The spring transfer portal has slowed, nearing a halt, which has started to give teams and fanbases a sense of where their roster stands heading into the season. The chaos of the transfer portal often takes away from the fact that spring practices around the country just wrapped up answering a ton of questions about where rosters stand, who's starting for each team at quarterback, and which true freshman look like instant starters.
Nico Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee raised a ton of questions in Knoxville while Alabama offensive coordinator declared Ty Simpson leads in the quarterback battle answering one question. Quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers, and DJ Lagway all return with Heisman potential while Gunnar Stockton and Arch Manning aren't far off in their first seasons as the starters for their teams.
Heading into the summer, we ask one big question of each team as it'll determine the race for the National Championship.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Who starts at quarterback and how quickly can the offense click?
Quarterback Jalen Milroe is off to the NFL and now it's a quarterback competition in Tuscaloosa. Leaving the Spring, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said that if the season was starting Ty Simpson would be the team's starting quarterback. All signs point toward Ty Simpson starting week 1 and deservingly so as he never entered the transfer portal rather he waited his turn to become the starter.
The question for Alabama will be how quickly can the offense click as the Crimson Tide don't have time for growing pains. The first four games of the season are a tough stretch for Alabama as they face Florida State, UL Monroe, Wisconsin, and Georgia. If Simpson and the offense can get out of the first third of the season unbeaten they'll have a great chance at making the College Football Playoff.
Arkansas Razorbacks: Is Sam Pittman's seat still hot?
After a 6-6 regular season with a 3-5 record in SEC play, the Arkansas Razorbacks didn't fire Sam Pittman. In 2021, Pittman showed promise of building Arkansas up but, the last three seasons he's gone just 18-20. Coming off of a season where Sam Pittman was one of the front runners to be the first coach fired is his seat any cooler?
The Razorbacks already have a coach in Bobby Petrino on the coaching staff who has a track record at Arkansas and would be a top name the fanbase would call for if Sam Pittman were fired. The fanbase will want to see results early this season, and if the Razorbacks struggle to start the season, the fanbase will call for a change in leadership.
Auburn Tigers: Can Jackson Arnold live up to his recruiting ranking?
The Auburn Tigers biggest issue in 2024 was the play of their quarterbacks as the roster was loaded with talent around the quarterbacks. The Tigers averaged 19.125 points per game in SEC play which wasn't nearly enough to be competitive in most games. In SEC play, Payton Thorne struggled mightily passing for just 11 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.
This offseason was all about finding a quarterback and High Freeze landed on Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold. As a recruit, Arnold was a consensus 5-star quarterback ranked in On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings as the 8th ranked player in the Country, the 4th ranked quarterback, and the 2nd ranked player out of Texas.
In Arnold's first season as the starter at Oklahoma he didn't live up to the expectations throwing for 12 touchdowns with 3 interceptions before being benched for Michael Hawkins. If Arnold can play to the ability that made him a 5-star recruit, Auburn's offense will be one of the most exciting in the Country. Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr have the ability to be the best wide receiver duo in the Country while Hugh Freeze has brought in a ton of young receiver talent behind the duo.
Florida Gators: Could the Gators offense be the best in the SEC?
Before the 2024 season, everyone was clamoring for DJ Lagway to start, as he had the talent to play instantly. It was an up-and-down freshman season for Lagway and the Gators as he showed a ton of promise, but injuries hampered him during the back half of the season. Heading into 2025, the expectations are sky high for Florida's offense as Lagway looks to take the next step.
Freshman Running Back Jadan Baugh is back after an impressive first season as the team's leading rusher, and Ja'Kobi Jackson returns after his remarkable season. The story of the spring has been 5-star Freshman Dallas Wilson, who's turned heads throughout camp and will be an instant impact player. If Eugene Wilson and the rest of the Gators' returning receiver core can continue to develop with Lagway, the Gators can field one of the best offenses in the Country.
Georgia Bulldogs: Are the struggles at wide receiver solved?
While Carson Beck didn't live up to the hype in 2024, the play at quarterback was far from the Bulldogs' biggest issue. It's hard to replace NFL level talent on a yearly basis and after having gamebreakers in Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers the Bulldogs didn't have the same level of talent for Carson Beck. The biggest issue for Georgia was drops as countless time a receiver would have nothing but, green grass ahead of them yet, they'd let the deep ball slip right through their hands.
Kirby Smart and his staff wasted no time in the transfer portal quickly adding elite talent on the outside for Gunner Stockton. The biggest addition was adding one of the most explosive playmakers in the Country landing USC's Zachariah Branch who can be used several different ways in the scheme to make big plays. After adding speed, Georgia added size landing Noah Thomas who's 6 foot 6 frame makes him a massive target on the outside.
As Georgia turns to a first time starting quarterback in Stockton, it's important to Georgia that the players on the outside get open and catch the football when it's thrown their direction. Adding talent and competition to the room should only help the returning pieces as the competition will bring the best out of everyone.
Kentucky Wildcats: How does Kentucky handle losing its biggest playmakers?
The Kentucky Wildcats had the worst offense in the SEC in terms of points per game and the 2nd worst offense in yards per game. Brock Vandagriff couldn't utilize Kentucky's weapons, and it led to a transfer portal exodus. Dane Key and Hardley Gilmore landed at Nebraska and Barion Brown landed at LSU taking 3 of the 5 leading receivers away via the transfer portal.
As Zach Calzada takes charge of the offense, he'll have an underutilized group of receivers to work with. Kendrick Law transfers in from Alabama, where he showed flashes but was never a great fit in the offense, but he'll fill the Barion Brown role for the Wildcats. Ja'Mori Maclin returns after finishing third on the team in receiving and will need to emerge as Calzada's go-to guy. Fred Farrier II showed flashes in limited playing time and is in line to be the team's 3rd wide receiver this season.
LSU Tigers: How quickly can the offensive line gel after losing 4 of 5 starters?
While the defense has been the unit that has been an issue during the Brian Kelly era, the offensive line is the unit that could be a concern this season. The LSU Football team has lost 4 of its 5 starters on the offensive line including a first round Left Tackle in Will Campbell and a third round Right Tackle in Emery Jones Jr.
Offensive Line Coach Brad Davis does an incredible job recruiting and the Tigers will have plenty of talented pieces to pick from. LSU also used the transfer portal to go out and bring in two offensive linemen who can jump right into the offensive line in center Braelin Moore and guard Josh Thompson.
The question is how quickly can this group gel because their toughest challenge of the season may be week one on the road against Clemson. The groups first game together will be on the road against a Top-10 team in Clemson in a rowdy environment. The Clemson offensive line boasts the potential first overall pick in edge rusher TJ Parker, another first round talent in Peter Woods, and a top-75 NFL Draft prospect DeMonte Capehart. The LSU offensive line will need to gel quickly if the LSU football team is going snap its 5-game season opening losing streak.
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Should Kamario Taylor start at Quarterback in Week One?
In College Football, 2024 was the year of the true freshman as players like DJ Lagway, Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams, Demond Williams, and Dylan Raiola among other burst onto the scene quickly becoming household names. The Mississippi State Bulldogs may have the next star freshman in quarterback signee Kamario Taylor.
This spring, Kamario Taylor flashed at Mississippi State camp as his dual threat ability and ability to improvise impressed everyone. Heading into the season, he's likely going to backup veteran quarterback Blake Shapen. While Shapen showed flashes in 2024, if Taylor has the ability to play, starting him could accelerate the Bulldogs rebuild. Quarterbacks recruit other talent, and if Taylor flashes this season, it'll only help Mississippi State when it comes to recruiting other pieces to Starkville.
Missouri Tigers: How does Missouri replace the offensive production they lost?
Last season, the Missouri Tigers were supposed to be one of the dark horses to win the SEC but, the team was never able to put it together against the best teams in the SEC. The team now has to replace Brady Cook, Nate Noel, and the two leading receivers, Theo Wease and Luther Burden III which is a tall task in one offseason.
While the Tigers were expected to be a pass-heavy team in 2024, this season they should rely on the rushing attack. Beau Pribula comes in at quarterback after serving as Penn State's weapon in the rushing attack, which gives Missouri's offense a new element. The biggest transfer portal addition for Missouri was landing Ahmad Hardy, who rushed for 1,351 yards as a true freshman at UL Monroe. As the team is tasked with replacing a ton of passing production and both offensive tackles leaning on the rushing attack will prove to be the best approach.
Oklahoma Sooners: Does Oklahoma have the right pieces in place around the quarterback?
The 2024 Oklahoma season may be remembered most by the fanbase for just how bad the team was offensively. The offense ranked outside the Top 100 in points per game and passing yards per game, which led to Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins both struggling. Part of the reason the team struggled is because seemingly every weapon at wide receiver was injured and the offensive line play took a massive step back.
The struggles on offense led to Brent Venables bringing in Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to lead the offense. Arbuckle made his job much easier getting his quarterback John Mateer who just had an incredible season in Arbuckle's system. The question this season won't be whether or not the Sooners have the right quarterback but, whether or not the right pieces are around him.
The offensive line will be a year older, which should lead to some development, but it's difficult to know until the team takes the field. The Sooners lost Bauer Sharp, who led the team in receptions, and Nic Anderson, who would've been a great piece to have with Mateer which hurts. Brent Venables and his staff made a massive addition, adding Cal running back Jadyn Ott and some transfer wide receivers who will need to develop into key pass catchers.
Ole Miss: What if Austin Simmons is Lane Kiffin's most talented quarterback ever?
The Ole Miss Rebels went all in building a roster that could compete on the same level as teams like Alabama and Georgia but, losses to Kentucky, LSU, and Florida kept the team from reaching the College Football Playoff. Lane Kiffin's most talented group now departs, including losing first round picks Walter Nolen and Jaxson Dart.
Losing Jaxson Dart is the biggest concern to Ole Miss fans as he's been the quarterback for the majority of Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss tenure. Stepping in to replace Dart is relative unknown Austin Simmons who enters his second season with the Rebels. While the position is a concern for Ole Miss fans they shouldn't be too concerned with Austin Simmons.
When Simmons first showed up for Ole Miss, he came in and effortlessly led Ole Miss' offense down the field for a touchdown against Georgia going 5 of 6 passing for 64 yards. The buzz coming out of Spring practice is that Simmons is continuing to impress everyone heading into his first season as the starter.
Simmons has a chance to be Lane Kiffin's most talented quarterback as a Head Coach and could rival some of the quarterbacks Kiffin coached at Alabama. Simmons' dual-threat ability will make him a weapon for Lane Kiffin, and he may have a better arm than Jaxson Dart.
South Carolina: Can LaNorris Sellers take the next step into Heisman contention?
After the South Carolina Gamecocks had a breakout season in 2024, they return a solid portion of their core looking to compete for the College Football Playoff. The biggest breakout star of South Carolina's exciting season was LaNorris Sellers who flashed dual threat ability leading the Gamecocks' offense.
Heading into 2025, LaNorris Sellers has to take the next step as a passer if the Gamecocks are going to compete for the College Football Playoff and if Sellers is a Heisman contender. In the Gamecocks' 3 losses, Sellers passed for 113 yards, 162 yards, and 238 yards as the team got too reliant on the rushing attack. The Gamecocks have the weapons to field an explosive offense but, Sellers has to get more consistent at finding them.
Tennessee Volunteers: Will losing Nico Iamaleava be too much to overcome?
The Tennessee Volunteers were at the center of one of the biggest stories of the NIL era this Spring as quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee. When the quarterback didn't get the NIL deal he was hoping for, he skipped out on practice which led to the two sides parting ways. In almost perfect fashion we got the first "College Football trade" as Iamaleava went to UCLA and their quarterback Joey Aguilar transferred to Tennessee.
While Tennessee was right to let Nico Iamaleava find his NIL deal elsewhere rather than giving in to his demands the team may pay the price in the end. Iamaleava hadn't lived up to his 5-star grade but, he was going into his second season in the offense which would've helped him take the next step. On the other hand, Joey Aguilar will have to learn the entire offense on the fly which isn't an easy task.
Joey Aguilar starting for the Volunteers isn't a given either as he'll need to learn the offense while he led College Football in interceptions last season. If Iamaleava had left earlier, the Volunteers could've given it's two younger quarterbacks extended time with the starting offense but, Iamaleava left with one practice left this Spring.
Texas Longhorns: Can Arch Manning live up to the hype?
The NFL Draft just concluded and analysts are already releasing their 2026 NFL Mock Drafts with Arch Manning's name occupying the 1st overall selection. For most first year starters, there are lofty hopes but, everyone forgives the mistakes as growing pains. In Arch Manning's case, every touchdown or interception will go viral and will be dissected. The expectations placed on Arch may not be fair but with the levels his uncles were able to reach everyone will be excited to follow Arch Manning.
The hype only continued to build this past season as Arch Manning filled in for the injured Quinn Ewers putting together some impressive performances. When Ewers returned and didn't look 100% Texas fans were ready to push him to the side despite the fact that he led them to the College Football Playoff the year prior.
If Arch Manning is able to live up to the hype this season, the Texas Longhorns will find themselves deep in the College Football Playoff once again. Manning has the ability to make explosive plays with his legs which neither of his uncles have which will only give Steve Sarkisian a second ability to lean on. Texas will have a loaded defense once again and a ton of weapons on offense but, it'll be up to Arch Manning to lead the group this season.
Texas A&M Aggies: How big of a jump can Marcel Reed make?
When Conner Weigman went down with an injury, Marcel Reed was thrust into action as Texas A&M's quarterback. The Redshirt Freshman flashed almost instantly as his ability as a runner brought a new element to the Aggies' offense. Heading into the 2025 season, Texas A&M will need Marcel Reed to take a big jump if the Aggies are going to compete for the College Football Playoff.
At times, Marcel Reed was able to take over games as his legs won Texas A&M the LSU game as he carved the Tigers for 3 touchdowns off the bench. In other games against USC, Texas, and South Carolina, Reed wasn't as efficient as a passer and it cost the team the games.
In 2025, Marcell Reed is going to need to become a better passer if the Aggies are going to compete for a spot in the Playoff. This offseason Texas A&M went out and got Reed weapons to take that next step adding transfers Kevin Concepcion, Mario Craver, and Jonah Wilson. The defense lost a ton of talent to the NFL and the offense is going to need to step up if the Aggies continue to progress under Mike Elko.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Does Diego Pavia have one more year of magic left?
Our question for the Vanderbilt Commodores last season was if Diego Pavia could make Vanderbilt competitive. This season we're asking if Diego Pavia has any more magic left after a magical season in 2024. For Vanderbilt to be competitive, Diego Pavia has to have his best game every week and in 2024 he did that for the most part.
The Commodores return 4 of their 5 leading receivers which will allow the team to keep some continuity as they look to make the next step. The Commodores then went out and added a wide receiver with SEC experience in Trent Hudson who caught 35 passes for 551 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. The biggest concern for the team will be the fact that they replace 4 of 5 starting offensive linemen.
While Vanderbilt may not have a roster that ranks in the top half of the SEC, the Commodores do have one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. Whether or not Vanderbilt is able to improve upon their 7-6 record will rely upon Pavia elevating the team to the next level.