There’s trying to figure out how good all of the college football teams are before spring football begins, and there’s kicking the can down the road until things become clearer, as we’re doing with the SEC.
Before we begin our pre-spring football rankings of the SEC’s 1-16 teams…
– Texas A&M will be better than we currently rank, but we just can’t get there yet.
– Texas and Georgia will reload because they are Texas and Georgia, but in a LOADED SEC, everyone will underestimate how many major components need to be replaced. Both should be lower, but we can’t quite get there yet.
– LSU could be the best team in the SEC, but we can’t get there yet.
– Oklahoma and Auburn are probably far superior to us, but we have yet to reach that level.
We’ll get there with definitive takes, but they’ll be in our Preview 2025. For the time being, here’s where the SEC rankings start…
SEC Football Pre-Spring Rankings: 2025 Season First Look
16 Mississippi State
The SEC’s worst D at least returns experienced. The portal brought plenty of parts, including QB Luke Kromenhoek (Florida State) to push Blake Shapen.
2024 Record 2-10
2024 Rankings Final 87, Preseason 67
Top Transfer: Fluff Bothwell, RB from South Alabama
Top Transfer Lost: Kevin Coleman, WR to Missouri
Season Opener: at Southern Miss
15 Vanderbilt
QB Diego Pavia won his NCAA fight and is back to lead one of the most experienced teams in the SEC. There’s even more depth and options in another fun season.
2024 Record 7-6
2024 Rankings Final 35, Preseason 81
Top Transfer: Jordan White, OG from Liberty
Top Transfer Lost: Gunnar Hansen, OT to Florida State
Season Opener: Charleston Southern
14 Kentucky
After a rough 2024, UK will wing it around even more with QB Zach Calzada (UIW) coming in. There’s too much experience not to be far more competitive.
2024 Record 4-8
2024 Rankings Final 62, Preseason 30
Top Transfer: Shiyazh Pete, OT from New Mexico State
Top Transfer Lost: Keeshawn Silver, DT to USC
Season Opener: Toledo
13 Arkansas
QB Taylen Green leads a veteran attack with huge upside. All the portal activity was a net positive for what should be Sam Pittman’s strongest team yet.
2024 Record 7-6
2024 Rankings Final 34, Preseason 46
Top Transfer: Corey Robinson, OT from Georgia Tech
Top Transfer Lost: Patrick Kutas, OT to Ole Miss
Season Opener: Alabama A&M
12 Auburn
The growing pains should pay off thanks to the transfer portal. QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) was a good get to take over a veteran team that will rise up fast.
2024 Record 5-7
2024 Rankings Final 53, Preseason 35
Top Transfer: Eric Singleton, WR from Georgia Tech
Top Transfer Lost: Percy Lewis, OT to Ole Miss
Season Opener: at Baylor
11 Missouri
A good schedule, a defense that returns a ton, and a slew of edge rushers from the portal – there’s a lot to like. If QB Beau Pribula (Penn State) is great, look out.
2024 Record 10-3
2024 Rankings Final 15, Preseason 19
Top Transfer: Damon Wilson II, EDGE from Georgia
Top Transfer Lost: Williams Nwaneri, DE to Nebraska
Season Opener: Central Arkansas
10 Oklahoma
OU have won the portal landing QB John Mateer (Washington State). The Sooners have the most returning experience in the SEC – now win something.
2024 Record 6-7
2024 Rankings Final 41, Preseason 22
Top Transfer: John Mateer, QB from Washington State
Top Transfer Lost: Nic Anderson, WR to LSU
Season Opener: Illinois State
9 Ole Miss
Ole Miss lost a ton of main men and depth from last year’s great team, but it’s Lane Kiffin – the portal heals all. However, he didn’t get a new quarterback (yet).
2024 Record 10-3
2024 Rankings Final 9, Preseason 8
Top Transfer: Princewill Umanmielen, EDGE from Nebraska
Top Transfer Lost: Micah Pettus, OT to Florida State
Season Opener: Georgia State
8 South Carolina
QB LaNorris Sellers is fantastic, more help is coming from RB Rahsul Faison (Utah State). EDGE Jaylen Brown (Missouri) and the portal filled in the gaps on D.
2024 Record 9-4
2024 Rankings Final 17, Preseason 45
Top Transfer: Rahsul Faison, RB from Utah State
Top Transfer Lost: Bangally Kamara, EDGE to Kansas
Season Opener: Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)
7 Tennessee
There’s a little bit of a redo on an offense that loses a bunch of receivers, but QB Nico Iamaleava has the talent to be special. The defense will be fantastic.
2024 Record 10-3
2024 Rankings Final 8, Preseason 18
Top Transfer: Sam Pendleton, OT/OG from Notre Dame
Top Transfer Lost: Jayson Jenkins, DT to Florida State
Season Opener: Syracuse (in Atlanta)
6 Florida
BRUTAL schedule, lots of experience, plenty of momentum. Florida is a true X factor with enormous upside if QB DJ Lagway takes his game up a notch.
2024 Record 8-5
2024 Rankings Final 29, Preseason 31
Top Transfer: J. Michael Sturdivant, WR from UCLA
Top Transfer Lost: Ja’Keem Jackson, CB to LSU
Season Opener: LIU
5 Texas A&M
The depth and talent are there in Year Two of the Mike Elko era. QB Marcel Reed and a cranked up receiving corps should be terrific. The transfer portal was kind.
2024 Record 8-5
2024 Rankings Final 21, Preseason 21
Top Transfer: KC Concepcion, WR from NC State
Top Transfer Lost: Noah Thomas, WR to Georgia
Season Opener: UTSA
4 LSU
Talent won’t be an excuse if LSU doesn’t have a monster season. Brian Kelly crushed the transfer portal to upgrade and strengthen an already loaded team.
2024 Record 9-4
2024 Rankings Final 22, Preseason 14
Top Transfer: Patrick Payton, EDGE from Florida State
Top Transfer Lost: CJ Daniels, WR to Miami
Season Opener: at Clemson
3 Texas
The offense loses a ton of starters, but no one’s worrying about the QB situation. It’s Arch Manning time, the D will be a killer, and the hype all summer will be off the charts.
2024 Record 13-3
2024 Rankings Final 6, Preseason 3
Top Transfer: Cole Brevard, DT from Purdue
Top Transfer Lost: Amari Niblack, TE to Texas A&M
Season Opener: at Ohio State
2 Alabama
Bama might be underrated (even here at the 2). It’s loaded with experience, but it has to figure out one of the most interesting QB battles in the country. No matter what, the offense will crank it up.
2024 Record 9-4
2024 Rankings Final 16, Preseason 4
Top Transfer: Nikhai Hill-Green, LB from Colorado
Top Transfer Lost: Elijah Pritchett, OT to Nebraska
Season Opener: at Florida State
1 Georgia
Did it seem like Georgia lacked a consistent explosion? Welcome in WRs Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), but there’s some massive reloading to do on the lines.
2024 Record 11-3
2024 Rankings Final 5, Preseason 2
Top Transfer: Zachariah Branch, WR from USC
Top Transfer Lost: Carson Beck, QB to Miami
Season Opener: Marshall
