Preseason SEC Football Media Poll, All-SEC Teams Announced

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (July 24, 2026) – Georgia has been predicted to win the 2026 SEC Championship, according to a preseason poll of those media in attendance covering SEC Football Media Days.

The Bulldogs received 88 votes to be crowned SEC Champion on December 5 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Texas being picked to be the Bulldogs’ opponent in a rematch of the 2024 SEC Championship Game. Texas received 57 votes to win the SEC Championship.

The participants of the SEC Championship Game will be determined during the regular-season conference schedule as the teams with the two best overall SEC winning percentages. The SEC announced in August it would begin playing nine conference games for each school beginning in 2026. Each school will also continue to be required to schedule at least one opponent from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame.

Only 10 times since 1992 (34 years) has the predicted champion prior to the season at SEC Football Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship Game.

The 2025 SEC Championship Game between Georgia and Alabama drew an average of 16.9 million viewers, making it the third-most watched SEC title game ever and one of the 10 most-watched games of the 2025 season. That figure represented a 2% increase over the previous year. The 2024 SEC Championship Game averaged 16.6 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, the fourth-largest audience on record for the game.

Predicted Order of Finish (Votes Received)
1. Georgia (2,519)
2. Texas (2,449)
3. Ole Miss (2,004)
4. Texas A&M (1,967)
5. LSU (1,961)
6. Alabama (1,930)
7. Oklahoma (1,914)
8. Tennessee (1,320)
9. Florida (1,217)
10. Missouri (1,105)
11. South Carolina (956)
12. Auburn (936)
13. Vanderbilt (751)
14. Kentucky (546)
15. Mississippi State (467)
16. Arkansas (262)

SEC Champion (Votes Received)
1. Georgia (88)
2. Texas (57)
3. Ole Miss (6)
4. Texas A&M (5)
5. Alabama (3)
6. Oklahoma (2)
7. LSU (2)
8. Kentucky (1)

2026 Preseason Media Days All-SEC Teams

OFFENSE
First Team
Quarterback: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Running Back: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
Running Back: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Wide Receiver: Cam Coleman, Texas
Wide Receiver: Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
Tight End: Trey'Dez Green, LSU
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Trevor Goosby, Texas
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Cayden Green, Missouri
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Jordan Seaton, LSU
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Earnest Greene III, Georgia
Center: Drew Bobo, Georgia
All-Purpose: Mario Craver, Texas A&M

Second Team
Quarterback: Arch Manning, Texas
Running Back: Jadan Baugh, Florida
Running Back: Nate Frazier, Georgia
Wide Receiver: Mario Craver, Texas A&M
Wide Receiver: Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma
Tight End: Lawson Luckie, Georgia
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Dontrell Glover, Georgia
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Michael Fasusi, Oklahoma
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Michael Carroll, Alabama
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Lance Heard, Kentucky
Center: Mark Nabou Jr., Texas A&M
All-Purpose: Ryan Niblett, Texas

Third Team
Quarterback: Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Running Back: DeSean Bishop, Tennessee
Running Back: Hollywood Smothers, Texas
Wide Receiver: Ryan Wingo, Texas
Wide Receiver: Nyck Harbor, South Carolina
Tight End: Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky
Offensive Guard/Tackle: David Sanders Jr., Tennessee
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Patrick Kutas, Ole Miss
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Brandon Baker, Texas
Offensive Guard/Tackle: Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee
Center: Braelin Moore, LSU
All-Purpose: Jadan Baugh, Florida

DEFENSE
First Team
Defensive Line: Colin Simmons, Texas
Defensive Line: Will Echoles, Ole Miss
Defensive Line: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
Defensive Line: Princewill Umanmielen, LSU
Linebacker: Whit Weeks, LSU
Linebacker: Xavier Atkins, Auburn
Linebacker: Rasheem Biles, Texas
Defensive Back: KJ Bolden, Georgia
Defensive Back: Zabien Brown, Alabama
Defensive Back: Bray Hubbard, Alabama
Defensive Back: Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia

Second Team
Defensive Line: David Stone, Oklahoma
Defensive Line: Elijah Griffin, Georgia
Defensive Line: Taylor Wein, Oklahoma
Defensive Line: Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas
Linebacker: Raylen Wilson, Georgia
Linebacker: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss
Linebacker: Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
Defensive Back: Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
Defensive Back: DJ Pickett, LSU
Defensive Back: Ty Benefield, LSU
Defensive Back: Eli Bowen, Oklahoma*
Defensive Back: Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma*

Third Team
Defensive Line: Kam Franklin, Ole Miss
Defensive Line: DJ Hicks, Texas A&M
Defensive Line: Gabe Harris, Georgia
Defensive Line: Jayden Woods, Florida
Linebacker: Arion Carter, Tennessee
Linebacker: TJ Dottery, LSU
Linebacker: Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama
Defensive Back: Keon Sabb, Alabama
Defensive Back: Champ Anthony, Auburn
Defensive Back: Khalil Barnes, Georgia
Defensive Back: Jelani McDonald, Texas

SPECIALISTS
First Team
Placekicker: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Punter: Grant Chadwick, LSU
Return Specialist: Ryan Niblett, Texas
Kickoff Specialist: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Long Snapper: Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

Second Team
Placekicker: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
Punter: Grayson Miller, Oklahoma
Return Specialist: Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma
Kickoff Specialist: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
Long Snapper: Trey Dubuc, Texas

Third Team
Placekicker: Alex McPherson, Auburn
Punter: Ethan Pulliam, Mississippi State
Return Specialist: Vernell Brown III, Florida
Kickoff Specialist: Terry Bussey, Texas A&M
Long Snapper: Brett Le Blanc, Missouri

* Indicates a tie that was not broken.

(Release via SEC Sports)