ESPN Names 'X Factors' For Every SEC Team In The Top 25

Last week, ESPN writers picked 'X factors' from every Top 25 College Football team for the upcoming season.

Here's what they had for the SEC team ranked in the Top 25:

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3. Texas Longhorns
X factor: Middle of the defensive line
Texas has been loaded the past two seasons, but one of the reasons it made back-to-back CFP semifinal trips were the big men in the middle of the defensive line. Giant, athletic space-eaters such as T'Vondre Sweat, Vernon Broughton, Byron Murphy II and Alfred Collins made it tough to push the Longhorns around and freed up others to make plays when they weren't. But this offseason, Texas had to go searching for big men, landing Syracuse freshman All-American Maraad Watson (6-foot-3, 313 pounds), Cole Brevard (6-3, 333) from Purdue, North Carolina's Travis Shaw (6-5, 342), and 6-5, 299-pound German Hero Kanu, who arrives from Ohio State. Five-star freshman Justus Terry (6-5, 268) is already on campus and will look to be in the mix along with sophomore Alex January (6-5, 308), who appeared in 11 games last season. The Longhorns have star edge rushers in Colin Simmons, Trey Moore, and do-everything linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to bring pressure. But opening against Ohio State, then hitting an SEC schedule with so many new faces up front will be a key area for Texas. -- Dave Wilson

4. Georgia Bulldogs
X factor: WR Colbie Young
Georgia hopes it upgraded its receiver corps by adding Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), and heralded freshman C.J. Wiley. The return of Young, a senior, might end up being equally important. Young played sparingly last season and was suspended while facing criminal charges involving an alleged domestic violence incident. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors and returned to the team. He's an outside threat that excels at making contested catches. "Yeah, he gives you problems outside," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "You're going out there and there's not a lot of defense you can have for a guy that gets the ball at the highest point and goes up." -- Mark Schlabach

6. LSU Tigers
X factor: QB Garrett Nussmeier
Quite simply, Nussmeier will determine how far LSU goes in 2025. Recent years have been good to the returning LSU starter -- Jayden Daniels being the latest example -- and Nussmeier's stats from last season compare to those of Daniels from 2022 before he won the Heisman Trophy the following year. Brian Kelly did a fantastic job in the transfer portal bolstering the roster, including getting Nussmeier plenty of weapons and added protection. If there were a situation in which a good player becomes great in 2025, it feels as if it's in Baton Rouge with Nussmeier helping Kelly achieve what he came to LSU to do. -- Harry Lyles Jr.

9. Alabama Crimson Tide
X factor: QB Ty Simpson
Simpson has waited his turn and had chances to win the quarterback job at Alabama, and now it's his time unless he takes a step back during preseason camp, which is something nobody at Alabama expects to happen. In his fourth year in the program, Simpson will be starting anew with first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, but he has the multidimensional skills Grubb likes in his quarterback. Getting off to a good start will be critical for Simpson and the Tide. -- Chris Low

13. South Carolina Gamecocks
X factor: WR Nyck Harbor
No player on South Carolina's roster looks the part quite like Harbor. He's 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, built like DK Metcalf and is an absolute rocket. But that speed has been a bit of his downfall through two seasons in Columbia, where he has spent spring as part of the Gamecocks' track team. Call it a distraction -- that's debatable -- but his development on the football field hasn't been quite as fast as the Gamecocks might have hoped. Harbor has started 13 games over two seasons but caught only 38 passes and three touchdowns. This spring, he focused solely on football, and he says he's poised for a breakthrough. "Going through a whole year totally committed to football, I've never had that before," Harbor said. "It's done wonders in my ability to understand the game and build off last year. I'm going to be a whole different player by the time fall rolls around." -- David Hale

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19. Florida Gators
X factor: Health of QB DJ Lagway

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Quarterback play at any level of football is more valuable than it has ever been, and a big reason expectations are growing in Gainesville is because of No. 2 for the Gators. Lagway had some shoulder soreness in the offseason that carried over from last year, so he was limited in spring practice and played only five snaps in the spring game. He resumed throwing in late April, and it seems Florida has been cautious in hopes of having him ready to go this fall for a healthy season. -- Harry Lyles Jr.

23. Texas A&M Aggies
X factor: Running game
The Aggies' offense will go as far as their running backs take it. Last season, Le'Veon Moss broke out, averaging 6.3 yards a carry with 10 touchdowns, and had been responsible for about a quarter of the offense's entire production when he was lost for the season because of a knee injury against South Carolina in November. The Aggies, 7-1 going into that game, lost that one, then finished 8-5 without Moss, losing to Auburn, Texas and USC by a combined 16 points to limp to the finish. Freshman Rueben Owens, a star recruit, also missed most of last season because of a foot injury. With Moss and Owens back, along with Amari Daniels, who added 700 yards and eight TDs last year, suddenly A&M has an embarrassment of riches at the position. With the Aggies returning a strong offensive line, offensive coordinator Collin Klein will be able to take some pressure off quarterback Marcel Reed's development along with a new group of wide receivers. -- Dave Wilson

24. Ole Miss Rebels
X factor: WR Cayden Lee
Ole Miss enters the 2025 season with a first-year starter at quarterback in Austin Simmons. Much has been made about the transfers Lane Kiffin brought in at receiver, specifically with De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III. But Lee comes in off of a solid sophomore season, with 874 yards and two touchdowns on 57 receptions. Adding talent in the portal is good, no doubt, but there is value in guys who have (literally) been there and done that. -- Harry Lyles

25. Oklahoma Sooners
X factor: QB John Mateer
The Sooners swung big in the transfer portal and brought in Mateer (along with his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle) from Washington State to bring some life to an offense that finished 97th nationally in scoring offense (24 points per game) and 113th in total offense (313 yards per game) last season. Mateer can beat defenses with his arm and legs. He was the only FBS quarterback last season to pass for more than 3,000 yards (3,139) and rush for more than 800 yards (826), and he accounted for 44 touchdowns (29 passing and 15 rushing). If he plays at a similar level in Norman, the Sooners should be one of the most improved teams in the SEC. -- Chris Low

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