The 2026 SEC football season is rapidly approaching. Here is an early preview of the teams predicted to be favorites and also rans during the upcoming season.
16powers.com Staff
The 2026 SEC football season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Several programs enter the year with championship aspirations, while others are still trying to prove they belong among the conference elite. Returning production, quarterback play, and coaching stability will play major roles in determining who contends for the SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The frontrunners begin with the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia returns one of the nation’s most experienced rosters and leads the SEC in returning snaps from last season. Quarterback Gunner Stockton gives Kirby Smart’s team experience at the game’s most important position, making the Bulldogs an early favorite to win the conference.
Texas will once again be a major contender. The Longhorns return quarterback Arch Manning and bring back a large portion of a roster that reached the playoff. Texas and Georgia are widely viewed as the top two teams entering the season.
Oklahoma and Texas A&M appear ready to challenge the favorites. Oklahoma returns quarterback John Mateer and a significant number of starters, while Texas A&M benefits from one of the SEC’s highest returning-production figures.
Ole Miss remains dangerous with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss returning to direct Lane Kiffin’s offense. Tennessee also enters the year with high expectations thanks to 13 returning starters and one of the league’s most talented rosters.
Among the wannabes are Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Each has enough talent to pull an upset or reach a bowl game, but all face questions regarding roster depth, quarterback play, or overall consistency. Auburn in particular returns relatively few starters and remains a program searching for stability.
Key returning players for each SEC team include: Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton, Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, Auburn linebacker Demarcus Riddick, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, Kentucky running back Jason Patterson, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., Mississippi State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, Tennessee defensive lineman Joshua Josephs, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York, and Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis.
As summer approaches, Georgia and Texas appear to be the teams to beat. However, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and South Carolina have enough returning talent to make the race far more interesting than many expect. The road to Atlanta should be one of the most entertaining storylines in college football during 2026.
