The leaves are beginning to change color and SEC fans are buzzing with excitement. It’s officially football season. Ahead of the 2025 campaign, ESPN released its final preseason SEC football rankings.
ESPN based its rankings on its SP+ metric. SP+ is “a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and, along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year.”
The SP+ rankings certainly don’t match what the AP Top 25 looks like at the beginning of the college football year, either. With 16 teams to cover, let’s look at ESPN’s final preseason rankings.
ESPN ranked Alabama as the top team in the SEC and No. 2 team in the country, only trailing reigning national champion Ohio State. Earlier this week, Alabama cemented its starter behind center, naming Ty Simpson its QB1.
While Simpson brings an exciting new look to the Crimson Tide, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will likely bring the largest change to Alabama this fall. Grubb has a longstanding history with Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and was instrumental in Washington‘s run to the national championship game in the 2023 season.
Georgia suffered a shock early in the offseason when starting quarterback Carson Beck transferred to Miami. Alas, the Bulldogs are far from doomed. Quarterback Gunner Stockton will lead the way for Georgia this season after propelling the Bulldogs to a win over Texas in the SEC Championship last season when Carson Beck injured his UCL.
Stockton will have no shortage of targets in his debut campaign as Georgia’s full-time starter. The Bulldogs reeled in stunning commitments from wide receiver transfers Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas this offseason.
Despite landing at No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 rankings, Texas is the No. 3 team in the SEC in ESPN’s eyes. In fairness, Texas is only returning three starters on offense from last season.
Nonetheless, expectations are through the roof for the Longhorns, with quarterback Arch Manning finally receiving the reins to the team’s offense. With defensive lineman Colin Simmons and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. returning, Texas’ defense should be stellar.
For the first time in three seasons, Jaxson Dart won’t be running Ole Miss’ offense. Instead, Austin Simmons will be the Rebels’ starter behind center this season. It won’t be an easy adjustment for Ole Miss. The team is only returning three starts on offense, including just one offensive lineman.
Thankfully, its defense should be able to hold its own if the Rebels’ offense needs time to find its footing. Ole Miss linebackers Suntarine Perkins and Princewill Umanmielen, along with DL Zxavian Harris were named All-SEC preseason selections.
Unlike the four teams ahead of them in ESPN’s SEC rankings, the LSU Tigers will have a familiar face starting at quarterback this fall. Garrett Nussmeier is a frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy after having a breakout season last year.
Of course, Nussmeier isn’t the only standout talent on LSU’s roster. On defense, the team returns LB Whit Weeks, who tallied the second-most tackles in the country last season.
Tennessee was blindsided this offseason when quarterback Nico Iamaleava entered the NCAA Transfer Portal reportedly due to an NIL dispute with the program. The Volunteers haven’t named Iamaleava’s replacement yet, but UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar is the current favorite to land the job.
In two years as Appalachian State‘s starter, Aguilar amassed 6,760 passing yards and 56 touchdowns, compared to 24 interceptions. On the opposite side of the ball, Tennessee is entering its fifth season under defensive coordinator Tim Banks, who will have seven returning starters under his supervision this fall.
Mike Elko made a statement during his debut campaign last season, guiding the Aggies to an 8-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play. Nonetheless, the excitement in College Station died down late in the season when Texas A&M lost four of its final five games.
With a jaw-dropping 15 returning starters, Texas A&M will look to find its rhythm again in the 2025 campaign. The Aggies not only have a surplus of returning talent, but also reeled in the No. 16 class in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.
After a disappointing first season in the SEC last year, Oklahoma is determined to bounce in a big way in 2025. With this mission in mind, Oklahoma hired Washington State‘s Ben Arbuckle as its offensive coordinator.
The Sooners ended up with a package deal. Washington State star quarterback John Mateer followed Arbuckle to Norman and is expected to be one of the premier QBs in the conference this fall, assuming no further trouble comes from his unusual Venmo transactions.
Florida’s misfortune turned into a blessing last season when freshman DJ Lagway was given an opportunity to shine after Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending injury. Lagway was an instant star, positing a 6-1 record in the games he started.
Lagway has been battling calf injury during fall camp, but is expected to be prepared for the team’s season-opener. The Gators’ defense should make up for any early rust on Lagway. Florida returns seven starters on the defensive side of the ball.
After being picked to finish 12th in the SEC last season, South Carolina silenced its critics, notching a 5-3 record in conference play and narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff. The Gamecocks will look to prove its doubters once again in the 2025 campaign.
Nobody on the team will be more pivotal to South Carolina’s goal than quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who exploded for 2,534 passing yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Running back Rahsul Faison will also be key to the Gamecocks’ success as he looks to replace All-SEC RB Rocket Sanders.
11. Missouri Tigers (20)
12. Auburn Tigers (22)
13. Arkansas Razorbacks (34)
14. Kentucky Wildcats (44)
15. Vanderbilt Commodores (54)
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (66)
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