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Ranking the Top 10 Players in the SEC in 2025

February 24, 2025 | 3:00 PM EST

Take a look at our list of the top 10 players in the SEC.

1 of 10

DJ Lagway played more football than Billy Napier and the Florida Gators initially intended last fall, but all that did was raise expectations and excitement for what comes this fall. There were some ups and downs and inconsistencies from the young passer in 2024, but the upside is undeniable. No quarterback returning to college football in 2025 threw for more yards per attempt last year than Lagway (10.0), who has an incredible receiving room to work with.

It’s easy to put Arch Manning’s positioning on this list of the top returning college football players for 2025 down to the legacy of his surname, but there’s much more to it than that. There’s a reason why Texas fans were clamoring for him to take the reins of the Longhorns offense at several points during last season.

A CSN Second Team All-American in 2024, Anthony Hill Jr. enters the 2025 college football season as one of the top linebackers in the country. He’s been a high-level contributor for the Texas Longhorns since making his debut as a true freshman and enters his junior campaign on the back of a season where he led the SEC in tackles for loss (17) and forced fumbles. A force coming downhill, he also impacts the passing game both with pressure and coverage capability.

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks running back Ahmad Hardy (22) breaks a tackle attempt from Auburn Tigers defensive back Kayin Lee (4) as Auburn Tigers take on Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Auburn Tigers lead Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 24-0 at halftime.
Ahmad Hardy led all freshmen running backs with 1,351 rushing yards for the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks last fall, and he returns to college football in 2025 with the Missouri Tigers, looking to prove himself at the SEC level. He’s one of the most elusive players you’ll see this coming season while having the strength to stiff-arm the best defensive players attempting to stop him. He’s easily one of the top running backs in the country, and his impact is being felt in recruiting for the team he departs.

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) throws the ball against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
LaNorris Sellers is one of the most exciting players at any position that you’ll see in college football this season. He could comfortably end up as the best quarterback in the country by the year is out. He’s a dangerous dual threat with the physical tools to dominate for the Gamecocks this fall. If he plays more consistently, the most productive season of his career should lead to team success and individual accolades.

Expectations heading into the 2024 college football season centered around the LSU Tigers having one of the best linebackers in the country. While that ultimately came to pass, Whit Weeks and not Harold Perkins Jr. asserted themselves as the very best at the position as the season unfurled. The true junior returns to Baton Rouge among the very best of the top 100 college football players for 2025. Weeks’ season ended in tragedy with a dislocated ankle suffered in the Texas Bowl win over the Baylor Bears. Yet that shouldn’t overshadow a sensational sophomore campaign. He led the SEC with 61 solo tackles, tallied 10 tackles for loss with 3.5 sacks, snagged an interception, and forced two fumbles. His injury also shouldn’t prevent him from becoming the best linebacker in the country, fueled by his hair-on-fire energy.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) drops a pass guarded by Auburn Tigers defensive back Jay Crawford (23) as Auburn Tigers take on Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Alabama Crimson Tide leads Auburn Tigers 14-6 at halftime.
Did you know that Ryan Williams was 17 last season?! It became a standing joke (and I’m fairly sure a challenge among commentary teams) to discuss the Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver’s young age last season. Still, the fact that he produced one of the most mesmerizing freshman-receiving campaigns in program history at such a tender age was truly impressive.

There were times in 2024 when Colin Simmons looked like a seasoned veteran pass rusher, showcasing incredible power you’d expect to see from a junior with multiple years in a college football weight room. Furthermore, he demonstrated the maturity of an older player by playing his best football when the lights were brightest, fueling the Texas Longhorns’ progress to the College Football Playoff semifinal. Simmons finished the year with the fifth-most sacks in the SEC (9) and tied for third in the conference with 14 tackles for loss. Texas has been a high-level producer of defensive line talent in recent years, and the former five-star high school prospect might end up being the very best they’ve ever had.

The CSN Defensive Freshman of the Year, Dylan Stewart, put together one of the most dominant performances off the edge by a freshman that we’ve seen in recent history. While some consider Texas’ Simmons as the standout pass rusher heading into the 2025 campaign, the South Carolina Gamecocks standout had six more quarterback pressures than the illustrious Longhorn last season. Stewart finished top 20 in the SEC with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as South Carolina wheeled out a phenomenal one-two punch off the edge. With teammate Kyle Kennard headed to the NFL, it’s the talented young Gamecocks' time to lead the defense of a team that could be one of the best in the country in the upcoming season.

Article written by Will Helms

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