The SEC's Triplets

If you’re of a certain age (or know anything about football), you remember the Triplets: the Dallas trio of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin.

Very few teams have a trio as deadly as those three, but each SEC does have a quarterback, running back and receiver they’re counting on in 2025. Here’s a look at who projects to be the “Big Three” on each team, and others who could make their own cases by season’s end.

Texas A&M: Marcel Reed (QB), Le’Veon Moss (RB), KC Concepcion (WR)

Moss established himself as one of the nation’s best running backs last season before he was injured, but he’s back at full strength now. Concepcion is regarded as one of the nation’s top receivers and the best in the transfer portal when A&M got him. Reed is the only question mark here, as he enters his first full season as a starter. If he improves on where he was at the end of last year, this trio can be outstanding.

Also pay attention to: Mario Craver and Terry Bussey (WR), Rueben Owens (RB)

Alabama: Ty Simpson (QB), Jam Miller (RB), Ryan Williams (WR)

This trio has more questions than any Alabama group in recent memory, mostly at quarterback. Simpson has thrown precisely 50 passes in three seasons in Tuscaloosa, so he’s an unknown commodity. Miller ran for 668 yards and seven touchdowns last year, averaging 4.6 yards a carry, while Williams exploded onto the scene with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight scores.

Also pay attention to: Isaiah Horton (WR)

Arkansas: Taylan Green (QB), Braylen Russell (RB), Raylen Sharpe (WR)

This is a tough one, because there’s no standout receiver — at least, one that has put on an Arkansas uniform. Green threw for 3,154 yards in 2024 and Russell ran for 364 yards on 5.3 yards a carry in his freshman season — but nearly half of his production came in one game against Mississippi State. Sharpe had more than 900 receiving yards two seasons ago at Missouri State, so he seems like the standout receiver.

Also pay attention to: O’Mega Blake (WR), Rodney Hill (RB)

Auburn: Jackson Arnold (QB), Damari Alston (RB), Cam Coleman (WR)

Arnold is a newcomer, having left Oklahoma after a horrible 2024 that saw him battered, bruised and benched. Alston has averaged better than 5 yards a carry in each of his three seasons, but this is the first time he’ll be the starter. Coleman, a sophomore, can lay claim to being one of the top receivers in the SEC.

Also pay attention to: Eric Singleton and Malcom Simmons (WR)

Florida: DJ Lagway (QB), Jaden Baugh (RB), Eugene Wilson III (WR)

We know about Lagway, who could be a nightmare for SEC defenses this year. But it’s still could, because we don’t know for sure. Baugh is a sure thing, as he took the starting job as a true freshman and ran for 684 yards. Wilson’s somewhere in between, because he had a great 2023 season and was the most-feared receiver on the Gators coming into last year, but injuries limited him to 16 receptions.

Also pay attention to: Dallas Wilson (WR)

Georgia: Gunner Stockton (QB), Nate Frazier (RB), Noah Thomas (WR)

There’s still plenty of questions about Stockton, but Georgia could have gone and picked up a quarterback in the portal with the money they didn’t spend on Carson Beck and didn’t. That says something. Frazier gained 671 yards at 5 yards a clip last year, and he’ll be the bellcow. And, in spite of A&M’s struggles through the air, Thomas had more yards receiving than any returning Bulldog. 

Also pay attention to: Zachariah Branch and Dillon Bell (WR), Josh McCray (RB)

Kentucky: Zach Calzada (QB), Dante Dowdell (RB), Ja’Mori Maclin (WR)

One of the weaker trios in the conference, Kentucky is counting on Calzada to look like he did at Incarnate Word (or against Alabama in 2021) and not how he did in virtually all of his other starts at A&M. Dowdell is on his third team in three years, but ran for 614 yards and 12 TD last year at Nebraska. Maclin didn’t do much last year, but caught 57 passes for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns two years ago at North Texas.

Also pay attention to: Hardley Gilmore IV (WR), Jason Patterson (RB)

LSU: Garrett Nussmeier (QB), Caden Durham (RB), Nic Anderson (WR)

Nussmeier was my pick for first team preseason All-SEC, so that tells you what I think of him. Durham ran for 753 yards and six touchdowns in his freshman season, while Anderson…did nothing last year at OU. But that’s because he was hurt. In 2023, he was fantastic: 38 catches, 798 yards, 10 touchdowns. That’s 21 yards a pop, in case you were interested.

Also pay attention to: Aaron Anderson and Barion Brown (WR)

Mississippi State: Blake Shapen (QB), Davon Booth (RB), Jordan Mosley (WR)

I’m higher on Shapen than most, as he threw for 974 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception before he got hurt in week four. Booth was excellent, rushing for 759 yards and five scores. Mosley is the returning receiving threat, catching 23 passes for 17.6 yards per catch last year. The Bulldogs probably won’t be good, but they should be able to move the ball some.

Also pay attention to: Brenen Thompson (WR)

Missouri: Beau Pribula (QB), Ahmad Hardy (RB), Kevin Coleman Jr. (WR)

Call them the “transfer-lets”. Pribula came over from Penn State, where he saw limited action; Coleman caught 74 passes for 932 yards last year for Mississippi state and Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns for ULM. Coleman’s a proven standout, while Hardy is stepping up several levels in class. The real question is Pribula, and he’ll make or break Missouri’s season.

Ole Miss: Austin Simmons (QB), Logan Diggs (RB), Harrison Wallace III (WR)

Not the best trio Ole Miss has had lately; in fact, in terms of overall talent, it may be the worst in Lane Kiffin’s tenure. They’re counting a lot on Simmons, who played well in limited duty last year, while Diggs is on his third team. Wallace had a very good year at Penn State last year, catching 46 passes for 720 yards and four touchdowns. Ole Miss has the receivers (the two below could have easily been picked), but quarterback and running back are questions until they prove otherwise.

Also pay attention to: De’Zhaun Stribling and Cayden Lee (WR)

Oklahoma: John Mateer (QB), Jaydn Ott (RB), Jayden Gibson (WR)

OU raided the former PAC-12 as part of their offensive rebuild, snatching Mateer from Washington State and Ott from Cal. Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns (just seven interceptions) last year, but Ott was hampered by an ankle injury and only picked up 385 yards on 116 carries last year. 2023 was a different story, when he ran for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gibson didn’t play last year, but showed plenty of explosiveness in 2023.

Also pay attention to: Deion Burks (WR)

South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers (QB), Rahsul Faison (RB), Nyck Harbor (WR)

Sellers is a dynamic talent who stormed onto the scene last year, and Faison ran for more than 1,100 yards at Utah State. Now Gamecock really stood out in the passing game last year, but Harbor is a physical freak who could be dangerous if Sellers takes another step forward as a passer.

Also pay attention to: Mazeo Bennett (WR)

Tennessee: Joey Aguilar (QB), DeSean Bishop (RB), Chris Brazzell II (WR)

This is really not what Tennessee was expecting two years ago — or maybe even in January. But they saw Nico Iamaleava work himself out of town, and UT’s three top receivers are all gone. Bishop averaged 6.1 yards a carry on 74 attempts last year, but he’s got massive shoes to fill with the departure of Dylan Sampson. Brazzell caught 29 passes for 333 yards last year. But it all depends on Aguilar, who ended up in Knoxville after originally leaving Appalachian State for UCLA. He threw for more than 3,000 yards last year with 23 touchdowns — but he also threw 14 interceptions.

Also pay attention to: Mike Matthews (WR), Peyton Lewis (RB)

Texas: Arch Manning (QB), Quintrevion Wisner (RB), Ryan Wingo (WR)

Ah, the team you’ve all been waiting for. Manning finally takes the helm and has weapons galore. Wisner proved he’s a grind-it-out SEC back last year, and Wingo could be ready to explode. It all depends on the allegedly golden arm of Manning.

Also pay attention to: DeAndre Moore and Emmett Mosley V (WR), CJ Baxter (RB)

Vanderbilt: Diego Pavia (QB), Sedrick Alexander (RB), Trent Hudson (WR)

Pavia has brought some excitement to Vandy, but the talent around him remains pretty average. Alexander averaged 3.6 yards a carry last year (164 carries, 586 yards), but Hudson caught 35 passes for 551 yards and 10 touchdowns at Mississippi State (man, they lost a lot of wideouts). 

Also pay attention to: Tre Richardson (WR)