Here is your one-stop guide to SEC football for the 2019 season. We analyze the rosters, schedules, and projections for all 14 programs and provide you with our own predictions and analysis of nation's best football conference.
SEC East
Georgia is the overwhelming favorite to make a third-straight appearance in the SEC Championship game, but the East appears to be trending more towards the parity of 2018 in which five teams had seven or more wins and a .500 or better conference record. Despite the perception of the West being the superior division, the East went 9-5 against the West last year during the regular season, although they fared just 2-4 in bowl games. Can anyone challenge Georgia for a spot in Atlanta this December?
SEC East Players to Watch:
Jake Fromm, QB, UGA
De’Andre Swift, RB, UGA
Andrew Thomas, LT, UGA
Kelly Bryant, QB, Missouri
LaMichael Perine, RB, Florida
Jake Bentley, QB, USC
Lynn Bowden Jr., WR, Kentucky
C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt
Kalija Lipscomb, WR, Vanderbilt
Projections
Below is the media's projected order of finish for the SEC East with some advanced metric projections included. Our staff projections are included in the last column:
Georgia
What We Like: Georgia appears to be the class of the division yet again despite an absolutely BRUTAL five game stretch to end the year. Starting on November 2, they play Florida (neutral), Missouri (home), Auburn (home), Texas A & M (home), and Georgia Tech (away) in successive weeks. They have the most talented roster in the division despite hemorrhaging multiple offensive weapons to the NFL Draft. They return the best quarterback in the division in Jake Fromm, one of the best offensive lines in the country, and arguably the nation's deepest backfield with D'Andre Swift, Brian Herrien, Zamir White, and James Cook.
The Dawgs have clearly narrowed the talent gap with Alabama by landing top three recruiting classes the past three years. Their stellar play in both contests with Bama seem to indicate there is no intimidation factor, but how will they recover from blowing large leads in two straight postseason contests?
What We Question:
How much continuity can exist with two new coordinators? With Dan Lanning and James Coley being internally promoted to replace Mel Tucker and Jim Chaney, will Georgia remain elite on both sides of the ball?
Can Georgia replace the lost production from 2018’s top five pass catchers? The (warranted) dismissal of Jeremiah Holloman this summer dealt a huge blow to an already inexperienced group, but there are hopes that talented blue chip prospects like Dominick Blaylock, George Pickens, and Demetris Robertson can mature and fill the void.
Will the pass rush improve? The defensive front seven should be as deep and athletic as any group Kirby Smart has had in Athens, especially on the edges. Smart/Saban defenses have traditionally liked to pressure from their front without relying on blitzes, and Georgia finished dead last in the SEC in sacks last year. If Spring practice is any indication, that's about to change under new coordinator Dan Lanning. Lanning repeatedly emphasized his desire to create more "havoc" plays this fall, and showed a number of aggressive pressures in the spring game.
Can the young linebackers produce? The hope is that the stable of blue chip underclassmen like Adam Anderson and Nolan Smith can produce at a high level on the edge and that youngsters Channing Tindall and Nakobe Dean can provide Georgia with a much needed upgrade at inside linebacker over Tae Crowder and Juwan Taylor.
Can Georgia beat Alabama? The answer to that question is probably "yes." Georgia has trailed for roughly one minute in their last two meetings with the Crimson Tide, outplaying Bama for the majority of both contests. WILL Georgia beat Alabama if the two match up again this year? That remains to be seen.
Florida
What We like: Year two tends to be a boon season for head coaches. Returning QB Feleipe Franks has proven himself a solid and capable QB -- the best signal-caller the Gators have had since Will Grier. His progress will partly dictate the growth of Dan Mullen's offense, but not to extent of most quarterbacks in a Mullen system. Franks lacks the running ability of most Mullen trigger men, meaning the team will rely more heavily on their other six returning skill players, including standout RB LaMichael Perine and their top five five receivers from 2018.
The Gators defense carried them for long stretches last year, jumping 29 spots in scoring defense from 2017 to finish No. 20 overall, and No.12 in the nation in pass defense. That unit will be led by two all-conference level players in CB C.J. Henderson and DE Jabari Zuniga.
What We Question:
Can Florida replace four starters on the offensive line? The Gators have just one senior in their starting five and will play a true freshman at right tackle.
Can Todd Grantham get the Gators defense to play at a high level more consistently? Grantham’s blitz heavy scheme tends to produce feast or famine defenses, and Florida needs more consistency to win the East. They allowed over 30 points per game to division opponents, but just 13.5 points per game in their four remaining Power Five games. Basically, if you could handle Florida's pressure you could score (Georgia & Missouri); if you couldn't, you got pummeled (LSU & Michigan).
Tennessee
What We like: The second year of Jeremy Pruitt’s tenure looks to be on solid footing and the Vols appear primed for a breakout year. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano quietly progressed in 2018, and as a junior with 21 starts on his resume 2019 projects to be a potential breakout year. Overall, few teams in the nation return as much as Tennessee. The Vols bring back last year’s leading passer, top three rushers, top five receivers, starting TE, seven of eight offensive linemen that started a game last year, four of six top linebackers, and six of eight top defensive backs. Returning that much talent makes anything but improvement seem nearly impossible.
What We Question:
Is there enough overall talent? Tennessee did not have a single offensive or defensive player voted to the preseason All-SEC first or second teams. That's a pretty glaring indictment on the perceived level of talent returning to Knoxville this year.
Can Tennessee actually win? Recent history and expectation weigh heavily here. If Tennessee actually does take a step forward, can they actually finish first or second in the East? The talent gap behind Georgia is quite large, and Florida has a more enviable roster as well.
Missouri
What We like: Exit second round draft pick Drew Lock and enter Kelly Bryant -- a proven senior who led Clemson to a 12-1 record in 2017 and the No.1 ranking going into the College Football Playoff. In 2017 Bryant had a 66% completion rate, 2,800 passing yards, another 665 rushing yards, and 24 total touchdowns. He'll be joined by RB Larry Rountree III, who ran for 1,216 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last year, a veteran offensive line led by Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms, and a Mackey Award finalist in TE Albert Okwuegbunam. This offense should be able to maintain a lot of the production of last year's unit which finished 3rd in the SEC in scoring at 36.6 points per game. The defense experienced a fair amount of turnover, but is anchored by preseason All-SEC linebacker Cale Garrett.
What We Question:
Can Missouri win close games? Missouri lost three games by five points or less in 2018. Can they find a way to pull out some tightly-contested victories this year?
How seamless will the QB change be? Kelly Bryant brings both talent and experience, but also a very different skill set. How long will it take to adjust the offense to his strengths?
South Carolina
What we like: Jake Bentley. The highly touted signal-caller lost top weapon Deebo Samuel but returns stud receiver Bryan Edwards and leading rusher Rico Dowdle. Generally speaking, returning a proven three-year starter at QB with a defensive-minded head coach is a recipe for a top-25 season, but South Carolina may be one of the 25 best teams in the country while still struggling to make a bowl. Playing the preseason No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 ranked teams is brutal. Carolina also projects as underdogs against Florida, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Tennessee. The good news is that last year’s defense was functional despite heavy injuries. With just a more normal amount of injuries, it’s quite likely the defense can improve significantly.
What We Question:
Can South Carolina pull a major upset? Their competitive 2018 games with Clemson and Georgia leave room for optimism, but the Gamecocks faded down the stretch of both contests.
Will the defense be healthier than last year? Almost certainly, yes.
Will the record improve? Going 7-5 would require winning two games as solid underdogs and holding serve as a favorite, but that record might feel like football purgatory to Gamecock fans. South Carolina's BRUTAL schedule could have them staring at 6-6 despite having the talent of a 9-3 team.
Kentucky
What we like: It's difficult to know what to expect from a team that lost three-fourths of its starters from a historic season. Returning QB Terry Wilson certainly helps, as does explosive receiver Lynn Bowden Jr., and Mark Stoops has quietly recruited quite well by Kentucky standards. The Wildcats should be well-coached and sound on defense, but its difficult to project much beyond that with so many unknowns entering the season.
What We Question:
Can Kentucky replace all that talent? Kentucky graduated 16 starters (four of whom were drafted) plus star running back Benny Snell. That's the most Kentucky players drafted in the modern era. It's hard to see the Wildcats reloading from such massive roster turnover.
Will Terry Wilson take a big step forward? The passing game MUST improve to fill the void left by the departure of Benny Snell and his 1,554 scrimmage yards and 16 TD. Wilson completed 67% of his passes in 2018, but threw just 11 TD and averaged less than 200 passing yards a game. His production will have improve in 2019.
Vanderbilt
What we like: Ke’Shawn Vaughn is a really, really good RB who deserves more credit than he gets. He actually topped 2019 preseason first-team All-SEC running backs Najeh Harris and D'Andre Swift with 1,244 yards at 7.9 ypc and 12 TD. He’s joined by a pair of stud pass catchers in Jared Pinkney and preseason All-SEC receiver Kalija Lipscomb, who caught 87 passes and nine TD last season. In theory, the Commodores should be good on offense if they replace the rock-solid play of departed 3,000-yard passer Kyle Shurmur.
What We Question:
Does Vanderbilt have a quarterback? As of right now, that question remains unanswered. The Commodores seem most likely to turn to Ball State grad transfer Riley Neal to fill the void.
Will the run defense improve? Vandy finished No. 94 in the country against the run and graduated leading tackler Jordan Griffin. Is there any hope of improvement in 2019?
Will Vandy win an SEC game? The Commodores will likely be underdogs in all eight SEC contests this year. Can they pull an upset or even two to get bowl eligible?
SEC West
Once again, the division is Alabama's to lose. Last year, no team in the West managed to stay within three touchdowns of the Crimson Tide as they marched to one of the dominant regular seasons in SEC history. Will anyone rise to challenge them this year?
Players to Watch:
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
Alex Leatherwood, OL, Alabama
Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A & M
Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Errol Thompson, LB, Mississippi State
Jashaun Corbin, RB, Texas A&M
Projections
Here is the projected order of finish from SEC media days:
Alabama
What We Like: Alabama never struggles to find talent, but the Tide are absolutely loaded on offense. They return the deepest receiving core in the nation with pre-season All-American Jerry Jeudy as well as Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle alongside Heisman Trophy runner-up Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback.
Preseason All-SEC running back Najeh Harris returns as the bellcow behind three preseaon All-SEC linemen in what could be the best offensive unit of the Saban era. The Tide also return Patrick Surtain II and Xavier McKinney from a secondary expected to be vastly improved over the inexperienced and injury-riddled unit that finished last season. The 2019 Crimson Tide appear to have very, very few weaknesses.
What We Question:
Will the coaching turnover finally catch up to Alabama? The prize for consistently winning at a high level is losing assistant coaches. Four offensive coordinators and three defensive coordinators in four years is unprecedented, and adding seven new assistant coaches on top of the two new coordinators this year is a lot, even for Alabama.
LSU
What We Like: LSU lost another batch of talented players on defense, but still returns three preseason All-SEC defenders (Grant Delpit, Kristian Fulton, and Rashard Lawrence) for outstanding defensive coordinator Dave Aranda -- the highest paid coordinator in college football. For the first time since the Zach Mettenberger era, the Tigers return a starting QB they trust in Joe Burrow to team with preseason All-SEC receiver Justin Jefferson and blue chip freshman RB John Emery. If LSU can pair an above average offense with their typically strong defense, this could be the best LSU team since 2011.
What we Question:
Will the offense sustain it’s high level of play from the second half of 2018? The Tigers need Burrow to build on his strong finish to 2019 -- he threw for over 1,100 yards and 10 TD in his last four contests, and LSU averaged a whopping 44 points a game. The Tiugers also need to find another play-making wide-receiver to pair with junior standout Justin Jefferson.
Can LSU beat Alabama? Despite the reputation of this as a marquee game, the Crimson Tide have won eight straight, with only two meetings decided by one score or less.
Texas A&M
What We Like:
In Jimbo Fisher, A&M now has one of only three current NCAA coaches to win a National Championship. Fisher hauled in a top-five recruiting class and already has tremendous talent on the offensive side of the ball. He returns a talented dual-threat quarterback in Kellen Mond, who threw for 3,100 yards and 24 TD last year while also running for 474 yards and 7 TDs. The Aggies also have explosive playmakers in junior receiver Kendrick Rogers and sophomore RB Jashaun Corbin (pre-season third team All-SEC). That's in addition to boasting the best specialist in the conference in Ray Guy Award winning punter Braden Mann returning from a season in which he accumulated the best single-season punting average in college football history (51.0 yards per kick).
What We Question:
Can A & M survive their schedule? The Aggies play the top FOUR teams in the FPI rankings (Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, LSU). Even if they pull off an upset in one of those, going 6-2 in their remaining games (which include Auburn, Mississippi State, and South Carolina) puts them at just 7-5.
Can A & M stop anyone? The defense took a hit. The A & M run defense ranked third in the nation last year but the only impact player returning from that unit is preseason All-SEC defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. Most of the secondary returns, but that unit ranked 98th in passing yards allowed last season, which is alarming when your schedule includes elite passers like Tua Tagovailoa, Jake Fromm, and Trevor Lawrence this season.
Auburn
What We Like: Auburn is perhaps the most enigmatic team in all of college football. They have huge unknowns at quarterback and linebacker, but the cyclical nature of Gus Malzahn's tenure as head coach seems to indicate this should be a boom year for the Tigers. They return an experienced offensive line, a set of dominant front defenders in defensive lineman Derrick Brown and Nick Coe, and a promising bellcow back in sophomore JaTarvious Whitlow. This could be the type of Auburn team that challenges Bama and LSU for the Western division title, but could just as easily go 8-4 and have Malzahn back on the perennial hot seat.
What we Question:
Can Auburn be more consistent on offense? There is no question an inconsistent offense sunk Auburn's 2018 season. The Tigers broke the 30-point barrier just twice in conference play and had four games where they managed just 21 points or less. They finished a shocking eleventh in the conference in rushing and lost leading receivers Darius Slayton and Ryan Davis to the NFL. With Gus Malzahn resuming play-calling duties, can he get more consistency out of an offense led by true freshman QB Bo Nix?
Mississippi State
What we Like: Mississippi state returns enough talent to still be good (though not elite) on defense in linebackers Errol Thompson and Willie Gay and talented corner Cam Dantzler. That unit carried the team last season, and the hope is that the offense can continue to grow with return of six of their seven leading receivers, talented junior RB Kylin Hill, and the addition of transfer QB Tommy Stevens.
What we Question:
Can Mississippi State rebuild the nation's top defense? Unlikely. After leading the nation in scoring defense (12.0 PPG) the Bulldogs lost seven starters, four of whom were selected in the NFL Draft, three of those going in the first around (Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat, and Johnathan Abram). Replacing that kind of talent is difficult for even the best powerhouse programs, making the task seem even more daunting for second-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop.
Can the offense return to Dan Mullen levels? Possibly. The Bulldogs ranked No. 11 in the conference in points per game (28.5) and next to last in passing (173.8). Nick Fitzgerald regressed as a passer last year and his accuracy woes were exacerbated by excessive drops, leaving the Mississippi State offense punchless when they got behind and needed to move the ball through the air. Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens has won the starting job and is familiar with coach Joe Moorhead's system from their time together with the Nittany Lions. The hope is that Stevens can lead a revival in the passing game makes up for the loss of Fitzgerald's dynamic running ability.
Ole Miss
What we question: Everything. The 2018 Rebels paired an explosive vertical passing attack that ranked No. 5 nationally with a defense that allowed over 36 points per game. Jordan Ta'amu and his 3,918 passing yards are gone, as are their three top pass catchers in A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge, and D.K. Metcalf -- roughly 2,400 yards and 15 TD worth of production. With Rich Rodriguez taking over as offensive coordinator, the offense will undergo a major overhaul to Rodriguez' run-heavy spread attack, and it remains to be seen how talented young QB Matt Corral fits into to this new approach. If the Ole Miss offense can't approach the production of last year's talented group it's going to be a very, very long year in Oxford for third-year coach Matt Luke.
Arkansas
What We Like: It seems impossible for the Razorbacks to be as bad as they were last year. They went 2-10 with the worst offense in the league, averaging just 21.7 points per game. They brought in two viable QB options in SMU transfer Ben Hicks and Texas A&M transfer Nick Starkel to replace the underwhelming Ty Storey, and they return an underused weapon in RB Rakeem Boyd and a promising young tight end in C.J. O'Grady who hauled in 30 catches for 400 yards and 6 TD in just eight games. Hicks threw for 30+ TD and 3,000+ yards for head coach Chad Morris during his time at SMU, and Starkel beat out current Texas A & M signal-caller Kellen Mond for the starting job in 2017 before missing significant time with a fractured ankle and watching Mond begin to blossom in 2018. With either Hicks of Starkel at the helm, it hard to imagine anything but significant improvement for the Arkansas offense.
What We Question:
Can the defense improve enough to give the Razorbacks a chance? Arkansas lost four of their top seven tacklers off the No.11 defense in the conference. They have the conference's leading returning tackler in linebacker De'Jon Harris, a versatile pass rusher in defensive lineman McTelvin Agim, and a preseason All-SEC defensive back in Kamren Curl. With solid defenders at all three levels, the Razorbacks SHOULD be improved on this side of the ball as well.
Who is Arkansas going to beat? Despite being improved on both sides of the ball, Arkansas will likely be an underdog in all eight conference games this year.
Extra Points
Every SEC head coach returns for 2019. It’s difficult to envision that repeating next season, as the combination of entrenched, successful coaches and five new head coaches doesn’t happen often. But even some possible “hot seat” coaches might be fairly comfortable - the expectations at Vanderbilt and Kentucky are low and the buyout in Auburn is enormous.
Nine of 14 teams keep continuity behind center, but even that number is misleading. Arkansas will choose between two graduate transfers and their part time starter from last year. Mississippi State turns to Tommy Steven, a fifth-year senior that played in Joe Moorhead’s system at Penn State. Missouri replaces second round draft pick Drew Lock with graduate transfer Kelly Bryant who had a career record of 16-2 as a starter at Clemson. Ole Miss also lost a good QB in Jordan Ta'amu, but a clear and talented incumbent in Matt Coral has coaches in Oxford excited. Only the departure of Kyle Shurmer at Vanderbilt seems likely to cause a significant regression.
Second year coaches (particularly at “blue blood” programs) win roughly two more games than the previous season. The problem in 2019 is that Jimbo Fisher, Chad Morris, Joe Moorhead, Dan Mullen, and Jeremy Pruitt can’t all exceed expectations unless a lot of other teams have down years. Expect some good teams to finish with four to six losses this year.
Players of the Year:
Offensive: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Honorable Mentions : Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt; Kelly Bryant, QB, Missouri; Jake Fromm, QB, UGA
Defensive: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Honorable Mentions : C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida; Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn; Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
SEC Championship Game Prediction:
UGA (10-2) vs Bama (12-0) (David)
UGA (11-1) vs Bama (11-1) (Scott)
UGA (11-1) vs Bama (12-0 ) (Browntown C.)
UGA (10-2) vs Bama (11-1) (Dr. Susse)
10 Must-See SEC Games:
August 24, Miami vs Florida (in Orlando), ESPN, 7:00 pm
August 31, Auburn vs Oregon (in Dallas), ABC, 7:30 pm
September 7, LSU @ Texas, ABC, 7:30 pm
September 21, Notre Dame @ Georgia
October 5, Auburn @ Florida
November 2, Georgia vs Florida (in Jacksonville), CBS, 3:30
November 9, LSU @ Alabama
November 23, Texas A&M @ Georgia
November 30, Clemson @ South Carolina
December 7, SEC Championship (in Atlanta)
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