The Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and South Carolina Gamecocks all entered the 2025 campaign expecting to push for the College Football Playoff. Each program started the season with a highly touted quarterback, a Top-20 roster per the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, and a head coach aiming to make the long-awaited leap into true contention. By season’s end, however, the three schools combined for just 13 wins—and that disappointment led to two coaching firings and a significant staff overhaul. As 2026 approaches, all three teams now stand as intriguing candidates to surprise people.
SEC Teams Poised to Emerge as 2026 Sleepers
Auburn Tigers
Backed by multiple Top-10 recruiting classes, explosive receivers, and a veteran defense, Auburn projected as an 8- or 9-win team in 2025. Adding Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, a former five-star QB with elite arm talent and mobility, only raised expectations. After opening the season with a promising road win at Baylor, however, everything quickly unraveled. Arnold struggled in the pocket, Hugh Freeze struggled on the sideline, and a disastrous 10–3 home loss to Kentucky ended Freeze’s tenure.
Following a prolonged search that included a push for Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, Auburn ultimately hired Alex Golesh from USF to rejuvenate the program.
Golesh arrives with a proven résumé successful stints at Iowa State and Tennessee, plus three years at USF where he built a reputation as a “giant killer.” He also brings more than a dozen USF transfers, highlighted by dual-threat star Byrum Brown, one of the most productive QBs in the country. Brown won’t be alone; familiar former USF teammates at receiver, offensive line, and elsewhere should smooth the transition. His talent, paired with Golesh’s system, could give Auburn’s offense immediate life.
On defense, Golesh retained coordinator D.J. Durkin, one of the more respected defensive minds in the nation. Despite portal losses at corner and on the defensive line, Durkin’s presence should stabilize the unit. Linebacker Xavier Atkins a disruptive, high-energy attacker—could emerge as an All-SEC performer depending on how he’s deployed.
Auburn’s path won’t be easy. With nine conference games, there are virtually no breaks. Their opener in Atlanta against the now-D.J.-Lagway-led Baylor program is compelling, but September will define the season: home games against Florida (Sept. 19) and Vanderbilt (Sept. 26) are must-wins. If Auburn starts 4–0 heading into Tennessee, an eight-win season is in play. Upsets against Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU—or even navigating road trips to Georgia and Alabama could turn 2026 into something special.
South Carolina Gamecocks
While Auburn and Florida opted for coaching changes, South Carolina chose stability, giving Shane Beamer one more chance to right the ship. The Gamecocks entered 2025 with QB LaNorris Sellers and edge rusher Dylan Stewart, making them a trendy dark-horse pick. But a mismatched offensive scheme derailed everything, wasting Sellers’ rare physical gifts. Beamer responded by moving on from OC Mike Shula and hiring Kendal Briles, a better stylistic fit for what USC wants to be. With Beamer coaching for his job, results must come quickly.
Offensively, South Carolina returns Sellers along with WR Nyck Harbor, the track-star-turned-matchup-nightmare who can stretch any defense. They were aggressive in the portal, especially on the offensive line, adding NC State tackle Jacarrius Peak and bringing in veteran OL coach Randy Clements. Briles’ uptempo attack suits Sellers perfectly if they can keep him upright, Sellers has legitimate Top-10 NFL draft potential.
The defense returns Stewart and LB Justin Okoronkwo, plus several other contributors from a unit that quietly held its own despite being constantly put in bad field position. If Tennessee transfer Caleb Herring can provide a pass-rush threat opposite Stewart, this defense could cause major problems and set the offense up with short fields.
Beamer made meaningful upgrades to both staff and roster, but the pressure is enormous. South Carolina needs a 3-0 start before traveling to Alabama on Sept. 26. October will decide the season, with home games against Kentucky and Tennessee and road trips to Florida and Oklahoma. Winning at least three of those four keeps the door open for an 8–10 win campaign and gives Beamer the season many expected in 2025.
Florida Gators
Florida probably should’ve parted ways with Billy Napier in 2024, but late-season improvement and the rise of D.J. Lagway clouded judgment. In 2025, with Lagway battling injuries and inconsistencies, the team stumbled to 4–8, prompting Napier’s dismissal. The Gators then dove into the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes an effort that would have likely succeeded a year earlier but ultimately hired former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.
Sumrall brings energy, charisma, and a physical, no-nonsense approach traits the Gators sorely needed.
With Lagway transferring to Baylor, Sumrall rebuilt the offense by hiring Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech, known for his creative run designs and Air Raid roots. Tech backup QB Aaron Philo transferred in and is battling returnee Tramell Jones for the starting job. Whoever wins will have weapons: RB Jadan Baugh, WRs Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III, plus incoming transfer Eric Singleton. The offensive line also brings back valuable snaps.
Defense is Sumrall’s specialty, and he brought in former Kentucky DC Brad White to run that side of the ball. With LB Miles Graham, EDGE Jaden Woods, and DL Jamari Lyons returning, there’s a solid foundation. If the offense can avoid the costly turnovers that plagued the Lagway era, the defense could take a sizable step forward from last year’s No. 13 SEC ranking.
The schedule, though, is unforgiving. From September 19 to October 17, the Gators have five straight SEC games, including road trips to Auburn, Missouri, and Texas. Two dates may define their season:
Sept. 19 at Auburn and Oct. 10 vs. South Carolina.
If Florida wins at Auburn, eight wins becomes realistic and an upset or two could even push them toward late-season playoff conversations.
Final Outlook
There’s still plenty of work ahead for all three teams. New systems, new personnel, and new cultures take time to build. But each program has the talent, coaching upgrades, and infrastructure needed for a rapid turnaround. Now it’s a matter of which coach capitalizes on the opportunity and establishes his team as a true rising force in the SEC.
Spring has barely begun but already, the 2026 season can’t arrive soon enough.
