SEC Football: Preview and Predictions for 2024 Season
Last year, the Southeastern Conference had to begrudgingly relinquish the national crown to the Michigan Wolverines and the Big Ten.
Now that both conferences have brought in intriguing reinforcements as conference expansion hits us full in the face, the SEC is determined to seize back the mantle as the nation's top conference.
The league welcomes perennial powerhouse programs Texas and Oklahoma into the fray, and while the Sooners have some growth still in store, the Longhorns enter the league built for a title run.
They join Georgia, which returns a loaded roster and is the national favorite entering the season. Unless you've been stranded on a desert island with Tom Hanks and Wilson, you know Nick Saban drove his Mercedes into the sunset and onto the ESPN College GameDay set. Kalen DeBoer is now calling the shots in Tuscaloosa.
Lane Kiffin retooled the Rebels through the portal, it's Nico time in Tennessee, Eli Drinkwitz wants to make it two stunning seasons in a row at Mizzou and LSU has to replace Jayden Daniels.
Storylines abound in the league, so here's everything you need to know about the 2024 SEC season.
Best Players
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As always, there's a ton of star power in the SEC. When you recruit the way the league consistently does, there are elite players all over the place, and there are too many to mention.
The quarterback group is stellar with Georgia's Carson Beck leading the way, along with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Texas' Quinn Ewers, Missouri's Brady Cook, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava and Texas A&M's Conner Weigman.
Offensive skill-position players like electrifying Missouri WR Luther Burden III, Texas WR Isaiah Bond, Ole Miss WR Tre Harris, South Carolina RB Rocket Sanders, Oklahoma WR Deion Burks, Georgia RB Trevor Etienne, Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter, Arkansas RB Ja'Quinden Jackson and Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson.
Dominant offensive linemen like Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. (LSU), Earnest Greene II and Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Cooper Mays and Lance Heard (Tennessee), Tyler Booker and Parker Brailsford (Alabama) pave the way for those guys and are elite protectors.
Perhaps the biggest star power resides on the defensive side, though. Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. is a dynamic edge-rusher who could be the top pick in next year's NFL draft.
Behind him are some fantastic playmakers like Georgia safety Malaki Starks, Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr., LSU star OLB Harold Perkins Jr., Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman and Kentucky DT Deone Walker.
They may be a rung lower, but Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner, Ole Miss transfers Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen, Georgia's Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, Alabama defensive back trio Malachi Moore, Keon Sabb and Domani Jackson, Texas' Trey Moore, Arkansas edge Landon Jackson and Oklahoma DB Billy Bowman Jr. are stout.
When it comes to freshmen to watch, Alabama DB Zabien Brown and WR Ryan Williams, Tennessee DB Boo Carter, Auburn WR Cam Coleman, Texas A&M WR/DB Terry Bussey, Georgia DBs Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden, Mizzou's Williams Nwaneri and South Carolina edge Dylan Stewart should lead the way.
Top Storylines
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Red River Rockin' the SEC
Nobody toots its horn like the big, bad SEC. The league is perennially the best in the country, and it lets everybody know it.
Is there a better fit than adding regal, self-important Texas and Oklahoma? The Longhorns even had their own network, after all.
All jokes aside, the Longhorns and Sooners are great additions for the SEC, and not only will their rowdy fans fit in, but both programs also have the recruiting pedigree to have staying power. Texas should battle for the league title—maybe even the national title—right away.
Replacing the Nick-tator
Nick Saban dominated the SEC and the national college football scene for years. Then, suddenly, he called it quits, leaving Alabama with a ton of question marks and a maelstrom of transfers.
When everything cleared, though, the Crimson Tide still have one of the nation's two most talented rosters, and they landed Kalen DeBoer from Washington, who has done nothing but win big at every stop and is coming off a national runner-up finish with the Huskies.
Bama hasn't dipped much in recruiting, and the Tide have so much talent from the years of Saban stacking classes, so it should be a pretty seamless transition. DeBoer was handed the keys to a dynasty, and everybody is watching to see how he handles it.
Georgia's War Path
Nobody really expected Alabama to upset Georgia in the SEC championship game last year, but one bad half led to the Bulldogs' only loss in three years, and it kept them out of the College Football Playoff when, without question, UGA was one of the nation's top four teams.
On one hand, you've got to win the important ones. But the Dawgs should have a chip on their shoulder this season.
With loads of NFL prospects on both sides of the ball, this Dawgs team can beat you any way. It's possible this will be coach Kirby Smart's deepest, most talented team. Can anybody topple them?
Young Guns
Nobody expects Arch Manning to unseat Quinn Ewers at Texas right now, but the biggest-name recruit of the past decade is ready. If Ewers slips a bit with inconsistency or gets hurt, the Manning era will start in Austin.
He has looked terrific this preseason, by all accounts.
Then there are a couple of redshirt freshmen in Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold, who are former 5-stars with the ability to be two of the top playmakers in all of college football.
Conner Weigman is still a sophomore at Texas A&M and, coming off injury, you may not remember him. Well, you'll get to know him very soon. He is a winner and is playing for a great first-year coach.
Top Challengers
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Tier 1: Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss
Figuring out whether there are contenders in the SEC isn't the big issue here. There are several. The struggle is finding out which ones are the real deal and which others are just good teams that are on the cusp of greatness.
There's no question Georgia is the most talented team in the conference and likely the country. Waves of talent abound on the defensive side of the ball at every level, and with the quarterback-running back duo of Carson Beck and Travis Etienne, the offense is in good shape, too.
Texas made the College Football Playoff a season ago and could be there again this year, but it's going to be much tougher since the Longhorns lost running backs CJ Baxter and Christian Clark. They still have Jaydon Blue, Jerrick Gibson, SMU transfer Velton Gardner and Tre Wisner, but losing Baxter hurts.
Don't expect Alabama to fall off much in the post-Nick Saban era with all the talent he left over, and Lane Kiffin added so much firepower in the transfer portal, the Rebels are a threat, even without Quinshon Judkins. This should be the league's top four.
Tier 2: Missouri, Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
Last year, Mizzou finished a historic season by beating Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and the Tigers are recruiting extremely well and return quarterback Brady Cook, receiver Luther Burden III and plenty of defensive talent.
Between them, the Vols and the LSU Bayou Bengals, any of those three could creep into the top tier. The Aggies, Sooners and Wildcats have that potential, too.
Tennessee is banking on redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava to live up to his recruiting hype, and he has looked brilliant so far in fall camp. OU needs Jackson Arnold to do the same, and LSU is seeking what life will look like in the post-Jayden Daniels era.
Any of those teams could have big years. Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina are longer shots, but they could hang around, too. They'd probably be a tier below this one.
Coaches on the Hot Seat
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Sam Pittman, Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks likely already would have fired Pittman if he wasn't so dadgum likable. Plus, Pittman is one of the most brilliant offensive line minds in the nation.
But he hasn't proven he can be "The Man" leading his own program.
After a 9-4 '21 season, the Hogs are 4-8 in their past 12 conference games. They keep getting gutted every season by the transfer portal, and Pittman is turning to one of the twist-iest, turn-iest decisions in the nation to help save his job, luring ex-Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino back to Fayetteville to try to transform the offense.
If things turn south quickly, though, Pittman likely won't make it through the season.
Billy Napier, Florida Gators
At places like Gainesville, you have to win now. If not, you're gone. It's as simple as that.
Since the halcyon days of Urban Meyer, the Gators have wandered through the wilderness with coaches like Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain, Dan Mullen and now Napier, who simply hasn't won at all.
This is just the third year of a seven-year contract, and though his buyout would be massive, you just can't go 11-14 at UF. Now, even though Napier believes he's almost got the sea legs under his program, he has a brutal record, highlighted (lowlighted?) by a stretch that includes Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State.
Another losing season, and Napier is likely gone.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores
It seemed like a great hire at the time when the Commodores plucked former player Lea from his defensive coordinator position at Notre Dame to replace ousted coach Derek Mason.
But even though it's brutally tough to win on the West End of Nashville, Lea hasn't been very competitive at all. Bookend 2-10 seasons sandwiched around a 5-7 '22 campaign isn't going to get it done. And any time Vandy has a great player, he seems to leave for another school.
Lea seems like an old-school, hard-nosed coach who wants to do things the right way. But you ultimately have to win football games, and Lea isn't doing it.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks
Prior to last season, Beamer was being talked about as one of the biggest, most buzz-worthy coaches in the country. The end of a '22 season when the Gamecocks got hot and knocked off Tennessee and Clemson had Beamer's star rising.
Then came the 2023 year, and injuries decimated the team. The Gamecocks tumbled to 5-7 and failed to make a bowl game for the first time in his three seasons, despite having quarterback Spencer Rattler under center.
The Gamecocks have a brutal schedule with seven ranked teams, including a stretch from October 5 through November 2 where they play No. 6 Ole Miss, travel to No. 5 Alabama and No. 16 Oklahoma and then host No. 20 Texas A&M.
Will he survive another losing season?
Best Games on Tap
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Non-Conference Games
Aug. 31: Clemson vs. Georgia; Miami at Florida; Notre Dame at Texas A&M
Sep. 1: USC vs. LSU
Sep. 7: Texas at Michigan; Arkansas at Oklahoma State; South Florida at Alabama; Tennessee vs. North Carolina State
Sep. 14: Alabama at Wisconsin
Sep. 21: UCLA at LSU
Oct. 5: UCF at Florida
Nov. 29: Georgia Tech at Georgia
Nov. 30: Florida at Florida State; South Carolina at Clemson; Louisville at Kentucky
Can you say "loaded?"
The SEC has a slew of elite programs, and they aren't afraid of playing big-name, out-of-conference teams, either. This is what you can a terrific slate of action starting from the very first weekend.
The Clemson-Georgia game in Atlanta, renewal of the Miami-Florida rivalry, intriguing matchup of former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko starting his Texas A&M head coaching career against his former Fighting Irish team and then USC-LSU to cap everything off is a cornucopia of glory to start us off.
The blue-blood battle of Texas traveling to the Big House on Week 2 is must-see TV, while Tennessee will head to Charlotte to take on a Wolfpack team that has revamped its offense.
Alabama-Wisconsin, UCLA-LSU and UCF-Florida are other interesting games interspersed among conference games that will take us to rivalry weekend to close the season.
Top Conference Tilts
Sep. 14: LSU at South Carolina; Texas A&M at Florida; Georgia at Kentucky
Sep. 21: Tennessee at Oklahoma
Sep. 28: Oklahoma at Auburn; Georgia at Alabama
Oct. 5: Auburn at Georgia; Missouri at Texas A&M
Oct. 12: Ole Miss at LSU; Texas vs. Oklahoma; Florida at Tennessee
Oct. 19: Georgia at Texas; Alabama at Tennessee
Oct. 26: Missouri at Alabama; Oklahoma at Ole Miss; LSU at Texas A&M
Nov. 2: Florida at Georgia
Nov. 9: Georgia at Ole Miss; Alabama & LSU; Oklahoma at Missouri; Florida at Texas
Nov. 16: Tennessee at Georgia; Missouri at South Carolina; LSU at Florida
Nov. 23: Alabama at Oklahoma; Texas A&M at Auburn; Ole Miss at Florida
Nov. 29: Mississippi State at Ole Miss; Georgia Tech at Georgia
Nov. 30: Texas at Texas A&M; Auburn at Alabama; Oklahoma at LSU
There are simply too many to mention here, but if you zero in on four huge weekends, it will help you refocus your attention.
The conference season really begins to heat up at the end of September when the Dawgs head to Tuscaloosa in a grudge-match replay of last year's conference title game. After hosting Tennessee the week before, the Sooners go to Auburn.
October sees major conference ramification weekends throughout. Oct. 12 is a huge weekend with Ole Miss-LSU, Texas-Oklahoma and Florida-Tennessee. Everybody wants to see the two games on the 19th when Georgia heads to Austin and the Third Saturday in October kicks off in Knoxville. Then, check out the three intriguing games the next weekend.
Waves and waves of action you can't miss are etched in every weekend. It's going to be a gauntlet to get out of the league unscathed.
Best Offense: Tennessee Volunteers
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Remember two years ago when Hendon Hooker was patrolling the Tennessee Volunteers' backfield and the offense went at warp speed? That's kind of what coach Josh Heupel envisions this season.
Last year, Joe Milton III didn't survey the field nearly as quickly as his predecessor, and Tennessee struggled to make explosive passing plays after Bru McCoy was lost for the season and Dont'e Thornton didn't live up to what they'd hoped for after the Vols got him from the transfer portal.
Neither will be the case this season.
Everybody is excited to see redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava lead the offense, and even if he's not perfect, his athleticism can make up for some of the missteps. With McCoy back and Thornton flashing again, the receiving corps should be the deepest in the SEC.
Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell II, Squirrel White and several others could have big years. Tennessee upgraded the tight end room in a big way, and the return of all-purpose back Dylan Sampson could mean another blazing offense.
The Vols need to stay healthy along the offensive front, but with LSU having to replace Jayden Daniels, UT will light up the scoreboard with the best of them. Georgia, Alabama and Texas could just as easily make this list, too.
But you never count out Heupel's offense, and Iamaleava is the perfect maestro.
Best Defense: Georgia Bulldogs
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Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Georgia Bulldogs have a championship-caliber defense.
That shouldn't be too difficult to believe with defensive-minded Kirby Smart leading the way, even in the post-Dan Lanning era as defensive coordinator. The Bulldogs haven't missed a beat, and that's what you get when you stack elite classes the way the Dawgs have.
UGA rarely has stat-packing playmakers due to the balance of the stars at every level, but the red-and-black can just throw waves of 5-star-caliber players at quarterbacks.
Without a doubt, the most talented player on the defense mans the back end, and that is Malaki Starks. He will have plenty of help, too, including from the true freshman duo of Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden.
Outside linebacker Mykel Williams has as much talent as any second-level defender in the SEC, and he can get after quarterbacks and do anything you want from a linebacker. He leads a group that includes guys like Smael Mondon, CJ Allen and Jalon Walker.
The linebackers should be the strength of a team full of them.
When you talk about the defensive line, the Dawgs are loaded at nose tackle and defensive end, but they have a bunch of questions at defensive tackle. Of course, there are a bunch of highly-regarded players, but nobody has proved it yet on the field.
Get that spot figured out, and UGA could have the nation's top unit.
Projected Standings
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Bowl-Eligible Teams
Georgia (12-0, 8-0 conference)
Texas (11-1, 7-1)
Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2)
Tennessee (10-2, 6-2)
Alabama (9-3, 5-3)
Oklahoma (9-3, 5-3)
Missouri (9-3, 5-3)
LSU (9-3, 5-3)
Auburn (8-4, 4-4)
Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3)
Kentucky (7-5, 3-5)
Florida (6-6, 3-5)
Watching Postseason
South Carolina (5-7, 2-6)
Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7)
Vanderbilt (3-9, 0-8)
Arkansas (3-9, 0-8)
Projected SEC Championship: Texas vs. Georgia
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The SEC could go any number of ways this year, but the universal feeling is the Georgia Bulldogs are the best in the league as well as the country.
You'll get no argument from us here, either. The Dawgs just have so much talent, and they easily could be coming off a three-peat. Instead, they'll try to make it three national titles in four seasons.
But who will play them?
Ole Miss is loaded after owning the transfer portal, but how much will Lane Kiffin be able to cobble together chemistry? Tennessee has a ton of offensive talent, but it's hard to envision a first-year quarterback not making a crucial mistake at some point. Alabama has the nation's most talented roster, but you just can't replace Nick Saban.
Even though Texas has questions (most notably running back depth), the Longhorns are coming off a College Football Playoff run a year ago, and there's no reason to think they can't get back there this year. A rugged SEC schedule will be a challenge, but Steve Sarkisian's team is built for it.
The popular pick is Bulldogs-Horns, and it's the safe one. If this happens, though, look for UGA to waltz unbeaten into the playoffs.
