Calling it now: by October this season, the SEC power hierarchy is gonna look completely different than what the national media is projecting right now. Everyone points to Georgia reloading and Alabama's portal OL revamp and Oregon's five 5-stars and acts like the conference crown runs through Athens and Tuscaloosa automatically. But Texas finished 87th nationally in turnover margin last year and still had a top 10 SP+ defense. That's a fixable problem, not a talent gap.
The Longhorns brought in portal additions at every level of the defense and the offensive line got addressed too. Meanwhile Georgia lost seven defensive backs to the NFL over two years and Alabama is trying to glue together an offensive line from scratch with transfers who have never played together. The numbers say Texas returns more production at the most important position on the field than any other SEC contender. Arch Manning has a full season of starts under his belt and the receiver room is deeper than it was last year.
Nobody wants to say it because the narrative is still stuck on Texas falling short of preseason expectations in 2025, but this roster is built for a run. The SEC is wide open. Georgia has the pedigree but Texas has the quarterback and the schedule sets up favorably. By the time the leaves turn, the conversation about who runs this conference is gonna shift.