’t extremely difficult. They must play against Alabama and Georgia obviously, but if they can get a win in Norman against Oklahoma, they could find themselves in the playoffs.
Tennessee has a playoff ceiling, but their floor may actually be lower than last year if Nico doesn’t pan out for one reason or another. This year should be very telling about whether or not Josh Heupel is a good coach or a great coach.
Texas Longhorns
Projected 2024 Record: 11-1
2023 Record: 12-2
Toughest Games: at Michigan, vs Oklahoma, vs Georgia
Texas doesn’t have the hardest conference schedule in the world, but Michigan is a tough on conference game. They get to play against Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, which are all definitely the worst teams in the SEC.
Texas has one of the best rosters in football. They have arguably the top O-line in the country with multiple lineman with All-American potential. The RB duo should be among the SEC’s best with CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue, while the receiving corps is filled with talent, namely Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, Houston transfer Matthew Golden, and Alabama transfer TE Amari Niblack. I also believe Quinn Ewers is the best QB in the SEC, and he is one of the top Heisman candidates for this year. Also, something that shouldn’t go overlooked, is that Steve Sarkisian is the best play caller in America, and he always knows what he’s doing.
The defense was really good last year, and might actually be better, as crazy as that sounds. Although they lost some NFL talent on the d-line, they should still be a very good unit as they return both ends and got some high-level transfers to bolster depth in the interior. The LB corps is very talented including 2023 Freshman All-American Anthony Hill Jr, and the secondary, their weakness last year, could be one of their strengths as they become more experienced and CB Malik Muhammad turns into a star.
I think Texas is the best team in the country. They have such a complete roster with little to no holes to be found, and they also have who I believe to be on of the best head coaches in college football. They have an easy enough schedule, and will have the better QB in every game they play this season unless they run into Oregon in the playoffs. Texas is the team to beat.
Texas A&M Aggies
Projected 2024 Record: 7-5
2023 Record: 7-6
Toughest Games: vs Notre Dame, vs LSU, vs Texas
The good thing is, all their hardest games are at home, including a game against Missouri. The bad thing is, those 4 hardest games are against playoff contenders, and they also have to play at Florida and at Auburn.
I personally am not as high on the Mike Elko hire as others are, but he should definitely be better than Jimbo. The offense should be pretty good, but I don’t see a super high ceiling. QB Conner Weigman is a decent QB, and the RBs are decent as well. The WRs are actually pretty good despite losing Evan Stewart. Moose Muhammad III and Noah Thomas are especially good. The O-line should be pretty good as well, but not great in comparison to the rest of the SEC. The defense should be better than the offense, especially in the trenches. Nic Scourton is a great transfer addition from Purdue, and both of the the Shemar’s (Turner and Stewart) should be really good. LB and safety should be really good with the return of Taurean York and Bryce Anderson along with addition of Florida transfer Scooby Williams.
A&M doesn’t quite have same star power and depth that other teams in the conference have, but their defense should help them big time. Mike Elko being there should elevate what was already a good unit in 2023. They have a tough schedule, but they should be able to make a bowl game.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Projected 2024 Record: 3-9
2023 Record: 2-10
Toughest Games: vs Alabama, vs Texas, at LSU
You know what’s crazy? Vanderbilt is the laughing stock of the SEC, yet, according to On3, their recruiting class this last offseason would be 11th out of 18 in the Big Ten, 10th out of 17 in the ACC, and 3rd out of 16 in the Big 12. Vanderbilt has no excuses for how bad they’ve been outside of conference. It really just comes down to coaching, and commitment to keeping their own talent from leaving through the transfer portal.
The roster looks bad as usual, as the schedule is also difficult as usual. Whoever wins the QB job between transfer QBs Diego Pavia (NMSU) and Nate Johnson (Utah) should be the best player on the offense, but they won’t have much help from the line, or skill positions. The defense may be improved as HC Clark Lea will be calling the plays. They also have a little more depth on that side of the ball now.
Vandy is consistently the worst team in the SEC, and I don’t expect that to change this year. Their only chance at making a bowl game is really good QB play, drop off from Virginia Tech, South Carolina injury problems, and Auburn goofing up in classic Auburn fashion, but it is highly unlikely for all of those things to happen.
Conclusion
The SEC is filled to the brim with playoff contenders. Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma should all contend for playoff spots while Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, and Texas A&M should all be top 25 caliber teams. I wouldn’t even be surprised if South Carolina bounced back and reached the top 25 at some point this season. I believe Texas is the team to beat while Bama, Georgia, and Ole Miss all could contend to be the best in the conference, but I think Texas is the best because they really don’t have any holes on their entire team, even when you’re nitpicking. Bama and Georgia could have experience issues on defense, and Ole Miss doesn’t have high quality depth. It won’t matter too much who wins the conference though because the SEC should get 4-6 teams into playoffs.
SEC Champion: Texas
All SEC First Team
Offense
QB – Quinn Ewers (Texas)
RB – Montrell Johnson (Florida)
RB – Trevor Etienne (Georgia)
AP – Luther Burden III (Missouri)
WR – Tre Harris (Ole Miss)
WR – Juice Wells Jr (Ole Miss)
WR – Isaiah Bond (Texas)
TE – Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss)
OL – Emery Jones (LSU)
OL – Will Campbell (LSU)
OL – Tyler Booker (Alabama)
OL – Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
OL – Kelvin Banks Jr (Texas)
Defense
DL – James Pearce Jr (Tennessee)
DL – Landon Jackson (Arkansas)
DL – Deone Walker (Kentucky)
DL – Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss)
LB – Mykel Williams (Georgia)
LB – Harold Perkins Jr (LSU)
LB – Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma)
LB – Deontae Lawson (Alabama)
CB – Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky)
CB – Trey Amos (Ole Miss)
S – Malaki Starks (Georgia)
S – Malachi Moore (Alabama)
Special Teams
K – Graham Nicholson (Alabama)
P – James Burnip (Alabama)
KR – Barion Brown (Kentucky)
PR – Keionte Scott (Auburn)
Awards
MVP: Quinn Ewers (Texas)
OPOY: Luther Burden III (Missouri)
DPOY: James Pearce Jr (Tennessee)
Breakout Player: Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
The Grinder: Deontae Lawson (Alabama)
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