The college football season is rapidly approaching, as SEC fall camps around the country are about to start and final projections are made.
This is around the time that preseason rankings come out for each conference and nationally. The first major poll of the season dropped today, as the 2026 preseason coaches poll dropped on Tuesday afternoon.
The poll is littered with SEC teams, and this leaves two big takeaways.
SEC Lands 9 Teams Total
The most teams of any conference, just beating out the Big Ten, which had eight teams featured. The SEC’s nine teams in order are as follows.
No. 3 – Georgia Bulldogs
No. 4 – Texas Longhorns
No. 8 – Texas A&M Aggies
No. 9 – Oklahoma Sooners
No. 10 – Ole Miss Rebels
No. 11 – Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 13 – LSU Tigers
No. 18 – Tennessee Volunteers
No. 25 – Missouri Tigers
It’s fair to say that if nine teams were featured, these are the ones that deserve it. Every coaching staff in this poll has had success in the SEC; that’s the common theme here. Georgia and Texas deserve to be the top two, as both have elite rosters heading into this season.
Florida and Auburn are two teams that have talent and can make noise, but also have new head coaches that aren’t named Lane Kiffin. Other teams, like Arkansas or Mississippi State, have a lot to prove before they can be considered for any top 25 list.
The only team in the SEC that could be on this poll instead of Missouri is South Carolina, since they have good talent on both sides of the ball.
LaNorris Sellers is once again projected to be one of the best QBs in the conference. Dylan Stewart at edge rusher is undoubtedly one of the best players in the conference, regardless of position.
Even with great talent, head coach Shane Beamer is on the hottest seat in the conference entering this year after a disappointing 2025.
What Should Be Changed In the Preseason Coaches Poll
While the nine correct teams made the poll, the order could be changed slightly. Starting in the top 10, Oklahoma and Ole Miss should be ranked over Texas A&M. It’s only a difference of a few spots, so it’s not egregious.
The Sooners brought back more production than A&M, ranking 10th nationally, five spots ahead of the Aggies. Oklahoma’s defense also has a much higher ceiling. It was a top-five unit last year and could be even better in 2026.
Ole Miss has two of the five best offensive players in the conference returning. QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy were game-breakers in 2025, the catalysts for their deep CFP run. Anyone and their mother would take Chambliss over A&M QB Marcel Reed, which isn’t even a dig at Reed; Chambliss is just that good.
The next change is that Alabama should be lower than No. 11 in the country. It’s early August, and there is still a QB competition ongoing in Tuscaloosa. Both quarterbacks have ability, but this is a year where Bama feels like a complete unknown.
Not only will there be a new QB with no SEC experience, but the Crimson Tide are only returning five starters on offense.
