The SEC had at least one representative in the College Football Playoff every year during the four-team format, which started in 2014. As the playoff expands to 12 teams for the upcoming 2024-25 season, the power conference expects to see at least two, maybe even three, teams in the postseason. Georgia and Texas are among the favorites to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff, but what other teams could soon represent the SEC?
National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna posed the question on the 247Sports Football Recruiting Podcast Wednesday, asking whether Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma or Tennessee reaches the College Football Playoff semifinal first. The responses between Petagna and director of scouting Andrew Ivins varied.
“I’m going LSU,” Ivins said. “I think the addition of Blake Baker, what they have done on the defensive side of the ball. I’m a Garrett Nussmeier fan and I think that they could be a potential sleeper in 2024 and I think you look towards 2025. I’m gonna go with LSU.”
The Tigers reached 10 wins in their first two seasons under head coach Brian Kelly. Nussmeier is set to take over as the starting quarterback for LSU in 2024 after impressing during his first-career start in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The potential upgrade defensively with Baker coming in as the new coordinator could make the Tigers a potential threat in the College Football Playoff next season.
“I went Tennessee,” Petagna said. “And your head went exactly where my head went, which immediately I thought quarterback, right? You look at LSU, they got Nussmeier; Oklahoma, they got Jackson Arnold; and then you look at Tennessee with Nico (Iamaleava); and Kalen DeBoer, Jalen Milroe, obviously a great player and we’ll see what happens beyond him. I like Tennessee. Tennessee is where I went.”
Iamaleava is another first-year starter set to take over for the Volunteers in 2024. The former five-star quarterback takes the reins of what was the No. 1 scoring offense in college football two seasons ago.
“I think about Josh Heupel, that offense, obviously what they brought in at the skill positions,” Petagna continued. “I think the quarterback makes it go. You think about the success that they had two years ago with a guy like Hendon Hooker. You and I talk about it all the time — timing, anticipation, accuracy. That’s how that offense goes, right, it’s an up-tempo offense and it’s all about efficiency. I think Nico is that guy. I don’t think they had that last year in Joe Milton because that’s not his skillset. Sure, a lot of arm talent, but in terms of being able to play within himself, that’s not his game. I get excited when I think about Nico and this offense. And yeah, maybe a little bit of recency bias coming off the Cheez-It Bowl as well, but I really like Tennessee. I just gravitate to quarterback. And you think about guys like Jordan Ross and Daevin Hobbs and what they’ve done defensively as well. I like what they’ve done in the secondary. They’re one of the most deceptive rosters pound-for-pound in terms of how they built this thing over the last two cycles.”
Again, similar to LSU and Tennessee, SEC newcomer Oklahoma has a first-year starter ready to take command of the offense with Jackson Arnold pushing out two-year starter Dillon Gabriel.
“I think the other team could be Oklahoma because they got the guy in the middle as well with Jackson Arnold,” Petagna said. “I think the other thing that we have yet to materialize is that their talent really bubble up and be ready to play. I think this is one of the most talented teams not only in the SEC but in the country. I like the roster makeup and what they’ve done recruiting-wise.”
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Oklahoma made improvements from Year 1 to Year 2 under head coach Brent Venables in 2023 and may be in for further progress even with a move to the SEC.
