The rosters in the SEC are almost fully set for the 2025 College Football season as the activity in the spring transfer portal has slowed nearly to a halt. As the College Football season approaches, several teams in the SEC standout for varying reasons due to their varying expectations. A group of teams standout as teams poised to compete for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoffs while several teams simply don't have the pieces in place to finish in the top half of the league.
Where the Conference gets truly exciting heading into the season is with the middle group of teams that are truly wild cards. 5 rosters standout as teams with a question or two that will either get answered and the team will compete for the Conference or the issue will sink their season and result in the team being one of the worst in the SEC. Heading into 2025, these 5 teams have the potential to either win the SEC or finish in the bottom quarter of the 16 team league.
Oklahoma Sooners
The first season in the SEC wasn't what the Oklahoma fans were hoping for as the Sooners finished the season 6-7 with a 2-6 record in SEC play. After taking a massive step back, the 2025 season will determine if Brent Venables is the right fit to lead the Sooners, especially with their recent move into the SEC.
After firing his offensive coordinator, Brent Venables made a great hire by picking Washington State's Ben Arbuckle to turn the unit around. Venables then got his most important transfer as Arbuckle's quarterback, John Mateer. SEC fans who weren't watching Washington State will quickly learn that John Mateer is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the Country, which is a massive upgrade for Oklahoma. If everything clicks on offense, John Mateer will be in New York being considered for the Heisman Trophy.
The biggest concern with Oklahoma is all of the pieces around Mateer as it'll determine the outcome of the season more than the quarterback play. The offensive line was abysmal in 2024 and will need to do a better job protecting the quarterback while also opening holes for transfer running back Jadyn Ott. Injuries to the wide receivers took all of the top targets away and could once again wipe out the season.
Texas A&M Aggies
The first season of the Mike Elko era was a rollercoaster for Texas A&M and where the fanbase stood with the team. The Aggies finished 8-5 and 5-3 in SEC Play but, at several points the team had the feel of a College Football Playoff contender. After beating LSU, Texas A&M sat atop the SEC but, losses to South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas put a damper on the season before the loss to USC left a sour memory with the fanbase.
The biggest development of the season was finding out that Marcel Reed was a reliable starter as he stepped in and proved he could lead the offense. At times, Reed looked like a gamebreaker, especially with his legs, but at other times, his struggles passing derailed the offense. The Aggies added several impact wide receivers in the transfer portal to give Reed reliable targets which will make it easier for him to develop.
If Texas A&M is going to win the SEC, Reed is going to need to become a more consistent passer, especially after losing Le'Veon Moss to the NFL. The biggest concern on defense is losing Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner, as the bulk of the production rushing the passer is gone. If things go sideways for the Aggies, it will be because Reed is still struggling as a passer, while the lack of a pass rush allowed opponents to dice the Aggies.
Florida Gators
While Florida fans were begging for the Gators to fire Billy Napier, the team eventually found its identity and showed a ton of promise heading into 2025. Nonetheless, the Gators finished the season 8-5 with a 4-4 record in the SEC, which left them a long way off from competing for the SEC. Despite being far off from winning the SEC in 2024, 2025 is the season of hope for the Florida Gators fanbase.
After showing why he was a 5-star recruit, DJ Lagway returns as the starting quarterback for Florida which elevates the Gators' ceiling. Along with Lagway, Florida returns Jadan Baugh, Eugene Wilson, and one of the best offensive lines in the Country. The most exciting newcomer in the SEC may be 5-star WR Dallas Wilson who was the star of Florida's spring practices. The defense suffered some concerning losses in the transfer portal but, returns a talented veteran group.
If DJ Lagway takes the leap everyone is expecting him to, then it shouldn't shock anyone if Florida is in the SEC Championship Game and a College Football Playoff contender. The concern would be that Lagway dealt with injuries for most of the season and once he was injured his production dropped off which could easily take Florida out of the hunt.
Auburn Tigers
Last season the Auburn Tigers were supposed to be a dark horse team in the SEC but, the season went almost the opposite way for the Tigers. Struggles at quarterback kept the offense from reaching expectations which led Auburn to a 5-7 record with a 2-6 record in SEC play. After his second losing season in a row, the Tigers are now in a make or break season for the Hugh Freeze era.
Auburn went out and addressed its biggest need, landing transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold and elite recruit Deuce Knight, giving the team two superior options to what they had last season. The team went out and added another key target alongside Cam Coleman, landing elite wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. Offensive tackle may be a concern as Auburn adds transfer offensive tackles Mason Murphy and Xavier Chaplin.
The question will be whether Jackson Arnold struggled at Oklahoma because of his surroundings or if it speaks to who he is as a quarterback. If Arnold can be serviceable, far less talented quarterbacks have put up massive seasons in Freeze's system, which could give Auburn a chance to shock everyone. If Arnold struggles again, it'll be impossible to overcome for Auburn, especially with their loaded SEC schedule.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels had massive plans and massive expectations heading into the 2024 season as Lane Kiffin and his staff went out and brought in a loaded transfer class. The goal was to be able to compete with the schools like Georgia in the SEC but, the Rebels instead lost to Kentucky, Florida, and LSU missing out on the College Football Playoff.
This offseason Kiffin’s transfer class is massive once again but, it isn’t nearly as star studded as his prior classes. The offense adds two potential key weapons in tight end Luke Hasz and WR/TE Caleb Odom. The defense's biggest addition is edge rusher Princewell Umanmielen while it adds several other potential key pieces but, they don't add a massive star player.
The determining factor for Kiffin and Ole Miss in 2025 will be how Austin Simmons fares in his first season as the Rebels starting quarterback. Simmons has played briefly but, against Georgia he effortlessly drove the offense down the field for a touchdown. If Simmons instantly becomes a star in the SEC than the Rebels could find themselves in the College Football Playoff and competing for the SEC Championship. If Simmons makes the mistakes a first time starter is prone to then the Rebels could have a down season.