My Preseason SEC Rankings | Friday 8:45 a.m.

[CJ Vogel]

2026 SEC Preseason Rankings 

***

The SEC preseason poll will release at some point next week during the tail end of SEC Media Days in Tampa. 

As a result, I wanted to get a start on the conversation with the ballot I plan on submitting.

 

— Texas and Georgia are the two leaders for me. Texas gets the nod with the offensive star power with Coleman, Wingo, Mosley, Smothers and Brown. 

— I am very much a believer in LSU. It goes beyond Sam Leavitt as well. That LSU front seven should be a top 3-4 group in the conference with Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross off the edge.  I am a big fan of their defensive line. 

— Speaking of defense, Oklahoma’s is not going anywhere. Will likely be a top two defense in the conference once again. The biggest Q for me isn’t Mateer, but if OU can run the football. As I look at it now, that running game is far from intimidating. 

— Florida at 5!?! Yes. Florida at 5. The Gators are physical in the trenches and that group of playmakers makes my mouth water. If the quarterback can keep the train on the tracks, Florida will have a great year one under Jon Sumrall.

— Texas A&M lost 170+ starts from a year ago and while they did a phenomenal job in the portal, that is a lot of ground to make up. This 2026 A&M team reminds me of 2025 Texas, where if the quarterback doesn’t play Superman, it’s going to be a grind. And by now, I don’t envision Marcel Reed being faster than a speeding bullet or being powerful than a locomotive. 

— I can’t get a pulse on Alabama. Truly this is the team I expect to be the most incorrect on. Will the continue the trend of being the least physical Alabama team in 20 years? Or can Kalen DeBoer right the ship — with a first time starting quarterback? I just can’t picture it right now. 

— Maybe the biggest surprise of the bunch, but Ole Miss comes in at 8. I do believe Chambliss is the best quarterback in the SEC, at least to begin the season. He was magical towards the back half of last year. But that’s where I struggle with the Rebels — how much of last year was just catching lightning in a bottle with brightened emotions bringing out the best each week towards the CFP.

— Missouri, with or without Ahmad Hardy, is going to be a tough battle. The best running game in the conference will be even more threatening with a more capable quarterback in Austin Simmons. 

— I do not believe in Tennessee. That team does not strike fear in me one bit. And that will not change when they drop 70 points during their preseason buy games against the nearest directional school they can find.  

[Guts]

I want to see this on TexAgs just to enjoy the reactions. 

[Hookem72]

I wish we were playing LSU earlier before their Oline has a chance to gel and their freshmen DLine work out the kinks.  
 

Mississippi State is my dark horse surprise pick to shock some folks this year.  They were close in a lot of games last year and with Kamario Taylor they may end up winning the close games this year.  

[Joe Zura]

Lord help me I agree with CJ 

[JMarquette]

Drop A&M to 8 or 9, swap LSU and Bama. 

[CJ Vogel]

1 minute ago, Joe Zura said:

Lord help me I agree with CJ 

Here we go again.. 

[CJ Vogel]

3 minutes ago, Hookem72 said:

I wish we were playing LSU earlier before their Oline has a chance to gel and their freshmen DLine work out the kinks.  
 

Mississippi State is my dark horse surprise pick to shock some folks this year.  They were close in a lot of games last year and with Kamario Taylor they may end up winning the close games this year.  

I am a big believer in Kamario Taylor. They’ll be competitive offensively. 

[Joe Zura]

1 minute ago, CJ Vogel said:

Here we go again.. 

best friends 👀👀

[CJ Vogel]

9 minutes ago, Joe Zura said:

best friends 👀👀

Don’t push it

[CJ Vogel]

11 minutes ago, JMarquette said:

Drop A&M to 8 or 9, swap LSU and Bama. 

Could see a swap of LSU or Bama. I just can’t come to a conclusion on Bama yet. The offensive line was atrocious a year ago, there was no run game and now they are embarking on a season without a first round quarterback 

[akhookem]

I agree with 90% of the list, but I’m higher on Ole Miss than I am A&M strictly due to QB and A&Ms schedule surely won’t turn out to be heb bakery cupcakes like it was last year. Ole miss and A&M will have similar records imo but ole miss is the scarier team

[JMarquette]

12 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Could see a swap of LSU or Bama. I just can’t come to a conclusion on Bama yet. The offensive line was atrocious a year ago, there was no run game and now they are embarking on a season without a first round quarterback 

I think that’s fair, but I also think the same thing can be said about LSU, outside of Seaton, that OL may be awful.

[CJ Vogel]

6 minutes ago, akhookem said:

I agree with 90% of the list, but I’m higher on Ole Miss than I am A&M strictly due to QB and A&Ms schedule surely won’t turn out to be heb bakery cupcakes like it was last year. Ole miss and A&M will have similar records imo but ole miss is the scarier team

I am definitely expecting Ole Miss to end higher in these rankings IF Chambliss can repeat his magic. But he certainly holds the nod over Marcel Reed imo 

[tfoster40]

How many teams from 9-16 do you think could make the ACC and Monster 12 championship game? If they were in those conferences 

Edited 56 minutes ago by tfoster40

[CJ Vogel]

1 minute ago, tfoster40 said:

How many teams from 9-16 do you think could make the ACC and Monster 12 championship game? If they were in those conferences 

Probably Missouri in the Big 12. 

Is Tennessee better than two of Miami, SMU, Clemson, NC State  or Louisville? If so, then yes. 

[Paul Jespersen]

From your list, I'd be buying MSST and Ole Miss and selling Ags and Bama.
I'd personally swap Florida and OU as well.
They get my benefit of doubt until they don't, but I can see UGA taking a step back this year w some hard losses too.
I have LSU on road as our most likely loss on our way to 11-1.
Should be a hellacious season grind through the league.

🤘

[UTexas]

41 minutes ago, Guts said:

I want to see this on TexAgs just to enjoy the reactions. 

It was probably posted there about 7 minutes after CJ posted it on X.

[General Grant]

I wish Lebby misery and many losses.  Like this overall OP.