The SEC put nine teams in the 2026 preseason AP Top 25, more than any other conference. Below is where each ranked SEC team sits, plus the four getting votes without cracking the poll.
| AP rank | Team | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Georgia | Highest ranked SEC team and the defending conference champion |
| 5 | Texas | Was preseason No. 1 a year ago |
| 8 | Texas A&M | Third year under Mike Elko |
| 9 | Ole Miss | Pete Golding takes over from Lane Kiffin |
| 10 | Oklahoma | Third season in the SEC |
| 11 | LSU | Lane Kiffin’s first year in Baton Rouge |
| 13 | Alabama | Third year under Kalen DeBoer |
| 20 | Tennessee | Another new starting quarterback for Josh Heupel |
| 25 | Missouri | Last team in the poll |
Also Receiving Votes
Four more SEC programs drew votes without reaching the Top 25: Florida with 51 points, South Carolina with 10, Vanderbilt with 8 and Auburn with 3.
Vanderbilt is the notable one. The Commodores went 10-3 last season with a Heisman finalist at quarterback in Diego Pavia and still opened unranked.
When the Rankings Update
The AP Top 25 is voted on by more than 60 journalists and released weekly through the regular season. The first in season poll of 2026 posts on Tuesday, September 8, later than the usual Sunday because Week 1 does not finish until the Monday night game.
The Coaches Poll had the same nine SEC teams in its preseason edition. Neither poll decides anything: the College Football Playoff selection committee runs its own rankings, which begin in late season and are the ones that determine the bracket.
What Moves These Numbers First
No SEC team received a first place vote in the preseason AP poll, which is unusual for a league with nine ranked teams. The early schedule offers plenty of chances to change that. Georgia has ranked games against Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss and Missouri, and Texas hosts Ohio State in a top five matchup that will move the poll more than anything else on the SEC calendar.
The Bottom Line
Nine ranked teams, led by Georgia at No. 3 and Texas at No. 5, and four more on the outside with votes. This page updates each week when the new poll posts.