As another year of top-tier action in the Southeastern Conference approaches, which teams are set to shine, soar, or slide towards mediocrity? Our 2025 SEC Power Rankings break down the 16 teams set to compete for glory in one of college football’s top conferences.
16) Mississippi State Bulldogs
After going 2-10 and winless in the SEC last fall, the Mississippi State Bulldogs enter the 2025 season staring up from the basement of the SEC power rankings. Following an offseason that posed more questions than answers regarding a Year 2 leap under Jeff Lebby, there is little optimism about a turnaround coming soon in Starkville.
After missing most of last season, quarterback Blake Shapen returns to the program, offering some familiarity even if most Bulldogs fans would have preferred not to let promising young passer Michael Van Buren Jr. out the door. Mississippi State’s schedule features seven preseason-ranked teams, including four that played in the College Football Playoff in 2024. Brutal.
15) Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats recorded their worst record since 2013 and the second-worst of the Mark Stoops era last fall. That ended a run of eight consecutive bowl game appearances, a program record. In some ways, Stoops became a victim of his own success, with an elevated sense of expectation for a football program that has historically played second fiddle to basketball.
The offseason saw an influx of highly regarded Group of Five offensive linemen (notably Alex Wollschlaeger and Shiyazh Pete) and former Oregon and Nebraska rusher Dante Dowdell. But the biggest roll of the dice will be gambling on Zach Calzada being able to replicate his FCS form on his return to the SEC.
An early test against Ole Miss might provide the answer sooner rather than later, while consecutive road games at South Carolina and Georgia are potential will-breakers as September turns to October.
14) Arkansas Razorbacks
Sam Pittman set such a high standard in his second season with the Arkansas Razorbacks that everything that has come after has been seen almost as a disappointment. Arkansas hasn’t been ranked since late September 2022, and it would be a surprise to see the program break that streak this fall.
There’s talent on the team for sure, but there are also some serious pitfalls to navigate in the 2025 season. Taylen Green will give the Razorbacks a fighting chance in any game when healthy. Arkansas got him a catch-everything deep threat to weaponize his skill set in O’Mega Blake, and the return of Fernando Carmona is important.
Yet, navigating a schedule featuring road trips to Ole Miss, Texas, LSU, and Tennessee could see a slump back below .500 this year.
13) Vanderbilt Commodores
2024 was something of a dream for the Vanderbilt Commodores, a college football fairytale that enraptured the nation and transported the Nashville-based program back over a decade to a time when James Franklin made being a top-25 team a reality not seen since the 1950s.
Franklin had the ‘Dores ranked in successive seasons. Can Clark Lea do the same with a repeat performance in 2025?
Pavia winning his eligibility waiver was easily the biggest offseason event that helped steer the team toward that potential eventuality. They also added some key parts on both sides of the ball while retaining playmakers like Sedrick Alexander to help the cause.
Still, the Commodores’ schedule features five potential top 10 teams, three of which they’ll play on the road. Vanderbilt beating Alabama in consecutive seasons would be unthinkable, wouldn’t it?
12) Auburn Tigers
After ranking 71st in the country with 27.8 ppg last fall, head coach Freeze made upgrading the Auburn Tigers’ offense a key point of business this offseason.
Former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold gets a fresh start on the Plains, and despite some struggles in Norman, he’s a clear upgrade on what the program had under center in 2024.
Cam Coleman had a standout freshman season and returns alongside Georgia Tech transfer Singleton to form a deadly WR duo. Freeze has always thrived as a recruiter, and a stellar defense that allowed 21.3 points per game features several homegrown talents.
The Iron Bowl and the clash with Georgia both being home games is a boost on the schedule, as is avoiding Texas.
11) Florida Gators
The Florida Gators won four games in a row to end the 2024 campaign, relieving pressure on head coach Billy Napier and taking momentum into the 2025 college football campaign.
The upcoming schedule isn’t without challenges, including seven games with teams ranked in the preseason, five of which will come away from the Swamp. At least they don’t have to travel to Austin or Knoxville.
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DJ Lagway’s second-year development will be key to any success. Florida returns the heart of its offensive line, leading running back Jadan Baugh, and boasts a trio of talented receivers. If their second-year quarterback reaches his potential, this Gators team may be tough to stop. Caleb Banks is about to become a household name as the defensive leader at the heart of a promising unit.
10) LSU Tigers
While this may seem ludicrously low for the LSU Tigers, there are some legitimate concerns facing the program this coming season. Before you even dig into the roster, Brian Kelly’s team is staring down the barrel of a schedule that features seven teams with a preseason ranking. Road games at Clemson, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma all hold potential pitfalls that could derail the season.
On the plus side, Kelly has one of the top quarterbacks in the country leading his offense. That said, Garrett Nussmeier needs to cut down on critical interceptions. He’s got a decent receiving group, but LSU lost several of its top pass catchers and both starting offensive tackles. Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr. are monster linebackers, but the secondary isn’t as scary as we’ve seen recently.
9) Missouri Tigers
Double-digit win seasons have now become the expectation for the Missouri Tigers under 2023 SEC Coach of the Year Eli Drinkwitz. A schedule that avoids Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss certainly helps toward that aspiration. Still, South Carolina and Alabama are no pushovers, and a road trip to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners is a test that the Tigers have never passed.
Drinkwitz loaded up defensively in the transfer portal, adding Jalen Catalon to an impressive secondary and Nate Johnson, Damon Wilson II, and Josiah Trotter to the front seven, ensuring another season of solid defensive play.
While Hardy was a significant get at running back, we may be about to see just how instrumental Brady Cook has been for Missouri now that he’s no longer there.
8) Oklahoma Sooners
Just two wins in the conference and a losing season culminating with an Armed Forces Bowl loss to Navy wasn’t what anyone expected from Oklahoma, and head coach Brent Venables made about as many adjustments to his coaching staff without firing himself as humanly possible. The pressure’s on entering 2025, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about the team this fall.
After fielding one of the worst offenses in the country (24.0 ppg; 97th nationally), the addition of OC Ben Arbuckle and his quarterback of last fall, John Mateer, should light an offensive fire inside the Sooners. They also added former Cal running back Ott to boost the unit. Although some pieces of a strong defense return, it remains to be seen how Oklahoma performs without the leadership presence of linebacker Danny Stutsman.
7) Texas A&M Aggies
During the Jimbo Fisher era, the Texas A&M Aggies recruited well but never seemed to extract the best out of those players, with preseason expectations often dashed by midseason. Things feel different under former Duke head coach Mike Elko, who led the team to a 7-1 record that fell away down the stretch against strong South Carolina and Texas teams (and Auburn).
Elko’s team returns multiple key players, including quarterback Marcel Reed, most of their OL starters, the top of the RB depth chart, and defensive standout Taurean York. Texas A&M also mined the transfer portal well this offseason and is well equipped to handle an SEC schedule that doesn’t feature Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, or Ole Miss.
6) Tennessee Volunteers
There’ll be a tendency to ding the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC power rankings after their offseason shenanigans at the quarterback position. Still, in all honesty, they may have emerged as the winners of the Iamaleava and Aguilar saga. The former Mountaineer arrives on Rocky Top via UCLA and has the arm talent to turn heads in the SEC this season.
Tennessee also has the offensive line and running back room set up to continue the success seen in recent years under Josh Heupel. Losing James Pearce Jr. and Omarr Norman-Lott stings for a defense that allowed just 16.1 points per game and may be the bigger concern for the Vols. Yet, the return of Jermod McCoy and Joshua Josephs should allay some of those fears.
No Texas on the schedule and Georgia at home also offer hope for a successful campaign.
5) Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin has made the Ole Miss Rebels one of the most must-see teams in college football, and his mastery of the transfer portal has no comparison. The program added impact makers on both sides of the trenches, at wide receiver, and in the secondary, this offseason, as they look to keep the pressure on at the top of the SEC while tallying a third successive double-digit win campaign — something never done before in Rebels history.
The schedule has some glaring difficulties, such as a three-game span at Georgia and Oklahoma and against South Carolina. However, this Ole Miss team is likely to ride and die on the development and talent of quarterback Austin Simmons.
Replacing Jaxson Dart won’t be easy, but the Rebels at least bolstered the RB room to shoulder the load, and Simmons has a feet-finder against Georgia State to open the campaign.
4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Kalen DeBoer enters Year 2 with the Alabama Crimson Tide, looking to exorcise the demons of a difficult first season stepping into Nick Saban’s significant shoes. The program again avoids Texas and Ole Miss on the schedule, which is a bonus, but trips to Athens and Columbia to take on Georgia and South Carolina, respectively, offer problematic potential.
Five of Alabama’s opponents are ranked in the preseason. But three months out from the season, the Crimson Tide’s biggest question mark is who will replace Jalen Milroe.
The former Alabama quarterback had his critics, but Milroe’s dual-threat athleticism will be missed. DeBoer has yet to name a starter with Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell vying for QB1 honors. At least wide receiver Ryan Williams has the talent to carry the offense this fall.
3) Georgia Bulldogs
Ruling out a Kirby Smart-led Georgia Bulldogs team is never a good idea. The program has been a bastion of consistency in recent seasons, establishing itself annually as a contender in the conference. However, the reigning SEC champions won’t have an easy run to a repeat, with Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and a road trip to Tennessee (opening SEC fixture) all on their 2025 schedule.
Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene III’s return on the offensive line is significant. The Bulldogs added dynamic wide receiver Zachariah Branch to the roster, and Nate Frazier leads the Georgia ground game.
Yet, uncertainty over Gunner Stockton’s ability to elevate the offense and a defense that lacks the usual depth of talent factor into what some might consider a lowly ranking in our SEC power rankings.
2) South Carolina Gamecocks
A program on the rise under head coach Shane Beamer, the South Carolina Gamecocks have a legitimate shot at being one of the best teams in the SEC (and the country) this fall. Although they lost secondary superstar Nick Emmanwori to the NFL, the defense is just as talented as the unit that ranked 12th in the nation, with 18.1 points per game allowed during a standout 2024 campaign.
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Jalon Kilgore led the team in interceptions last year and returns, while several transfer additions join Freshman All-American Dylan Stewart. There shouldn’t be a drop-off in defensive performance at all.
Meanwhile, LaNorris Sellers has Heisman Trophy potential leading the Gamecocks’ offense if Jared Brown and Nyck Harbor step up this fall. Avoiding Georgia and Texas on the 2025 schedule could be key to an SEC title run.
1) Texas Longhorns
All eyes are on Arch Manning, but you might be looking in the wrong direction if you want to tell the true story of what the 2025 Texas Longhorns could be.
The 2024 defense was comfortably one of the best units in the country, and a good chunk of the pivotal parts of that juggernaut return this fall. If the adage that defenses win championships has any factual merit, Texas might finally be back.
Colin Simmons was a force as a freshman and is set to be one of the top five players in college football this season. Trey Moore has the career sack record in his sight (kind of), and Anthony Hill Jr. is the do-it-all linebacker any team would want on their roster.
Michael Taaffe returns to run the secondary, giving the Longhorns a defensive spine to be envious of. Manning may need to be merely average for this team to return to the postseason tournament.
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