SEC media days are barely underway, and the first wave of preseason forecasting already has the conference taking shape around the usual heavyweights - with Oklahoma right in the middle of the conversation.
The Sooners enter 2026 after a College Football Playoff trip and a 10-win season, and there’s no shortage of confidence around the program as it heads into year three in the SEC. But the road ahead is steep, and that matters in any projection. The schedule alone can drag a good team down a few spots, even if the roster looks built to contend.
Here’s how the SEC stack up in this prediction for 2026:
- Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia remains the standard. Ohio State is the only program that can match the Bulldogs’ consistency over the last decade, and Kirby Smart’s team has turned the SEC title game into a familiar destination. Georgia has been there five straight years, won three of the last four, and reached the championship game eight times since Smart took over in 2015.
- Texas Longhorns
Texas gets the edge over Oklahoma here because the path looks cleaner. The Longhorns added major pieces on both sides of the ball, including Cam Coleman at wide receiver, and Arch Manning continues to flash real promise. He still hasn’t won “the big one,” but Texas’ lighter schedule gives it a better shot at reaching the SEC title game.
- Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma is projected to be better than the team Texas beat last year, and that matters in the Red River matchup. The Sooners’ offense was never much of a threat in that game, and the quarterback situation was complicated by a player who was less than three weeks removed from surgery. The Sooners are still being treated like a serious SEC contender, but they land behind Texas in this forecast.
- Ole Miss Rebels
Trinidad Chambliss is viewed as the best quarterback in the conference, and Pete Golding’s defense should be strong. Even so, there’s a sense that Ole Miss could slip a bit.
The Oct. Norman trip to face Oklahoma is one of the season’s biggest games for both the SEC race and the College Football Playoff picture.
- Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama may not have the quarterback answer settled yet, but the roster is loaded, especially on defense. The biggest concern is up front on the offensive line.
- Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M might actually be a better team than last season and still finish with a worse record because of the schedule. The Aggies have to go to LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, before closing the regular season against Texas. That’s a brutal road slate.
- LSU Tigers
LSU made a splash by hiring Lane Kiffin and adding Sam Leavitt in the transfer portal. The season will be defined by the matchups with Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Texas.
- Missouri Tigers
Missouri gets a major boost from Austin Simmons, who could end up being Eli Drinkwitz’s best quarterback there. Cayden Lee’s arrival from Ole Miss is another big win, and the Tigers’ offensive line should be one of the better units in the country. Even if Ahmad Hardy isn’t fully ready in Week 1, the ceiling is high.
- Tennessee Volunteers
Josh Heupel is facing yet another quarterback reset, and that’s the biggest question hanging over Tennessee. The Vols also lost key offensive tackle Lance Heard to Kentucky. This is a prove-it season.
- South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina was one of the most disappointing teams in college football in 2025, but it should be better this fall. Still, games against Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Georgia look like losses, so the question is whether the Gamecocks can handle the rest of the league schedule.
- Florida Gators
Jon Sumrall has more talent to work with than Auburn and Alex Golesh, but Florida has to show real progress before it can be pushed much higher in the preseason.
- Auburn Tigers
Golesh is making a big bet that his former USF players can translate to the SEC and lift Auburn out of mediocrity. There’s upside there, but it may not show up right away.
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State was competitive last season, and Jeff Lebby has been building something in Starkville. The Bulldogs aren’t ready to jump into the top half of the league yet, but they’re ahead of the rebuilds in Lexington and Fayetteville.
- Kentucky Wildcats
Will Stein was a strong hire, and Kentucky helped itself in the transfer portal. Still, there’s hesitation around Kenny Minchey, mostly because he hasn’t played much.
- Arkansas Razorbacks
A lot of preseason lists have Arkansas at the bottom, which usually means the Razorbacks end up outperforming expectations. Ryan Silverfield’s group is being overlooked by plenty of people.
- Vanderbilt Commodores
This is the one that could surprise people the most. Vanderbilt is entering a new era at quarterback after Diego Pavia moved on, and the big question is whether Jared Curtis can guide the Commodores to the same level as a true freshman. The schedule is manageable outside of Georgia, Ole Miss, and Alabama, but the Pavia question hangs over everything.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Just Sent Brent Venables A Message Sooners Fans Will Feel
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The timing matters, too, because Oklahoma has been trying to patch together its cornerback room after several departures to the transfer portal. Venables has answered by bringing in new help through the portal and adding freshmen, but the depth chart still has a different look than it did a year ago. Williams now gives Georgia another experienced body in the secondary, while the Sooners are left balancing development and depth at a position where every snap can matter. [Read more 🡒]
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That makes culture more than a talking point in Norman. Oklahoma is leaning on standards and accountability to make sure compensation differences do not turn into locker-room friction, and Nagys first real surprise only reinforces how delicate that balance can be. The Sooners have embraced the new financial reality, but keeping a team together under it is becoming its own test. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Be Closing In On A Massive 2028 Recruiting Surge
Oklahomas 2028 recruiting momentum could be picking up in a hurry, and the early signs are coming from two very different kinds of prospects. One is a local name with deep ties to the state in Owasso High School athlete Kamieon Compton-Nero, while the other is running back Jayshawn Mitchell, whose profile has risen quickly after turning heads in camp settings and drawing attention from several major programs.
Rivals national analyst Sam Spiegelman has already logged Crystal Ball predictions for both, which is the kind of signal that tends to get a fan base paying close attention this early in a cycle. If the Sooners can keep building on that traction, they would be looking at a 2028 class that is off to a fast start and, potentially, one that adds another four-star piece before the group has even had time to fully take shape. [Read more 🡒]