If the SEC plans on getting multiple teams back to the College Football Playoff, the league must produce elite defensive play in the process — especially in the secondary. This league is loaded with future early-round NFL Draft picks ahead of the 2024 season at the back end, evidenced by recent recruiting success and quite a bit of transfer portal moves this offseason.
There’s nothing like having a ballhawk starting at cornerback or hard-hitting safety lurking in centerfield. Ask Georgia how important secondary play has been in recent years. The Bulldogs have two national championships since the start of the 2021 campaign and gave up only 38 touchdown passes over that stretch, an SEC-low.
One SEC power hoping to reverse course following last season’s dreadful showing at the back end is LSU. The Tigers have a new defensive coordinator to try and pinpoint what went wrong.
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With overall talent, projected production and depth in mind, here’s our ranking of the SEC’s top secondary units entering the 2024 season:
