Way-Too-Early 2016 SEC Football Power Rankings
Alabama is fresh off the airplane after toppling Clemson 45-40 in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night, but it's never too early to start breaking down the 2016 season.
Will the Crimson Tide win their third straight SEC title? Who else will compete for the playoff? Which teams will regress?
Our way-too-early 2016 power rankings based on talent, returning starters and trajectory are in this slideshow.
14. Kentucky Wildcats
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It's a critical year for Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, who has seen his team suffer midseason swoons after hot starts in each of the last two seasons. He's 12-24 in his three years in Lexington, has not made a bowl game and has to earn a postseason berth in 2016 to avoid putting himself in jeopardy.
Drew Barker should earn the starting nod at quarterback after stepping in late in the 2015 season. The 6'3", 225-pounder completed just 50 percent of his passes (35-of-70) last year for 364 yards, one touchdown and two picks. A big part of Kentucky's passing-game struggles was a remarkable lack of development from the Wildcat wide receivers, which is job No. 1 for first-year coordinator Eddie Gran.
Stanley "Boom" Williams and Jojo Kemp are solid running backs to build around, but they need help from the passing attack.
Defensively, the Wildcats lose six of the top seven tacklers off of a squad that finished 12th in the SEC in total defense.
Yikes.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks
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First-year head coach Will Muschamp has assembled a solid staff that includes super-recruiters Travaris Robinson at defensive coordinator, Shawn Elliot as the offensive line coach and Bryan McClendon as wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator alongside Kurt Roper.
That recruiting prowess will help South Carolina in the long run, but it will be a long and winding road to get back to division relevance.
The Gamecocks need to find a quarterback out of a group that consists of Connor Mitch, Lorenzo Nunez, Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia and Brandon McIlwain, have major personnel problems in the front seven outside of stud linebacker Skai Moore and will be without stud playmaker Pharoh Cooper in 2016.
If Muschamp can lead the program to a bowl game in 2016, Gamecock fans should be pumped.
12. Missouri Tigers
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The good news for Missouri is that stud defensive linemen Charles Harris, Walter Brady and Terry Beckner Jr. all will be back in 2016 for new defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross; as should Harold Brantley, who missed all of last season after a car accident in the summer.
The bad news is that, from an offensive standpoint, new head coach Barry Odom doesn't have a lot to work with. Maty Mauk and Drew Lock will compete for the starting job at quarterback, but neither has done a lot to inspire confidence during their respective careers. Running back Russell Hansbrough is gone, and no wide receivers have stepped up to become consistent downfield threats.
Missouri missed out on a bowl game in 2015 due to a stagnant offense, and first-year coordinator Josh Heupel will have his work cut out for him to fix things in 2016.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. Vanderbilt Commodores
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A funny thing happened prior to the 2015 season that not enough people paid attention to—Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason made the hire of the offseason by naming himself the defensive coordinator of the Commodores.
All they did was give up 350.5 yards per game, 5.17 yards per play and 21 points per game (sixth in the conference in all categories). Linebacker Zach Cunningham established himself as a bona fide star that nobody talks about, the third-down defense was exceptional (28.16 percent, second in the conference) and the foundation of the program's future was laid.
On top of that, quarterback Kyle Shurmur got valuable snaps down the stretch, running back Ralph Webb rushed for 1,152 yards in a decidedly one-dimensional offense and the 'Dores stayed competitive against teams with huge talent advantages.
A bowl game in 2016? Don't discount that possibility.
10. Texas A&M Aggies
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To call Texas A&M a mess this offseason might actually be a compliment. The Aggies lost two former 5-star quarterbacks when Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray decided to leave the program, head coach Kevin Sumlin has come under enormous fire and that $5 million per year paycheck doesn't look like a very wise investment after a second straight midseason offensive swoon.
The Aggies added former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight this offseason to battle with Jake Hubenak, and the addition of Noel Mazzone at offensive coordinator in place of Jake Spavital is progress.
But will the offense be more physical? Will they be as tough as Mazzone wants? Will they find quarterback consistency? At this point, we have to see it to believe it.
The defense should be fine with established stars like Myles Garrett, Daeshon Hall, Armani Watts and Daylon Mack. But it might not be enough to get the Aggies back into contention in the division if the offense can't hold up its end of the bargain.
9. Auburn Tigers
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It's a critical year for Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, and he will enter it with enough quarterback problems to fill Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Jeremy Johnson and Sean White will be joined by junior college transfer John Franklin III and true freshman Woody Barrett—both dual-threat QBs—this offseason to try to stabilize a position that was completely out of whack last season.
Will Malzahn go back to more of a running threat? Do you trust his judgement at the position at this point? Both questions can't be answered, which makes Auburn one of the most mysterious teams in the conference this offseason.
The good news for Malzahn is that the talented duo of running backs Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson will be back to keep the Tigers running game going strong.
Defensively, the return of Carl Lawson is huge, Byron Cowart should develop into a force and defensive back Carlton Davis was awesome as a freshman in 2015. New coordinator Kevin Steele won't change much on a defense that closed strong against Memphis and gave up just 4.66 yards per play in November and December.
8. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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Without Dak Prescott, does Mississippi State have a problem?
Sure, but I'm not convinced that it's as big a problem as it will be made out to be this offseason. Nick Fitzgerald scored six touchdowns as a backup in 2015 (three rushing, three passing), and as a dual-threat quarterback with many of the same attributes as Prescott, the 2016 Bulldogs offense shouldn't change all that much.
They still have stud receiver Fred Ross outside and a talented stable of running backs to help out on the ground.
Defensively, there are questions. But head coach Dan Mullen did just fine answering those questions a year ago, and leading tackler Richie Brown will undoubtedly make sure the new contributors are in the right spots to succeed.
7. Florida Gators
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Florida earned a spot in the SEC Championship Game in Year 1 for head coach Jim McElwain, but will enter 2016 with even more questions than it did in 2015.
Treon Harris struggled down the stretch, running back Kelvin Taylor jumped to the NFL, the offensive line regressed in November and the defense will be without studs Jonathan Bullard, Vernon Hargreaves III, Keanu Neal and Antonio Morrison.
Cornerback Jalen Tabor is a star, as are linebacker Jarrad Davis and defensive end Cece Jefferson. The defense should still be solid, but that might not be enough to keep the Gators competitive in the SEC East if the offense doesn't help out a bit.
The division is wide-open and the Gators should be in the conversation, but it's hard to trust them due to the roster losses and the three-game losing streak to end the 2015 season.
6. LSU Tigers
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Will the story of the 2016 LSU Tigers be any different than the story of the 2015 edition?
Probably not.
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will likely be back, according to Ross Dellenger of the Advocate, so expect more "Leonard Fournette left" and "Leonard Fournette right" without any semblance of a passing attack. That nearly got head coach Les Miles canned at the end of the 2015 season. Unless Brandon Harris improves or Purdue transfer Danny Etling is a miracle-worker, another disappointing season should be in the works.
Defensively, new coordinator David Aranda has a solid foundation to work with thanks to the emergence of stud defensive end Arden Key, tackles Davon Godchaux and Christian LaCouture, safety Jamal Adams and possibly linebacker Kendell Beckwith if he stays in school.
Will that defense be enough to vault the Tigers back into division title contention? That's up to Cameron and the offense, which did not hold up their end of the deal over the last two seasons.
5. Arkansas Razorbacks
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Don't get caught up on the major departures for Arkansas this offseason, because the 2016 Hogs will be just fine. Sure, running back Alex Collins was awesome, offensive lineman Denver Kirkland was a monster and quarterback Brandon Allen closed out his career about as hot as a quarterback can possibly be.
Kody Walker was solid behind Collins last year with 394 yards and six touchdowns, Devwah Whaley is a future star and Rawleigh Williams could be back from the neck injury suffered against Auburn. What's the one certainty with Bret Bielema-coached teams? They run the football.
At quarterback, Austin Allen, Ty Storey, Rafe Peavey and USC transfer Ricky Town all have plenty of upside, and coordinator Dan Enos certainly has a track record of success in developing quarterbacks.
The defense will be fine under Robb Smith, and the Hogs should be in the conversation for the SEC West title.
4. Georgia Bulldogs
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Georgia won 10 games in 2015 with as minimal of a downfield threat in the passing game as possible, lost its best player in running back Nick Chubb in early October and had an offensive line that, while talented, underwhelmed for the majority of the season.
A fresh start with first-year head coach Kirby Smart should vault the Bulldogs back into contention provided that Chubb returns at 100 percent. Hot shot early enrollee Jacob Eason will eventually be the starting quarterback, and could earn the nod from Day 1. Even if he doesn't, at least Greyson Lambert proved to be a somewhat decent caretaker in 2015, which is more than most teams in the division can say.
Defensively, Smart and new coordinator Mel Tucker have a good foundation with linebacker Lorenzo Carter, tackle Trenton Thompson and defensive back Dominick Sanders among a veteran group returning.
If Georgia can stay healthy, another 10-win season (including the bowl game) and a return trip to SEC East contention is likely.
3. Ole Miss Rebels
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Losing talented players like offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is a challenge for Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze to overcome, but certainly not an impossible one.
The Rebels still have veteran receivers Quincy Adeboyejo and Damore'ea Stringfellow returning, Van Jefferson and Damarkus Lodge are future stars and players like Breeland Speaks and Marquis Haynes never get enough credit for their work up front on the defensive line.
With quarterback Chad Kelly returning with a ton of experience under his belt and a tradition of success already established after back-to-back New Year's Six bowl berths, Ole Miss should be in the College Football Playoff discussion in 2016.
"In four short years, Hugh Freeze has taken Ole Miss Football from the bottom of the SEC to one of the premier programs in college football," athletics director Ross Bjork said earlier this month, according to Ole Miss' official site. "Coach Freeze is a unique leader who has the ability to develop young men both on and off the field."
2. Tennessee Volunteers
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First, before you head to the comments section and complain about annual offseason hype, remember that I pointed out last week that the Vols have been picked higher than fourth in the SEC East just once since 2010 and haven't been picked to win the division since 2005.
They should be picked to win the division in 2016.
Head coach Butch Jones returns a dangerous multidimensional rushing attack with quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, an offensive line that has four starters returning among others who got playing time last year and a stout defense led by Jalen Reeves-Maybin and defensive end Derek Barnett.
The wide receivers need to develop, which is the one glaring piece of the puzzle that hasn't been put into place on Rocky Top. Despite that, they nearly won the division last year and should be the first team mentioned in that discussion entering 2016.
"Early 2016 Top 25 from @slmandel has Tennessee at No. 11: https://t.co/ow8koFKk4s
— Josh and Will (@sports180) January 12, 2016"
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
14 of 14Of course the two-time defending SEC champion and reigning national champion Alabama Crimson Tide will enter the 2016 as the favorite to win the conference.
After what they did the last two seasons, why wouldn't they be?
They'll lose a ton in the front seven, but the one thing we know about Alabama's defense is that it's absolutely loaded up front, and many of those players like Daron Payne, Reuben Foster and Ryan Anderson were a big part of the rotation in 2015.
Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris will be fine at running back for coordinator Lane Kiffin, wide receiver Calvin Ridley established himself as a star as a true freshman and Kiffin's work with Blake Sims and Jake Coker over the last two years should give everybody a ton of confidence that the new starter—likely redshirt freshman Blake Barnett—will be just fine.
Lather, rinse, repeat for the Crimson Tide.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
