As the calendar flips to March, it’s time to start thinking about … college football?
Why not? Spring practices will ramp up in the next week or two. In the SEC, Missouri has already started practices, with Florida and South Carolina kicking off this week and the rest of the league not far behind.
There are six new head coaches in the conference, most notably Lane Kiffin jumping from Ole Miss to LSU (in case you hadn’t heard). As always, there also are plenty of new quarterbacks and transfers to keep track of, plus teams with College Football Playoff aspirations and coaches trying to stay off the hot seat.
Here’s a look at the top storyline, a position of intrigue and a player to watch for every SEC team as spring camps approach.
2025 record: 11-4
Spring storyline: After back-to-back so-so seasons to start his Alabama tenure, Kalen DeBoer might need to win big this year. The Tide suffered ugly defeats in two of their last three games in 2025, falling 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC championship game and 38-3 to Indiana in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. The Tide ranked 125th in rushing (104.1 yards) and 111th in sacks allowed (2.13 per game), which led to DeBoer firing offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. Former NFL offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was hired to replace him, and Bryan Ellis moved from tight ends to quarterbacks coach. Longtime SEC assistant Derrick Nix was hired to coach receivers; former Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens is now working with the tight ends.
Position of intrigue: If the Tide are going to turn things around, they’ll have to run the ball and protect the quarterback in 2026. It won’t be easy after four of the team’s five starting offensive linemen departed, along with several backups. Right tackle Michael Carroll and left guard William Sanders have experience, and center Racin Delgatty (Cal Poly) and tackle Jayvin James (Mississippi State) played a lot of snaps at their previous schools. Kaden Strayhorn (Michigan) and Nick Brooks (Texas) are other additions who might contribute up front.
Players to watch: With Ty Simpson leaving for the NFL draft, there’s going to be an intriguing quarterback battle between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Mack originally signed with Washington and followed DeBoer to Alabama. This will be his fourth season in DeBoer’s offense, so he should know the system well. He attempted 35 passes the past two seasons. Russell was the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2025 and played well in mop-up time in two games as a freshman. — Mark Schlabach
2025 record: 2-10
Spring storyline: A breath of fresh air. After an up-and-down era during Sam Pittman’s tenure as head coach, Arkansas turns to Ryan Silverfield, who takes over the program after nine seasons at Memphis, the last six as head coach. One of his proven strengths that will be necessary in turning Arkansas around is his ability to bolster his roster in the transfer portal, and the Razorbacks already have promising players in OT Bryant Williams (Louisiana), LB Khmori House (North Carolina), DB Jahiem Johnson (Tulane) and others, including a handful of players from Memphis.
Position of intrigue: Quarterback. It appears the Razorbacks are going to have a battle on their hands. KJ Jackson returns, along with transfer AJ Hill from Memphis, Braeden Fuller from Division II Angelo State and Fayetteville’s own, freshman Hank Hendrix, who reclassified to 2026. Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey follows Silverfield from Memphis, where the offense was in the top 25 in scoring in all four seasons they were together.
Player to watch: RB Sutton Smith. Silverfield and his staff at Memphis knew Smith had NFL talent as a freshman, and he will be key to their success in their first season at Arkansas. Smith suffered an ACL tear early in 2024 but bounced back last season with 669 yards and seven touchdowns on 102 carries, along with 20 receptions for 109 yards. — Harry Lyles Jr.
2025 record: 5-7
Spring storyline: Auburn hasn’t looked like itself this decade: How fast can Alex Golesh fix that? The newfound hope and expectations for a turnaround are going to be present with any new head coach. But Golesh took South Florida from 1-11 to 7-6 in his first season as head coach (2023) and left the gig as one of the best coaches in the Group of 6. This program needs stability as much as anything, and Golesh seems more than capable of bringing it. Having the 11th-best portal class is a good start.
Position of intrigue: It will be intriguing to see how the wide receivers Golesh brought over from USF translate into the SEC. The continuity from playing with quarterback Byrum Brown is going to be a plus no matter what conference they’re in, but generally speaking this was a group Golesh and his staff felt really good about, with Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Christian Neptune and especially Chas Nimrod when he was healthy.
Player to watch: When Brown is at his best, he’s one of the most exciting players in college football. He’s physically gifted and tough, the type of player Auburn fans can get behind. A lot of the Tigers’ success in Year 1 under Golesh is going to depend on the performance of Brown, who will be playing alongside plenty of familiar faces from South Florida. — Lyles
2025 record: 4-8
Spring storyline: Coach Jon Sumrall’s revamped staff. Sumrall has been a head coach for four years, two at Troy and two at Tulane, and he made the conference championship game in all four years, winning the title in three. He knows football, but he also has a great sense of place, as he referenced upon taking the Florida job. “One of my first priorities,” Sumrall said, “will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn’t optional — it’s mandatory.”
Position of intrigue: Quarterback. Sumrall talked about how important offense is at Florida, and the Gators have seemingly put pieces in place to give themselves a shot at delivering. Sumrall hired former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and brought in transfer quarterback Aaron Philo, also from Tech. The Yellow Jackets finished No. 12 nationally in total offense with QB Haynes King and felt great about Philo as their backup. The OC/QB transfer duo has worked for teams in the past, and the Gators will give it a go with Faulkner and Philo.
Player to watch: WR Eric Singleton Jr. Singleton transfers from Auburn, but has some crossover with Philo and Faulkner from Georgia Tech. He’s a talented receiver who had a bit of a down year last season after a monster freshman season in 2023 that carried over into 2024 before his transfer to Auburn. He should be a main target for the Gators heading into 2026. — Lyles
2025 record: 12-2
Spring storyline: After winning a second straight SEC championship and reaching the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in five years, Kirby Smart’s program is still in great shape. But the Bulldogs haven’t been able to stockpile talent like they did while winning back-to-back CFP national titles in 2021 and 2022, as revenue sharing and NIL have leveled the playing field. Georgia’s roster was one of the youngest in the SEC in 2025, so filling holes and building depth will be priorities in the spring. There are two new assistants with former NFL offensive line coach Phil Rauscher replacing Stacy Searels, who moved into an analyst role. Smart hired West Virginia’s Larry Knight to replace outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who joined the Dallas Cowboys.
Position of intrigue: Receiver is the one position that was hit hard by personnel losses with star Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas declaring for the NFL draft and Dillon Bell and Colbie Young exhausting their eligibility. London Humphreys and Sacovie White-Helton are coming back, but the Bulldogs need young wideouts Talyn Taylor, Thomas Blackshear and CJ Wiley to continue to improve. Isiah Canion, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, was a big pickup from the transfer portal. He caught 33 passes for 480 yards with four touchdowns at Georgia Tech in 2025.
Player to watch: The Bulldogs had only 20 sacks last season, which tied for 107th in the FBS. Outside linebacker Chris Cole had 4.5 of those and is coming back. The Bulldogs picked up former Auburn edge rusher Amaris Williams from the transfer portal. The Clinton, North Carolina, native was the No. 13 defensive end in the Class of 2024. He had 14 tackles and two sacks last season. The Bulldogs are hoping a change in scenery will help Williams do even more. — Schlabach
2025 record: 5-7
Spring storyline: A new era begins with 36-year-old Will Stein, a Louisville native, arriving with hopes of bringing an exciting offense back to Kentucky, which ranked 101st in scoring last year with 23 points per game. There will be lots of changes after Mark Stoops was fired after 13 seasons, including Stein bringing in 34 players from the transfer portal.
Position of intrigue: The wide receiver room got a wholesale makeover. Just Ashton Cozart and DJ Miller return from last season’s roster, but the Wildcats added LSU transfer Nic Anderson, who caught just 12 passes because of injuries last year but is a 6-4 target who had 38 catches — 10 of which went for TDs — and 798 yards as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2023. Stein landed four-star recruit Kenny Darby from Louisiana, along with three other freshmen, and added transfers Brock Coffman (Louisville), Ja’Kayden Ferguson (Arkansas) and Southern Utah’s Shane Carr, who adds experience with 50 receptions for 744 yards last year.
Player to watch: Stein is a quarterback’s best friend, after working with Dante Moore, Dillon Gabriel and Bo Nix at Oregon. Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, a four-star recruit from Hendersonville, Tennessee, who backed up CJ Carr last season, will be next in line, but he attempted only 29 passes in three seasons in South Bend. — Dave Wilson
2025 record: 7-6
Spring storyline: There will be plenty of attention on Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin conducts his first spring practices at LSU. Kiffin and his staff put together the No. 1-ranked class from the transfer portal, landing quarterback Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), defensive end Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss), offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado) and safety Ty Benefield (Boise State), among others. It’s the second year in a row the Tigers went all-in on the portal. It didn’t turn out well last season, when they fired former coach Brian Kelly after a 5-3 start.
Position of intrigue: If the Tigers are going to improve in Kiffin’s first season, they’re going to have to get a lot better up front on offense. LSU ranked 126th in the FBS in rushing (104 yards) and tied for 99th in sacks allowed (29) in 2025. The Tigers were able to keep center Braelin Moore and right tackle Weston Davis. Seaton, who was the No. 1 tackle in the Class of 2024 and a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft, will probably start at left tackle. Interior linemen Aliou Bah (Maryland) and Devin Harper (Ole Miss) also have plenty of experience.
Player to watch: The Tigers reportedly spent $5 million to land Leavitt, who played just five games in 2025 because of a season-ending foot injury. He threw for 4,513 yards with 34 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in two seasons with the Sun Devils. He’s a threat to run as well, piling up 749 yards with 10 scores at ASU. Kiffin said Leavitt will throw and participate in 7-on-7 drills in the spring, but he will be held out of full-contact drills as a precaution. — Schlabach
2025 record: 5-8
Spring storyline: Mississippi State’s game against Texas in October encapsulated the potential and reality of the Bulldogs’ 2025 season when a 38-21 fourth-quarter lead in a raucous stadium evaporated and ended with the Longhorns’ backup quarterback delivering the winning score in a 45-38 overtime gut punch. Mississippi State lost seven of its last eight games, with only a 3-point win over Arkansas, which went winless in the SEC. Jeff Lebby lured Mike Leach’s former defensive coordinator — and former MSU head coach — Zach Arnett back to Starkville to try to fix the defense, offering promise alongside an offense that can put up numbers.
Position of intrigue: The Bulldogs’ offensive line struggled last season, allowing 45 sacks, fourth most in the FBS. Eight offensive linemen departed after the season, and Lebby brought in eight new ones, including several from big programs: Tyler Miller and DJ Chester (LSU), Jayvin James (Alabama), Miles McVay (North Carolina), Ja’Elyne Matthews and Mario Nash Jr. (Florida State) and Isaiah Dent (Oklahoma). There’s not a lot of experience up front, but there is a lot of size and potential. How fast they get up to speed will determine how well Lebby’s rebuild goes.
Player to watch: Kamario Taylor, the star freshman, will inherit the starting quarterback role after throwing for 629 yards with five touchdowns last season in spot duty, including finishing third on the team in rushing with 458 yards and having a team-best eight TDs on the ground. Taylor had 173 rushing yards in his first career start, in the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss. — Wilson
2025 record: 8-5
Spring storyline: Eli Drinkwitz has done a great job turning Missouri around, and nobody in the SEC is overlooking the Tigers anymore. After winning 29 games over the past three seasons, Missouri had to have a strong portal class this offseason and seems to have done a great job. People are always going to look first at the quarterback position, where Drinkwitz landed Austin Simmons after Beau Pribula departed for Virginia. Along with Simmons, there will be other immediate impact transfers and another tier of guys who could be developed within the program.
Position of intrigue: Cornerback. Missouri needed to get better (and add depth) on the perimeter, and Drinkwitz seemingly did a great job. Chris Graves Jr. (Ole Miss) is the gem among the group, but Missouri also brought in Jahlil Florence (Oregon), Elijah Dotson (Michigan) and Sione Laulea (Oregon). If Missouri is going to continue its impressive run of the past few years, this group needs to take a step up, and these guys will be important in making sure that happens.
Player to watch: Simmons. Drinkwitz brought in Chip Lindsey as his offensive coordinator and Garrett Riley as his QB coach — and they will be key in Simmons’ development. Missouri also worked to surround its new QB with some new pass catchers, pulling several from the portal, including Horatio Fields (Auburn), Naeshaun Montgomery (Florida), Caleb Goodie (Cincinnati) and Kenric Lanier II (Minnesota). They’ll need to replace the production of the departing Kevin Coleman Jr., who caught 66 passes for 732 yards. — Lyles
2025 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: A 6-7 record (2-6 SEC) in 2024 landed Brent Venables firmly in some choppy waters, but he hired coordinator Ben Arbuckle to take over the offense alongside QB John Mateer, both from Washington State. Venables’ defensive chops helped the Sooners allow just 15.5 points per game last year, seventh best in the FCS, and the rebound was on in Norman, with the Sooners finishing 10-3, including a CFP appearance. OU crashed after building a 17-0 lead at home against Alabama in that game and lost 34-24. The Sooners will begin 2026 in the top 10, and they hope a healthy Mateer can get them back in the SEC title mix.
Position of intrigue: Isaiah Sategna III was a breakout performer for the Sooners last season, catching 67 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns after catching three TD passes in his first three seasons. But OU set out to add some playmakers for Mateer, and it brought in two starters alongside Sategna in Virginia transfer Trell Harris, who had 847 yards and five scores, and Parker Livingstone, Arch Manning’s roommate at Texas, where he caught 26 balls for 516 yards and six TDs as a freshman.
Player to watch: Mateer broke a bone in his throwing hand in Week 4 against Auburn last season, had surgery, rushed back in 17 days and then didn’t quite get back up to speed. Before the injury, he was averaging 304 yards of total offense per game, ranked second nationally, and had thrown for 1,215 yards with six TDs. After returning, he averaged 208 passing yards per game, with eight TDs and eight interceptions in eight games. — Wilson
2025 record: 13-2
Spring storyline: After taking over for Lane Kiffin and guiding the Rebels to their first two victories in the CFP, Pete Golding gets a chance to put his own imprint on the program. He was able to retain most of his defensive staff, and he brought in former East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker to replace Charlie Weis Jr., who left for LSU. Quarterbacks coach Joe Judge and offensive line coach John Garrison stayed in place. The Rebels’ biggest victories were retaining star tailback Kewan Lacy and winning a legal battle to get quarterback Trinidad Chambliss another season of eligibility.
Position of intrigue: Chambliss will have to find new targets in 2026 because the receiver room was depleted by the NFL draft and transfer portal. Leading receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III and tight end Dae’Quan Wright turned pro, and talented freshman Winston Watkins (LSU) and sophomore Cayden Lee (Missouri) transferred. Deuce Alexander is back, and the Rebels added five wideouts from the portal, including Darrell Gill Jr. (Syracuse) and Horatio Fields (Auburn).
Player to watch: There’s no question the Rebels are going to miss Princewill Umanmielen, who had nine sacks in 2025. Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris (three sacks) left for the NFL, and edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack (two sacks) transferred to Auburn. The Rebels are bringing in five new defensive linemen, and Jonathan Maldonado, who had five sacks and nine tackles for loss at Nevada last season, is an intriguing edge rusher. Jordan Renaud (Alabama), Blake Purchase (Oregon) and Michai Boireau (Florida) will also get looks. — Schlabach
2025 record: 4-8
Spring storyline: Can the Gamecocks shake off 2025 and find their magic again? Many had high expectations for South Carolina after what we saw two seasons ago. LaNorris Sellers was a popular Heisman pick, and the team had plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. While it didn’t work out the way many expected, coach Shane Beamer has another shot with Sellers, who will be key in the Gamecocks getting back to where they believe they ought to be.
Position of intrigue: We’re making this the group of intrigue and covering the entire offensive line. South Carolina fell short of expectations in 2025, and part of that was because of issues on the offensive line. Beamer hit the portal and landed Jacarrius Peak from NC State, one of the top linemen available, along with a handful of others. Incoming four-star tackle Darius Gray will also be important among this group.
Player to watch: WR Nyck Harbor. Harbor came into college football as one of the country’s best athletes, even as a freshman. He finished the 2025 season strong, with 12 catches for 286 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Clemson. If South Carolina is going to right the ship, he’ll be a big part of it, especially if he continues to develop. — Lyles
2025 record: 8-5
Spring storyline: There will be plenty of eyes on the quarterback battle after a state judge denied former starter Joey Aguilar’s injunction, which would have given him another season with the Volunteers. But the more pressing work will come on the other side of the ball, where new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will try to fix a unit that ranked 15th in the SEC in passing defense (244.8 yards) and 14th in total defense (397.2 yards) and scoring defense (28.8 points). Knowles brought two of his assistant coaches from Penn State, as well as four transfers, including linebacker Amare Campbell, edge rusher Chaz Coleman and safety Dejuan Lane.
Position of intrigue: Tennessee’s secondary is getting a complete overhaul, so new co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Anthony Poindexter is going to have his hands full. The Volunteers brought in seven new defensive backs to shore up the back end of their defense. Auburn transfer Kayin Lee is probably in line to start at one of the cornerback spots, and safeties Qua Moss (Kansas State), TJ Metcalf (Michigan) and DJ Burks (Appalachian State) are potential upgrades.
Player to watch: With Aguilar moving on, freshman George MacIntyre is probably the quarterback to beat for the starting job. He was the No. 8 pocket passer coming out of Brentwood Academy in Nashville in the Class of 2025. He played in two games as a freshman and attempted nine passes. Freshman Faizon Brandon was the No. 1 prospect in North Carolina and No. 3 pocket passer in the Class of 2026. — Schlabach
2025 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: The Longhorns opened with a tight — albeit lackluster — loss to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus and missed the playoff, mostly due to a bad loss to Florida. But by the end of the season, Arch Manning was playing as well as any quarterback in the country and enters 2026 as a legitimate Heisman contender, unlike last year when it was too much too soon. (Manning had minor foot surgery in January and will be limited this spring, “especially early on,” coach Steve Sarkisian said.) The Longhorns made some tough roster choices and focused on surrounding Manning with some star power. They get a rematch with Ohio State at home and will again be among the SEC favorites.
Position of intrigue: Last season, Texas played a rotation of running backs because of injury and attrition, and it lacked the consistent home-run threat that Steve Sarkisian teams have featured. That has changed, thanks to the departures of Quintrevion Wisner (Florida State) and CJ Baxter (Kentucky). Sarkisian signed Hollywood Smothers, a slasher who averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season at NC State, and Raleek Brown, who averaged 6.1 and was first-team All-Big 12 at Arizona State. The Horns also added Derrek Cooper, the No. 1 RB in the 2026 high school class.
Player to watch: Texas beat out everyone — but especially Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Alabama — in a derby to land Cam Coleman, the 6-3, 200-pound soon-to-be superstar receiver who caught 93 passes for 1,306 yards and 13 TDs in two seasons at Auburn despite a bleak quarterback situation there. Sarkisian said last week that Coleman already has been a huge addition because of his work ethic. — Wilson
2025 record: 11-2
Spring storyline: Mike Elko’s first season (8-5) was about holding a locker room together and building a foundation after Jimbo Fisher’s firing, and in Year 2, Elko began to stockpile NFL-level talent, breaking through with an 11-2 record, a CFP appearance and a nation-leading 13 players at the NFL combine. Now, Elko has to replace two departed coordinators as he hopes for yet another step up the ladder to join the elite, as OC Collin Klein left to take over at his alma mater, Kansas State, and OC Jay Bateman left for Kentucky. Elko replaced them with internal promotions: Wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins takes over the offense, and longtime Elko assistant Lyle Hemphill takes over the defense.
Position of intrigue: Who will break out at wide receiver this season? Last season, adding KC Concepcion and Mario Craver through the portal dramatically changed the A&M offense because of their big-play potential. The Aggies retained Craver, who had 917 yards last season, but they’ll be looking for someone to replace Concepcion’s 61 catches. The Aggies are very high on Ashton Bethel-Roman, who had 24 catches for 503 yards as a freshman and landed a big target in 6-4 Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, who had 52 catches for 511 yards and eight TDs last season. Former five-star recruit Terry Bussey, a talented athlete and returner, has yet to make a big impact in the passing game.
Player to watch: Texas A&M’s season ended with Marcel Reed throwing an interception on the goal line, and the quarterback will return for his third season as a starter on a mission after making a leap last season, throwing for 3,169 yards with 25 TDs and 12 interceptions, adding 493 rushing yards and six TDs. Elko said he believes in Reed and thinks he’s ready to carry the Aggies where they want to go. — Wilson
2025 record: 10-3
Spring storyline: Vanderbilt’s post-Diego Pavia era begins, after the Heisman Trophy runner-up helped lead the Commodores to their first 10-win campaign in 2025. The Commodores were a senior-laden team last season, and other stars such as tight end Eli Stowers, linebacker Langston Patterson and safety Marlen Sewell will be missed. Still, the Commodores have a good nucleus returning, and they’ve done as well as any program in identifying good fits out of the transfer portal. Head coach Clark Lea could have left for Penn State or another high-profile opening, but he stayed at his alma mater, which should prevent a huge drop-off.
Position of intrigue: Four starters need to be replaced on the offensive line, but the Commodores feel good about transfer tackle Beau Johnson (North Dakota State) and center Lyndon Cooper (Pitt). Guard Cade McConnell started all 13 games last season. Tackle Clinton Azubuike, who played in two games, has a high ceiling. The 6-foot-8, 305-pound lineman played at Northern Arizona in 2024.
Player to watch: Quarterback Jared Curtis was the No. 1 pocket passer in the Class of 2026 and is one of the most high-profile recruits to ever sign with Vanderbilt. The local product flipped from Georgia shortly before signing day, and the early reviews are that his arm strength and talent are as good as advertised. Curtis will have to beat out last season’s backup, Blaze Berlowitz, and two other quarterbacks, but he’ll have every opportunity to win the job. — Schlabach
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