Week 1 is almost here, and with SEC teams set to open their 2026 seasons next Saturday, the conversation is already shifting from offseason chatter to what these rosters actually look like on the field.
On the defensive side, SP+ has LSU sitting in the best spot in the conference. Bill Connelly’s predictive rating pegs the Tigers at 12.4, which lands them No. 3 nationally and first among SEC defenses. It’s a strong sign for a group entering year three under defensive coordinator Blake Baker.
Georgia checks in right behind LSU in the conference picture, though the Bulldogs are No. 5 nationally in defensive SP+ and No. 4 overall in SP+. Alabama is next at No. 3 in the SEC, followed by Oklahoma at No. 4 and Texas at No.
- Florida comes in at No. 6, with Texas A&M and Missouri tied at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.
The rest of the SEC board shakes out with Auburn at No. 9, South Carolina at No.
10, Ole Miss at No. 11, Kentucky at No.
12, Tennessee at No. 13, Vanderbilt at No.
14, Mississippi State at No. 15 and Arkansas at No. 16.
LSU’s ranking is the one that jumps off the page. The Tigers may have the league’s best secondary, with DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland giving Baker the kind of cornerback tandem that can keep the defense in man coverage. Behind them, LSU’s safety room includes what the projection calls multiple future NFL players, including Boise State transfer Ty Benefield.
Linebacker is another strength, with Whit Weeks, TJ Dottery and Dahvon Keys giving the Tigers depth there as well. The one area that could determine whether this unit really reaches its ceiling is the defensive tackle group. LSU is counting on young players to step in fast, including true freshmen Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson, along with five-star Lamar Brown.
Georgia’s outlook fits the usual Kirby Smart script. The Bulldogs are projected to be strong again, and Connelly’s numbers have Georgia’s defense ranked No. 5 nationally in returning production. When that defense has experience, Georgia is the kind of team that pushes into the national title race.
Alabama’s defense also looks like a strength, even with the broader questions surrounding Kalen DeBoer entering year three. The Crimson Tide are projected to be No. 3 in the SEC on defense, powered by a strong cornerback duo and future NFL talent up front.
Oklahoma’s group lands at No. 4 in the conference after an elite season a year ago. Brent Venables’ defense was especially difficult to run against, and many of the key pieces from that unit are back.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, doesn’t project to have a top-10 SEC defense after reaching the College Football Playoff last season. That puts Pete Golding in a spot where he’ll be tested not just as a head coach, but as a defensive mind in 2026.
In Other News...
LSU Just Made A No. 18 Choice Fans Will Debate
LSUs latest nod to its locker-room standards came with a familiar kind of weight, as center Braelin Moore was chosen to carry the No. 18 tradition into this season. The honor has long been reserved for players who embody leadership and selflessness, and it remains one of the programs more meaningful internal markers. Moore is only the second offensive lineman to earn the distinction, which says plenty about how the Tigers view his role beyond the line of scrimmage.
Because of NCAA numbering rules, Moore will wear a patch representing No. 18 rather than the number itself, but the symbolism is still the point. The tradition dates back to quarterback Matt Mauck and has been passed along to players whose value shows up in the huddle, in the meeting room and in the way teammates respond to them. For LSU, the selection is another reminder that some of its biggest expectations are measured less by statistics than by the standard a player sets every day. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A No. 18 Choice Fans Will Read Into
LSU added a familiar bit of symbolism to its roster this week by honoring Braelin Moore with the No. 18 jersey, a number reserved for the Tiger who best reflects leadership and character. Moore, a fifth-year senior center, will keep wearing No. 61 on game day because of NCAA numbering rules, but the patch attached to his uniform carries real meaning around the program.
The choice is notable for another reason: it is only the second time an LSU offensive lineman has received the honor, following Lloyd Cushenberry in 2019. For a position group that usually gets its praise in quieter ways, the gesture says plenty about how Moore is viewed inside the program and why this one figures to resonate with fans who pay attention to the details. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Is Fueling A Debate LSU Fans Can't Ignore
Lane Kiffin is back in the conversation around LSU, but this time it has nothing to do with play-calling or the transfer portal. He appears as the villain in a new Dr. Pepper "Fansville" commercial set to air this football season, another reminder that his image still carries plenty of edge in college football circles and plenty of baggage for fans who remember his Ole Miss days well.
The timing makes the spot especially hard for LSU fans to ignore, because the Tigers have just added former NFL players DaaQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris after both were cut and then entered the transfer portal. Both players once played for Kiffin at Ole Miss before he took over at LSU, which gives the commercial a little extra irony for a fan base still sorting through how to view its coachs old ties. [Read more 🡒]