ESPN releases updated SEC Football power rankings ahead of 2025 season

The 2025 college football season is less than a month away, just four weeks from a loaded Week 1 slate of games on Aug. 30, highlighted by a much-anticipated Top 5 season-opener between Ohio State and early SEC favorite Texas. But in the meantime, Ranking Season remains in full swing with Monday’s release of the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll and next week’s return of the Associated Press Top 25 Preseason Poll.

Along those lines, ESPN has been previewing what college football fans can come to expect from the Power Four conferences, including a detailed SEC preview released Wednesday. In that preview, ESPN experts Chris Low and Mark Schlabach provided an SEC-specific College Football Playoff outlook, must-see games from Bill Connelly, and named several newcomers — freshmen and transfers — to be on the lookout in the upcoming 2025 season.

ESPN also unveiled its preseason SEC Power Rankings, leading off with Coaches Poll preseason No. 1 Texas, which could earn consensus status with the AP poll released next Monday. In the meantime, check out how the ESPN experts ranked SEC teams ahead of its second season as a 16-team league.

1. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have a new sheriff in town with the last name “Manning” as 2023 No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning takes the reins of the Texas offense in his third year on campus. The ‘Horns also return arguably college football’s best linebacker tandem in senior Anthony Hill and sophomore Colin Simmons. Loaded with talent, Texas could very well be the consensus preseason No. 1 when the AP releases its poll Monday.

ESPN: “Steve Sarkisian loves his roster, and he has plenty of reason to be excited with Manning, receivers DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Wingo, and tailbacks Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter returning. The Longhorns will have to replace four starting offensive linemen and fill some holes on the defensive front.”

2. Georgia Bulldogs

The defending SEC champion Bulldogs underwent a minor roster overhaul, dipping into the Transfer Portal to land reliable WRs in Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas. After two-year starter Carson Beck left for Miami, Georgia turns its offense over to veteran backup QB Gunner Stockton, who made his first career start in the Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame. Defensively, the ‘Dawgs are still loaded top to bottom.

ESPN: “Stockton got a taste of being the starting quarterback in the second half of last season’s SEC championship game and a CFP quarterfinal and did an admirable job. If Georgia’s offensive line plays better and his receivers are more dependable, Stockton should be fine running the offense.”

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Kalen DeBoer enters Year 2 in Tuscaloosa with renewed hope after experiencing Alabama’s first sub-10-win campaign since 2007 — Nick Saban‘s first season. The Tide have the game’s most talented defense after returning multiple veteran starters from last year’s squad, including senior LB Deontae Lawson. But everything rests on Alabama’s next QB1, be it Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, or star freshman Keelon Russell.

ESPN: “DeBoer’s first season didn’t go as planned, but replacing Nick Saban at Alabama would have been a nightmare for any coach. DeBoer’s track record of success is too good for the Crimson Tide not to bounce back in Year 2.”

4. LSU Tigers

Will the Tigers finally break through in Year 4 under Brian Kelly? The LSU fan base is running out of patience. But with senior QB Garrett Nussmeier back, as well as LBs Harold Perkins and Whit Weeks, the Tigers might just have the type of championship roster Kelly has been building toward. Running the ball and protecting Nussmeier remain serious question marks after overhauling LSU’s offensive line.

ESPN: “The Tigers are probably going to score a lot of points, and if Brian Kelly can figure out how to turn around his defense, they might be a legitimate SEC title and CFP contender.”

5. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies made a run at the Playoffs last season but effectively fell apart down the stretch, mostly due to an A&M defense that couldn’t slow down a turtle. Of course, defense is Mike Elko‘s bread and butter, so if the second-year former DC can get things right, and sophomore QB Marcel Reed continues his growth as a passer, the Aggies have the talent to surprise folks once again in Year 2 under Elko.

ESPN: “The Aggies went 8-5 in Mike Elko’s first season after starting 7-1, and if the longtime defensive coordinator can figure out how to improve a unit that allowed 5.5 yards per play in 2024, they might be a CFP dark horse.”

6. Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels must replace the program’s all-time leading passer after multi-year QB1 Jaxson Dart moved on to the NFL this offseason. Ole Miss now turns to multi-sport star Austin Simmons, who takes over for Dart after serving as his backup the past two years. While the Rebels’ defense has holes to fill defensively, Lane Kiffin once again turned to the transfer portal with multiple key additions on that side of the ball.

ESPN: “Lane Kiffin loves to score points, but the Rebels were in the CFP hunt in 2024 because of their defense, which ranked No. 2 in the FBS in scoring defense (14.4 points), behind only national champion Ohio State. If Austin Simmons takes care of the ball, the Rebels might be better than anticipated.”

7. Tennessee Volunteers

No one in the SEC faced a more tumultuous offseason than the Vols, which lost starting QB1 Nico Iamaleava to UCLA by way of the transfer portal after a failed NIL renegotiation. In comes former Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar as Iamaleava’s replacement. Tennessee must also replace several key defenders from last year’s unit, creating plenty of uncertainty a year after making the Playoffs.

ESPN: “The defense should again be very good and keep the Vols in games, but they’re going to need more explosive plays on offense if they’re going to make the playoff again.”

8. Oklahoma Sooners

Sooners coach Brent Venables overhauled his roster and coaching staff after a disappointing first season in the SEC, adding new OC Ben Arbuckle and QB John Mateer from Washington State this offseason. Mateer is already drawing rave reviews and is garnering preseason Heisman Trophy hype. But if the Sooners are going to turn things around in Year 4 under Venables, they’ll need more than a new QB.

ESPN: “Mateer was a massive get in the transfer portal for the Sooners, who simply couldn’t score a year ago. They were held to 20 or fewer points in seven of their 13 games. Oklahoma addressed several other needs on offense in the portal, and Venables is taking over the play-calling duties on defense.”

9. Florida Gators

Billy Napier‘s tenuous job status in Gainesville received renewed life last year due to a late-season turnaround effort orchestrated by then-freshman QB DJ Lagway. After sitting out the offseason recovering from various injuries, Lagway is healthy again and primed to help Florida take the next step as a program. Of course, the Gators must show significant improvement defensively to give Lagway a chance.

ESPN: “The two lingering questions with the Gators, who came back from the dead a year ago, are whether or not ultra-talented quarterback DJ Lagway can stay healthy for the season and how they navigate a killer schedule again.”

10. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina surged late last season, winning their final six regular-season games to get into the Playoff race before the CFP committee left 3-loss Gamecocks out of the mix. Talented QB LaNorris Sellers is back after a breakout 2024 season, but South Carolina lost plenty of production around him, especially on defense. Shane Beamer may need another coaching masterclass to build upon last year’s success.

ESPN: “The Gamecocks might have a bona fide star in Sellers, but they’re having to replace many of the key pieces around him, as well as several difference-makers on defense.”

11. Missouri Tigers

Like others on this list, Mizzou is turning its offense over to a new quarterback in 2025, with former Penn State transfer Beau Pribula the favorite to take over QB1 duties this season. If Pribula can live up to the hype and run Eli Drinkwitz‘s offense effectively, the Tigers could once again challenge for a SEC Championship bid, if not make a Playoff push of its own.

ESPN: “If the Tigers were more proven at quarterback, they’d probably be ranked a lot higher. Even so, don’t be surprised if Drinkwitz’s club makes a serious run at double-digit wins for the third straight season, which has never happened in school history.”

12. Auburn Tigers

The Hugh Freeze era on The Plains hasn’t gotten off to the start most Auburn fans hoped for, especially when it comes to the quarterback position. But Freeze might have solved that issue with former Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, who brings quality experience to a talented Tigers offense. The Auburn defense also has several key playmakers that could spark a bounce-back effort in 2025.

ESPN: “So much will depend on quarterback Jackson Arnold, who’s getting a reset after transferring from Oklahoma. He has a deep and talented receiving corps, and edge rusher Keldric Faulk leads a defense that needs to be better at getting off the field in key situations.”

13. Arkansas Razorbacks

Sam Pittman continues to hold off the buzzards and enters Year 6 in Fayetteville despite only eclipsing the 8-win plataeu once in 2021. The Razorbacks will have another season with talented QB Taylen Green in the second year within Bobby Petrino‘s explosive offense that ranked second in the SEC last season. If Arkansas shows improvement on defense, the Hogs might be able to keep Pittman around even longer.

ESPN: “Returning quarterback Taylen Green is dynamic as both a passer and runner and should be even better in his second season under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.”

14. Vanderbilt Commodores

Led by star QB Diego Pavia, who returns for his sixth collegiate season after beating the NCAA in court, the Commodores produced their first 7-win campaign since 2012-13 when then-coach James Franklin went 9-4 in back-to-back seasons. Last season included a sensational 40-35 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama. Pavia has championship aspirations in 2025, though he’ll need more help defensively to accomplish his goals.

ESPN: “Quality depth has always been a problem for Vanderbilt. What’s not a problem is its quarterback. Diego Pavia returns after a terrific debut season on West End. His teammates feed off his energy and toughness.”

15. Kentucky Wildcats

The Wildcats took a significant step back as a program last season, managing just a single win while going 1-7 in SEC play in 2024. If longtime coach Mark Stoops expects to stick around beyond Year 13 in Lexington, it might require a return to bowl eligibility after Kentucky failed to make a bowl for the first time since 2015 last season. But it won’t be easy.

ESPN: “The Wildcats need to regain their tough, blue-collar approach and get consistent play from transfer quarterback Zach Calzada (on his fourth different team) if they’re going to bounce back in 2025.”

16. Mississippi State Bulldogs

The first year of the Jeff Lebby era in Starkville didn’t turn out well by any account, including going winless in SEC play for the first time since 2002 in the second-to-last season under Bulldogs coaching legend Jackie Sherrill. Mississippi State gets another go-round with former Baylor transfer QB Blake Shapen, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 last season.

ESPN: “The home schedule for the Bulldogs is one of the toughest in the country. Four playoff teams from a year ago — Arizona State, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia — visit Starkville.”