Playoff breakdown, power rankings, key newcomers

The big, bad SEC, which has been the most dominant league in college football over the past two decades, figures to be bigger and badder than ever in 2024 with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma to its ranks.

The conference’s outsized presence could be particularly felt in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. While the top five conference champions will be awarded automatic berths, that will leave seven at-large spots. How many SEC teams could make the CFP? Two seems a given. Three? Four? Do we hear five?

Of course, the contenders (and even some pretenders) could knock each other out, as the league has plenty of depth.

The Longhorns and Sooners aren’t the only high-profile newcomers, as Kalen DeBoer, not Nick Saban, will be roaming the Alabama sideline this season.

ESPN reporters Chris Low and Mark Schlabach preview the 16-team SEC, including the CFP outlook, power rankings, favorite players, freshmen and transfers to watch, and more.

Jump to a section:
CFP outlook | Top transfers | Impact freshmen
Our favorite players | Must-see games
Numbers to know | On the hot seat
Teams on the rise | Power rankings

CFP outlook

Should be in

Georgia: The Bulldogs have one of the top quarterbacks in college football in Carson Beck, who was third nationally last season with 3,941 passing yards, and an offensive line that coach Kirby Smart thinks might be one of his best since he’s been at Georgia. And on defense, when are the Bulldogs not deep and talented? The Bulldogs do have three very challenging SEC road games at Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss.

Texas: Fourth-year coach Steve Sarkisian was already building a roster that could beat the likes of Alabama and Georgia in the postseason before he knew the Longhorns were joining the SEC. The Longhorns have the best quarterback room in the country with starter Quinn Ewers and backup Arch Manning. Left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is a future pro, and even with the loss of defensive tackles Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat to the NFL, Texas is still loaded on defense. The road trip to Michigan in Week 2 will be a tone-setter for the Longhorns.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide won’t have an easy pathway to the playoff with away games at Wisconsin, Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma, not to mention a home date with Georgia. But Jalen Milroe returns at quarterback and appears to be a perfect fit for Kalen DeBoer’s system. The offensive line should be the most improved unit on the team, and the front seven on defense will again be formidable. The secondary is the key question mark, although the Alabama staff likes its young talent back there.

In the running

Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin says this is the best roster he’s had at Ole Miss, and that starts with third-year starting quarterback Jaxson Dart. Kiffin has mined the transfer portal to bring in more depth and strength on defense, especially on the line. The Rebels lost star running back Quinshon Judkins to Ohio State but plan to operate more by committee this season in the backfield. Looking at their schedule, the Rebels should start out 6-0. They get Georgia at home Nov. 9, which will be one of the telltale games of the season.

Missouri: The Tigers are coming off a breakthrough season under coach Eliah Drinkwitz, in which they went 11-2 and defeated Ohio State 14-3 in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. With quarterback Brady Cook and receiver Luther Burden III returning, Missouri shouldn’t slip much, especially against one of the softer schedules in SEC play. The Tigers play road games at Alabama and Texas A&M and home contests against Auburn and Oklahoma, but they won’t face Georgia, Texas, LSU, Tennessee or Ole Miss during the regular season. Former South Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon takes over after Blake Baker departed for LSU.

Tennessee: The anticipation has been building on Rocky Top to see what quarterback Nico Iamaleava can do for a full season in Josh Heupel’s offense. Iamaleava looked very comfortable in the bowl win over Iowa last season and has elite arm talent. This should be the Vols’ best and deepest defensive line under Heupel, but there will be a lot of new faces in the secondary. The key game is at Oklahoma on Sept. 21. If the Vols are going to make the playoff, that’s almost certainly a game they need to win.

LSU: The Tigers are going to certainly miss Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels and star receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. But the offense is in more-than-capable hands with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a rebuilt receiver corps that includes top transfers Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State) and CJ Daniels (Liberty). The question, of course, is whether the Tigers will be any better on defense. Brian Kelly turned over his coaching staff on that side of the ball after the Tigers ranked 81st in scoring defense (28 points) and 118th in pass defense (255.9 yards) in 2023. Depth on the defensive line and consistent play in the secondary are concerns heading into preseason camp.

Long shots

Oklahoma: There’s no question the Sooners were better in coach Brent Venables’ second season in 2023, but it might be rough sledding in Year 1 in the SEC. Oklahoma faces a brutal road slate that includes games at Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU, as well as home contests against Tennessee and Alabama, and the Red River Rivalry game against Texas. Quarterback Jackson Arnold takes over for Dillon Gabriel, who left for Oregon. The bigger question is up front on offense, where all five starters departed. The Sooners are hoping five transfers can help: tackles Spencer Brown (Michigan State) and Michael Tarquin (Florida), guards Geirean Hatchett (Washington) and Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas) and center Branson Hickman (SMU).

Texas A&M: Mike Elko takes over a program that has underachieved each of the past two seasons, which is why Elko is there and Jimbo Fisher isn’t. The Aggies brought in some talented transfers, starting with defensive end Nic Scourton from Purdue. Quarterback Conner Weigman will be on his third offensive coordinator in three years, but looks poised for a breakout campaign after suffering a season-ending foot injury a year ago. We’ll get a better read on the Aggies right out of the gate. They face Notre Dame at home Aug. 31.

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Top transfers

Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton: Originally from Bryan, Texas, Scourton returns home for his junior season after leading the Big Ten in sacks (10) a year ago. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Scourton has the skill set to wreak havoc on SEC quarterbacks the way he did Big Ten quarterbacks and is more than just a pass rusher. He’s high energy on every play.

South Carolina RB Rocket Sanders: A healthy version of Sanders would be a major boost to South Carolina’s running game. He was limited by a knee injury last season and played in just six games, and the Gamecocks were careful with him this spring. But Sanders was sensational in 2022, when he rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns and also had 271 receiving yards.

Ole Miss DE Princely Umanmielen: The former Florida pass rusher was one of the prized jewels of Lane Kiffin’s portal haul. A 6-4, 255-pound senior, Umanmielen had 24.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks in four seasons with the Gators. Umanmielen suggested during the spring that he wasn’t being coached hard enough at Florida and was being better developed at Ole Miss, which might make the Rebels’ Nov. 23 trip to Gainesville rather interesting.

Georgia RB Trevor Etienne: After running for more than 700 yards in each of the past two seasons at Florida, Etienne flipped to rival Georgia through the portal. He’s expected to help offset the losses of Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. Etienne also had 30 catches last season, giving Carson Beck another weapon out of the backfield.

Alabama C Parker Brailsford: One of Kalen DeBoer’s more important acquisitions this offseason, Brailsford followed his coach from Washington to Alabama. The Crimson Tide should have one of the top offensive lines in the league, especially if Brailsford solves their problems in snapping the ball. The 6-2, 275-pound Brailsford was a freshman All-American last season. He started all 15 games, two at right guard and 13 at center, for the Huskies on their way to the national championship game.

Kentucky LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson: Dumas-Johnson was an integral part of the defense that helped Georgia win back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. He broke his left forearm last season and missed four games. He started 24 games for the Bulldogs in his career and had 126 tackles and 9.5 sacks. He’ll be one of Kentucky’s better players on defense.

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Impact freshmen

Alabama WR Ryan Williams: Williams reclassified from the 2025 class up to the 2024 class and rose all the way up to No. 3 overall in the ESPN 300. He reminds us of Amari Cooper at the same stage of his career with his rare combination of ability as a route runner and great hands. Alabama has some quality wideouts returning in Kobe Prentice, Kendrick Law and Germie Bernard, but Williams is the next great Alabama wide receiver. And he’s not the only Alabama freshman we could be talking about here.

Tennessee S Boo Carter: Carter arrived in the spring and immediately made the transition look smooth, prompting comparisons to Eric Berry when he arrived in Knoxville in 2007. He is a scheme-versatile safety who can line up everywhere and even provide production as a pass-rush player in Tennessee’s pressure packages.

Auburn WR Cam Coleman: Auburn needed a massive overhaul in the wide receiver room after an abysmal 2023 performance. Enter Cam Coleman, our one-time No. 1 ranked WR in the 2024 class who ended up No. 5 overall in the ESPN 300. Coleman has a blend of speed, size and range, especially on the deep ball when contested. He shined in the spring game, earning MVP honors, and should become the go-to target in this offense.

Texas DE Colin Simmons: Simmons is going to need to gain considerable weight and strength to hold up full time against the run, but he is an elite edge rusher with the designated pass-rush ability to contribute immediately. We see him being used similarly to Texas linebacker Anthony Hill from last year’s class, who made his mark as a pass rusher while developing into a full-time player. Simmons’ first step explosiveness is rare. — Tom Luginbill

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Our favorite players

Missouri WR Luther Burden III: After a dynamic freshman season, Burden was named a second-team All-American by the AP a year ago. He finished second in the SEC and ninth nationally with 1,212 receiving yards. Burden had 86 receptions, including nine touchdowns, and reached the 100-yard receiving mark six times in the regular season. He’s electric in the open field and ranked third nationally with 725 yards after the catch.

Vanderbilt S CJ Taylor: One of the most underrated players in the SEC, Taylor is moving back to his natural position of safety this season after playing more of a hybrid role a year ago. Coach Clark Lea said the 6-1, 200-pound Taylor has been the most explosive player on the Commodores’ defense each of the past two seasons. He’s a big play waiting to happen after racking up 7.5 tackles for loss, intercepting two passes and forcing two fumbles last season.

Arkansas DE Landon Jackson: Jackson returns as one of the more productive defensive ends in college football and is the ultimate disrupter from his end position. At 6-7 and 275 pounds, Jackson is powerful enough to be a run stopper and athletic enough to rush the passer. He had 13.5 tackles for loss last season, which is third among returning SEC players. Jackson has bulked up considerably since coming to Arkansas weighing 225 pounds.

Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.: Good luck finding a more versatile linebacker than the 6-3, 235-pound Hill. As a true freshman a year ago, he showed flashes of what he’s capable of in six starts and earned Freshman All-America honors. He finished with 66 total tackles, including 8 for loss, 4 quarterback hurries and 2 pass breakups. He has speed, strength and power and is always around the ball.

Kentucky DT Deone Walker: The massive anchor of Kentucky’s defense is going to be one of the most coveted players in next year’s NFL draft because of his size (6-6, 345 pounds) and athleticism. He had 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries last season, despite facing myriad double-team blocks. He is already being compared to NFL starters Derrick Brown and Dexter Lawrence.

Georgia S Malaki Starks: There’s a reason Starks is projected to be Georgia’s first two-time All-America safety in more than 40 years. He’s a three-down defender who excels in pass coverage and isn’t afraid to lower his pads in run support. He had 52 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 pass breakups last season. He played much of the season with a shoulder injury and underwent offseason surgery.

LSU LB/DE Harold Perkins Jr.: The fact that Perkins piled up 75 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and an interception in 2023 — and the LSU fan base still complained (perhaps correctly) that he was being misused — shows how high his ceiling might be. Perkins was a stand-up pass rusher in 2022 and moved to inside linebacker as a sophomore; how he’ll be used this year remains to be seen. He weighed in at 225 pounds this offseason, which will only help his draft stock.

Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman: Stutsman is a big reason why the Sooners improved from 106th in the FBS in rushing defense (187.5) in 2022 to 44th (138.6) last season. Stutsman is a tackling machine with more than 100 stops in each of the past two seasons to go with six sacks and two forced fumbles. His return should help OU take another step forward under Venables.

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Must-see games

Notre Dame at Texas A&M, Aug. 31: It’s only the sixth all-time meeting between the schools and the first since the Aggies’ 24-3 victory in College Station in 2021. Elko was Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2017 before leaving to join Fisher’s staff at Texas A&M the next season.

Texas at Michigan, Sept. 7: One of the games of the season, certainly among nonconference contests. Both teams were in the playoff a year ago with Michigan winning it all, and both teams expect to be in contention again this season.

Tennessee at Oklahoma, Sept. 21: It’s Oklahoma’s SEC debut and a homecoming of sorts for Josh Heupel, who played quarterback for the Sooners and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000. But his exit as OU’s offensive coordinator in 2014 wasn’t his fondest memory as he was fired by Bob Stoops. Both teams have talented young quarterbacks in their first years as starters, Nico Iamaleava at Tennessee and Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma. It should be a wild atmosphere in Normanm with the winner making a major statement in the playoff chase.

Georgia at Alabama, Sept. 28: This will be only the fifth time in the past 20 years these SEC powerhouses have met in the regular season – five of their past six meetings have come in either the SEC championship game or CFP national championship game. Kalen DeBoer steps in for Nick Saban as Alabama’s coach, which will be a huge storyline, and there’s a chance this may be the first of multiple meetings between the schools with the playoff expanded to 12 teams.

Ole Miss at LSU, Oct. 12: The Rebels have flipped the script in the Magnolia Bowl under coach Lane Kiffin, winning two of the past three contests after losing the previous five. Last season, Ole Miss scored 21 points in the fourth quarter in a thrilling 55-49 victory. The teams combined for 1,343 yards of offense and 14 touchdowns. The Rebels haven’t won in Baton Rouge since a 31-13 victory in 2008.

Georgia at Texas, Oct. 19: The Bulldogs will be making their first trip to Austin since a 13-8 loss Sept. 20, 1958. It might be the first of multiple meetings between the projected top-five teams this season – if they’re as good as advertised. Texas has a 4-1 record in the series, including a 28-21 win in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 2019.

Texas at Texas A&M, Nov. 30: Finally, we get to see these teams go back at it after last playing in 2011. Fierce rivalries are what college football is all about, and it doesn’t get any fiercer than the Longhorns and Aggies. Texas A&M hasn’t beaten Texas in College Station since 2007, so Kyle Field will be ready for this one.

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Numbers to know

3: The last two LSU head coaches have won a national title in their third full seasons with the school — Ed Orgeron in 2019 and Les Miles in 2007. Brian Kelly is entering his third season at LSU.

.897: Career winning percentage of new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer (Sioux Falls, Fresno State, Washington)

16%: Percentage of Texas’ receiving yards from 2023 returning in 2024 — ESPN Stats & Information

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On the hot seat

Low: Billy Napier, Florida

Facing a brutal schedule, the hot seat only becomes hotter for Napier, who is trying to avoid a third straight losing season. Napier is confident this will be his best team at Florida, and it helps to have a veteran quarterback in Graham Mertz. But simply getting to 6-6 will be a real chore, which should be enough for Napier to keep his job. But then again, this is the SEC, where patience isn’t exactly abundant.

Schlabach: Sam Pittman, Arkansas

In December 2019, the Hogs gambled by hiring Pittman, a 58-year-old offensive line coach who had never had the top job at the FBS level. It paid dividends in Year 2, when Arkansas went 9-4 and Pittman was a finalist for national coach of the year. Since then, however, the Hogs are 11-14, 4-12 in the SEC. Pittman knows he needs to turn things around this season; he brought in former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino to run the offense and landed 22 transfers in the portal.

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Teams on the rise

Low: Tennessee

The Vols won 11 games in Josh Heupel’s second season and were in contention for a playoff berth. They won nine a year ago. Breaking through and making the playoff this season is a realistic expectation. If Iamaleava is as talented as the Vols think he is and the defense holds up, this may be Heupel’s best team.

Schlabach: Texas A&M

The Aggies lost a plethora of highly recruited players to the transfer portal, including defensive tackle Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) and receiver Evan Stewart (Oregon), but they still might be ready to take off if Mike Elko can sanitize the locker room chemistry and instill discipline. The program can’t get any more dysfunctional than it was under Jimbo Fisher the past couple of seasons. Quarterback Conner Weigman is more than capable of running the offense, and the defense added a few key playmakers, including Nic Scourton. There’s still plenty of five-star talent on the roster.

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Power rankings

1. Georgia: The Bulldogs are the only team in college football to have finished in the top seven of the final AP poll each of the past seven seasons.

2. Texas: The Longhorns are back — for real this time — and coach Steve Sarkisian has assembled enough talent to challenge Georgia, Alabama and the rest for an SEC title in Year 1 in the league.

3. Alabama: Kalen DeBoer ran to the challenge of replacing the legendary Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide have the pieces in place to be back in the playoff.

4. Ole Miss: The Rebels are coming off a school-record 11 victories in 2023, and coach Lane Kiffin has them positioned to perhaps go even higher in the SEC standings. Quarterback Jaxson Dart and a talented receiver corps should make for one of the league’s most potent offenses.

5. Missouri: The Tigers were one of the surprises in the SEC a year ago with 11 wins. They bring back the dynamic pass-catch combo of Brady Cook and Luther Burden III.

6. Tennessee: After not being relevant nationally for much of the 2000s, Tennessee has surged back into the upper half of the SEC under Josh Heupel and is looking for more.

7. LSU: The Tigers have capable replacements on offense, but the lingering question heading into preseason camp is whether they’ll be able to stop anyone on defense. If new coordinator Blake Baker pushes the right buttons, the Tigers could be a sleeper to make the CFP.

8. Oklahoma: In his third season at OU, Brent Venables likes the experience on this team, with many players having been in the program for three years now. The Sooners’ schedule in Year 1 in the SEC is challenging, to say the least.

9. Texas A&M: Mike Elko wasn’t as flashy of a hire as former coach Jimbo Fisher, but the former Duke head coach might be a better developer of talent and team building. He went 16-9 in two seasons with the Blue Devils, which isn’t easy.

10. Kentucky: Mark Stoops is the dean of SEC coaches, entering his 11th season at Kentucky. He’s won 10 games twice in his last five seasons, but is looking to regroup after going 7-6 a year ago and nearly being named the Texas A&M coach.

11. Auburn: The Tigers suffered heartbreaking losses to the SEC’s two best teams a year ago, Alabama and Georgia, in Hugh Freeze’s first season. He’s optimistic they will be more explosive in the passing game this season.

12. Florida: It feels like it’s now or never for Gators coach Billy Napier after his teams went 11-14 the past two seasons. If the Gators don’t improve dramatically on defense — they surrendered 33.6 points per game in conference play — they could be looking for a new head coach again.

13. Arkansas: Most Arkansas fans want Sam Pittman to succeed, and whether former Hogs head coach Bobby Petrino can turn around the offense might determine whether Pittman is back beyond 2024.

14. South Carolina: The Gamecocks put together winning seasons in each of Shane Beamer’s first two years in Columbia, but plummeted to 4-8 last season. First-year starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers has shown promise, but the battles on the line of scrimmage will be critical for South Carolina.

15. Mississippi State: Jeff Lebby is Mississippi State’s third head coach in three years. He’s had explosive offenses everywhere he’s been, and the Bulldogs will look to Baylor transfer quarterback Blake Shapen to help revive an offense that ranked 107th nationally in scoring last season.

16. Vanderbilt: Clark Lea is moving back as the primary playcaller on defense. The Commodores have won just three SEC games over the past five seasons but are excited to see what transfer quarterback Diego Pavia (New Mexico State) can do to rev up the offense.