The 2025 SEC football offseason saw a lot of portal activity, including tug-of-wars for recruiting talent, coaching adjustments, and veterans changing teams, setting the stage for a season of unprecedented uniformity among the teams.
With Texas and Georgia as the clear frontrunners, the rest of the SEC is a tightly packed field. Teams like LSU, Oklahoma, and Florida made significant strides, while others faced setbacks. Below, we rank the top five SEC teams based on their offseason productivity, evaluating key additions, departures, recruits, and overall trajectory.
Which SEC Teams Had the Most Productive Offseason?
1) Oklahoma Sooners
Main Additions: QB John Mateer (Washington State), RB Jaydn Ott (Cal), LB Kendal Daniels (Oklahoma State)
Main Departures: LB Danny Stutsman, S Billy Bowman Jr., WR Nic Anderson
Top Incoming Recruits: OT Michael Fasusi, DE C.J. Nickson, WR Elijah Thomas
Biggest Coaching Move: Hiring Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator, bringing Mateer from Washington State
After a dismal 6-7 SEC debut in 2024, Oklahoma went through a transformative offseason. Mateer, with 3,319 passing yards and 44 total touchdowns, is a dual-threat upgrade at quarterback, addressing the Sooners’ 97th-ranked scoring offense.
Ott, a 1,305-yard rusher in 2023, and new receivers like JaVonnie Gibson and Isaiah Sategna further strengthened the attack.
Defensively, Kendal Daniels and Marvin Jones Jr. add more athleticism to the team, while Michael Fasusi anchors a top-10 recruiting class. Sooners’ aggressive portal strategy (18 additions) and high-upside recruits position them for a potential leap, though defensive losses and schedule challenges may create some hurdles.
2) LSU Tigers
Main Additions: WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), WR Barion Brown (Kentucky), DB Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech)
Main Departures: OL Will Campbell, TE Mason Taylor, DE Bradyn Swinson
Top Incoming Recruits: OT Solomon Thomas, CB D.J. Pickett, RB Harlem Berry
Biggest Coaching Move: Kyle Williams replaces Bo Davis as defensive line coach; Alex Atkins joins as tight ends coach/run game coordinator
LSU’s offseason was a masterclass in portal success, landing the SEC’s top transfer class. Nic Anderson and Barion Brown give returning QB Garrett Nussmeier elite targets, while Braelin Moore and Josh Thompson fortify the offensive line. Defensively, five transfer D-linemen and four DBs, including Delane, strengthen Blake Baker’s unit.
Five-star CB D.J. Pickett could start immediately. Minimal portal losses and Nussmeier’s return almost eliminate all continuity concerns for the Tigers. However, losing No. 1 recruit Bryce Underwood to Michigan may bite them back.
3) Florida Gators
Main Additions: WR J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA), CB Michael Caraway Jr. (New Mexico), DT Brendan Bett (Washington)
Main Departures: WR Chimere Dike, DT Cam Jackson, CB Jason Marshall Jr.
Top Incoming Recruits: WR Vernell Brown III, WR Dallas Wilson, ILB Ty Jackson
Biggest Coaching Move: Vinnie Sunseri replaces Austin Armstrong as co-defensive coordinator; Deron Wilson joins as DB coach
Florida’s quiet offseason preserved the young core that fueled a late 2024 surge (four straight wins, including LSU and Ole Miss). QB DJ Lagway and RB Jadan Baugh return, with Sturdivant and ESPN 300 freshmen Brown and Dallas Wilson offsetting receiver losses.
The No. 10 recruiting class, capped by J’Vari Flowers, adds more depth to the team. Minimal portal activity (19 departures, five additions) shows how much confidence the staff has in the team, with Caraway and Bett plugging defensive holes.
4) Auburn Tigers
Key Additions: WR Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech), QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), OL Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech)
Key Departures: RB Jarquez Hunter, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, LB Jalen McLeod
Top Incoming Recruits: CB Blake Woodby, DE Jared Smith, QB Deuce Knight
Biggest Coaching Move: Hugh Freeze retained coordinators but added Chad Lunsford (special teams) and Roc Bellantoni (OLBs)
Auburn’s portal included Arnold and Deuce Knight revitalizing the QB room after a 19.1 PPG SEC average. Singleton and Horatio Fields join Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons for a versatile receiving lineup.
Chaplin strengthens the O-line while nine new defensive transfers add more depth. The starter losses for the team were also very minimal (only Lewis and Wooden from the portal).
5) Texas Longhorns
Key Additions: DT Maraad Watson (Auburn), TE Jack Endries (Cal), WR Emmett Mosley V (Stanford)
Key Departures: OT Kelvin Banks Jr., CB Jahdae Barron, WR Matthew Golden
Top Incoming Recruits: DT Justus Terry, S Jonah Williams, WR Jaime Ffrench
Biggest Coaching Move: Duane Akina replaces Blake Gideon as safeties coach, maintaining defensive staff continuity.
Texas secured the No. 1 recruiting class, landing 17 ESPN 300 prospects, including Justus Terry. Minimal portal losses and 12 NFL draft picks also raise confidence in the roster. Endries and Mosley V address offensive needs, while five D-linemen, including Watson, strengthen the front.
Kicker Mason Shipley and punter Jack Bouwmeester improve the special teams. Arch Manning’s transition to starter is seamless, with coordinator continuity under Pete Kwiatkowski and Kyle Flood. However, significant line losses and a less aggressive portal approach rank them below the teams. Nevertheless, they are still a title contender but face reload challenges.
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The SEC’s 2025 offseason underscores its depth, with 12 teams in ESPN’s top 25 newcomer classes. Oklahoma and LSU lead with transformative portal hauls, but Florida’s stability, Auburn’s QB reset, and Texas’s recruiting dominance show multiple paths to contention, giving clear signs of uniformity or parity among the teams.
Losses like Tennessee’s 21 portal departures and Vanderbilt’s minimal portal activity create vulnerabilities in these strong programs, while teams like Ole Miss and Missouri reload effectively. The transfer portal’s impact, with 35% of SEC players moving since 2024, levels the playing field, as does the expanded 12-team playoff.
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