SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025

Yahoo

08-06-2025

It's not easy getting college football coaches to honestly comment on another coach, player or team. Most coaches don't want to give opposing teams bulletin board material, which is why there is a lot of coach speak or overused cliches used during the year.
In order to get an accurate assessment of teams heading into 2025, Athlon asked coaches in the SEC to talk anonymously about their opponents.
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Note: These scouting reports come directly from coaching staffs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Athlon's editorial staff.
[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]
SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoerJohn David Mercer-Imagn Images
Alabama
'The expectations define this place. I think you'll see a competitive program that could end up in Atlanta and make the playoff, but this is a new era. Bama's not a surefire lock every season.'
'The good news for them is that you didn't see a lot of key pieces test their market value in the portal. I think Alabama got very serious about NIL and personnel very quickly.'
'Ryan Grubb coming over will make the offense better. [Nick] Sheridan's going to focus on development; he helped find and develop [Michael] Penix [Jr.] at Indiana.'
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'The biggest question will be quarterback, obviously, but they have a really solid offensive line, and the roster doesn't have any obvious holes to fill. They're going to compete for a playoff spot for sure.'
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Arkansas
'Last year, they did just enough to keep [Sam] Pittman off the hot seat, but it will be just as difficult this season. Sam has a ton of respect, but this roster isn't going to separate them.'
'They need better offensive line play, and they don't have SEC-level talent up front on defense.'
'The receivers are solid, and [Taylen] Green is solid, but they couldn't protect him, and they would get into trouble in third-and-obvious situations.'
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'I don't think they're competing at a top level in NIL right now. You look at the portal exits, and it's really hard for a mid- to low-tier program in this league to sustain bowl eligibility with this many extra holes to fill.'
'If they can find a better O-line, I think the offense can carry them back to that six- or seven-win level.'
Auburn
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
'Watch out here — they finally have a quarterback who can run [Hugh] Freeze's system, and they've done some really impressive work in the portal. They're not an elite team by any stretch, but this is the most complete roster Freeze has put together since he got there.'
'They finally have a quarterback, honestly. [Jackson] Arnold is not a world-beater, you can rattle him, but he's a Day 1 upgrade, and the receiving room is really deep. The Georgia Tech kid [Eric Singleton Jr.] is a legit baller and a big get.'
'This offense is going to be better, and that's going to help that defense a lot more. [DJ] Durkin's done a really good job with these guys, and it's what kept them in a lot of their games last year."
'I think this is a turnaround year for these guys, and they're definitely bowling.'
Florida
'If [DJ] Lagway continues to develop and stays healthy, they're going to continue to improve.'
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'They don't have a killer at receiver, but they're solid at running back.'
'Defensively, they're young, but they've finally got some guys in there that look elite.'
'This is a massive year for [Billy] Napier. He survived because of the changing politics of the game and his buyout, but it ended up working out last season. Now he can show positive momentum with this group and start competing for the postseason.'
'Lagway and that offensive line are legit enough to bring back a true 'Florida offense.' If they can be in the hunt for a playoff bid and start scoring points like those old Gator programs, I think he'll be off the hot seat for a while.'
'Lagway could compete with Arch [Manning] for best QB in the league.'
Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and QB Gunner StocktonDale Zanine-Imagn Images
'All eyes are on the offense. They have questions at pretty much every position group here. Is [Gunnar] Stockton a legit QB1? Can they replace the offensive line? Can the receiving corps improve? Do they have a guy behind [Nate] Frazier in the backfield? Last season, they looked sort of muddled. Not bad, but you got the idea they weren't confident in one particular area of their attack.'
'Defensively, it's still an elite group, but they're thin at linebacker.'
'I don't think this is the same level of talent we've seen in the last three or four years. I think you might see a decline, at least at first, on both lines of scrimmage.'
'The biggest question mark will be the offense under Stockton. They didn't chase any portal guys, so let's see if the kid can become elite.'
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Kentucky
'The recipe for Kentucky's success under [Mark] Stoops isn't there right now, unless they hit on every portal guy they brought in and [Zach] Calzada is significantly better than he was the last time in the league.'
'They weren't aggressive or physical on the lines last season. They didn't really play like those Mark Stoops teams that would beat you up.'
'Stoops doesn't seem like the guy who's going to radically adjust to win in this NIL and portal era, and it's starting to show up on the field.'
'This is a make-or-break year for the future of this program. He's got a very friendly contract that makes him hard to fire, but right now it's hard to look at the overall roster here and think they're keeping pace with programs like Vanderbilt and South Carolina, who changed with the time.'
LSU
LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
'Nuss [Garrett Nussmeier] is a legit talent, and they did a really good job finally getting serious in the portal to put weapons around him.'
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'They're going to take a significant step back on the offensive line, but they're better at the skill positions.'
'The big talk here is the way they've restructured. This isn't an autonomous coaching culture anymore. [GM] Austin Thomas has a huge role building the roster, and it showed this offseason. The internal evaluation of LSU football will look more professional; they're going to build BK [Brian Kelly] the best roster possible to go out and win games.'
'They have playoff expectations here, and it's a better depth chart than he's had in Baton Rouge. If they aren't in the CFP, I think there's some serious pressure here.'
Mississippi State
'When [Blake] Shapen was healthy last season, the offense wasn't bad at all. He knows how to run that system.'
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'This was a thin roster to start with, and then they were hit hard in the portal.'
'Their biggest weakness outside of the defense is receiver, but they've portaled some guys who will start on the line right away. I think they'll improve on offense this season.'
'The defense is legitimately bad. This is the ultimate line-of scrimmage league, and they were the worst defensive line we saw last season. I think every one of their starters will be portaled, and some of those guys are very good, but even if they take that next step in the offensive system, the defensive front and run game defense have to improve dramatically. You don't have that in this league and you're dead.'
Missouri
'One of the most underrated coaching staffs in the entire country. If they can flip the QB and rework the offensive line and win another 10 games, Eli [Drinkwitz] should be on everyone's short list."
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'The ULM running back [Ahmad Hardy] could do really well in this system; he might have a breakout year.'
'[Beau] Pribula is a big, raw talent that could really thrive in Eli's offense. He needs to become more of a confident passer and rely less on his feet. He's such a physical runner, you wonder how often he can do that in this league and stay healthy.'
'This isn't an overly talented roster right now and might not win as many games, but the program's health and identity are strong. Eli really carved out a spot in the SEC and built a reliable winner.'
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables© Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
'It's a hot-seat situation for sure. They're banking on an instant impact from [Ben] Arbuckle and [John] Mateer the way Vanderbilt brought in the New Mexico State coach/QB combo. That could happen. Their receivers were nonexistent last year, but a lot of that was injury. They should bounce back and give Mateer some options.'
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'Normally, it's not a great idea when a head coach goes back to play-calling, but hey, [Brent] Venables was one of the best in the nation at it when he was at Clemson. He wants to have more control over what he knows.'
'It's a huge gamble that Mateer can come in and immediately acclimate to playing against the defenses in this league. We'll see if he can do it because that's what will determine this staff's future.'
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Ole Miss
'The first program in the league that went all-in on portal players to take them to a playoff bid went bust. Now what? [Austin] Simmons is talented but unpolished, and it's going to take some time to develop him.'
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'They're one of the best programs in the country at evaluating the portal, and they've done a very good job integrating that talent and winning right away, but this is still an inconsistent program. The loss at Florida last year is an example of why [Lane] Kiffin isn't considered an elite coach.'
'They could be just as talented on defense and maybe bring Simmons along quickly, but they're still a step removed from the top-end programs. With the level of competition in this league, it's hard to see a roster like this one immediately come in and secure a playoff bid.'
South Carolina
'The expectations are going to be sky-high for these guys. If they can continue to get that level of production from their defensive front and run the ball effectively, that's still the best, most reliable way to win games in this league.'
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'[LaNorris] Sellers is a playmaker, but they really need to find a guy to replace Rocket [Sanders].'
'They're going to be loaded this year because they've brought in portal players to compliment the defense. I think the mentality here is that they know they've got one season to break through with Sellers before he's gone, and they're going to build the best roster they can in the short term.'
'It's playoff or bust for these guys because they're going to lose their best pieces at the end of the season.'
Tennessee
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel © Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
'Losing Nico [Iamaleava] isn't good. They're not replacing him with a more talented quarterback, and they're losing the QB who ran their system in a playoff game. But because of the way everything went down, I don't think anyone blames the program or Josh [Heupel], and with the turnover on defense, Nico leaving makes a transition year a lot easier to stomach.'
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'The offense won't fall off a cliff; that system is effective at adjusting for personnel, even the quarterback.'
'The bigger question, even after Nico, is replacing the defensive starters who carried them in big games. The secondary is legit and probably their strength right now.'
"They're going to take a step back and won't be a playoff team this season, but the quarterback play won't be awful.'
Texas
'Right now, the belief is that Arch [Manning] will elevate the offense immediately, and you can expect a much more dynamic scheme from Sark [Steve Sarkisian]. This kid is a legit, Heisman-level package. Provided he produces at that level, the offense will be even better. They're stacked with talent.'
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'They could have one of the best defensive lines in the entire country. They have next-level pass rushers and the size and physicality to win against the run.'
'This program is one of the most effectively run in terms of personnel, NIL and the new era of the sport.'
'If Manning blows up and goes to the league next year, this is still the program to chase. They're professionalizing in a way other programs aren't.'
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Texas A&M
Texas A&M head coach Mike ElkoMandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
'They didn't finish strong, but the turnaround here was remarkable. As coaches, we talked about the culture at this place really falling to rock-bottom under Jimbo [Fisher]. You turn on the tape from [Mike] Elko, and those kids are playing harder, playing smarter. That's coaching, but it's culture. It's the want-to.'
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'They have a great run game, and the entire offensive line should be back. [Marcel] Reed's ceiling is still to be determined; he showed a lot of good and some bad last season.'
'Elko is going to be more involved on the defense, I think. The need position in the offseason was defensive line, so watch for that.'
'Elko understands A&M, and eventually this could be the most physical, aggressive team in the league.'
Vanderbilt
'This is why you invest in NIL over facilities. This is why you have to be serious about personnel. Vanderbilt's coaches didn't suddenly learn how to coach. Clark [Lea] is a fantastic, sharp defensive mind, and now he's got a roster capable of winning games in the league.'
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'[Diego] Pavia is an 'it factor' guy. He's not the most talented, but he's the definition of the college football playmaker. He's never out of it until the play is over, and the entire offense improves when he's clicking. I think you'll see more advanced concepts from them this season to mix up their standard option play.'
'They're still lacking depth on both lines of scrimmage. That's probably the biggest weakness right now.'
'With the attention on them, it will get a lot harder to win games.'
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SEC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025