The SEC will enter the 2025 season looking to have a little more success this time around than what transpired in 2024.
The conference finished the 2024 season without a participant in the national championship game for a second-straight year and the only team to advance to the semifinals was Texas, which was in its first year as a member of the SEC.
As we look ahead to the 2025 season, there are several teams in the conference that have the ability to be potential College Football Playoff contenders, but no team enters a season without questions. Here's a look at each team's biggest question mark during the spring of 2025.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Biggest Question: Quarterback Competition
For Alabama, it's clearly the quarterback competition. Ty Simpson enters as the most veteran option for the Crimson Tide and Washington transfer Austin Mack has also been waiting in the wings. The two will do battle with 5-star freshman Keelon Russell. For now, we believe that Simpson has the inside track, but that all could quickly change.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Biggest Question: Replacing all those transfers
It's not like things went well for Arkansas in 2024, but to make matters worse, the Razorbacks lost 27 players to the portal. Sam Pittman is clearly on the hot seat heading into this season and he's going to need to turn things around. It's not ideal, though, when you're talking about that volume of turnover.
Auburn Tigers
Biggest Question: Is Jackson Arnold really the answer?
We all know that Auburn is bringing in Jackson Arnold with the hope that he has the potential to develop into a talented quarterback, but is he really the answer? Hugh Freeze has brought in some talent in both high school recruiting and the Transfer Portal, but the Tigers will need a quarterback to get the train truly rolling.
Florida Gators
Biggest Question: How much can the defense improve?
Florida has an experienced offensive line, some playmakers on offense and one of the best quarterbacks in the league in DJ Lagway. The question is the defense. Florida ranked 44th in Total Defense (giving up 23.1 points per game) and that's simply not good enough for a team to actually be able to compete in the College Football Playoff, just ask Miami. The offense is good, but the defense is the question. The unit returns eight starters, so that's a good thing, but you've got to put it all together if you want to take the next step.
Georgia Bulldogs
Biggest Question: Does Gunner Stockton elevate the offense enough?
We understand that Georgia lost pieces across the board. The Bulldogs lost 12 players potentially to the NFL Draft and they also saw a couple of key pieces hit the Transfer Portal. In the end, though, it's just not that big of a concern — at least on the outside-looking-in — for the Bulldogs' defense. They're still going to be a Top-10 type unit in the country. They always are under Kirby Smart and that's not changing.
The question, though, is if Gunner Stockton can elevate the offense to a level that makes them dangerous. He's lost some weapons and, honestly, the ceiling for Georgia is how far Stockton — along with that talented running back corps — will take them.
Kentucky Wildcats
Biggest Question: Is Kentucky ready to move on from Mark Stoops?
Look, there's no way to look at Kentucky's current roster and the schedule and not have a bleak outlook. There are few positions on this team that don't have question marks, especially when looking at their competition. The biggest question, in my opinion, is if things do go as we believe, how long will Kentucky give Mark Stoops — who has been at the helm of the program forever — before electing to move on?
LSU Tigers
Biggest Question: The offensive line
LSU has Garrett Nussmeier returning and they've stacked some nice pieces through the Transfer Portal and retention at the skill positions. But you can't just ignore the elephant in the room: Losing four offensive linemen, including two of the top offensive tackles in this coming 2025 NFL Draft in Will Campbell and Emory Jones. There's still some talent — see Tyree Adams, for example — but the experience is gone.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Biggest Question: Does Jeff Lebby have any magic up his sleeve?
Mississippi State was the worst team in the conference last season, and it's shaping up to be that way this season too. They lost 26 players to the Transfer Portal and, right now, they'll be underdogs in every single conference game they play this season. Like Kentucky, the outlook doesn't look promising, but it will be interesting to see if Jeff Lebby can turn things around and give them any sense of momentum or not.
Missouri Tigers
Biggest Question: Is Beau Pribula able to help Mizzou reach new heights?
aBeau Pribula transferred to Missouri to become the starter, and he's going to have his chance to do big things this season. Missouri has lost a couple of key starters at wide receiver, but they did snag Kevin Coleman Jr. from Mississippi State. It will be up to Pribula to take the offense to the next level.
Oklahoma Sooners
Biggest Question: The Ben Arbuckle effect
Brent Venables is hitching his wagon to Ben Arbuckle (new offensive coordinator) and incoming transfer John Mateer. There's no doubt that he's coaching for his job in 2025 — hince why he'll be calling the defense himself — but it's going to take a substantial improvement from the offense to make a difference. Arbuckle has been successful in his time as an offensive coordinator, but let's be honest, he's still young and it's not like he's inheriting 2019 LSU. Does he make an impact or does he prove he needs more time to develop before fully stepping into an SEC-level coordinator role?
Ole Miss Rebels
Biggest Question: Is the Transfer Portal giving or taking away?
Ole Miss is losing a ton of production from last year's team, including Jaxson Dart. That being said, I've got little questions about the offense, other than how the transfers will come together. The bigger question is if the defense can come together and be more consistent. Lane Kiffin's system will naturally produce offense, but they need defense to actually be a College Football Playoff contender. And to do that, Kiffin has continued to lean heavily on the Transfer Portal. The big question there: Will the portal remain kind to Ole Miss or will this round of transfers — 24 in total — prove not to be as impactful?
South Carolina Gamecocks
Biggest Question: Is Shane Beamer the real deal?
He's got LaNorris Sellers, he's got Dylan Stewart. There's no reason for South Carolina to not take a step forward in 2025. The Gamecocks will have to replace some key pieces, for sure, but they've recruited well in the Transfer Portal and they're going to have a deeper and more talented receiver corp this year than last. Is Shane Beamer the coach who proves he can win consistently in Columbia, or is the pressure too much for him?
Tennessee Volunteers
Biggest Question: The offense around Nico Imaleava
Is Tennessee built to reload after losing Dylan Sampson, four key wide receivers, and a myriad of offensive linemen? Nico Iamaleava will continue to improve and Tennessee did bring in Mike Matthews to add to that receiving corp, but they've got to find some answers on the offensive line and put together a unit around Imaleava that will be dangerous. It's a lot easier said than done, especially with Sampson no longer in the backfield.
Texas A&M Aggies
Biggest Question: Is Marcel Reed the answer?
Marcel Reed had an up-and-down year for Texas A&M in 2024. He showed promise at times, but he was far too inconsistent. Texas A&M needs to develop some talent around him, but Reed has to take the next step in development himself for it to matter.
Texas Longhorns
Biggest Question: How elite is Arch Manning?
Since before he was a senior in high school, we've all heard the name 'Arch Manning' over and over again. Now, it's finally his time. Is he ready? Is he actually elite? He's shown glimpses of being a great quarterback and seems to be doing everything right. That being said, he has to take the next step himself and he won't have the services of Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden, or most of 2024's offensive line, to help make that happen.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Biggest Question: How far can Diego Pavia take Vanderbilt?
Vanderbilt is going to be one of the bottom-tier teams in the SEC, as they are most seasons. That being said, we still could see some fireworks with Diego Pavia running that read-option the way that he does. He's got another year of experience and it will be interesting to see how Pavia develops, particularly as a passer, as he looks to lead Vanderbilt to a season that might just end with a bowl berth.