Preseason Predictions Set the Stage for 2026 SEC Football
Texas enters the 2026 season as the clear favorite to capture the SEC regular‑season crown, a position it held a year ago and now repeats with a strong contingent of five players earning preseason All‑SEC honors.
The Longhorns' representation includes offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, who earned a unanimous first‑team nod, and a host of other contributors, while the conference’s all‑SEC squad also features standouts from Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma and Mississippi, each placing multiple athletes on the list.
Notably, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt emerged as the only programs without any preseason All‑SEC selections, underscoring the depth of competition across the league.
The unanimous selections were Goosby and Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins, highlighting the consensus around their impact heading into the new campaign.
A panel of fifteen writers from the USA TODAY Network who cover the SEC shaped the ballots that produced the rankings, awards and projected order of finish.
Trinidad Chambliss of Mississippi was tabbed as the SEC Player of the Year, while Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian received Coach of the Year honors, and LSU’s Sam Leavitt was named Newcomer of the Year. The forecasted finish begins with Texas, followed by Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Texas A&M and the rest of the conference.