Welcome to our SEC Power Rankings for the 2025 preseason. These rankings are not based on projections, but they aren’t solely based on how last year ended either. To start the year, we’re combining how last year finished for them on paper with how many key players they have back. Expect this to change in the near future.
16. Mississippi State
I personally think the Bulldogs will be significantly better this year than last year. Jeff Lebby is a great coach and has his guys in place. However, they still went 2-10 last year and only return 11 starters. The level of unknown makes it impossible to start them higher.
15. Kentucky
Mark Stoops and the Wildcats appear unable to cash in on a weak East and favorable interdivisional opponents now to get to a bowl. They were the second worst team in the league last year at 4-8, and while only returning seven starters is probably good news, like MSU, that’s a level of unknown that we can’t ignore.
14. Oklahoma
Brent Venables is on the hot seat, and the Sooners’ way of making a splash is adding the Washington State Cougars quarterback and offensive coordinator. Nothing about their resume suggests it will work well under Venables, though, if Jackson Arnold didn’t work out, so last year’s 6-7 did little to move up.
13. Arkansas
Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks only made a bowl game last year because they upset the Vols, but returning eight starters to a 7-6 team, even if one of those starters is Taylen Green, wasn’t enough to move them too far up our SEC Power Rankings. They remain near the bottom for now.
12. Vanderbilt
We gave the Commodores a slight bump after going 7-6 last year and tying with the Hogs for 12th in the league. Vandy gets the nod in the sole spot to start this year because they have 13 returning starters, most notably quarterback Diego Pavia, which gived Clark Lea’s team a huge edge.
11. Auburn
Although there’s reason to believe the Tigers will be better under Hugh Freeze this year with Jackson Arnold after going 5-7 last year, the fact of the matter is that’s an unknown. Like MSU, only half their starters are back. So why are they up here? Well, there’s a lot of starting experience among their returners.
10. Texas A&M
In terms of just returning starters, the Aggies have a case to be higher, but again, these are power rankings, and in his first season, Mike Elko’s team was a mediocre 8-5. They should be much better this year, but they will have to go prove it on the field.
9. Missouri
Eli Drinkwitz and Mizzou have to replace Brady Cook and a host of other starters, which is what pushes them to ninth in our SEC Power Rankings to start off the season despite being the seventh best team, based on record and rankings, in the league last year. Also, they always look better on paper than they are.
8. Alabama
Another projection vs. power ranking for now, the Crimson Tide should actually be much better under Kalen DeBoer with Ty Simpson at quarterback, and they do have a lot of starters back. The fact is, though, they lost two of their final three games and lost their quarterback, so they have to be down here for now.
7. Ole Miss
Given the vast array of starters lost, there’s a strong case for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels to be outside of the top 10, but they finished 10-3 while Alabama finished 9-4, and they blew out the Duke Blue Devils to finish their season. Don’t forget they beat the Georgia Bulldogs in November too. As a result, they get the slight edge.
6. Tennessee
Despite being the third best team in the league at the end of last year, the Tennessee Volunteers lost nine starters on offense, including quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and their last outing was a 42-17 blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. That pushes them down here.
5. LSU
Brian Kelly and the Tigers were wildly disappointing last year, again, but they actually finished strong, winning their final three games. Having looked a lot better in those outings, it was enough for us to bump them up to one of the better teams to start the season in our SEC Power Rankings.
4. Florida
Nobody had a stronger finish in the league than the Gators. They were 4-5 and then beat LSU, Ole Miss, the Florida State Seminoles and, in a bowl game, the Tulane Green Wave where D.J. Lagway balled out. Although he’s overrated, Lagway is back, and Florida’s strong finish warrants starting here for now.
3. Texas
Most people would have the Longhorns at the top of this list. However, they lost their quarterback, and they had no great wins last year. Their best one was thanks to poor officiating against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the CFP. Even if Arch Manning is a star, it’s not enough to overlook that just yet.
2. South Carolina
Sure, they lost their bowl game to the Illinois Fighting Illini, but that doesn’t outweigh how the Gamecocks finished the season, winning six straight, including upsetting Texas A&M, Missouri and the Clemson Tigers on the road. They’ve got the best player in the league back in LaNorris Sellers, so they should start here.
1. Georgia
Carson Beck is gone, and Gunner Stockten doesn’t look as good, but he did lead the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship win over Texas last year, the second time they beat Steve Sarkisian’s team that season. The Dawgs are also loaded with talent, so they should start the year atop our SEC Power Rankings.
