The 2026 college football season is about four months away, and with spring ball in the books, USA TODAY Sports released its post-spring latest 1-138 rankings for the season.
The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 7, one of the higher rankings you’ll see for the Sooners in post-spring power rankings. Three SEC teams rank in the top 10 and seven in the top 20. All nine of Oklahoma’s conference opponents rank inside the top 55.
So how does the rest of the SEC stack up in USA TODAY Sports re-rank for the 2026 season after spring ball? Here’s a look.
The Texas Longhorns went into 2025 as the No. 1 team in the nation and failed to make the College Football Playoff after a midseason loss to Florida. Texas attacked the portal to give Arch Manning some help, adding talented skill players Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, and Hollywood Smothers.
The Georgia Bulldogs have been the model of consistency under Kirby Smart, winning 10+ games virtually every season of his tenure. With back-to-back SEC titles and three out of the last four, the Bulldogs will be the favorite once again in 2026.
The Oklahoma Sooners proved capable of winning big road games last season with wins at Tennessee and at Alabama. They’ll have to do it again when they go on the road to face Michigan, Georgia, and Florida in hostile road environments this season. But they have an improved offense and a defense that’s become one of the best in the nation under Brent Venables.
Texas A&M is one of the most talented teams in the country on paper, but they were last year and only mustered three points against Miami in the College Football Playoff. They’ll go as far as quarterback Marcel Reed will take them.
Kalen DeBoer will have a first-year starter for the second season in a row but Alabama’s issues went beyond the quarterback last season. They couldn’t block anyone. If the Crimson Tide improve up front, they’ll be a threat in the SEC
It’s hard to imagine a team that was a play or two away from reaching the national championship game would be considered underrated, but it looks like that’s the case with the Ole Miss Rebels. Sure, Lane Kiffin is gone, but Ole Miss still has two of the best players in college football in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
Lane Kiffin is in Baton Rouge. They brought in Sam Leavitt. They’ll be a talented team but will the turnaround happen quickly for the Tigers?
Josh Heupel has led the Tennessee Volunteers to eight or more wins each of the last four seasons but he’s done it with a different quarterback at the helm each season. It’ll be the fifth straight season with a new starting quarterback, whether it’s George MacIntyre or former five-star Faizon Brandon. Can the Volunteers get over the hump and back into the SEC title picture?
This feels a bit rich for the Vanderbilt Commodores in the post-Diego Pavia era of Dores football. Sure former five-star Jared Curtis may have a higher ceiling but one can’t measure the emotional impact Pavia had on that program over the last two seasons. Despite his loss, Vandy believes they can be a 10-win team moving forward.
It’s a new era in Gainesville with former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall taking over. He had a ton of success with the Green Wave, and the Gators bring back a lot of talent. Can Sumrall see significant improvement in 2026?
Eli Drinkwitz has won 29 games in the last three seasons and has been to five straight bowl games. They brought in Austin Simmons from Ole Miss, who won the Rebels’ starting quarterback job before getting injured early in the season. Simmons has big upside, and the Tigers have one of the best running games in the country, led by a stout offensive line and running back Ahmad Hardy.
Jeff Lebby went 5-8 last year, winning games against Arizona State and Arkansas. The Bulldogs also had one-score losses to Texas and Florida. If quarterback KaMario Taylor can build on some of the things he did at the end of the season, the Bulldogs could take a step in 2026.
This feels low for the South Carolina Gamecocks, who have one of the better quarterbacks in the conference in LaNorris Sellers. But they have to answer some questions along the offensive line and help Sellers return to his the form he showed in 2024.
There’s a lot to like about the hiring of Alex Golesh, who had success as an offensive coordinator at Tennessee before putting together a nice run with the USF Bulls. If Byrum Brown can find the same success he had last year with the Bulls, the Tigers could get back to bowl eligibility.
Kentucky is one of many teams that will have a new starting quarterback this year, but it’s a guy who’s been in college for a few years, Kenny Minchey. They also brought in a big-time offensive tackle, Lance Heard, and former Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson, who, when healthy, can be a dynamic player in the passing game. Will Stein is one of the better young offensive minds in football, but the Wildcats will have to hit the ground running.
Despite low expectations for the Razorbacks in Ryan Silverfield’s first season at the helm, Arkansas ranks higher than Alabama, Missouri, and Vanderbilt in ESPN’s returning production. Will that translate to wins?
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