We've broken the SEC down into four tiers heading into the 2025 football season. With spring practice over and the Transfer Portal closed, we have a good idea of what teams are going to look like this season.
We examined the bottom-feeders - the tier filled with teams who have no shot of winning the SEC this season or making the College Football Playoff no matter how the ball bounces.
We then examined the teams that probably wouldn't win the league but had a puncher's chance with some fortuitous bounces and injury-luck.
Now, we finally get to discuss the real contenders. From my perspective, there are seven legitimate contenders in the SEC this season. We've broken the contenders into two tiers, though. We have our "contenders" - the teams that could make the playoff or even win the league. Those teams are a step below the the top tier, however, which are what I view as the three true elite teams in the SEC this year.
They could jump into that elite tier, though. For now, they'll have to be happy with contender status.
These four teams are legitimate SEC contenders, though not quite elite
LSU Tigers
Brian Kelly pulled together an impressive Transfer Portal class and has a veteran QB in Garrett Nussmeier leading the charge. The Tigers are the first team left out of the "elite" tier and could make me regret that decision immediately if they can knock off Clemson in the season opener.
This is a make-or-break year for Kelly. LSU hasn't reached the heights he was hired to reach yet. Anything short of a College Football Playoff berth would be a disappointment in Baton Rouge and could serve to place him squarely on the hot seat.
The one big question mark for the Tigers is on the offensive line. They're young and inexperienced up front. If the line comes together, then LSU is probably a playoff team. If it doesn't, it could derail a promising season.
South Carolina Gamecocks
A lot of the preseason hype for South Carolina is due to a Heisman contender at QB in LaNorris Sellers. Sellers helped the Gamecocks to an impressive finish to the 2024 season as South Carolina narrowly missed a berth into the College Football Playoff. That will be the main goal for Shane Beamer's team in 2025.
They added South Alabama's Rahsul Faison at RB in the Transfer Portal, giving them a dynamic running backfield with him and Sellers. They've got talent at WR and should be difficult to deal with offensively.
The Gamecocks should be good defensively again, too. Dylan Stewart returns after an impressive freshman season, and Beamer landed Demon Clowney in the Transfer Portal to replace the production of Kyle Kennard.
Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin missed a golden opportunity with Ole Miss to make the playoff last season and will probably regret it for a long time. The Rebels had one of the most talented rosters in the country last season and had no business losing three games.
For this year, while Ole Miss doesn't look as talented as they did a year ago, they could still make a run. A lot will depend on Jaxson Dart's replacement, rising sophomore Austin Simmons. Simmons looked impressive in limited playing time a year ago, but now it all rests on his shoulders.
If he's a star, then the Rebels will make a push. If he's not, then this could be more of a transition year in Oxford.
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M ran out of gas down the stretch last season, but Mike Elko seems to have the ball rolling in the right direction in College Station. Like Ole Miss, 2025 will depend a lot on what they get out of the QB position.
Marcel Reed is one of the most dynamic running QBs in the country, but has he grown enough as a passer to maintain offensive balance? He should have plenty of help at WR as the Aggies added NC State's KC Concepcion and Mississippi State's Mario Craver in the Transfer Portal.
We know Elko will field an aggressive defense, but if the Aggies want to be a legitimate threat in the SEC, Reed will have to make that leap.