SEC Football Power Rankings: Where the conference stands heading into the summer

Alabama leads the way in our summer SEC Power Rankings.

Spring ball has officially come and gone. We are now in the thick of the offseason.

Arguably the strongest conference in the country, the SEC, will be headlined once again by Alabama and Georgia heading into the 2022 season, but the most interesting storylines revolve around the teams in the middle of the pack.

Even though LSU and Florida aren't playing at their peak, this may be the strongest the conference has been in a while.

Tennessee is on the rise. Kentucky just won ten games. South Carolina is rebuilding. Texas A&M not only beat Alabama last season, but also won on the recruiting trail over the Crimson Tide (much to the dismay of Nick Saban). Ole Miss may actually find some stability under Lane Kiffin of all coaches, and Arkansas is actually... good?

What a time to be an SEC fan.

How do these teams rank out heading into the summer? Take a look at our SEC Power Rankings.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

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The Tide are coming off of a strange season which included Saban's first ever loss to a former disciple... and it happened twice. Heisman winner Bryce Young managed to lead Bama to the national title game despite operating behind an incredibly shaky offensive line. Young & Co. fell just short against Georgia, but will look to reload yet again in 2022. Alabama has already hauled in five immediate impact players in the transfer portal, including Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who will be a huge problem for opposing SEC defenses.

The defense projects to be solid as well. Star edge rusher Will Anderson (who should have been in New York for the 2021 Heisman ceremony) will lead a defense that returns 70% of its production from last year (a unit that was seventh nationally in total yards allowed per game).

Alabama looks primed for another national title run.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

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The 1980 jokes can finally be laid to rest. The Bulldogs are national champions.

The sense of urgency surrounding the program hasn't waned. After losing a whopping 15 players to the NFL, Kirby Smart has a bit of reloading to do. Georgia sits just behind Alabama in the power rankings not because of a lack of talent or capability... it's the question of consistency that lingers for the 'Dogs.

Can Georgia reload in the way that Alabama has done under Saban? Or will it take them a little time to get back to the top of the hill? How does that defense look in 2022?

Quarterback, despite being perfectly fine in 2021, is still a question mark for some fans this season. Scroll through a few message boards. Sure, Stetson Bennett got the job done, but it his play wasn't as flashy as some might have wanted. Isn't it time to get one of these other five-star quarterbacks ready to run the offense?

If it isn't broken, Georgia fans, don't fix it.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

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8-4, your typical Texas A&M season, right? Not so much this time around.

This past season the Aggies managed to beat Alabama for the first time since 2012 (something I actually got right in my 2021 preseason predictions), which in itself was a massive accomplishment.

Only reaching eight wins is somewhat excusable with the injuries at quarterback and along the offensive line, but this season, things should be different.

A&M just signed the highest-rated recruiting class of all time. If the Aggies don't find a way to put more than eight wins on the board in 2022, there is a huge issue.

The current issue is that fans are expecting more than just nine wins this year. Time to deliver, Jimbo.

Before addressing the season, Jimbo Fisher and his staff need to address quarterback. Max Johnson, Haynes King, and freshman Connor Weigman battled it out in the spring and enter the summer without a clear idea as to who the frontrunner for the job is. If A&M can get solid QB play, they've got enough pieces to make a run at the SEC West title.

That October 8th date with Alabama in Tuscaloosa looms large.

4. Ole Miss Rebels

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Lane Kiffin is the Eric Mussleman of SEC football. He's the importer. The Rebels have the second-highest rated transfer portal class, and it should pay huge dividends this season.

Five-star running back Zach Evans, four-star quarterback Jaxson Dart, and four-star wide receiver Jaylon Robinson all committed to Ole Miss this offseason. Given Kiffin's track record on offense, the 'Sip should have no issue scoring points in 2022.

The defense is making strides as well, and the Rebels should be able to improve on 24.7 points allowed per game in 2021, which was already a 13.6 point improvement from the previous year.

Ole Miss should be ready to compete for another New Year's Six bowl.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks

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There is serious boom or bust potential in Arkansas.

The perception with Arkansas is that the Hogs might have overachieved in Sam Pittman's second season at the helm. 9-4 was impressive, but can it be built upon after losing some serious talent on both sides of the ball?

The positive note here is that quarterback KJ Jefferson is back. As long as he is there, the Razorbacks should be able to stay in games.

Defensively, the addition of five-star linebacker Drew Sanders and four-stars Landon Jackson (EDGE) and Dwight McGlothern (cornerback) should be able to help patch the holes that former linebackers Bumper Pool and Grant Morgan are leaving.

Arkansas has the ability to win eight or nine games in 2022, but their schedule is daunting. Two of their non-conference games include Cincinnati and BYU, two teams that finished a combined 23-4 last season. Don't forget the usual SEC West slate on top of that.

6. Kentucky Wildcats

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According to the latest mock drafts, Kentucky has the best quarterback in the country.

Will Levis, the former Penn State QB and current signal-caller for the Wildcats, has been receiving a ton of love from major media outlets as of late. His NFL potential is definitely there, but after throwing the most interceptions in the SEC last season, I'm not sure what the sudden buzz is about. If it was about his physical tools, wouldn't the media have gotten excited months ago?

Regardless, Levis is back to pilot an offense that averaged over 40 points a game during the final month of the year. Should Chris Rodriguez have another 1k rushing season, and wide receiver Tayvion Robinson (Virginia Tech transfer) pan out, the Wildcats may very well be the second best team in the SEC East.

7. Tennessee Volunteers

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Is Tennessee the most fun SEC team to watch in 2022?

I could not imagine saying that just a couple of years ago.

The Volunteers have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation thanks to head coach Josh Heupel's incredibly ability to gameplan... for the first half of a game. 

After that, all bets are off.

Hendon Hooker has Heisman potential. For those curious, Hooker threw a total 22 touchdowns against top 50 defenses last season. Bryce Young threw 23. He's got the tools have a very special season in Knoxville.

The Volunteers ceiling will revolve around how well they can limit explosive plays and how much Heupel can adjust in the second half of contests.

8. Mississippi State Bulldogs

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It appears that the air raid does work in the SEC. To an extent.

Mike Leach enters year three with the Bulldogs garnering almost no excitement or buzz, to put it bluntly. Odd for a coach with such a polarizing personality.

However, the outlook on State football is much brighter than the average media outlet would indicate. Quarterback Will Rogers is back. Talented defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has somehow not bolted for another program and will pilot what will probably be a top five unit in the SEC. Mike Leach hasn't said anything too controversial in a few months (if you exclude his comments about the playoff recently). All is well in Starkville.

The over/under win total for MSU is 6.5 this season. Could the Bulldogs surprise some folks this year?

9. Auburn Tigers

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It wouldn't be a normal Auburn offseason if there wasn't drama, specifically surrounding quarterback.

The drama expanded past the quarterback position into the coaching staff this time around, and the Tigers are still hurting from it. Bryan Harsin has found a way to somewhat recover, and the only way he can patch everything else up is, well, simple: win some games.

The defense, despite loosing All-American cornerback Roger McCreary, should actually take a step forward, especially with the talent on the defensive line.

The offense brings back just about everyone on the offensive line, most of the receiving production, and stud running back Tank Bigsby. The only missing piece is quarterback.

This should be a fun season for the Tigers. Interpret "fun" however you would like.

10. South Carolina Gamecocks

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Everyone loves Shane Beamer.

The second-year head coach has done everything he can to get South Carolina back on track to competing in the SEC East. He exceeded expectations with a very limited roster last season, he's recruited well (No. 23 recruiting class nationally), and he's taken a dip into the transfer portal to pick up former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler.

While it may take some time to work out all of the kinks on offense, the Gamecocks should expect to see their 22.4 points per game from last season (104th nationally) take a jump in 2022 with Rattler at the helm.

This is a team that isn't quite ready yet. But it is a team that understands its identity, loves its coach, and has solid support from its fanbase.

11. LSU Tigers

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This may seem low for the Tigers, but follow me here.

Think about everything that LSU has dealt with over the past two seasons. Think about what the Tigers have lost. Can Brian Kelly bring everything together in year one?

Getting to a bowl game will be the first challenge on the agenda. Revamping the offensive line, finding a quarterback, and actually playing some pass defense is second. There was so much wrong with this team fundamentally last year that it is going to take a serious reset to get the squad back on track.

While Kelly seems to be the right guy for the job, getting past seven wins in year one would be a bit of a stretch, especially considering what else is going on in the division.

12. Florida Gators

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Florida is similar to LSU in the fact that they have the resources. They've got the talent (to an extent). The question is can Billy Napier get the team off of the ground in year one?

There are a plethora of holes to fill via the transfer portal, and the Gators know that. Given how late things are in the portal, is whatever Florida picks up going to be enough to legitimately compete in the SEC?

Furthermore, who's the quarterback? If its Anthony Richardson, what is his ceiling with the talent surrounding him? Who's going to be catching passes?

There are too many questions about the Gators for me to feel comfortable moving them much high than this.

13. Missouri Tigers

AP Photo/Michael Woods

It will be exciting to see five-star receiver Luther Burden play for Eli Drinkwitz & Co.

If the Tigers can find someone to throw him the ball.

Missouri whiffed on QBs Jayden Daniels and JT Daniels in the transfer portal. They don't know if Brady Cook is going to be able to step up and perform. They also lost stud tailback Tyler Badie to graduation, so it appears that there won't be anyone for QB1 to lean on.

If the Tigers make a bowl game, it'll be big. That's less of a statement on how good Missouri is, and more of a statement on how much stronger the SEC East is getting.

14. Vanderbilt Commodores

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It's been 948 days since Vanderbilt has beaten an SEC team. Can they beat one this season?

The Commodores are pretty thin defensively, and their offense does not know how to offense. Unless QB Mike Wright takes a big step forward this year, I don't see Vandy picking up many wins.

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