Steve Sarkisian has been a recruiting machine since taking over the Texas football program. Now, with the No. 1 class of 2025 prospects in his back pocket, Sarkisian and the Longhorns are in a pretty position as they head toward their second season in the Southeastern Conference.
However, Sark's recruiting success didn't necessarily translate to the spring transfer portal, only bringing in 11 new players.
Yet, with the team only losing 16 players to the portal, the Texas Longhorns didn't have the worst spring in the conference. So, did the Horns rise or fall in the SEC power rankings after the spring transfer window closed?
Despite having decent success over the last few years and a relatively good spring, the Kentucky Wildcats and head coach Mark Stoops are still a far cry from being in contention for the SEC title, or even a winning season in conference play.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs took a step in the right direction (away from last place) this spring as second-year head coach Jeff Lebby brought in an impressive 32 transfer prospects from the portal
While the Commodores garnered national attention last season, downing the Alabama Crimson Tide during the regular season, head coach Clark Lea wasn't able to do anything of real note during the spring portal, leaving Vanderbilt near the back of the SEC pack.
Quite simply, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman can't find his footing in the transfer portal era of college football. This spring, Pittman recruited the No. 14 portal class in the conference and has once again left his team lacking as the Razorbacks head toward their 2025 season.
After two incredible seasons in a row, Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers are falling down the conference power rankings, finding themselves in the bottom half of the SEC. Despite bringing in a top-four transfer portal class, Missouri simply isn't primed to be a top dog this year.
Most notably, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze recruited former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold to lead the Tigers' offensive charge, but beyond that, the Tigers didn't have a very notable offseason. Unless Freeze can heavily utilize his incoming freshman, Auburn will fall short once again.
The offseason was not kind to head coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers. Along with losing their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, to the UCLA Bruins, the Vols lost 21 other former players to the portal, while Heupel was only able to recruit seven players to join the program.
After leading the Aggies to a surprising 8-5 finish last season, head coach Mike Elko gained a lot of attention from recruits and transfers. Edging out the Longhorns for the No. 6 transfer portal class in the conference, Texas A&M could be a genuine contender for a top spot in the SEC.
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels lost a drove of star players to the NFL Draft. Luckily, Kiffin was able to recruit the No. 2 group of transfers in the conference, keeping the Rebels near the top of the SEC power rankings.
The Florida Gators had an argument to be a top-five team in the conference after national signing day. However, a mass exodus to North Carolina, due to Bill Belichick taking over the program, dropped Florida a few spots in the SEC power rankings.
Similar to a team closer to the top of this list, Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks didn't need a ton out of the transfer portal this offseason. However, he still brought in the No. 8 portal class in the conference, and the Gamecocks are set to improve upon their success from 2024.
Shockingly, Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners find themselves in a spot to genuinely contend for the SEC, after finishing 13th in the conference last season. With the No. 13 portal class in the conference, things are starting to look up for OU.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart didn't need a whole lot from the transfer portal this spring and, because of that, didn't bring in a lot of talent. However, the Bulldogs were already primed to be one of the top teams in the conference after winning the SEC title last year.
The Alabama Crimson Tide simply won't go away. Even after a semi-disastrous first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Tide is expected to perform well during the 2025 season, even without a notable spring transfer portal class.
With the No. 1 transfer portal class in the nation, the LSU Tigers and head coach Brian Kelly shot up the SEC power rankings ahead of the 2025 season, making them a genuine contender for the conference title.
It's hard to rise any higher when you were already the No. 1 team in the conference power rankings, but Sarkisian helped to cement the Horns as the top team in the SEC as they look to improve upon their success from last season.