Analyzing Phil Steele's 2025 Preseason All-SEC Defense

You know the drill from Part I. Let’s get to it.

From Phil Steele’s 2025 ALL-SEC teams.

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Defensive Line

First-Team DL: Colin Simmons, Texas; Christen Miller, Georgia; Caleb Banks, Florida; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

Second-Team DL: R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma; Tim Keenan, Alabama; Cameron Ball, Arkansas; Trey Moore, Texas
Third-Team DL: Tyreak Sapp, Florida; Bryson Eason, Tennessee; Albert Regis, Texas A&M; Keldrick Faulk, Auburn
Fourth-Team DL: Joshua Josephs, Tennessee; Chris McClellan, Missouri; Gracen Halton, Oklahoma; Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

No quarrel with the 1st team. Good job.

Then it’s all quarrels from there…

FYI: The league’s edges are stronger than the interior DL this year.

According to Steele, Alabama’s LT Overton isn’t among the top 16 defensive linemen in the conference? Nonsense. Poppycock. Balderdash. But Mizzou’s Chris McClellan is among Steele’s top 16. If you want to terrorize Buffalo, Mississippi State and Murray State, McClellan is your man. Overton is probably a late 1st or 2nd round draft pick, by the way.

Auburn DE Keldric Faulk would be on my 2nd team along with Florida’s Tyreak Sapp. That drops Trey Moore and R Mason Thomas down to the 3rd team. Arkansas’ Cam Ball and A&M’s Albert Regis are fine run stoppers, but they are banished to the 4th team.

OU DT Gracen Halton should be elevated higher. Outside of Caleb Banks, he’s the most disruptive interior DL in the league against the pass. Call me a Sooner lover if you wish, but I am tough but fair. Tough but State Fair. I wouldn’t be surprised if sophomore Sooners DT Jayden Jackson made it on here, but I’m fine with listing more known quantities.

I’m a fan of Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs and expect a big year from him.

Could a Texas DT make it on here? Possibly. But I don’t expect anyone to rack up big stats playing in rotation.

Linebacker

First-Team LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas; Deontae Lawson, Alabama; Whit Weeks, LSU; CJ Allen, Georgia

Second-Team LB: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; Kip Lewis, Oklahoma; Bryan Longwell, Vanderbilt; Harold Perkins, LSU
Third-Team LB: Taurean York, Texas A&M; Arion Carter, Tennnessee; Triston Newsom, Missouri; Josiah Trotter; Missouri
Fourth-Team LB: Xavian Sorey, Arkansas; Alex Afari, Kentucky; Raylen Wilson, Georgia; TJ Dottery, Ole Miss

After compiling a first team of obvious choices (Hill, Allen, Lawson, Weeks) they threw darts at SEC depth charts. Who knew that Phil Steele’s offices were above a marijuana dispensary and that they keep their windows open?

Vanderbilt’s Longwell was their 7th or 8th best defender on the 75th ranked defense in the country. He’s among the worst coverage linebackers in the entire SEC. As for Harold Perkins, LSU’s D got better when he got hurt. Miscast perhaps, but no LSU DC has been able to find his fit. Maybe they’ll repurpose him into a situational blitzer and he’ll rack up some sacks and tackles for loss to salvage this hopeful projection. The idea of featuring Perkins has burned multiple LSU coordinators now.

A&M’s Taurean York is divisive. When he’s covered up, he’s fantastic against the run and he’s an effective blitzer. You can target him in the passing game and if you get bodies on him, he gets big-brothered. Watch the Notre Dame, South Carolina and Texas games.

I don’t know what to do with Suntarine Perkins. He’s basically a 210 pound edge with freaky quickness and wingspan. Super disruptive, but you can run right at him. Unique player.

Missouri’s Newsom is a SEC replacement level LB. Someone on Phil Steele’s staff loves Missouri’s defense and didn’t watch any of their games when they played SEC teams with a winning conference record (0-3 against them, allowed 36.3 ppg, two blowout losses by 34 and 31 points, respectively).

On the other hand, Trotter, the West Virginia to Mizzou transfer, is a good call. Former Big 12 Freshman of the Year with NFL lineage. Tennessee’s Arion Carter was their leading tackler, but he was the beneficiary of a fantastic DL last year. He runs himself out of plays. Several of their big game opponents targeted him.

Truthfully, Georgia’s 2nd team interior LBs (Chris Cole, Justin Williams) are better than 90% of SEC starters. A room of freaks. Raylen Wilson should be elevated.

Cornerback

First-Team CB: Daylen Everette, Georgia; Will Lee, Texas A&M

Second-Team CB: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Third-Team CB: Domani Jackson, Alabama; Malik Muhammad, Texas
Fourth-Team CB: Kayin Lee, Auburn; Eli Bowen, Oklahoma

If Tennessee’s McCoy is healthy, you can switch him with Lee. McCoy’s opposite, CB Rickey Gibson is also good, but no mention above. I like Bowen a lot. Keep an eye on Cameron Calhoun at Bama, Brandon Cisse at South Carolina, Mansoor Delane at LSU. All transfers. All capable of making this list.

Safety

First-Team S: Michael Taaffee, Texas; KJ Bolden, Georgia

Second-Team S: Isaac Smith, Mississippi State; Jalen Catalon, Missouri
Third-Team S: Daylan Carnwell, Missouri; AJ Haulcy, LSU
Fourth-Team S: Randon Fontenette, Vanderbilt; Keon Sabb, Alabama

Misspelled Michael Taaffe. The disrespect!

KJ Bolden is Georgia’s next 1st round safety draft pick in 2027.

Hey, another random Vanderbilt player over several NFL guys! In fairness, Fontenette is above average (he’s the nickel that they blitz every other down), but what are we doing here? He wouldn’t be on my 6th team.

Where is Florida’s Jordan Castell? Alabama’s Bray Hubbard? Hubbard is a top 5 safety in the league. Castell was an impressive freshman last year.

Hey, finally a deserving Missouri player joins Trotter. His last name is Carnell, BTW. Jalen Catalon was healthy all last year at UNLV and he’s on his 4th team now The 24 year old should be an asset.

MIssissippi State’s big safety Isaac Smith led the SEC in tackles largely because he played on the league’s worst defense. He’s legitimately a great run support player, but he’s average in coverage. I don’t know what to do with that profile.

Texas’ Jelani McDonald and Derek Williams can crash this party. Oklahoma fans will probably complain about Robert Spears-Jennings omission and they’ll have a point.

So concludes our tour. Steele had some rough moments, but making these teams isn’t easy.

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