Randy Smith: Time To Preview The SEC

The SEC Media Days kicks off this week in Atlanta giving players and coaches an opportunity to talk about the upcoming college football season. Four days to meet with the league's media members with every team winless and unbeaten at the same time offering no hidden agenda and giving everyone a chance to talk about how good they're going to be. It's also time for me to make my pre-season picks on how the league will shape up in 2025. We'll start with the bottom and work our way up.

16. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs haven't really been very good at all since Dan Mullen was roaming the sideline in Starkville a decade ago. Thy were 2-10 last year in Coach Jeff Lebby's initial season and MSU was winless in SEC play. There is room for improvement in every phase of the game as the Bulldogs were 125th in the nation in defense, allowing more than 450 yards per game. They weren't much better on offense as quarterback Blake Shapen missed the team's final eight games in 2025 with a shoulder injury. Shapen is back and good as new and gives State a bit of hope and optimism. The Bullies are also deep at running back but time will tell if they'll be good enough to escape the SEC cellar. There's still a lot of work to do in Starkville.

15. Kentucky

Coach Mark Stoops has done just about all he can do at Kentucky. He's easily the winningest coach in school history as he enters his 12th season in Lexington. However, things are not looking good at all. The Wildcats slipped to 4-8 a year ago and their only SEC win was a big upset of Ole Miss. Stoops has a history of being a program builder but the 2024 version of Kentucky football was just a shell of what it used to be. Stoops has gone to the Transfer Portal to refine his roster and there are a lot of new faces. The Wildcats new quarterback is entering his 7th season as a college player. Zach Calzada has played for four teams....Texas A&M, Auburn, Incarnate Word and now Kentucky. Calzada is 25 years old but I'm not sure if he has what it takes to bring the 'Cats out of the SEC doldrums or not. They need to be tougher and meaner if they're going to return to what fans are used to.

14. Arkansas

The Razorbacks were able to save Coach Sam Pittman's job by the skin of their teeth. They wound up 7-6 with a win over Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl but in this day and age of NIL and the Transfer Portal things can improve quickly. Arkansas has as much player turnover as any team in the country but they also have a returning quarterback. Taylen Green is back and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is expecting big things from him in 2025. New Mexico State transfer Mike Washington Jr. is expected to carry the load in the backfield but 'Hogs' fans will need an updated roster just to keep up with all the changes taking place. Sam Pittman says he likes what he sees as he enters his sixth season in Fayetteville. Arkansas did just enough to save his job a year ago and despite the fact that everyone really likes the guy, it's going to take at least eight wins to keep him off the hot seat.

13. Missouri

The Tigers were 10-3 a year ago and 5-3 in the SEC with a win over Iowa in the Music City Bowl but things look much differently for 2025. As the teams mentioned above have hit the Transfer Portal hard, so has Missouri, Replacing three-year starter Brady Cook at quarterback is a big priority and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and Sam Horn staged a fierce battle in the spring. Both have a lot of talent and either one of them will be a big plus for head coach Eli Drinkwitz. On defense the Tigers should be even better than the team that turned in the 17th best total defense in the nation, thanks to the Portal. Six FBS transfers will join the team along with seven returning starters on defense. Mizzu could be just a win or two away from making the playoffs but there is a lot of work to do in Columbia.

Later this week, I'll continue the SEC Preview with teams 12 through nine.