Phil Steele releases Preseason All-SEC Teams ahead of 2025 season

Every fall, college football fans across the country tune into SEC games to watch some of the brightest stars in the sport compete. This year will be no exception. In Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football Preview Magazine, Steele revealed his preseason All-SEC teams.

Steele had plenty of fresh faces to consider. The SEC received an influx of elite talent via the transfer portal this offseason. Moreover, the SEC had a record-high 79 players selected in the NFL Draft this summer.

Of course, there are still several veteran standouts returning to the SEC ranks this fall. However, many fans will be unfamiliar with some of the top SEC talent in the 2025 campaign. Let’s get to know the players, and examine who Steele believes will steal the spotlight in the upcoming season.

Quarterback

First-Team QB: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Second-Team QB: Arch Manning, Texas
Third-Team QB: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Fourth-Team QB: John Mateer, Oklahoma

After spending three seasons as a backup, Garrett Nussmeier was finally LSU’s full-time starting quarterback last season. He didn’t allow the opportunity to go to waste, completing 64.2% of his pass attempts for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns compared to just 12 interceptions.

Alas, Nussmeier was rarely a threat with his legs. Including sacks, the 6-foot-2 standout finished the season with negative rushing yards. Evidently, Steele expects Nussmeier to mend this issue in 2025, and further build upon his already-strong passing game.

Running Back

First Team RB: Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma; Quintrevion Wisner, Texas

Second-Team RB: Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M; Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Third-Team RB: Nate Frazier, Georgia; Caden Durham, LSU
Fourth-Team RB: Davon Booth, Mississippi St; Jamarion Miller, Alabama

Tre Wisner burst onto the scene last season after Texas’ CJ Baxter suffered an injury in the preseason and Jaydon Blue struggled with ball security issues. Wisner was pivotal in Texas run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, finishing the year with 1,064 rushing yards and five TDs.

Ott didn’t put up nearly as spectacular of statistics last season due to an ankle injury, but he’s more than capable of giving opposing defenses headaches. In 2023 at California, Ott notched 1,305 rushing yards and 12 TDs.

Wide Receiver

First-Team WR: Ryan Williams, Alabama; Cam Coleman, Auburn; Aaron Anderson, LSU

Second-Team WR: Eric Singleton, Auburn; Kevin Coleman, Missouri; Ryan Wingo, Texas
Third-Team WR: Cayden Lee, Ole Miss; Eugene Wilson, Florida; Germie Bernard, Alabama
Fourth-Team WR: Deion Burks, Oklahoma; KC Concepcion, Texas A&M; Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Ryan Williams and Cam Coleman each put the nation on notice last season, with their respective debut collegiate campaigns. Williams finished the year with 865 receiving yards and eight scores, while Coleman trailed closely behind with 598 receiving yards and eight TDs.

LSU’s Aaron Anderson was equally prolific. Anderson was Nussmeier’s go-to target, tallying a team-high 61 catches for 884 receiving yards and five scores last season. Now that Anderson has a year of experience with Nussmeier, he’ll look to improve his numbers even further this fall.

Tight End

First-Team TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

Second-Team TE: Jack Endries, Texas
Third-Team TE: Dae’Quan Wright, Ole Miss
Fourth-Team TE: Miles Kitselman, Tennessee

Eli Stowers could’ve taken his talents to the NFL this offseason. Instead, he opted to return to Vanderbilt, with hopes of continuing to build on the momentum the Commodores established last season.

If Stowers is as excellent as he was last season, Vanderbilt could very well accomplish this feat. Stowers reeled in 49 catches for 635 yards and five TDs last season. For his efforts, he was named an All-SEC First-Team selection. Evidently, Phil Steele expects the 6-foot-4 standout to repeat history this fall.

Center

First-Team C: Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Second-Team C: Jake Slaughter, Florida
Third-Team C: Connor Lew, Auburn
Fourth-Team C: Connor Tollison, Missouri

Parker Brailsford followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Alabama last offseason, and made an immediate impact for the Crimson Tide. Brailsford started in all 13 of Alabama’s games last season.

In total, he registered 777 snaps, recorded 63 knockdown blocks and allowed just half a sack on the year. For his efforts, Brailsford was named a FWAA Second-Team All-American.

Offensive Line

First-Team OL: Fernando Carmona, Arkansas; Cayden Green, Missouri; Kadyn Proctor, Alabama; Trey Zuhn, Texas A&M

Second-Team OL: Jaeden Roberts, Alabama; Chase Bisontis, Austin Barber, Florida; Xavier Chaplin, Auburn
Third-Team OL: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M; Joshua Braun, Kentucky; Corey Robinson, Arkansas; Alex Wollschlaeger, Kentucky
Fourth-Team OL: DJ Campbell, Texas; Jeremiah Wright, Auburn; Lance Heard, Tennessee; Earnest Greene, Georgia

Steele favored experience over all else for his All-SEC offensive linemen selections. Fernando Carmona, Cayden Green, Kadyn Proctor and Trey Zuhn each started in every game for their respective teams last season.

Proctor (second-team) and Zuhn (third-team) are the only two players from the four selections who received All-SEC honors last season. Alas, each of Steele’s choices will be cornerstones for their offensive fronts in the upcoming season.

Defensive Line

First-Team DL: Colin Simmons, Texas; Christen Miller, Georgia; Caleb Banks, Florida; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

Second-Team DL: R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma; Tim Keenan, Alabama; Cameron Ball, Arkansas; Trey Moore, Texas
Third-Team DL: Tyreak Sapp, Florida; Bryson Eason, Tennessee; Albert Regis, Texas A&M; Keldrick Faulk, Auburn
Fourth-Team DL: Joshua Josephs, Tennessee; Chris McClellan, Missouri; Gracen Halton, Oklahoma; Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Offensive lines in the SEC will be put to the test in the upcoming season. The conference is loaded with defensive line talent, starting with South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, who amassed 23 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a freshman last season.

The other three picks for the defensive line were also dominant. Colin Simmons collected nine sacks while Caleb Banks secured 4.5. Christen Miller only recorded one sack last season, but he racked up 27 total tackles and a pass deflection.

Linebacker

First-Team LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas; Deontae Lawson, Alabama; Whit Weeks, LSU; CJ Allen, Georgia

Second-Team LB: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; Kip Lewis, Oklahoma; Bryan Longwell, Vanderbilt; Harold Perkins, LSU
Third-Team LB: Taurean York, Texas A&M; Arion Carter, Tennnessee; Triston Newsom, Missouri; Josiah Trotter; Missouri
Fourth-Team LB: Xavian Sorey, Arkansas; Alex Afari, Kentucky; Raylen Wilson, Georgia; TJ Dottery, Ole Miss

Whit Weeks is an early frontrunner to win the 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award, and it’s easy to see why. Weeks was a First-Team All-SEC honoree last season, recording 125 total tackles, the second-most in the SEC.

Nonetheless, the other linebackers on Steele’s list won’t be easy to outshine. Anthony Hill Jr. trailed closely behind Weeks last year, with 113 tackles of his own. Meanwhile, Deontae Lawson and CJ Allen each recorded an interception last season and regularly influenced opponents’ passing schemes.

Cornerback

First-Team CB: Daylen Everette, Georgia; Will Lee, Texas A&M

Second-Team CB: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Third-Team CB: Domani Jackson, Alabama; Malik Muhammad, Texas
Fourth-Team CB: Kayin Lee, Auburn; Eli Bowen, Oklahoma

Daylen Everette and Will Lee each earned All-SEC honors last season after terrorizing opposing wideouts. Everette racked up 58 tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions last season.

Meanwhile, Lee notched 42 tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Teams won’t want to throw anywhere near these two talented cornerbacks in the upcoming season.

Safety

First-Team S: Michael Taaffee, Texas; KJ Bolden, Georgia

Second-Team S: Isaac Smith, Mississippi State; Jalen Catalon, Missouri
Third-Team S: Daylan Carnwell, Missouri; AJ Haulcy, LSU
Fourth-Team S: Randon Fontenette, Vanderbilt; Keon Sabb, Alabama

Speaking of talented players in the secondary, KJ Bolden looked like a pro at times last season despite being a freshman. Now, with a year under his belt, Bolden has the potential to pick up where Georgia star safety Malaki Starks left off.

Bolden isn’t the only one with big shoes to fill. With Andrew Mukuba gone to the NFL, the pressure will be on Michael Taaffee to lead the Longhorns’ secondary in the upcoming season. He certainly looked capable last year, tallying two interceptions, two sacks and 10 passes defended.

Specialists

First-Team Specialists: K Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss; P Brett Thorson, Georgia; KR Barion Brown, LSU; PR Kam Shanks, Arkansas; LS Rocco Underwood, Florida

Second-Team Specialists: K Peyton Woodring, Georgia; P Aidan Laros, Kentucky; KR Rayshawn Pleasant, Auburn; PR Martel Hight, Vanderbilt; LS Beau Gardner, Georgia
Third-Team Specialists: K Trey Smack, Florida; P Devin Bale, Arkansas; KR Zavion Thomas, LSU; PR Zachariah Branch, Georgia; LS Ben Anderson, Oklahoma
Fourth-Team Specialists: K Brock Taylor, Vanderbilt; P Tyler White, Texas A&M; KR Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt, PR Boo Carter, Tennessee; LS Jacob Graham, Texas A&M

Fans shouldn’t forget about special teams. After all, some of the best games in college football history have ended with a game-winning field goal or unforgettable kick return. Players like Ole Miss kicker Lucas Cameiro will look to add their own chapters to college football history this year.

However, he should be careful to miss. With players like Barion Brown and Kam Shanks on the field, kickers are in constant danger of going from heroes to zeroes. And, it’s worth noting that none of it would be possible without reliable long-snappers like Florida’s Rocco Underwood.