2026 SEC Fall Previews: Tier III [South Carolina, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida]

9. South Carolina Gamecocks
(7-5, 5-4, tied for 7^th overall; RTU score of 54^th/13^th overall)

Offense: What could go right
QB LaNorris Sellers is one of the most dynamic playmakers at the position, but he can’t do everything by himself. Fortunately for Sellers, he’ll at least have a quality wide receiver and tight end group to throw to once the season starts. Kendal Briles, USC’s new offensive coordinator, should help the Gamecocks become more inventive and less predictable. WR Nyck Harbor, who measures at 6’5” and 245 pounds and runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, could wind up being a guy no one has an answer for.

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Offense: What could go wrong
The Mike Shula experiment as offensive coordinator didn’t work out, but there was only so much Shula or any coach could do with an offensive line that was as terrible as South Carolina’s was in 2025. Head coach Shane Beamer seemed to pick around the edges of the problem over the offseason, but we don’t see a lot of potential for improvement. The running back group also underachieved, and if there’s any hope of keeping that attack dogs off Sellers, the backs have to prove they’re capable of carrying more of the offensive load. Those two elements are of enough concern that together, they’ll probably keep the Gamecocks out of contention all by themselves.

Defense: What could go right
DE Dylan Stewart is a future NFL star, and the linebackers have a lot of potential. South Carolina lost fellow DE Desmond Umeozulu to Alabama, though, so there’s going to be opportunity for younger players to pick up the slack. Defensive tackle should be fine unless injuries hit, as depth is acceptable in regard to numbers, if not in quality. The kicking game should be a strength, provided there is some improvement in returns and coverage. South Carolina played far over its head, talent-wise, last season; can Beamer motivate his team to repeat that performance?

Defense: What could go wrong
The secondary wasn’t supposed to be a strength for the 2025 team, but it varied between good and average and helped carry the team through difficult stretches. Now, there are three new starters, and the consensus – at least at safety – is that the Gamecocks are taking a step back. While the linebackers are being looked at as a potential strong point, there is also a concern that the current players have maxed out their potential. An injury at defensive end would be devastating given the state of the depth chart.

One-sentence summary: Scrappy and physical, South Carolina could post a good season with just a little injury luck and development of the offensive line.
The Gamecocks bring the fight pretty consistently, but like the Missouri Tiger program, they always seem to be short a playmaker or two. This isn’t really a championship contender, but Beamer needs to post a good record because 2027 looks like it will be somewhat of a rebuilding season.

10. Texas A&M Aggies
(7-5, 4-5, tied for 10^th overall; RTU score of 59/10^th overall)

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Offense: What could go right
It’s really going to come down to what kind of quarterback Marcel Reed really is. Reed absolutely has the skill set to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the SEC, but he was wildly erratic at times in 2025 and there are questions about how he performs under pressure. If he answers those concerns, Texas A&M will be tough. The receiver corps will be the strength of the offense, Reed or no Reed, but Mario Craver and Isaiah Horton are potentially elite guys who could take the entire team to the next level.

Offense: What could go wrong
The running game was good statistically in 2025 but it needs to get better in crucial situations. The running back situation is going to be somewhat concerning at least until the playing rotation is established, and regardless of whether it’s Reuben Owens or Jamarion Morrow at the position, the Aggies need better production. The real concern is the offensive line. It was acceptable a year ago, but there are four new starters and a couple of them – like RT Wilkin Formby – have something to prove. If they can’t keep Reed’s shirt clean, the running game by itself likely won’t be enough to carry the team.

Defense: What could go right
The secondary was a bright spot in 2025 and most of its production returns, although they didn’t cause enough turnovers for head coach Mike Elko’s liking. The Aggies added CB Rickey Gibson from Tennessee and the hope is this group can keep big plays to a minimum while an almost-all-new front seven comes together. The special teams could end up being a weapon provided the Aggies get better at punt coverage, which wrecked the net punting numbers a year ago.

Defense: What could go wrong
Texas A&M was hit hard by graduation and the NFL Draft up front, and playmakers need to emerge quickly. There is fear that the pass rush will fall off a good bit; DE T.J. Searcy is under a lot of pressure to be the guy A&M needs coming off the edge, and if he isn’t, there may not be a Plan B. The defensive tackle spots are both question marks. Elko is also placing a lot of hopes on the back of Tulsa transfer LB Ray Coney, who has to prove quickly that he can handle SEC-level ball.

One-sentence summary: Texas A&M benefited from early-season momentum in 2025 before wilting late; with a tougher schedule in 2026, can the Aggies get off to a hot start again?
This is a team full of upperclassmen, which is usually a good thing, but there is concern that the overall talent level took a step back, and a lot of the new starters have only previously been bit players. More week-to-week consistency is needed from a team that would do things like struggle against Arkansas 45-42 before beating LSU 49-25 the following week. Elko needs to find a way to smooth out the peaks and valleys.

11. Auburn Tigers
(7-5, 4-5, tied for 10^th overall; RTU score of 85/5^th overall)

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Offense: What could go right
New head coach Alex Golesh has pretty much copied and pasted the 2025 South Florida Bulls’ offense into Auburn, led by QB Byrum Brown. Golesh had success while as an assistant at Tennessee, and he brings a toughness and a hard-working ethic to the job that Hugh Freeze just didn’t seem to have. Brown is a gifted runner and a good, but not great passer. He’s gotten bigger as he’s gotten older, and given that he and several other Tigers have familiarity in the system already, the learning curve should be short. RB Jeremiah Cobb is one of the few holdovers from the previous team, and he was quietly one of the most effective running backs in the SEC last year.

Offense: What could go wrong
There’s always going to be the question of whether talent transferring in from a lesser conference can replicate success once they hit the big time. Indiana proved it was possible with Curt Cignetti bringing in more than a dozen transfers from James Madison, but that was the exception that proved the rule. We’ll have to see the new receiver corps prove it before we can sign off on it, but the bigger issue is that the offensive line is again being rebuilt here. Four of the projected starters are former transfers, with one projected starter at tackle, Stanton Ramil, also having to prove he can overcome multiple health concerns.

Defense: What could go right
Xavier Atkins may be the best inside linebacker in the SEC in 2026. He makes plays everywhere and has the speed of a defensive back. The secondary is likely to be a team strength, with several experienced backups getting a chance to start. Safety should especially be a strong point. The biggest advantage for Auburn was in retaining defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who finished the year as the interim head coach and was credited with holding the team together after the divorce from Hugh Freeze.

Defense: What could go wrong
There is mild concern about the cornerback spots, and UCLA transfer Andre Jordan Jr. didn’t make the splash Auburn had hoped for, although he will still likely do no worse than be Auburn’s third corner. The bigger issue is up front, where Auburn was forced to raid smaller programs for defensive tackle depth. The hope here is that the veteran linebackers and secondary will keep things together long enough for all the questions up front to be answered.

One-sentence summary: If the roster moves work out, there’s enough here to suggest Auburn could overachieve.
Golesh wasn’t the first coach Auburn targeted, but it looks like a good fit and a massive improvement over the disinterested Freeze. The Tigers should be commended for their portal efforts, and even if they didn’t make many eye-popping moves, they filled holes and set themselves up for success. Now it’s up to Golesh and his staff to prove they have the ability to cash in.

12. Florida Gators
(5-7, 2-7, 12^th overall; RTU score of 69/8^th overall)

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Offense: What could go right
The running back group is absolutely loaded, headlined by Jadan Baugh and a pair of transfers. The wide receiver group looks like it could eventually prove to be a lot better than its “Average” ranking, especially if Dallas Wilson continues to develop and Eric Singleton finally comes through with the promise he showed at times while playing for Auburn. There’s a lot of buzz around new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who some see as responsible for most of the recent improvement at Georgia Tech.

Offense: What could go wrong
The quarterback position is probably going to be trouble. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo is being all but handed the job, and neither Tramell Jones nor Will Griffin, both freshmen, appear to be much of an option at this point. The offensive line is a broader concern and seems to have been a sticking point for the last two or three Florida head coaches. Mid-pack seems to be the ceiling for this group. There are other SEC teams with questionable offensive lines, but not many that find themselves paired with pedestrian quarterback groups.

Defense: What could go right
The defensive line is young but Florida is excited about the potential. New defensive coordinator Brad White brings a lot of mixed linebacker looks from his days at Kentucky, and he likes big lineups that put four true linebackers on the field. That’s a good fit for this roster, which features plenty of size on the defensive line and experience at the second level. Depending on how Florida can design its coverages, there’s a chance to use linebackers as bigger safeties and rovers, and confuse offenses with the resulting wrinkles.

Defense: What could go wrong
If there’s going to be a breakdown, bet on it coming from the secondary. Florida was poor against the pass in 2025, but the optimists among Gator fans blame it on coaching discipline rather than talent and ability. It will be up to new head coach Jon Sumrall and White to get the most out of this group, because without it, there will be too much pressure on the young players in the front seven. White and Sumrall would like to keep from having to overload the defense with defensive backs trying to stop the pass, so that the Gators instead have a size advantage up front to stop the run. Depth is going to be a concern throughout, in particular at defensive tackle, as is part of the reason the Gators plan to run a lot of 3-man fronts.

One-sentence summary: This isn’t going to be a one-season turnaround in Gainesville.
Florida fans aren’t known for their patience, and there’s an atmosphere of anger around the program due to its struggles post-Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. Florida needs to give Sumrall time, however. The offense alone will be enough of a work in progress this year, and likely won’t get better until Florida either signs better offensive linemen out of the transfer portal or develops the ones it has – and that’s a multi-year engagement.

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