SEC Teams: Buy, Sell, or Hold

By Brett Daniels

The 2024 season is almost upon us and as such each of the sixteen teams in the SEC are starting to take shape. New additions Texas and Oklahoma will hope to make some noise in the race to Atlanta while defending conference champion Alabama and runner-up Georgia will get everyone’s best shot. LSU and Tennessee will hope for improved defensive play to complement their offensive fire power and Ole Miss will try to take the next step with a truck load of transfers. Missouri is ready to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and with a manageable schedule might find themselves in the College Football Playoff . Kentucky and Auburn will be competing to remain in the top half of the conference with difficult schedules while Mississippi State , Arkansas, South Carolina , and Florida are hoping for bowl eligibility. Texas A&M will be breaking in a new coach and Vanderbilt will continue the long road to being competitive in the SEC.

The teams are listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER , this is not the predicted order of finish or any sort of power rankings.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (HOLD)

You never want to be the guy that follows the legend, you want to be the guy that follows the guy that followed the legend. Kalen Deboer relocated to Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban called it a career and will try to keep the Crimson Tide a top the SEC where they finished last year. QB Jalen Milroe returns as does an experienced offensive line, but the skill positions will have to be reloaded as the Tide lost their top four receivers and two out of the top three rushers (Milroe, #2).

The talent is there but it may take a while for it all to gel in the new offense. Defensively, Alabama will have a deep and experienced defensive line and linebackers. The secondary is a big question mark after losing three DBs to the NFL and Caleb Downs to Ohio State. The schedule is challenging with an early trip to Wisconsin in Week three followed by a visit from Georgia in Week five. The Tide will travel to Rocky Top to take on Tennessee as well as trips to LSU and Oklahoma.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks (SELL)

Sam Pittman ’s seat is so hot in Fayetteville after last season’s 4-8 record that he might need asbestos pants to sit down. The Hogs had a six-game losing streak last year in the middle of the season behind an offensive line that was uncharacteristically bad. QB KJ Jefferson , and RBs Rocket Sanders & AJ Green have departed via the transfer portal, although Arkansas did bring in several pieces to help shore up the offensive line along with Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green to replace Jefferson.

Defensively the Hogs will rely on DE Landon Jackson to anchor the defensive line along with former 5-star LB Xavian Sorey from Georgia. The secondary should be solid with many players vying for playing time. Arkansas manages to miss both Georgia and Alabama on the schedule and will get Tennessee, LSU, and Texas at home.

3. Auburn Tigers (HOLD)

Season 2 of the Hugh Freeze experience is on tap in Auburn. Freeze took over an Auburn roster with a lot of holes and not much depth and managed to win six games. This year the Tigers will return QB Payton Thorne and RB Jarquez Hunter on offense along with super recruit WR Cam Coleman and several transfers to bolster the WR corps. The offensive line is still a work in progress and doesn’t have great depth.

Defensively, the squad is very young but there is talent for new DC DJ Durkin to work with. The Tigers start the season with five straight home games against Alabama A&M, California, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma before going on the road to face Georgia in Athens. Auburn will travel to Missouri and get Kentucky and Texas A&M at home before ending the year with the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa.

4. Florida Gators (SELL)

The only seat that might be hotter than Sam Pittman at Arkansas is Billy Napier at Florida. Offensively the Gators return QB Graham Mertz , RB Montrell Johnson , and WR Eugene Wilson III . Top QB recruit DJ Lagway will push for early playing time as well. The offensive line should be better with the return of tackle Austin Barber who missed most of 2023 with injury.

Defensively DL recruit LJ McCray will play early alongside returning DE Tyreak Sapp . Shemar James is back at LB and the secondary should be good with several returning players and transfers. The schedule is brutal, the Gators will face seven teams that will be ranked in the preseason Top 25 and have a hellish stretch of Georgia (Jax), at Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, at Florida State. There is a very real possibility that the Gators could be better this season and still only win 3-5 games.

5. Georgia (BUY)

The Dawgs have the second-best odds to win the National Championship in 2024 behind Ohio State. Offensively, Georgia has the nation's best QB in Carson Beck , one of the top Offensive Lines in the country, a deep and talented TE/WR room, and a stable of RBs led by Florida transfer Trevor Etienne and sophomore Rodrick Robinson .

Defensively, the Dawgs will again be nasty up front with DL Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson . Mykell Williams moves to EDGE and will play alongside LB Smael Mondon and CJ Allen to form the best LB unit in the country. All-American S Malachai Starks will lead a revamped secondary that returns only one other starter from 2023. Georgia has a tough schedule facing Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss on the road while welcoming Auburn and Tennessee “Between the Hedges” in Athens.

6. Kentucky Wildcats (HOLD)

The Cats have once again dipped into the transfer portal to find their starting QB this time plucking former 5-star Brock Vandegriff out of Georgia. Chip Traynum will be the featured RB and WR Dane Key and Barion Brown return. The offensive line was a big issue in 2023 and will again be a question mark in 2024.

Defensively. DL Deone Walker is a big run stuffer and will be supported by another Georgia transfer LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson . The secondary will be a work in progress. The schedule doesn’t do the Cats any favors, they do get Georgia at home in Week three but must go to Florida, Tennessee, and Texas before ending the season at home against Louisville.

7. LSU Tigers (BUY)

A team coming off a season with one of the worst defenses in school history and losing a Heisman Trophy-winning QB and two 1 ^st round WR shouldn’t be optimistic about 2024, right? The Tigers despite the losses on the offensive side of the ball should be better as a team this season. QB Garrett Nussmeier isn’t Jayden Daniels but he shouldn’t have to be with all of the talent returning on offense. The offensive line, especially Tackles Will Campbell and Emory Jones are one of the better ones in the conference.

New DC Blake Baker inherits a defense that has given up a ton of yardage on the ground the last two seasons. There are, however, talented pieces available for him to work with like DT Jacobian Gillroy and Jalen Lee along with LB Harold Perkins who will be used all over the field. The secondary will once again be an adventure with young but talented players getting a lot of playing time. Alabama, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma all must come to Baton Rouge and the Tigers will visit Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Arkansas. Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee are all absent from the Tigers schedule.

8. Mississippi State Bulldogs (HOLD)

The Bulldogs moved on from HC Zach Arnett and handed the keys over to Jeff Lebby . Lebby whose previous stops as OC at Oklahoma and Ole Miss will revamp the Bulldog offense with his high-powered, fast-paced, and down-the-field style of play. The question is, does he have the talent in Starkville to execute? Record-setting QB Will Rogers is off to Washington and will be replaced by Baylor transfer Blake Shapen . The offensive line will be completely retooled as well with all five positions having a new starter. The WR and TE rooms have also been remade by the transfer portal.

Defensively transfers will also fill out positions on all three levels. The schedule is a tough one with games at Texas, at Georgia, at Tennessee, and at Ole Miss. Florida makes a visit to Starkville which has not gone well for the Gators in the past, along with home games against Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. It will be a struggle for the Bulldogs to get to 6 wins and bowl eligibility.

9. Missouri Tigers (BUY)

The Tigers have something special going in Columbia with the return of QB Brady Cook and WR Luther Burden III for the 2024 season. WR Theo Wease is another weapon on the offense along with transfer RBs Marcus Carroll (Georgia State) and Nate Noel (Appalachian State).

EDGE Johnny Walker will bring the heat on opposing QBs while the rest of the Defensive line is solid as are the LBs. The secondary lost both starting CBs to the NFL and could be a vulnerability early in the season. The schedule is one of the easier ones in the conference this season with road games at Alabama and at Texas A&M and a home date against Oklahoma the only real potential stumbling blocks.

10. Oklahoma Sooners (HOLD)

The Sooners are in for a big change in their first season in the SEC. Breaking in a new QB is tough enough, breaking in a new QB against SEC defenses is another thing entirely. QB Jackson Arnold has the potential to be very good, the Sooners return an experienced and explosive WR corps, however, the Offensive Line and RBs are inexperienced and lack quality depth.

Defensively this is the best unit that Head Coach Brent Venables will have fielded in his tenure. LB Danny Stutsman will show up on many preseason All-Conference lists as will S Billy Bowman. The Sooners' schedule is a gauntlet welcoming Tennessee to Norman for their first SEC game before visiting Auburn, Ole Miss, and Missouri. Alabama comes to town the next to last weekend of the season before Oklahoma wraps things up against LSU in Baton Rouge.

11. Ole Miss Rebels (BUY)

Last year, Lane Kiffin noticed that when his team lined up against Alabama and Georgia they were at a size and length disadvantage . Through the transfer portal Ole Miss has upgraded all over the field to close the gap. QB Jaxon Dart returns after a stellar 2023 campaign. He will have WR Tre Harris and TE Caden Prieskorn to throw to along with several transfers. The offensive line should be good enough and the revamped RB room will need to step up after the departure of Quinshon Judkins in the offseason.

Defense is where Kiffin went shopping in the Portal and the Defensive Line will be better with the additions of Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida). The LBs will be better with the addition of Arkansas transfer Chris Paul . The secondary will be better once the starting positions are settled in fall camp and depth is developed. The schedule couldn’t be better for the Rebels with no Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, Texas, or Texas A&M. Games at LSU, and at home against Oklahoma and Georgia will determine if the Rebels are 9-3 or better.

12. South Carolina Gamecocks (SELL)

While Shane Beamer ’s seat isn’t nearly as hot as Billy Napier's or Sam Pittman's, the euphoria of beating two top 10 teams in successive weeks two seasons ago (2022-Tennessee, Clemson) has worn off.

The Gamecock faithful are ready for Beamer to field consistently competitive teams. Offensively South Carolina will have dynamic QB LaNorris Sellers calling the shots with Auburn transfer Robby Ashford waiting in the wings. Rocket Sanders comes over from Arkansas to play RB behind what should be an experienced Offensive Line if they all stay healthy. WR depth took a big hit when Antwane Wells left for Ole Miss and Xavier Legette and TE Trey Knox went to the NFL.

Defensively, the Gamecocks will be hoping for production from several transfers along the defensive line. LB Debo Williams will be back along with an experienced trio of safeties. The schedule has a brutal stretch between the open dates Ole Miss at home then at Alabama and at Oklahoma. Texas A&M and Missouri visit Columbia before the Gamecocks end the season at Clemson.

13. Tennessee Volunteers (BUY)

Since Josh Heupel ’s arrival on Rocky Top, the Vols offense has finished 9 ^th , 1 ^st , and 19 ^th in Total Offense. This season may be Heupel’s most talented offense on paper but lacking in experience. QB Nico Iamaleava started the bowl game against Iowa and won the MVP award. The offensive line may be the best that Tennessee has had in several years. There are new faces at RB and WR with some old faces like WR Bru McCoy and Squirrel White returning.

Defensively the Vols will want to disrupt the opponent's passing game with EDGE Jame Pierce, Jr . who is at or near the top of most mock drafts for 2025. The secondary is completely rebuilt which isn’t necessarily a bad thing after last year’s team gave up a lot of yards through the air. Tennessee will travel to Oklahoma for the Sooners' first SEC game before welcoming Florida and Alabama to Rocky Top on consecutive weekends. The Vols will travel to Athens to face Georgia in November in what should be the last true test of the season.

14. Texas Longhorns (SELL)

The hype is off the chain in Austin after the Longhorns won the Big 12, beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and made the College Football Playoff for the first time. Top QB Quinn Ewers returns for a 3 ^rd season under center and Texas has managed the Portal well bringing in WR Isaiah Bond and TE Amari Niblack from Alabama among other notable additions. The offensive line should be one of the best in the conference if not the country and the RB’s are young but talented.

Defensively, the Longhorns are going to struggle to replicate last year’s performance on the defensive line. Byron Murphy and T’vondre Sweat are off to the NFL and while the Longhorns have recruited well and made additions via transfer, there is bound to be a drop-off in production and in the SEC if you can’t stop the run, you are in for a long afternoon. The pass rush also needs to improve and will be led by last year’s sack leader Ethan Burke (5.5 sacks). The secondary is where the Longhorns are the most vulnerable, giving up close to 300 yards six times last season.

The Texas schedule is manageable with 4 games likely determining the Longhorns post season fate: at Michigan (Week 2), vs Oklahoma (Week 7), vs Georgia (Week 8), at Texas A&M (Week 14). If Texas can go 2-2 in those games, they likely make the playoff assuming that they don’t have a “Kansas” moment and lose a game they should win (Kentucky or Florida seem the most likely candidates).

Texas has the talent to compete for the SEC and National Championship next season and if they stay focused and take care of the teams they are supposed to then they likely make the Playoff at a minimum and possibly advance. I’m betting the step up in competition on a week-to-week basis takes its toll and somewhere along the way the Longhorns slip up against a team they should beat.

15. Texas A&M Aggies (BUY)

Since joining the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have been on the hunt for a championship of some sort. They brought in Jimbo Fisher from Florida State and signed at the time the highest-ranked recruiting class in history and seemed poised to compete at the top of the conference. Various failures on the coaching staff and in player management along with some unfortunate injuries derailed those plans and got Fisher fired in the middle of last season.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Aggies are under the stewardship of Mike Elko who is coming off a successful stint at Duke. The Aggies will be loaded on offense once again with QB Conner Weigman returning from injury. The WR/TE group is deep and talented, and the offensive line should be good enough. The RBs will rotate three to four backs into the game. Shemar Turner and Albert Regis anchor a solid defensive line, and LB Scooby Williams comes over from Florida to anchor the position room. The secondary will need to improve after last season for the Aggies to be successful and the coaching staff brought in a whole host of transfers to try and make that happen.

I’m bullish on Elko working his defensive magic on this unit and making the Aggies the surprise team of the SEC. The schedule is manageable with no Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, or Tennessee. Opening the season at home against a top-10 Notre Dame and finishing against instate rival Texas will determine the Aggies post-season destination. Two tricky home games against Missouri and LSU in October will also be key. A 2-2 split in these four games will most likely result in a 10-2 record and strong consideration for an at-large Playoff spot.

16. Vanderbilt Commodores (SELL)

Winning in the modern era of football is possible at Vanderbilt as shown by James Franklin having consecutive 9-win seasons in 2012 and 2013. Unfortunately for Head Coach Clark Lea , the Commodores will be fighting to get to four wins this season. The QB room is completely remade with the departure AJ Swann to LSU and the arrivals of Diego Pavia from New Mexico State and Nate Johnson from Utah. The Commodores will also have to replace their top three pass catchers who all transferred out. The starting offensive line has the potential to be serviceable but there isn’t any depth.

There is talent at all three levels of the defense, just not enough of it for any unit to be a true strength. There is no Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, or Texas A&M on the schedule and three of the four non-conference games are winnable (Alcorn State, at Georgia State, Ball State). The Commodores open with Virginia Tech at home where they could pull a mild upset if things fall the right way. There are no other winnable games at first glance with Mississippi State not on the schedule this year.