With star-studded rosters and high-profile head coaches, the SEC will look to reclaim their spot atop of the college football world. With SEC Media Days wrapped up last week, all attention now shifts toward fall camp.
While only a select few teams may be legitimate contenders for a conference or national title, there are never any easy matchups in the SEC. Despite the talent and depth across the league, many teams still have major question marks as we get closer to the start of the season, and this is especially the case for some of the conference's premier programs. Here are the five biggest “what ifs” for SEC football in the 2025 season.
What if the new QBs at top programs struggle?
The three big dogs in the SEC (Texas, Georgia, and Alabama) are all entering the 2025 season with new starting quarterbacks. While Arch Manning at Texas and Gunner Stockton at Georgia have seen some real game action, Alabama's situation is completely different with a quarterback room that lacks any meaningful experience.
Yes, all three teams do have loaded rosters that will have them as top contenders, but the quarterback position is one that can keep you or take you from good to great. Manning is in a league of his own here, as it feels impossible for him to fail entering the season as a Heisman front-runner and attention that he even admits is unwarranted.
The SEC is not alone in this one, as several other high-level programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, and possibly Michigan is facing the same situation. It’s rare and wild to see so many unproven starters as starting QBs for the SEC’s top programs, and their play will have a massive effect on how the 2025 season unfolds.
What if LSU figures it out on defense?
Under Brian Kelly, defense has been a consistent factor in holding the Tigers back. This year feels like a playoff-or-bust season in Baton Rouge, and if they fall short again, Kelly may just not be the guy for the job.
Once again, this will likely depend on the defensive side of the ball, as the offense looks loaded headlined by Garrett Nussmeier returning at quarterback. Blake Baker enters his second year as defensive coordinator and will need to take a significant step forward after a good, not great, 2024 campaign. Last year LSU’s defense consistently failed to show up in the big games, which is where Baker should be earning his money as one of the top paid coordinators in the sport.
There is no question that the Tigers have the talent on that side of the ball to turn it around. Harold Perkins Jr. is back from injury along with their leading tackler from last year, Whit Weeks, to back a talented crew of transfers up front. If LSU’s defense can put it together, this team will be as dangerous as any in college football.
What if LaNorris Sellers and DJ Lagway have sophomore slumps?
Few teams are entering the 2025 season with more hype than Florida and South Carolina. Both programs finished last season extremely strong and return promising quarterbacks who impressed in their first year as starters in 2024.
You never want to see young promising star decline, but sophomore slumps are real, and so far this offseason it has been nothing but praise and hype for LaNorris Sellers and DJ Lagway. Both are athletic freaks who pose a serious threat with their legs, but they have yet to fully prove themselves as passers. With more film, this is something defenses will certainly adjust for and possibly give them issues, especially if the arm talent doesn’t show up.
Both QBs are also entering high-pressure seasons alongside head coaches who need strong years to solidify their futures with their program. It would not be surprising to see either player emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the country and in the Heisman conversation, but it’s just as easy to imagine a sophomore season that disappoints in terms of current hype.
What if Diego Pavia backs up his talk?
One thing Diego Pavia has done throughout his college career is prove the doubters wrong. From starting at JUCO, to leading New Mexico State to their best season in over 60 years, to shocking the world against Alabama and leading Vanderbilt to their first bowl win since 2013, he is the ultimate underdog story.
He has been anything but shy this offseason, bringing out the doubters even more. While backing up his national championship hopes may seem out of reach, Pavia and the Commodores clearly believe they are better than their projected 4.5 win total suggests. Vanderbilt does face a challenging conference schedule, especially with most of their toughest tests coming on the road, but they are one of just four SEC teams returning their full-time starting quarterback from last season in Pavia. Love him or hate him it is impossible to deny, as said in his own words, “I talk the talk, but I will also walk the walk.”
What if the SEC struggles in the postseason again?
It is no secret that the biggest storyline at the end of last season was the SEC’s struggles in the postseason. Not only did the conference struggle, but it was especially exposed against the Big Ten with a 1-5 record in playoff and bowl matchups against B10 teams.
After a four year streak of winning the national championship, the SEC has now gone two straight seasons without a title, and both times it was won by Big Ten teams. Texas was the only SEC team to advance in last year’s College Football Playoff, and another disappointing postseason could lead to questions not just if the Big Ten has closed the gap, but if they have completely taken over.