SEC football rankings 2025 for every team from worst to best

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Which team stands on top before we get into the regular season?

The SEC, much like the Big Ten, has a lot of interesting variables going into 2025. New quarterbacks entering the fray, impact players transferring across the conference, and new faces along the sideline as coordinators and head coaches. However, what we do know is that most of the teams at the top will remain at the top. Texas and Georgia ran the SEC last year, and that shouldn’t change. How everyone else shakes out is still to be decided.

How does the SEC rank going into preseason camp? Let’s find out.

16. Mississippi State Bulldogs

QB Michael Van Buren transferred out, and the Bulldogs have to replace their receiver production with three transfers. On top of that, they portaled three new starters up front and a bevy of guys to compete on the defensive side of the ball. They’re 71st in SP+, below teams like Maryland and Cal, who lost basically their entire offense to the transfer portal.

It might get rough in Starkville.

15. Kentucky Wildcats

Whew boy, where do I begin? First off, losing your assistant head coach to be Director of Player Personnel at a rival school is tough. Second, a lot of talent walked out those doors offensively, and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan isn’t exactly the greatest offensive mind. The defense also lost a lot of talent, finally cycling out players that were recruited when the Wildcats were at a high. The hope is that grad transfer QB Zach Calzada brings some experience, but the outlook is grim on this Kentucky team.

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14. Arkansas Razorbacks

In what could be a pivotal year for head coach Sam Pittman, the early returns for the Hogs are … not super great. Losing RB JaQuinden Jackson, WRs Andrew Armstrong and Isaac Teslaa, and EDGE Landon Jackson to the draft was bound to happen, but on the bright side most of the defensive core stayed intact. Arkansas kept QB Taylen Green around, but for this team to take the next step forward he has to be more consistent from down to down. How he’ll do that with a wide receiver room that’s going to be transfer-laden? We will find out, but the Razorbacks will have to hope they come along quickly for this season to go well.

13. Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss is also in a really weird spot going into 2025. They’re 11th in ESPN’s SP+, but the biggest part of that comes from defense and special teams. Suntarine Perkins stays around to help keep the pass rush unit firing, as does transfer Princewill Umanmielen. Offensively, this team portaled in a LOT in the receiver room, namely WR Harrison Wallace III. The receiver group is going to need to come together quickly to help support QB Austin Simmons, who has shown flashes in spot duty backing up Jaxson Dart. Can Simmons be as explosive as the previous QB made this offense? We’ll see.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores

The Commodores are coming off a wild 2024 season, but retain some key pieces to a puzzle that could make them a tough out in the SEC once again. QB Diego Pavia is back, ready to be the grim reaper again for opponents with national title hopes. TE Eli Stowers might be the best in the nation and RB Sedrick Alexander leads a group of backs that can be impactful on the ground. Clark Lea’s defense also returns almost everybody, including Nick Rinaldi, who led the team in sacks last season. CJ Heard transfers in from FAU, and he could be a big time player in that secondary. Replacing three out of your five spots up front with transfers is no easy task, but the Commodores look to once again be a tough customer in 2025.

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11. Missouri Tigers

Losing the amount of offensive production Missouri lost this offseason is tough. Armand Membou, Luther Burden and Theo Wease are all in the NFL, and longtime QB Brady Cook exhausted all of his eligibility. To replace Cook, the Tigers portaled in Beau Pribula from Penn State, who was used almost exclusively as a running QB. We have yet to see him throw at a college level volume. RB Ahmad Hardy is a fascinating portal addition from UL-Monroe, his play style fits exactly what the offense needs in big plays. TE Brett Norfleet also remains around, and transfer WR Kevin Coleman could provide some pop as well. S Jalen Catalon and LB Josiah Trotter are two fun additions to the roster defensively to give them some more punch too. It’s going to be hard to make up everything the Tigers lost in 2024, but they’re on the right path.

10. Auburn Tigers

Auburn might be the biggest wild card of the SEC this season. The offense is certainly talented, with transfer WR Eric Singleton potentially being the best of a star-studded WR group that includes Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson and more. Jarquez Hunter enters the NFL, but the depth behind him is definitely ready to support the run game in his place. Defensively, there’s a lot to like as well. EDGE Keldric Faulk could be one of the best defensive players in his upcoming draft class and the secondary is full of potential. However, this is the most wild card QB group I think I’ve ever seen. QB Jackson Arnold transfers in from Oklahoma, but his time there was as bumpy as any rollercoaster, never looking like the 5-star prospect he was coming out of high school. Behind him is transfer Ashton Daniels, who mixes tantalizing athletic tools with frustrating processing. Then there’s the freshman Deuce Knight, who might be better than both of them. Do they play the kid early? What happens at QB could be the determining factor in how the Tigers’ season goes.

9. Tennessee Volunteers

After some QB controversy embroiled their offseason, the Volunteers move on with more questions left than answers. Joey Aguilar transfers in from UCLA in what’s basically a trade, but Aguilar is going to have to play much better than he did at Appalachian State. The stars of this team are on the defense with EDGE Dom Bailey and CB Jermod McCoy being a few of the holdovers from a defense that finished highly in the nation last season. If they can continue to get more pass rush production from their front then I like where Tennessee could be headed. The biggest question is how the offense will function. I’m not a big fan of their receiver core that’s been picked over by the NFL Draft and transfer portal. WR Chris Brazzell II will take on a much bigger role in this offense.

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8. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies enter 2025 with heightened expectations. In the second year under head coach Mike Elko and OC Collin Klein, the expectation is that this team competes for the SEC. A lot of that hinges on the success of QB Marcel Reed, who had up and down moments in his first season as a starter. He’s a better fit for the offense than Conner Weigman, and his ability on the ground should help when his passing comes and goes. WR KC Concepcion transfers in from NC State and RB Le’Veon Moss still totes the rock for the offense, so there are pieces to what could be a fun offense on board. The defense will have to replace a lot, but with EDGE Cashius Howell, LB Tauren York and CB Will Lee III coming back the leadership is in place. Adding transfer EDGE TJ Searcy definitely helps. Ultimately, this team will go as far as its’ QB will take them.

7. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks will be led in 2025 by their stars. QB LaNorris Sellers is back and has the potential to be the best quarterback in the nation with his dual threat ability. Kentucky transfer TE Jordan Dingle can be reliable in a lot of different areas. Defensively, EDGE Dylan Stewart is back after a standout freshman year and nickel Jalon Kilgore could have some standout moments in the secondary. The biggest question I have is in the receiving core, specifically with WR Nyck Harbor. Harbor is one of the best athletes college football has ever seen, but, but he has to be more consistent as a receiver. Outside of that, the offensive line has been up and down, but with Sellers under center the ceiling is high.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama is in a weird spot right now. The offensive line is strong, with OT Kadyn Proctor and C Parker Brailsford coming back. WR Ryan Williams is a superstar and he’s flanked by Germie Bernard, and the defense will still have many playmakers. But man, I have no clue what’s going to happen at QB. Ty Simpson is projected to be the starter, which doesn’t provide much promise, but he has the most experience and can get from A to B on time. Don’t be surprised if star freshman Keelon Russell unseats him later in the season. On top of that, I wonder how the Crimson Tide will be explosive on the ground. RB Jam Miller is back, but the run game doesn’t excite you as much as it did last season. Still, the Tide have the talent to make things interesting in the SEC—albeit there’s a lot of questions.

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5. LSU Tigers

The Tigers bring back a lot of offensive firepower, starting with QB Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier is an efficient and accurate QB, who will have just as much offensive juice with the offense this year as he did last year. Anderson transferred in from Oklahoma, and WR Barion Brown comes over from Kentucky. RB Caden Durham is coming back after a promising freshman year, a blend of explosiveness and juice that the Tigers will need in the backfield. Defensively, there are still many questions, but the Tigers reloaded up front through the transfer portal. EDGEs Jack Pyburn and Patrick Payton transfer in from Florida and Florida State, respectively and Jimari Butler shores up the interior by coming over from Nebraska. Transfer CB Mansoor Delane had a good shot of getting drafted last season and now becomes an LSU Tiger. I am a bit worried about all the production they lost along the offensive line, so if anything holds them back this season it’s the line play.

4. Oklahoma Sooners

Is this a little high for Oklahoma? Maybe, but this team could be very good in 2025. They upgraded at the QB spot with John Mateer transferring in from Washington State, and RB Jadyn Ott coming in from Cal. Head coach Brent Venables is still a very good defensive mind, and bringing in Ben Arbuckle to run the offense is a huge plus. I like the talent on the defensive roster as well, with EDGE R. Mason Thomas still on the team and the Bowen brothers in the secondary. Perhaps the biggest question for this team is going to be the receiving production. Nic Anderson is at LSU, taking out a large piece of that production. WR Deion Burks is back, but I want to see him fully healthy in that offense. WR Javonnie Gibson transfers in from Arkansas Pine-Bluff, but making the jump to the SEC could come with its bumps. I’m curious to see if Oklahoma can live up to the hype in 2025.

3. Florida Gators

I’m banking on the Gators upside in 2025. They return star QB DJ Lagway, who showed a lot of promise in the final stretch of the season. They also return RB Jadan Baugh, who also took over the reins as a freshman and held on to the starting RB role. At the skill positions, J. Michael Sturdivant transfers in from UCLA to accompany Tre Wilson, who should see an expanded role in the offense. Two standout starters along the offensive line return to help boost the offense to what could be unprecedented heights. Defensively, the star power is back with defensive tackle Caleb Banks and EDGE Tyreak Sapp returning. The Gators’ defensive recruiting is also paying off up front, where they can rotate guys in like LJ McCray to boost the pass rush. The secondary, while coming off injury, still has a lot of potential. If they can gel quickly, the Gators have enough star power to win the SEC for the first time since 2008.

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2. Georgia Bulldogs

This might be the most a Kirby Smart-led Bulldog team has been in flux since COVID-19. What’s even funnier about that, is that there’s at least a QB with experience returning to the team. Gunner Stockton once again takes the reins, but the questions outside of him are huge. Transfer WR Noah Thomas comes over from Texas A&M to give the Bulldogs a big, outside threat at wide receiver who can win in contested situations. Expect TE Lawson Luckie to play a big role in the offense as well, as well as USC transfer WR Zachariah Branch. Defensively, the beat should go on for the Bulldogs roster, but I’m intrigued by the growth of their corners on the outside. Daylen Everette is a senior and the leader of the room, but opposite him I wonder who wins that battle. Junior Daniel Harris has the inside track, but redshirt freshman Ellis Robinson could push him there. The biggest question will be if the offensive line can be a better unit than last year. The Bulldogs should be fine, but that might limit their ceiling.

1 . Texas Longhorns

While the Longhorns have questions about the makeup of the receiver room and offensive line, they retain their playcaller and bring in a QB who has experience in the system. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is one of the best playcallers and designers of offense in college football, constantly working to get his guys open looks and creating lanes to run his outside zone based offense. On top of that, heralded QB Arch Manning steps into the spotlight as the starting QB. Manning has shown impressive talent in spot duty for the Longhorns, but now he sees extended time—and extended scrutiny. Despite having to replace some of their front presence, I’m still a fan of their defensive unit, especially with EDGE Colin Simmons and LB Anthony Hill Jr. as the leaders of the defense. If they can find another complement to WR Ryan Wingo in the passing game, the Longhorns should be just fine.