2023 SEC Preseason Power Rankings: Georgia is the obvious top-ranked team but who should hold the No. 2 spot?
We’re a little more than a month away from the official start of the 2023 college football season. Rejoice!
With various media days wrapping up around the country, it’s time to release our updated preseason 2023 Power Rankings for each P5 conference just before the start of fall camp. We kickstart the series with the SEC, which recently concluded an action-packed four days in Nashville.
It’s no surprise that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are the overwhelming pick to win the league, but who should represent the West Division is a contentious debate. Meanwhile, the rest of the league looks like a muddled mess. Here are my 2023 SEC Preseason Power Rankings:
1. Georgia
The reigning back-to-back national champions are hoping to do something that hasn’t happened in college football in almost 90 years— three-peat. With perhaps the best 1-85 roster in America, the Bulldogs are the favorites to buck history — as their outlier ‘COVID baby’ class could spur their quest for a dynasty.
UGA’s offseason has been marred by multiple speeding incidents, including the tragic death of offensive lineman Devin Whitlock and a recruiting staffer, but Kirby Smart is adamant his program has no culture issues and has promised to fix the problem. With a cupcake schedule, Georgia likely won’t be challenged until the SEC Championship on the first weekend of December.
2. Alabama
In a bit of a surprise, Alabama was the media’s pick to win the SEC West in 2023, and while (the collective we) didn’t provide Nick Saban the tasty rat poison he so desires, it’s clear that this Tide team is fueled by the notion the program is slipping.
After signing the best recruiting class in modern history, the Crimson Tide have more former 4- and 5-star recruits on their roster than any team in America. If they can sort out their quarterback quandry, then Alabama absolutely could find itself back in the SEC Championship.
3. LSU
Brian Kelly exceeded expectations in Year 1 with the Tigers, and LSU has the look of a potential national title team with the return of quarterback Jayden Daniels, the SEC’s best collection of wideouts, all five starting offensive linemen and perhaps the top 1-2 defensive players in the conference in sophomore phenom Harold Perkins Jr. and former 5-star DL Maason Smith.
And yet, LSU’s second-year head coach has spent much of the offseason tapping the breaks on LSU’s title hopes, saying he believes the program is “a year away” from bridging the gap with the likes of Georgia and Alabama. Maybe Kelly is sandbagging the Tigers’ chances this fall, or maybe he’s right to be concerned about a lack of depth at several key spots.
4. Tennessee
Fresh off their best season in more than two decades, the Vols have no intention of taking a step backward in 2023 — openly declaring a “win the east” or bust type season. Tennessee must replace a ton of offensive production, but there’s confidence that Joe Milton, a trio of solid tailbacks and wideouts Squirrel White and Bru McCoy will just keep the Big Orange offensive locomotive humming.
If the defense, particularly the secondary, shows signs of improvement, Tennessee could win double-digit games for just the second time since 2007.
5. Texas A&M
Jimbo Fisher continues to squirm every time he’s asked about Bobby Petrino’s role on Texas A&M’s offensive staff. And although it remains unclear exactly how the marriage will unfold, the talent is there for the Aggies to make a seismic leap this fall.
Conner Weigman and Evan Stewart should blossom as sophomores, and Texas A&M’s defense — from a front-four stocked with 5-stars to a talented secondary — could emerge as one of the Top 5 units in the league if it plays with more consistency. The pressure is on Fisher to deliver a major bounce-back season.
6. Arkansas
The Razorbacks return the top QB in the league in KJ Jefferson, as well as star tailback Rocket Sanders, giving the Hogs a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield. Arkansas’ defense — at edge, linebacker and in the secondary — has been completely rebuilt through the transfer portal.
Sam Pittman overhauled his coaching staff this offseason, too, and he went back to what worked so well during Arkansas’ 9-4 season in 2021: Physical practices, including tackling in spring scrimmages and during fall camp.
7. Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin did a brilliant job avoiding any material talk about his Rebels’ team at SEC Media Days, but he has one of the more intriguing squads in the league this fall.
Ole Miss brings back perhaps the top tailback in the country in Quinshon Judkins, and the roster looks totally different at OL, DL and DB thanks to Kiffin’s aggressiveness in the portal. Jaxson Dart projects as Ole Miss’ QB1 and former Alabama DC Pete Golding was brought in to improve a defense that really struggled against top-fight competition last fall. The Rebels might be the quintessential team that is better than it was a year ago … only the record doesn’t equate because the schedule is harder.
8. Kentucky
Very quietly, Mark Stoops landed one of the more impactful transfer hauls this offseason, adding key pieces like NC State quarterback Devin Leary, Vandy tailback Ray Davis, several projected defensive starters and offensive tackle Marques Cox.
Liam Coen is back as OC, and if the UK’s famed ‘Big Blue Wall’ has been rebuilt, then the Wildcats have the team (and schedule) to finish as high as No. 2 in the SEC East in 2023.
9. South Carolina
Coming off a momentous end to the 2022 season, the Gamecocks have high hopes this fall. Shane Beamer is optimistic South Carolina will continue to climb the SEC standings, especially with the return of quarterback Spencer Rattler and wideout Juice Wells.
The Gamecocks have a brutal schedule — eight SEC games plus non-conference dates with North Carolina and Clemson — and their season success likely hinges on an offensive line that was bad in 2022 (third-most sacks allowed in the SEC last season) playing better despite losing starting left tackle Jaylen Nichols to a potential season-ending injury in the spring game.
10. Auburn
Hugh Freeze and the Tigers are going to catch a team (or two) this fall. Auburn is still at least a year away from actually competing for a top spot in the SEC, but in short order, Freeze has positioned the Tigers to be a bowl team in 2023.
The Tigers have completely overhauled their offensive line, defensive line, pass rusher unit and linebacking core thanks to the transfer portal. They still have questions at wideout, plus a quarterback battle to sort out, but the feeling around Auburn’s program is a complete 180 compared to this time a year ago. Regardless of what happens this fall, this is a program to buy stock in for the future — especially in a division-less SEC and a 12-team playoff.
11. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are perhaps the hardest team to handicap in the SEC in 2023. They project to start 19 of 22 seniors on offense and defense — the most experienced roster in America. Veteran quarterback Will Rogers is back to lead a rebranded attack that is pivoting away from Mike Leach’s Air Raid scheme, while promoted head coach Zach Arnett will still oversee a defense that should be one of the better units in the conference.
And yet, questions linger on how the transition from DC to head coach will go for Arnett. What will new OC Kevin Barbay‘s offense actually look like? Can the Bulldogs overcome major losses in the secondary (four starters), including first-round pick cornerback Emmanuel Forbes?
12. Florida
If you look at recruiting rankings, the Gators look like they’re poised for future success under Billy Napier & Co., but peak at the oddsmakers’ preseason 2023 win-total — 5.5 — and alarm bells start to go off.
Fresh of a 6-7 season, Florida cannot miss going to a bowl game this fall, and yet the schedule is brutal (opener at Pac-12 champs Utah, plus games against likely Top 25 foes Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Florida State). Still, while Graham Mertz doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence at QB, the Gators do return a dynamic duo at tailback and the defense, thanks to some key additions along the interior DL from the portal, should be improved. Napier is confident Florida will surprise some folks this fall.
13. Missouri
Eli Drinkwitz is armed with a new contract, but the Tigers’ head coach still enters a pivotal Year 4 after consecutive 6-7 seasons. After extending esteemed DC Blake Baker last fall, Missouri (with eight starters back) should be solid defensively again this fall. The issue is has Drink solved the Tigers’ offensive woes? He’s given up play-calling and enters fall camp with a three-way QB battle between Brady Cook, who missed the spring with an injury but is the odds-on favorite to win the job, Miami transfer Jake Garcia and former 4-star recruit Sam Horn.
There’s plenty of pressure for new OC Kirby Moore to deliver an improved attack or else there might be some uncomfortable questions being asked in Columbia come December.
14. Vanderbilt
Clark Lea is going to do it his way, and considering Vandy is one of the tougher jobs in the Power 5, thus far the results speak for themselves. The Commodores flirted with bowl eligibility in 2022 and they have an outside shot of making the postseason this fall if they can pull off another quality upset or two.
Quarterback A.J. Swann has the skills to take a jump in Year 2, and if Lea & Co., can improve a defense that was awful last season (last in scoring and yards per play) then the ‘Dores could find their way to six wins for the first time since 2018.