SEC preview 2023: Georgia is the top dog in the East. Is Alabama vulnerable in the West?

It’s hard to imagine anyone taking down the Georgia Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference East division, but it also once seemed unlikely anyone could usurp the Alabama Crimson Tide atop the SEC West.

Instead, Alabama appears to be vulnerable for the first time in about a decade, without any established quarterback and with the LSU Tigers gaining ground with coach Brian Kelly heading into his second season. Is this finally the year for some upheaval atop the conference?

East Division

1. Georgia Bulldogs

Coach: Kirby Smart.

Players to watch: G Tate Ratledge, TE Brock Bowers, LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, CB/S Javon Bullard, CB Kamari Lassiter.

Key games: vs. South Carolina, Sept. 16; vs. Ole Miss, Nov. 11; at Tennessee, Nov. 18.

Former quarterback Stetson Bennett is gone and another slew of former Georgia stars is off to the NFL, but it shouldn’t slow down the Bulldogs. They go into every season as the presumed favorite, until proven otherwise, and this year bring back multiple All-Americans. Star tight end Brock Bowers is on the short list of best all-around offensive weapons in the country and star linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson anchors an always-elite defense. Georgia’s schedule is also shockingly easy, with only two opponents who finished last season ranked in the Top 25.

2. Tennessee Volunteers

Coach: Josh Heupel.

Players to watch: QB Joe Milton III, WR Bru McCoy, WR Squirrel White, OL Javontez Spraggins, C Cooper Mays.

Key games: vs. Virginia, Sept. 2 (in Nashville); vs. South Carolina, Sept. 30; at Alabama, Oct. 21; vs. Georgia, Nov. 18.

After breaking out and breaking into the echelon of the elites in college football, Tennessee will have to prove it can stay there, even after the departure of former quarterback Hendon Hooker. The Volunteers’ win in the 2022 Orange Bowl was encouraging, as quarterback Joe Milton III outdueled Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and helped Tennessee win a shootout in Miami Gardens. He has two really good weapons to throw to, too, with Squirrel White in the slot and fellow wide receiver Bru McCoy hoping to finally break out as a redshirt senior after he was a five-star wide receiver in the Class of 2019.

3. South Carolina Gamecocks

Coach: Shane Beamer.

Players to watch: QB Spencer Rattler, WR Antwane Wells, DL Tonka Hemingway, K Mitch Jeter, P Kai Kroeger.

Key games: vs. North Carolina, Sept. 2 (in Charlotte); at Georgia, Sept. 16; vs. Clemson, Nov. 25.

Spencer Rattler makes South Carolina interesting. It wasn’t so long ago the star quarterback was viewed as a potential future top pick when he was intermittently dazzling as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma and he was quietly solid last season, throwing for 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns to help the Gamecocks finish a year ranked for the first time since the 2013 college football season. Beamer has South Carolina pointed in the right direction and, with Rattler back, this is the chance for the program to jump to another level, especially in a weak division.

4. Florida Gators

Coach: Billy Napier.

Players to watch: RB Trevor Etienne, WR Ricky Pearsall, OL Austin Barber, DL Princely Umanmielen, DB Jason Marshall Jr.

Key games: at South Carolina, Oct. 14; vs. Georgia, Oct. 28 (in Jacksonville); vs. Arkansas, Nov. 4; at LSU, Nov. 11; vs. Florida State, Nov. 25.

Coach Billy Napier is putting in great work on the recruiting trail, but the on-field product is still a work in progress. The Gators don’t have any proven quarterback and are lacking some of the top-tier defensive talent even the Gators’ shakiest teams usually have. Florida’s running backs are impressive, though, with Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. combining for more than 1,500 rushing yards last year.

5. Kentucky Wildcats

Coach: Mark Stoops.

Players to watch: RB Ray Davis, WR Barion Brown, OL Eli Cox, DL Deone Walker, LB J.J. Weaver.

Key games: at Georgia, Oct. 7; vs. Alabama, Nov. 11; at South Carolina, Nov. 18; at Louisville, Nov. 25.

As it almost always is with coach Mark Stoops at the helm, Kentucky’s defense should be one of the best in the country, with defensive lineman Deone Walker and linebacker J.J. Weaver forming the foundation. The Wildcats’ ceiling largely hinges around quarterback Devin Leary, who was a borderline star at NC State in 2021, only to badly regress in 2022 before sustaining a season-ending injury. If Leary can recapture his 2021 form in Kentucky, the Wildcats could compete for a top-three finish in the division.

6. Missouri Tigers

Coach: Eliah Drinkwitz.

Players to watch: OL Javon Foster, DL Darius Robinson, LB Ty’Ron Hopper, DB Kris Abrams-Draine, K Harrison Mevis.

Key games: vs. Kansas State, Sept. 16; vs. LSU, Oct. 7; vs. South Carolina, Oct. 21; at Georgia, Nov. 4; at Arkansas, Nov. 24.

Missouri brings back 12 of its top 16 defenders, in terms of snaps, from last year and also has one of the best kickers in the country in Harrison Mevis. The offense has issues, though, with no clear-cut starting quarterback and not a whole lot of weapons to work with, either, after the Tigers’ top two receivers departed. The big reason for hope: Missouri ranks ninth in the nation in returning production, according to ESPN, and lost four conference games by a total of just 18 points last year.

7. Vanderbilt Commodores

Coach: Clark Lea.

Players to watch: WR Will Sheppard, DT Christian James, S CJ Taylor.

Key games: at Wake Forest, Sept. 9; vs. Georgia, Oct. 14; at South Carolina, Nov. 11.

Coach Clark Lea has done a good job of bringing unheralded talent into Nashville since he took over at Vanderbilt in 2021. The problem has been holding on to it, and the Commodores lost their quarterback to Mississippi State, their top running back to Kentucky and a promising young cornerback to Miami in the offseason, all via transfer. In the last two seasons, Vanderbilt has lost a dozen players via transfers to other programs in Power 5 conferences. It’s tough for the Commodores sustain success in the transfer-portal era.

West Division

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Coach: Nick Saban.

Players to watch: WR Ja’Corey Brooks, T/G JC Latham, DE Dallas Turner, CB Terrion Arnold, CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Key games: vs. Texas, Sept. 9; vs. Arkansas, Oct. 14; vs. LSU, Nov. 4.

Every conversation about Alabama right now starts with the quarterback. The Crimson Tide spent all offseason trying to find a replacement for former quarterback Bryce Young — including trying to lure Tyler Van Dyke from Miami — and now have a full-fledged competition among quarterbacks Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner. If the Crimson Tide hits on one of those, Alabama will be a title contender once again because of the rest of the roster is still stacked, particularly on defense, where star defensive end Dallas Turner,, and star cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry all have first-round potential in the 2024 NFL Draft.

2. LSU Tigers

Coach: Brian Kelly.

Players to watch: QB Jayden Daniels, WR Malik Nabers, OL Will Campbell, DL Mekhi Wingo, DT Maason Smith.

Key games: vs. Florida State, Sept. 3 (in Orlando); vs. Arkansas, Sept. 23; at Alabama, Nov. 4.

With the Crimson Tide’s uncertainty at quarterback, this is LSU’s chance to ascend back to the top of the SEC West. Jayden Daniels might be the best quarterback in the conference and has a good connection with star wide receiver Malik Nabers. On defense, the return of star defensive tackle Maason Smith is quietly a big deal — he was one of LSU’s top defenders in 2021 before missing nearly all of last season with an injury.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Coach: Sam Pittman.

Players to watch: QB KJ Jefferson, WR Raheim Sanders, OL Brady Latham, G Beaux Limmer, DB Dwight McGlothern.

Key games: at LSU, Sept. 23; vs. Texas A&M, Sept. 30; at Alabama, Oct. 14.

Arkansas broke out in the 2021 college football season, then slid last year and finished with a losing record in conference. Then the Razorbacks lost both of their coordinators, too. There’s still a lot of talent back on offense, though, led by star quarterback KJ Jefferson. On defense, Arkansas loaded up on transfers, so the pieces are in place for the Razorbacks to climb back toward the top of the league.

4. Texas A&M Aggies

Coach: Jimbo Fisher.

Players to watch: WR Ainias Smith, OL Layden Robinson, DL McKinnley Jackson, DB Demani Richardson, P Nik Constantinou.

Key games: at Miami, Sept. 9; vs. Arkansas (in Arlington, Texas); vs. Alabama, Oct. 7; vs. South Carolina, Oct. 28; at LSU, Nov. 25.

Texas A&M might have underachieved more than anyone else in the country last year, at least based on past recruiting rankings, and yet expectations are pretty high in College Station, Texas, this year. The Aggies hired Bobby Petrino as their new offensive coordinator, hoping he can bring all the talent together. The new coordinator’s track record is strong, but it’s tough to trust Texas A&M too much after it started each of the last two years in the top 10, only to finish both of those seasons unranked.

5. Ole Miss Rebels

Coach: Lane Kiffin.

Players to watch: RB Quinshon Judkins, WR Michael Trigg, OL Jeremy James, DL Cedric Johnson.

Key games: at Alabama, Sept. 23; vs. LSU, Sept. 30; vs. Arkansas, Oct. 7; at Georgia, Nov. 11.

No one has utilized the transfer portal since it became part of the fabric of college football more consistently than coach Lane Kiffin, and it makes it hard to get a read on Ole Miss. The Rebels have two new quarterbacks, multiple new wide receivers, multiple new offensive linemen, a new edge rusher, a new linebacker and five new defensive backs all competing for starting jobs this year. Running back Quinshon Judkins at least gives them a centerpiece on offense after he ran for 1,567 yards as a freshman last season.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Coach: Zach Arnett.

Players to watch: QB Will Rogers, WR Lideatrick Griffin, DT Jaden Crumedy, LB Jett Johnson, LB Nathaniel Watson.

Key games: vs. LSU, Sept. 16; at South Carolina, Sept. 23; vs. Alabama, Sept. 30; at Arkansas, Oct. 21.

Coach Zach Arnett faces one of the toughest situations in the country, taking over after former coach Mike Leach died suddenly at 61 late last year. Arnett, who was previously the defensive coordinator, brings at least a modicum of stability after Mississippi State won nine games last year. Quarterback Will Rogers does, too, and gives the Bulldogs a returning starter at the most important position on the field.

7. Auburn Tigers

Coach: Hugh Freeze.

Players to watch: RB Jarquez Hunter, WR Jyaire Shorter, DB D.J. James, K Alex McPherson, P Oscar Chapman.

Key games: at Texas A&M, Sept. 23; vs. Georgia, Sept. 30; at LSU, Oct. 14; at Arkansas, Nov. 11; vs. Alabama, Nov. 25.

Auburn’s nonstop coaching carousel spun again in the offseason, and now coach Hugh Freeze takes over in Auburn, Alabama. Freeze was, as expected, aggressive on the transfer market and got quarterback Payton Thorne from Michigan State, five new wide receivers and former All-American running back Brian Battie from South Florida, plus nearly a dozen front seven players. Freeze is going to bring talent to Auburn eventually, it just might take some time to jell.