Three rising SEC powers that could earn College Football Playoff bid in 2025

USA Today

2 days ago

In the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs last year, the Southeastern Conference had three teams vying for a spot in the national championship game.
Tennessee joined Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma as the only current SEC programs to reach the CFP since its inception during the 2014-2015 season. That could change in 2025, as several contenders are building strong rosters in preparation for this year's campaign.
As the SEC officially opens the regular season in 54 days, when Missouri takes on Central Arkansas, teams across the league will attempt to claw through the brutal conference slate to make their first CFP appearance.
Here are the SEC teams that could finish atop the league and earn a bid to this year's playoffs:
1. Texas A&M
With quarterback Marcel Reed returning for his sophomore season, Texas A&M is positioned to make noise in the program's second year under head coach Mike Elko.
To combat the loss of production at wide receiver, Elko landed talented transfers like former NC State wideout KC Concepcion. The former ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year was ranked as the No. 6 wide receiver in the transfer portal by 247 Sports. Additional commits such as former Mississippi State wideout Mario Craver and the return of running backs Le'Veon Moss and Rueben Owens II will provide Elko's offense with electric playmakers in 2025.
The defense is nothing to glance over either, as multiple standout transfers like defensive backs Jordan Shaw (Washington) and Julian Humphrey (Georgia) add tremendously to the Aggies' defensive unit. Texas A&M's schedule is also considerably favorable, besides the three important road tests at Notre Dame, LSU and Texas. If Elko and company can steal one of those difficult road games, the program will be in the race for a potential bid into the CFP this season.
2. South Carolina
South Carolina is one of the most underrated teams in the country this season. The Gamecocks return a talented gunslinger in quarterback LaNorris Sellers for his sophomore campaign, after securing the SEC Freshman of the Year (coaches) award and the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
As one of the most feared EDGE rushers in the country, Dylan Stewart's dominance on the gridiron for South Carolina has garnered much attention from NFL scouts. Pro Football Focus projects him to become a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, as he continues to wreak havoc against opposing offenses. While the stars are aligning for South Carolina's roster this season, the offensive line will need to step up and stay healthy in the upcoming year to protect Sellers, which should keep the defense off the field and give Stewart time to do what he does best.
The schedule is brutal for the Gamecocks in 2025, with contests against LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M and Clemson, but the program in Columbia, S.C., could shock the country with multiple upsets. If head coach Shane Beamer can lead his teams to nine wins with a strength of schedule ranked No. 7 per On3 Sports, it is going to be difficult not to put the program in contention for an at-large bid.
3. Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have been so close to making the CFP in recent years, but continue to fall just short of obtaining a bid. The program has struggled during the big moments, but this year could be a different story.
After putting on a showcase in the Rebels' 28-10 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024, sophomore signal-caller Austin Simmons will take the snaps for Kiffin's fast-tempo offense heading into this year's campaign. Simmons has a cannon for an arm and has displayed true poise in moments where he stepped in for Jaxson Dart last season. Heading into the offseason, the program lost much production on both sides of the ball, but the man known as the master of the transfer portal worked his magic to bring in the No. 3 transfer class in the country, according to On3 Sports.
The return of leaders like linebacker Suntarine Perkins and wideout Cayden Lee will be integral this season, as the Rebs travel to Georgia and Oklahoma. However, the schedule is mighty favorable if all the pieces come together like most predict. Ole Miss fans have been anxiously awaiting the moment that Kiffin brings home a national title to Oxford, Miss., but the time for waiting could finally be over in 2025.
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