The 2025 college football season is in the books, and as the Transfer Portal activity winds down, everyone's attention turns to the 2026 season. As the Big Ten won their third National Championship in a row, the pressure is starting to mount for the SEC as everyone declares their run as the best conference is over.
Heading into 2026, everyone's going to be looking for the team that can break the championship drought for the SEC. Will is be Steve Sarkisian winning his first ring? Will Kalen DeBoer finally break through at Alabama? Will Kirby Smart return to the top of the sport? How quickly can Lane Kiffin rebuild LSU?
Way Too Early 2026 SEC Power Rankings
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
Sam Pittman was fired early into the season, and the Arkansas Razorbacks hired Memphis' Ryan Silverfield. The roster needed to undergo a total turnover which is going to be too much to overcome this early on for the new regime.
The Razorbaks offense will be led by either KJ Jackson or AJ Hill giving the fanbase an exciting quarterback battle to follow. The rest of the roster is going to heavily rely on some transfers remaining impactful players as they take a jump up in competition.
15. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Jeff Lebby continues to build his roster up, but with how much talent every other program can bring in, it was always going to take some time. The Bulldogs were far more competitive this season, but they're going to need to hope for the best with some of their young pieces and incoming transfers.
After showing exciting flashes as a freshman, Kamario Taylor steps in for Blake Shapen at quarterback giving the team a ton of excitement. The Bulldogs bring back Fluff Bothwell at running back while the wide receiver room needs to shuffle in new names. The defense is going to need to take a massive step forward if this team is going to make any kind of leap in 2026.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
If you told Vanderbilt fans coming into the season that they went 10-2, everyone would've expected a run to the College Football Playoff, but this team was sadly kept out of the field. Clark Lea now has to replace some of his biggest stars if the Commodores are going to continue their run as one of the Cinderella stories of the sport.
Diego Pavia is off to the NFL, but Vanderbilt was able to sign the Nation's top ranked quarterback Jared Curtis who could start right away. Eli Stowers is off to the NFL while leading wide receiver Tre Richardson has transferred to Louisville. As a whole, Vanderbilt will have a solid roster, but everything hinges on the play of the quarterback.
13. Tennessee Volunteers
After making the College Football Playoff in 2024, Tennessee took a step back finishing the season 8-5 with a 4-4 record in SEC play. The Volunteers will be hoping for the team to bounce back this season, but it's hard to see that happening.
Josh Heupel wasn't able to land a top transfer QB, meaning Ryan Staub, George MacIntyre, and Faizon Brandon will compete for the starting role. The offense will have some exciting young weapons while the offensive line returns a ton of experience, but lost Left Tackle Lance Heard to the Transfer Portal. The defense will have a ton to replace in the secondary as Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, Jalen McMurray, and Rickey Gibson all depart.
12. Auburn Tigers
Hugh Freeze was given every opportunity to turn things around at Auburn, but he never could get the offense to click especially at quarterback. After firing Hugh Freeze, Auburn went out and landed USF head coach Alex Golesh who had an impressive tenure as a head coach.
Golesh brings quarterback Byrum Brown with him who should finally solve the teams issues at quarterback. The disappointing part is that Auburn lost a ton of talent this offseason with Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr, Malcolm Simmons, Keldric Faulk, and more all departing making it hard to see this team really taking a big step forward.
11. South Carolina Gamecocks
The 2024 season was incredibly exciting for South Carolina Gamecocks, just for the team to fall flat in 2025 with a 4-8 season. Shane Beamer needs to build this program into a more consistent team, and he's once again built a team with plenty to be excited about and a ton of questions.
LaNorris Sellers returns at quarterback giving the team a Heisman contender if the offensive line can gel better. The offensive line landed the Transfer Portal's top offensive tackle in Jacarrius Peak along with several potential impactful pieces. The big question will be whether the offense has the weapons needed while the defense needs players to step into bigger roles.
10. Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky fans finally got their wish with Mark Stoops being fired, and the Wildcats hit a homerun landing the top coordinator available in Will Stein. In the Transfer Portal, Will Stein has proven that he's a home run hire as he's recruiting at a level that we never saw under Stoops as the Wildcats have landed top transfers.
Kenny Minchey transfers in to lead the team at quarterback, and he'll have elite blockers in Lance Heard and Coleton Price. The additions on defense aren't nearly as flashy, but this staff brought in a ton of pieces that have played in the Power 4 elevating this group, especially if the staff can develop the players.
9. Missouri Tigers
Eli Drinkwitz looked like he may have a College Football Playoff contender until Beau Pribula got injured, and everything fell apart. The Tigers finished 8-5, but felt like they were only a few pieces away from making a Playoff push. The schedule gets a bit easier in 2026 while this retooled group can make a push once again.
Beau Pribula is off to Virginia, and in steps former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons who started over Trinidad Chambliss before his injury. Quarterback play doesn't matter nearly as much with Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts at running back as they can carry the offense on his own. The defense is going to take a massive step forward as Drinkwitz landed some big pieces in the Transfer Portal.
8. Florida Gators
Billy Napier is out in Gainesville, and in steps Jon Sumrall after successful tenures at Troy and Tulane. After leading the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff, the hope is that Sumrall can bring this program back to glory after several underwhelming tenures. Sumrall brought Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner with him to Gainesville which will give this team a great offensive mind.
Faulkner brought his Georgia Tech backup quarterback, Aaron Philo, with him, as he's impressed in limited playing time to replace the outgoing DJ Lagway. The offense will have incredible weapons with the addition of Eric Singleton Jr., with Jadan Baugh, Vernell Brown, and Dallas Wilson returning. The defense is the biggest question, but there are plenty of pieces to be excited about.
7. Ole Miss Rebels
The Pete Golding era truly begins in 2026, as he'll no longer have offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr calling the offense as he did during the College Football Playoff run. The Rebels had a great Playoff run, but the 2026-27 season won't be nearly as easy as the new head coach faces massive hurdles with this group.
Trinidad Chambliss' eligibility appeal is the biggest hope for Ole Miss, as if not, they'll turn to Auburn transfer Deuce Knight, who has just 1 career start. Golding lost some of his key pieces late in the Transfer cycle in TJ Dottery, Princewill Umanmielen, and Cayden Lee, the latter of whom they hope will return. With Chambliss, this is potentially a Championship contender, but if he's not back, this team is a massive concern at quarterback.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
Kalen DeBoer was able to take his team to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, but the way that his team looked in their losses shows there's still a long way to go. As the program gets further away from Nick Saban, these are going to start to be Kalen DeBoer's team meaning the credit and the blame will be much bigger.
The Crimson Tide has a quarterback battle once again as former 5-star Keelon Russell and Washington transfer Austin Mack compete for the starting job. The offensive line loses several key pieces, but adding high upside offensive linemen was clearly the gameplan in the transfer portal. The secondary will be the strength of the defense, but the defensive line needs players to take the next step.
5. Oklahoma Sooners
Brent Venables' program took a big step forward this season, making the College Football Playoff, helping prove he's the man for the job. Now Venables will hope to see his offense take a step forward in the second season under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, as the defense carried the team last season.
John Mateer returns at quarterback, and the hope is that he'll improve with a better group of weapons around him. The defense will need someone to step up and fill the void left behind with R Mason Thomas' departure, but Brent Venables has the pieces to field an elite unit once again, especially with the players he has in the secondary.
4. Texas A&M Aggies
Mike Elko's team started the season off incredibly, but they proved to have some flaws, which were exposed in the final two games of the season, with the Aggies losing to Texas and Miami. Given how well Texas A&M has played in the first two seasons of the Mike Elko era, it's hard to see them taking a step back.
Marcel Reed returns at quarterback, and if he can continue to improve as a passer, this team will be tough for anyone to beat. Bringing back Mario Craver while landing Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton gives Reed an elite duo on the outside. The defense loses key pieces in Cashius Howell and Taurean York, but the unit has plenty to be excited about.
3. LSU Tigers
The Lane Kiffin era has begun in Baton Rouge, and if the Transfer Portal is any indication of what lies ahead, we're all in for a treat. Lane Kiffin has lived up to his title as the Transfer Portal King as he's completely flipped this roster from the Brian Kelly era, bringing excitement and a championship expectation back to this program.
The biggest addition of the offseason comes as the Tigers land Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt to lead the offense, while Lane Kiffin has surrounded him with weapons. The offensive line needed a retool, and the Tigers have added some solid pieces while they still hope to land Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton. The defense returns a ton of experience in the secondary, while the additions of Jordan Ross, TJ Dottery, and Princewill Umanmielen will elevate the first two levels.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Kirby Smart is on a strange slump in the College Football Playoff as his team was an early exit once again this postseason. The Bulldogs will return a ton of talent, but it also felt like Kirby Smart didn't take full advantage of the Transfer Portal this offseason.
Gunner Stockton returns at quarterback with a full season of experience under his belt, making him a potential Heisman candidate. Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens are going to lead this team with their rushing ability as one of the best running back duos in the Country. As is always the case, Kirby Smart is going to need young defenders to take the next step as CJ Allen and Christen Miller are massive losses.
1. Texas Longhorns
Steve Sarkisian came into the 2025 season as the top-ranked team in the AP Poll, and he'll likely return to that place in 2026 as Texas tops our Way Too Early Top 25. Arch Manning started to look like the player he was hyped up to be down the stretch of the season, which gives this team an elite quarterback to rely upon. Raising this team's ceiling is the absolute spending spree Steve Sarkisian went on in the Transfer Portal.
The Longhorns came away with the Transfer Portal's top wide receiver Cam Coleman, top linebacker Rasheem Biles, and star running back Hollywood Smothers. Sarkisian made a splash hire to bring in Will Muschamp to lead the defense, and he inherits one of the best pass rushers in the Country in Collin Simmons.