PFF’s preseason SEC football power rankings
Pro Football Focus has ranked the best teams in the SEC before the start of the 2022 college football season. The conference won another national championship in 2022 and has two highly-ranked teams again in Georgia and Alabama.
This year, Alabama is expected to return to the throne. How does PFF rank the SEC?
The conference has a slew of teams like Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Arkansas that are all trying to have a breakout season and make a New Year’s Six bowl game. Last season, Ole Miss surprised quite a few folks and won 10 regular season games, but the Rebels fell in the Sugar Bowl to Baylor.
Where does the conference stack up behind the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide?
No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels
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PFF ranks Ole Miss as the fifth-best team in the SEC entering the 2022 college football season. There is probably not a lot of separation between the Rebels and teams like Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina.
The PFF Preseason All-America Team features three Mississippi football stars: running back Zach Evans (third-team), linebacker Troy Brown (third-team), and safety Isheem Young (honorable mention).
No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats
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The Kentucky Wildcats finished second in the SEC East in 2021. PFF thinks the Wildcats can repeat the feat again in 2022 based on where it has Kentucky in the preseason conference power rankings.
Kentucky punt returner Tayvion Robinson made the first-team of the PFF Preseason All-America Team.
No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies
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Texas A&M has one of the most talented teams in the conference and is the top contender for the SEC’s two heavy favorites (Alabama and Georgia). Only three teams have more players than Texas A&M five players on the PFF’s All-America Team.
The Aggies have safety Antonio Johnson (first-team), punter Nik Constantinou (first-team), running back Devon Achane (third-team), guard Layden Robinson (honorable mention) and punt returner Ainias Smith (honorable mention) on the team.
No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs
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Georgia football has seven players on the PFF All-America Team. The Dawgs’ representatives are tight end Brock Bowers (first-team), defensive tackle Jalen Carter (first-team), safety Tykee Smith (first-team), edge rusher Nolan Smith (first-team), cornerback Kelee Ringo (second-team), tight end Arik Gilber (third-team), and safety Christopher Smith (third-team).
The Bulldogs are the defending national champions, but have to replace a lot of talent. The Dawgs had 15 players drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
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Alabama has nine players on the PFF All-America Team, which is the most in college football. The Crimson Tide’s three players on the first-team are quarterback Bryce Young, edge rusher Will Anderson, and cornerback Eli Ricks.
Alabama is a popular preseason national championship pick.
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