Roster building will continue for many SEC football teams into late summer. There is no single date for when 2025 rosters must be finalized. Cutoffs for programs are tied to each school's final date to enroll for Fall classes. Even without rosters being set, enough is known to begin projecting the SEC's best teams for the 2025-26 season.
The rankings below are subjective, with a little consideration for Strength of Schedule. They do not directly predict season records, in favor of an effort to rank the SEC's best to worst teams next November. They are also heavily skewed in favor of the teams having the potentially best quarterbacks.
2025 SEC Football Bottom Tier
- No. 16 - Kentucky Wildcats - After a 4-8 2024 season, not many Wildcat fans are optimistic about 2025. Mark Stoops has done a great job for Kentucky, but now he is an anachronism. He is a 'defense' coach in an SEC that has become an 'offense' league. The Cats have done well in the offseason Portal, but have one glaring deficiency. Only a 'defensive-centric' head coach could feel good with Zach Calzada as his starting quarterback. Calzada will play a seventh college season in Lexington. Three seasons at Texas A&M gave him stats of 55.7% completions with 19 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. During an injury-impacted season at Auburn, he played in no games, followed by two seasons at Incarnate Word.
- No. 15 - Mississippi State Bulldogs - Many teams improve in their head coach's second season. That will happen in Starkville. The Bulldogs will be better under Jeff Lebby, but not good enough to rise above the SEC's bottom tier.