SEC football power rankings for 2023 season
With the annual Media Days in the books, the college football offseason schedule moves out of the Talkin' Season phase and decisively into the preseason with teams preparing to work out crucial position battles, install new freshmen and transfer portal acquisitions, and prepare their teams for the fall kickoff.
Members of the football media release their own preseason rankings, combined with their predictions for the coach of the year, player of the year, and projected conference championship team. The media poll hasn't exactly been reliable: it's only predicted the correct SEC football champion nine times since 1992, although this year's selection, defending national champion Georgia, is a pretty safe bet.
Now, College Football HQ takes a stab at predicting the conference power rankings and projected order of finish across the SEC this coming season.
SEC Football Power Rankings for 2023 Season
14. Vanderbilt
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Where Vanderbilt was: 5-7 (2-6 SEC), 7th in East
SEC East projection: 7th
Where Vanderbilt is now: Clark Lea pulled off an impressive turnaround of sorts last season, going from 2 wins to 5, including victories over a ranked Kentucky and against Florida, and now returns a roster full of experienced pieces on offense, including quarterback A.J. Swann coming off a solid freshman debut last fall, combined with a schedule with some winnable games. This could be a bowl team by season's end.
13. Missouri
Where Missouri was: 6-7 (3-5 SEC), 6th in East
SEC East projection: 6th
Where Missouri is now: Three starters should return to this offensive line, an important building block for the Tigers to re-work an offense that lived well below expectation a year ago. Quarterback is an interesting question given the arrival of Miami transfer Jake Garcia, and while the unit retains five-star wideout Luther Burden, it also lost receiver Dominic Lovett (to Georgia). Defensively, Mizzou allowed just 25.2 points per game, more than a touchdown improvement from the year before, and eight starters are back.
12. Florida
Where Florida was: 6-7 (3-5 SEC), 5th in East
SEC East projection: 5th
Where Florida is now: It's not good where there are already rumblings about a coach's job security going into Year 2, but that's the scene Billy Napier is coming into, especially with major questions still around the quarterback position after an unimpressive spring outing in particular for Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, the most experienced option in the room. Florida should run the ball well and get some pressure defensively, but brings on four new offensive linemen and return just four defensive starters.
11. Mississippi State
Where Mississippi State was: 9-4 (4-4 SEC), 3rd in West
SEC West projection: 7th
Where Mississippi State is now: Someone has to finish last in the West and right now the Bulldogs seem to meet most of the requirements for a regression as first-year head coach Zach Arnett installs a new approach in the wake of Mike Leach's death, moving away from the Air Raid offense despite the presence of veteran quarterback Will Rogers. MSU returns solid experience in the front seven but not in the secondary, where there are plenty of new faces.
10. Auburn
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Where Auburn was: 5-7 (2-6 SEC), 6th in West
SEC West projection: 6th
Where Auburn is now: That's anybody's guess and one of the most intriguing questions around the SEC this season with Hugh Freeze back in the conference with a mandate to resurrect the program left in the wake of the Bryan Harsin experience. Expect to see a lot of new faces all over the field after an aggressive transfer policy, including at the line of scrimmage and at quarterback following the addition of Payton Thorne, who should push the ball downfield with some success. But there are still too many questions all over the field amid a major roster overhaul.
9. South Carolina
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Where South Carolina was: 8-5 (4-4 SEC), 3rd in East
SEC East projection: 4th
Where South Carolina is now: Oddsmakers give the Gamecocks 6.5 wins this season, which would be disappointing after beating Tennessee and Clemson last year. Two critical early games will help define this season, the opener against North Carolina and the Week 3 tilt against Georgia. Spencer Rattler returns at quarterback, but there are depth questions on the line and at running back, tight end Jaheim Bell and edge rusher Jordan Branch both transferred out, and the team is relatively thin defensively, in particular at corner after Cam Smith's departure.
8. Texas A&M
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Where Texas A&M was: 5-7 (2-6 SEC), 7th in West
SEC West projection: 5th
Where Texas A&M is now: A ton of transfers out and a ton of transfers in makes the Aggies one of the more interesting teams to watch nationally, all the more so after Jimbo Fisher brought on Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. And while Jimbo played coy with answering questions around who exactly will call the plays, the offense has a chance to take a step forward with Conner Weigman at quarterback and a receiver room that could be among the SEC's best. But A&M also posted the league's worst run defense and needs more depth in the secondary, too.
7. Kentucky
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Where Kentucky was: 7-6 (3-5 SEC), 4th in East
SEC East projection: 3rd
Where Kentucky is now: Expectations are for this team to be better than .500 after bringing back offensive coordinator Liam Coen and scoring a coup in transfer quarterback Devin Leary, combined with two offensive line transfers to help that struggling unit. Important defensive questions also need answered, in particular in the back seven after losing two corners, but also gaining two more as transfers.
6. Arkansas
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Where Arkansas was: 7-6 (3-5 SEC), 5th in West
SEC West projection: 4th
Where Arkansas is now: New offensive coordinator Dan Enos will have to bring on a new group of wide receivers, blockers, and tight end targets, but the presence of quarterback KJ Jefferson, who we believe is the SEC's best player at the position, and running back Raheim Sanders are major points of continuity for this unit. Defensively, the Hogs return a projected five starters on a group that struggled against the pass and gave up almost 31 points per game. Defensive back Jaheim Singletary (Georgia transfer) is a quality pickup. Arkansas plays a brutal four-game stretch: at LSU, vs. Texas A&M, at Ole Miss, and at Alabama.
5. Ole Miss
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Where Ole Miss was: 8-5 (4-4 SEC), 4th in West
SEC West projection: 3rd
Where Ole Miss is now: Bringing on Pete Golding to call defense was one of the best coaching moves in the SEC this year, especially as he inherits one of the league's most experienced units loaded with seniors. Quinshon Judkins is the SEC's best tailback right now and should be the anchor of this offense, but Lane Kiffin has what might be the biggest QB competition in college football to sort out, between incumbent starter Jaxson Dart and veteran transfer Spencer Sanders in his last year of eligibility.
4. Tennessee
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Where Tennessee was: 11-2 (6-2 SEC), 2nd in East
SEC East projection: 2nd
Where Tennessee is now: Most of the attention will be on what the Vols lost from their No. 1 ranked total offense, but they bring back some promising options, too, including quarterback Joe Milton, who impressed late last season including in the Orange Bowl victory. If he can fine tune that big arm into consistent accuracy, this offense can help lead another run with an RB rotation back responsible for over two dozen TDs a year ago, and has Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton returning at receiver, in addition to transfer pass catcher Dont'e Thornton. Tennessee should move the ball, but how well can it stop other teams after posting the 127th ranked pass defense in the nation last year?
3. LSU
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Where LSU was: 10-4 (6-2 SEC), 1st in West
SEC West projection: 2nd
Where LSU is now: The pieces are all there, at quarterback, at receiver, at running back, in the front seven, and with all five blockers returning for the reigning SEC West champion. Once again, there is some major turnover in the secondary, but on the whole this team is in prime position to make another run at the division. The opener against Florida State, the trip to Alabama, and the Ole Miss game will all help determine if Brian Kelly can go from surprise contender to College Football Playoff contender.
2. Alabama
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Where Alabama was: 11-2 (6-2), 2nd in West
SEC West projection: 1st
Where Alabama is now: We're giving the edge to the Crimson Tide over LSU in the West this season even with all the roster and coaching turnover Nick Saban will oversee, largely because Bama gets Texas, Tennessee, and LSU all at home, a decisive advantage. Questions at quarterback dominate, with Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner all in contention. Defensive replacements will be key, but there are very promising pieces in the secondary (cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and freshman safety Caleb Downs) and up front (edge rusher Dallas Turner), in addition to valuable prospects at receiver and running back. But the Tide needs to clean up its protection and penalty problems from last season first.
1. Georgia
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Where Georgia was: 15-0 (8-0 SEC), 1st in East, SEC champion, College Football Playoff national champion
SEC East projection: 1st
Where Georgia is now: The easiest prediction in college football right now after the Bulldogs won two straight national titles and come into 2023 as the far and away consensus favorite to make it a three-peat. This might be Kirby Smart's best offense looking at transfer wideouts Dominic Lovett and RaRa Thomas coming onboard alongside Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, but Georgia needs to hammer out its rushing rotation and make the right choice at quarterback. That looks like Carson Beck after an impressive spring game, but Brock Vandagriff is a legitimate contender here, too. And after another defensive exodus to the NFL Draft, the Bulldogs look to develop the next group on this side of the ball, a task Kirby and his assistants have lived up to with frightening efficiency.
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