SEC Preview, Projections: 5,000 Words On Texas, Georgia, Alabama & More In 2025

Texas, Georgia, and Alabama look to lead the SEC back to the top of college football heading into 2025 after a two-year title drought. Can a team like LSU, Tennessee, or Florida steal the bid?

Jul 12, 2025

I’ll start this 2025 SEC football preview with a bold statement: the SEC is college football. It’s peak pageantry, tradition, and peak television in the sport. And this, perhaps blasphemously, comes from a Midwest-born Big Ten fan. The SEC is romantic.

It’s also a fascinating league this year. Texas appears to be the lead dog under Arch Manning, Georgia has the most coaching pedigree, and Alabama reloads with star Ryan Williams. You can throw a rock at this conference and hit a Heisman contender – Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), John Mateer (Oklahoma), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), plus Manning and Williams. And then you can fold in the up-and-coming defensive stars like Colin Simmons, Dylan Stewart, and Jordan Hall.

Oklahoma and Auburn add exciting transfer QBs to kickstart lackadaisical offenses. Florida, South Carolina, and Arkansas all have explosive answers at QB but lots of questions elsewhere. Ole Miss and Missouri look to replace weapons at QB. And then there’s the looming landmine that is Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt.

There’s more to go over with the SEC—that’s in spite of zero head coaching changes and high continuity with coordinators—than any other league because of the wild cards on each roster. So, grab a coffee and a comfortable place to sit. This one’s a doozy.

As the weeks of the offseason wane, I’m previewing every conference for the upcoming 2025 college football season. Continue the conversation on Twitter.

SEC 2025 Preseason Power Ratings

Table Key (all ranks except power rankings are national):

Rank (Power ranking, conference)
Proj. Wins (Projected total wins)
Return (Returning production, total)
PPD (Points per drive scored)
PPDA (Points per drive allowed)
L5 (Last five years recruiting average, national)
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This Year’s SEC Favorites

Texas Longhorns

There’s certainly media fatigue surrounding Arch Manning and Texas this coming season. But it’s foolish to ignore how ridiculously loaded this team is heading into 2025. They were a few yards away from clinching a spot in the national championship game (shoutout Ohio State’s impossible goal line defense) and now finally remove the chains off Manning.

According to an opposing SEC coach quoted in Athlon Sports’ preview magazine, “you can expect a much more dynamic scheme from Sark [Steve Sarkisian]. This kid is a legit Heisman-level package.” These aren’t my words, they aren’t ESPN’s words, these are opposing coaches who know what they’re talking about.

Matthew Golden and Gunner Helm are legit NFL guys who depart (the former was a first-round pick), but it’s next man up in Austin – a place where NIL finally managed to get the giant back on top. The backfield is comically loaded between Quintrevion Wisner (1,064 yards) and C.J. Baxter (missed 2024 to injury). Rising sophomore Ryan Wingo adds plenty of pop to the receiving corps and true freshman Kaliq Lockett projects to be a Day 1 impact player.

The real excitement comes on defense. Sophomore Colin Simmons is All-America good—a guy who would be a surefire No. 1 overall NFL Draft choice in 2027 if it weren’t for Manning and generational talent Jeremiah Smith, and yet Simmons may still be—and his running mate, Trey Moore, seamlessly made the jump from UTSA to Texas a year ago. Anthony Hill (113 tackles) is the best linebacker in the country and the secondary, led by SAF Michael Taaffe, is one of the five or so best nationally.

To avoid this being a Texas Longhorns puff piece (lord knows we need more of that), losing a talent like Golden out wide, shutdown corner in Jahdae Barron, and top-10 pick in Kelvin Banks isn’t something to just hand-waive away; Banks’ projected replacement is just a sophomore.

The schedule is brutal, too – Texas opens the season at defending national champion Ohio State and visits Georgia later on in the year. The Longhorns don’t play a game in Austin the entirety of October and close the year against newly-rekindled rival Texas A&M.

But the TL;DR (emphasis on TL for this section, it’s long-winded) is that Texas has one of the two or three rosters that I trust most to win games in December. This is a national championship roster with one of the best offensive minds heading it (Sarkisian). You can go ahead and doubt the “guy who sat behind a seventh-round pick last year” – I won’t.

Georgia Bulldogs

Last year, this team finished a very un-Georgia-like 25th in net points per drive. The defense was still largely high-level but was exploited a few times (Georgia Tech, Alabama, Mississippi State). The offense was dreadful. Carson Beck (now at Miami) was good at times and also atrocious at times and, when he got hurt, it was evident Georgia didn’t have another good answer.

But Kirby Smart must feel pretty decent about his options given another offseason to learn, as the Bulldogs didn’t pull anyone in via the transfer portal and Gunner Stockton projects to start this year. He completed over 70% of his passes (good!) but averaged just 7.5 air yards per passing attempt (not good!) and, against Notre Dame, the offense couldn’t do anything under his command. Given the full offseason, Smart is a better coach than to allow this entire season to fall on the shoulders of Stockton.

From this assessment, you’d assume Georgia fell to 9-3. While this team did lose three games, it also won the SEC Championship and beat Texas twice.

This season, Georgia plays just three true road games: at Tennessee, at Auburn, and at Mississippi State. Another fourth game away from Athens is the annual Jacksonville rivalry against Florida.

There’s as much talent on this defense as we see anywhere across the country. Linebacker C.J. Allen is a genuine stud and CB Daylen Everette, SAF K.J. Bolden, and young DT Jordan Hall are all legit All-America talents. Nose tackle Christian Miller isn’t far off, likely an All-SEC candidate. A cast of opponents that includes Kentucky, Mississippi State, and a wild card in Auburn make for a manageable cast of offenses.

I’m just not that sure about Georgia’s offense. Zachariah Branch comes in from USC and should be a top impact playmaker and the combo of Colbie Young and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M transfer) should be really good. The offensive line turns over four new starters full of blue chip recruits and physical specimens. It all must come together and Stockton must be the guy to put it together.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Whether Nick Saban is the face of Alabama or not, the Crimson Tide have a target painted on their back. For proof of that, look no further than their schedule this year, as four opponents opt for a bye week before taking on the Tide. I thought, for having a wildly inconsistent QB and having to fill in the shoes of the greatest college football coach of all time, Kalen DeBoer did a pretty nice job in Year 1. But Year 2 carries more expectation.

Ryan Williams is one of the best players in college football and he’s back for a follow-up act of a sensational freshman year. Leading rusher Jam Miller and three of the next four top receivers (below Williams) also return to make up a talented and experienced skill corps for… well… I’m not really sure.

That’s the biggest question mark for Alabama. For the first time in a long time, we really have no idea who takes over as QB1. Ty Simpson appears to be the clubhouse leader, at least according to Phil Steele’s projections, but 6-foot-6 Austin Mack is a really intriguing prospect. Either option (or freshman Keelon Russell, the 247Sports’ No. 2 overall recruit) is a significant passing upgrade from Jalen Milroe. They also have the aforementioned pass catchers at their disposal.

Having two All-America candidates at the two most important offensive line positions helps, too. Center Parker Brailsford was a first-team selection last year and left tackle Kadyn Proctor earned All-SEC honors. The other three starters bring 16 career starts. Ryan Grubb reunites with DeBoer after backing out of the OC job last year to call plays for the Seahawks. Grubb led Washington to a No. 2 and No. 7 offensive finish in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Losing Saban was supposed to mean taking a hit on defense. However, the stop unit remained strong, allowing 28 points twice and held six opponents to 14 or fewer. Eight starters return, headlined by All-SEC selections in LB Deontae Lawson and CB Domani Jackson. Assuming Vanderbilt doesn’t hang another 40 burger on Alabama—this time in Tuscaloosa with a team that’s circled this game in red sharpie—the overall defensive numbers will improve.

Thomas Castellanos gave the Tide lots of ammunition for a Week 1 showcase at Florida State and Bama hosts Wisconsin (a team it slaughtered 42-10 on the road last year) in the non-conference. It gets a bye before visiting Georgia (but so does UGA) and travels to Auburn to close the season (see recent Iron Bowl results in Auburn… yikes!). Rivalries against LSU and Tennessee come at home, making this a loaded, but evenly-paced and somewhat manageable, schedule.

Bonus note: Alabama is just 4-4 in its last eight games against FBS foes!

SEC Contenders

LSU Tigers

QB Garrett Nussmeier is being heralded as one of the top Heisman favorites to follow up a 4,000-yard season. The continuity continues as LSU is one of 30 FBS teams to return its head coach (Brian Kelly), both coordinators (OC Joe Sloan, DC Blake Baker), and primary starting QB (Nussmeier). In addition to returning last year’s leading receiver, Aaron Anderson (884 yards), Nussmeier gets two new receiving weapons in Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (Oklahoma); Chris Hilton also returns after missing most of last season to injury.

A reason for concern comes along the offensive line, who lost a top-five NFL Draft pick in Will Campbell and only one starter from this unit returns (D.J. Chester).

That transfer class ranks as 247Sports’ No. 1 haul, not just for those two receivers, but for the addition of Florida State stud pass rusher Patrick Payton and CB Mansoor Delane. Harold Perkins also returns from injury, but he’s yet to repeat outstanding 2022 freshman campaign. Baker managed to flip the defense almost overnight, improving from 119th in points per drive allowed to 74th. But outside of a back-to-back in which the Tigers allowed 80 points to Texas A&M and Alabama (both losses), their defense stifled foes to just one 30-point outing in the regular season (South Carolina).

LSU looks to snap a five-year losing streak of opening games. Unfortunately, Kelly may have to wait another year as LSU is scheduled to visit the other Death Valley and play an opening-season road game at Clemson. (You can maybe draw a game preview by reading my thoughts on Clemson in this ACC preview.)

Most of LSU’s blockbuster games are buffered by some sort of beneficial matchup. Clemson comes Week 1, at Ole Miss is preceded by a game vs. FCS Southern, its game against Texas A&M is preceded by a game at Vanderbilt, at Alabama comes after the bye, and the season finale at Oklahoma is preceded by a home game against Western Kentucky.

LSU is absolutely a contender in the SEC and for a spot in the CFP. Should the offensive line hold up, the ceiling is higher than just “contender.”

Ole Miss Rebels

Losing a QB as prolific as Jaxson Dart makes for a tough transition in for Lane Kiffin & Co. The two suitors on the roster are sophomore Austin Simmons and Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss. The former seemingly has a high ceiling but is seen as “unpolished” by opposing coaches (taken from Athlon Sports’ preview magazine) while the latter brings over 3,000 total yards from last year, including over 1,000 rushing. Simmons stands a robust 6-foot-4 while Chambliss is just 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds.

Kiffin remains a transfer portal wizard and that’s exactly where he looked to rebuild a gutted skill corps. Receivers Harrison Wallace (Penn State) and De’Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State) are both second-chance players and RB Damien Taylor rushed for over 1,000 yards last season at Troy. RB Logan Diggs transferred in last season from LSU and projected starting guard Patrick Kutas comes over from Arkansas.

Of the five returning FBS starters on defense, three played for Ole Miss last year, namely Suntarine Perkins, an All-SEC selection in 2024. Kiffin must be confident in what he’s got up front this season, as it was less of a focus from the DL blitz he performed last cycle. Marshall’s Jaden Yates heads to Oxford coming off a first team All-Sun Belt season and ULM transfer Wydett Williams projects to start.

But that’s really what this Ole Miss team is – projection. The non-conference is exceedingly winnable and they host all four opponents. The road schedule is also manageable with trips to Kentucky and Mississippi State (and also Georgia and Oklahoma consecutively). There’s no Alabama, no Tennessee, no Texas… at the end of the day, Kiffin might again be a 10-game winner even if this team isn’t as talented as 2024.

It’s probably not a CFP team at the end of the day, but it’s certainly not a losing team, either.

Bonus note: Ole Miss is 32-0 under Lane Kiffin when it scores 28+ points. The Rebels are just 7-13 when held under 28 points.

Texas A&M Aggies

There was an immediate turning of the page for Texas A&M under Mike Elko. Sure, 8-5 is only marginally better than 7-6 but this was a much more physical and disciplined A&M team than under Jimbo Fisher. Results were mixed in Year 1—the Aggies survived a scare at home from Bowling Green and they lost four of their final five games of the year—but a lot returns for this season. There’s also an injection of talent at positions of need.

QB Marcel Reed took his lumps as a freshman, losing 120 rushing yards to at times unnecessary sacks and TFLs. He benefits in Year 2 behind an offensive line that returns all five starters and projects as one of the SEC’s (and nation’s) best. RB Le’Veon Moss returns from a season cut short by injury (he rushed for 6.3 yards per carry prior), as does reserve back Amari Daniels (661 yards, 8 TDs), plus Reuben Owens (who never got his season started thanks to injury) adds an injection of talent to an already strong backfield. This rushing attack should again be one of the most effective in the SEC.

Despite losing its top five receivers, A&M’s pass catching room looks really strong thanks to inbound transfers Kevin “K.C.” Conception (NC State) and Mario Craver (Mississippi State).

Elko hangs his hat on defense and it delivered last season. However, it loses more than a few names, chiefly a dynamic pass rush duo. The rising starters on the defensive line were all here last year but lack the star power this unit had last year. The back seven returns intact led by SAF Bryce Anderson and six leading Aggie tacklers. I’d expect a top-20 finish from this defense in 2025.

A&M plays a lot of football away from the friendly confines of Kyle Field. It plays at Notre Dame in Week 3 and then four of its final six games are on the road, including at LSU and at Texas. Fortunately, the Aggies avoid five of the top six SEC teams this year.

Extra note: Texas A&M is just 3-11 against Power Conference foes in November, dating back to 2021. It went 0-4 against such opponents last season.

The SEC Middle Class In 2025

Tennessee Volunteers

Last year’s Tennessee Volunteers team made the CFP and completely revamped their image. In wins, Tennessee held opponents to 11.7 points per game. But in losses, it only scored 16 points per game and the season culminated in a 42-17 blowout at the hands of Ohio State. The quarterback carousel was notable in Knoxville and that’s all we’ll say about that.

Perhaps the most impactful departure is RB Dylan Sampson, who rushed for almost 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Sophomore DeSean Bishop was bottled up in the CFP but showed consistent explosion behind 6.1 yards per rush. He and Peyton Lewis make up a good, if not unheralded, duo for the Vols. Only one offensive lineman returns from last year’s unit and three projected starters are true sophomores or younger.

Tennessee should again be able to lean on its defense. Eight starters return and among those are All-American CB Jermod McCoy and All-SEC LB Arion Carter. Seven of the top ten tacklers return and a rising starter, Joshua Josephs, logged 9 TFL in rotational duty. Despite losing James Pearce to the NFL, there’s little reason to assume Tim Banks’ defense takes much of a step backward, if any.

For once, Tennessee’s schedule sets up nicely. A neutral-site game against Syracuse to open the season comes as the Orange break in a new QB. Georgia visits Neyland Stadium and the next trickiest game is at rival Alabama. But the Vols don’t play six of the top eight SEC teams and do play all of the bottom four.

Florida Gators

Get ready to learn D.J. Lagway, if you haven’t already. As a true freshman, Lagway both showed flashes of superstardom and also turned the ball over way too much. Heres’s a single-game sample of what I’m talking about:

Week 8 at Kentucky: 7-for-14, 259 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 21.5 aDOT, 21.4% big-time throw rate

I thought about including other games, like a two-interception game against Tulane (despite winning 33-8), but that Kentucky game just encapsulates what Lagway was about last year. He completed 10 or fewer passes in eight starts where he threw at least 17 passes. Despite the sporadic performances, many seem to think he could jump to one of the SEC’s best this year.

The pieces around him are hard to ignore. Center Jake Slaughter decided to return after an All-America campaign in 2024. Leading rusher Jadan Baugh (also a rising sophomore) and six-of-nine receivers who caught 7+ passes also return. Eugene Wilson has a chance for a breakout campaign and UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant looks to get his career back on track after leaving Cal.

Florida’s strength this year comes on both fronts. The offensive line ranks fifth nationally, per Phil Steele, and the defensive line, tenth. Caleb Banks is the standout player up front – a tall order given the size of the four starters (all 6-foot-3 or taller). Three of the four starters in the secondary from last year are back as are two linebackers.

This is a disruptive defensive unit that forced plenty of havoc plays in 2024 (sacks, turnovers, TFLs) and should again in 2025. The Gators navigate the country’s most difficult schedule—again—visiting LSU and Miami by Week 5. They host Texas and Tennessee, travel to Texas A&M and Ole Miss, and play Georgia in neutral Jacksonville. Within reason, it really doesn’t matter how good Florida is, they might be capped as an 8-4 team.

Bonus note: Florida is just 6-21 in its last 27 games away from Gainesville.

Oklahoma Sooners

Last year, Oklahoma had a rude awakening in its SEC debut, going just 2-6 in league play. In stark contrast to recent OU teams, the issue wasn’t the defense, rather an offense that ranked a ghastly 122nd in points per drive. The QB room was a disaster, resulting in a team entirely devoid of explosive plays.

Enter: Ben Arbuckle. The new Sooners OC comes in from Washington State (and previously Western Kentucky) and should bring a breath of fresh air to this stagnant offense. With Arbuckle comes QB John Mateer, who broke out with over 4,000 scrimmage yards and 44 total touchdowns. Mateer is joined by Cal RB Jadyn Ott (over 2,500 career rushing yards) and 1,000-yard receiver Javonnie Gibson from FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Four starters along the offensive line and viable receiving options—at least, I think, it was impossible to gauge last year—like Deion Burks return.

Brent Venables will continue to call the defense. Under his guide, OU finished 11th last year in points per drive and seven starters are back. R Mason Thomas earned All-SEC honors last year and Peyton Bowen could eye them this year. Aside from a few big plays through the air, this Sooner defense was stout as it came. Expect a repeat of that with Venebles’ aggressive scheme.

The schedule is again rough – Oklahoma plays five of the top six SEC teams and hosts Michigan in the non-conference.

SEC Darkhorse Team To Watch: Auburn Tigers

Opinions on Jackson Arnold are… mixed. He severely underperformed at Oklahoma and was ultimately replaced and transferred to Auburn. Whether or not Arnold ever meets his five-star rating out of high school may not be the end-all, be-all for the Tigers this season for two reasons: (a) He gets the SEC’s best WR duo in Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. to throw to and, (b) almost anybody is a significant upgrade from the Peyton Thorne/Hank Brown experience a year ago. Really all Arnold has to be is serviceable and Auburn is in business.

Last year’s squad finished 5-7—its fourth straight season finishing with seven losses and fifth straight failing to win seven games—despite only allowing 30 points twice. The secondary, a unit that gave up a few too many explosive plays but relied on three true freshmen, returns mostly intact and should be a strength for this team. There’s genuine concern for the defensive line and if you get pushed around up front in the SEC, you’re cooked. That unit is filled with blue-chippers but doesn’t have a single proven commodity.

Four of the five starters along the offensive line return and the fifth projected starter, Xavier Chaplin, started 25 games over his last two seasons at Virginia Tech. Every starter has at least one full year starting and is at least a junior. I’d expect this to be a pretty darn good line.

Like with every year, Auburn must earn its wins. The Tigers open up on the road at Baylor (a team projected to compete for a CFP berth) and travel to Texas A&M. However, Georgia and Alabama both play in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn is 2-2 in the last four Iron Bowls with a +14 point differential when it’s played on the Plains; Auburn also fares much better against Georgia at home, whom it hasn’t beaten since 2017. There’s no LSU, Ole Miss, or Tennessee on the slate and the other three roadies (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Vanderbilt) are exceedingly manageable games.

Things align quite well for Auburn in a year with minimal expectation nationally. But if it fails this time, Hugh Freeze will be sent packing from another SEC program.

SEC Team To Fade: South Carolina Gamecocks

The excitement surrounding South Carolina has finally grown beyond reason. LaNorris Sellers comes into this season, to some, as a foregone Heisman finalist and top NFL Draft selection. In the famed words of Lee Corso, Not so fast, my friend!

Sellers sure is a specimen – he stands 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, and rushed for 900 non-sack yards last year. But the projected platinum jump to Heisman contention? I’m not saying he can’t do it, I’m just saying let’s all take a collective breath. The OC hire in Mike Shula was also underwhelming, but they managed with Dowell Loggains last year, so I’m not sure this is a huge deal.

The roster is centered around a few athletic freaks—rising junior Nyck Harbor is one of the fastest humans in college football and stands 6-foot-5—but so much of the established production leaves. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders takes with him over 1,100 scrimmage yards (13 total TDs) and the top five tacklers from this defense are gone. True sophomore Dylan Stewart is a disruptor but there’s not many other threatening pieces around him (and the secret’s out).

I’m most concerned about the schedule. Virginia Tech is beatable (surely SC would have preferred to handle the Hokies at home, rather than in Atlanta) and the Gamecocks should be no worse than 4-1 heading into their first bye.

But after that bye is where things get hairy: at LSU, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, plus dates with Alabama and rival Clemson make this one of the most difficult stretches in the country.

Shane Beamer is a coach I really like. He’s done a good job keeping South Carolina relevant and competitive (it almost upended LSU and Alabama last year), but expecting an improvement in 9-4 is difficult and I’m not sure I buy it or the Sellers-NFL hype.

The Rest Of The Pack

Missouri Tigers

Can QB Beau Pribula thrive as a physical rushing threat in the SEC? If he can, Mizzou might be in business. The backfield gains ULM 1,300-yard rusher Ahmad Hardy and the line should again be trustworthy. The defense regressed without Blake Baker but DC Corey Batoon kept the Tigers sturdy. Mizzou doesn’t hit the road until Week 8 and only plays four true road games. No Georgia, Texas, LSU, Tennessee, or Ole Miss.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Concerns surround overall roster talent, especially along the defensive line. Taylen Green will buy them points at QB but needs to replace the top eight pass catchers from last year. Offensive line returns three starters and add an FBS fourth, but this unit has to be better. Time is running out for Sam Pittman, no matter how agreeable he is in Fayetteville. This team has a low ceiling.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Diego Pavia returns for another season and that’s reason enough to need to take Vanderbilt seriously. Credit to Clark Lea – he hasn’t thrown the towel in and he’s making Vandy a team capable of springing an upset at least once a season. They’re not the bottom of the SEC this year but a road slate at Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee is a tough draw. They can’t hide this year, but Pavia may not need to. Vandy did lose four of its final five SEC games to close the year, but only to Texas and LSU by a score each.

Kentucky Wildcats

There’s little to love about this roster. Mark Stoops doesn’t have an elite defensive front like he did in winning seasons from 2021-23. Zach Calzada is a retread that needs a better go-around than he had the last time in the SEC. The run game only goes so far if there’s not an effective throw game. Kentucky may not be shopping for a new head coach in December, but you wonder how long this cycle lasts until it runs stale under Stoops.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

When healthy, Blake Shapen was pretty good (68.5% completion, 8 TD, 1 INT) and, should he play 12 games this year, Mississippi State might give a few opponents a run for their money. However, the defense stinks. There’s no individual unit that stands out. State might get mauled on both lines of scrimmage, making winning hard. They catch six of the top eight SEC teams and this could be a quick two-and-done with Jeff Lebby.

SEC All-Transfer Team

QB: John Mateer (Oklahoma), Jackson Arnold (Auburn)
RB: Jadyn Ott (Oklahoma), Ahmad Hardy (Missouri)
WR: Eric Singleton Jr. (Auburn), K.C. Conception (Texas A&M), Nic Anderson (LSU)
TE: Rohan Jones (Arkansas)
IOL: Wendell Moe (Tennessee), Josh Thompson (LSU), Patrick Kutas (Ole Miss)
OT: Blake Steen (Mississippi State), Alex Wollschlaeger (Kentucky)

DE: Patrick Payton (LSU), Maraad Wilson (Texas), Mi'Quise Grace (Kentucky), Phillip Lee (Arkansas)
LB: Andrew Jones (South Carolina), Josiah Trotter (Missouri), Nikhai Hill-Green (Alabama)
CB: Raion Strader (Auburn), Mansoor Delane (LSU)
SAF: A.J. Haulcy (LSU), Wydett Williams Jr. (Ole Miss)

SEC Dudes List

Top difference makers to keep your eye on this year. While we’re not digging to the third-string line to find these guys, perhaps these names don’t jump to the top of mind.

QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt: I feel like this list would have been superfluous without the ultimate college football “dude.” Whether Pavia played for New Mexico State or Vanderbilt, he’s toppled SEC giants almost singlehandedly. At NSMU, he sprung an upset over Auburn; last year, he upset No. 1 Alabama. And, best of all, he’s back for another (final) season.

WRs Cam Coleman & Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn: It’s hard to pick one or the other here. Auburn likely has the best receiving room in the SEC and one of the top few in the country between Coleman (8 TD on just 37 catches) and Singleton (754 yards in 2024). Coleman posted his lucratively efficient numbers without an SEC-level quarterback and that likely changes with Jackson Arnold.

DE Colin Simmons, Texas: If it weren’t for other generational talents like Jeremiah Smith and Arch Manning entering the NFL Draft in 2027, Colin Simmons would be the unanimous No. 1 overall prospect. As a true freshman, Simmons logged nine sacks and nine additional QB hits; he also batted three balls down at the line of scrimmage. He’s an absolute terror on a defense with plenty of dudes.

Coaching & Coordinator Changes In The SEC

In 2025, there are zero new head coaches and few coordinator changes. Here’s a couple coordinator moves that will impact their teams this coming season.

Ben Arbuckle, OC, Oklahoma: Arbuckle comes from the Zach Kittle offensive tree and twice led his offenses to top-25 finishes (WKU, 2022; Washington State, 2024). He also heads to Norman with his QB, John Mateer. Watch for Mateer and Arbuckle to completely revamp an Oklahoma offense that fell to 122nd in points per drive last year.

Ryan Grubb, OC, Alabama: Grubb originally signed on to head to Alabama with Kalen DeBoer, but backed out to conduct the Seattle Seahawks offense. With DeBoer at Washington, Grubb helped lead the Huskies to the No. 2 and No. 7 points per drive offense and a national championship appearance.

Find every SEC coordinator change, along with the rest of the FBS coaching carousel here.