By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Spring football is behind us now in the SEC.

All the programs have had their Spring Football games and now the pundits weigh in on typical off-season things like ranking the teams coming out of that process. Here goes mine based on my observations and things I know about the SEC in general.

Alabama: Bryce Young and Will Anderson return. Young won the Heisman in 2021, and Anderson is regarded as the best defensive player in the country.

Plus, they have Nick Saban roaming the sidelines.

Concerns for the defending SEC Champions reside along the offensive line and depth at the wide receiver position.

This is Alabama, so recruiting has not been an issue. It seems like everyone is anointing Alabama as the odds-on favorite to win the National Championship in 2022. They land at the #1 spot in my rankings.

Georgia: The National Champions (What a sweet sound coming off your lips) do not rebuild they reload now under Kirby Smart.

Stetson Bennett is back at QB, and UGA has an offense that looks like a juggernaut with Brock Bowers and company returning.

This will be an experienced unit that will score buckets of points. On the defensive side yes, they lost five first rounders to the NFL, but do not ever worry about defense while Kirby is in Athens. The unit will be elite.

Kentucky: Yes, Kentucky lands here. Laugh if you want, but Will Levis returns at QB, and Mark Stoops has quietly become one of the best head coaches in the conference.

Kentucky is becoming a serious football school. They host UGA in Lexington; this could be a classic football game.

Arkansas: Sam Pittman has the Hogs believing they are contenders.

KJ Jefferson returns at QB, and LB Bumper Pool will lead an Arkansas defense.

Alabama must travel to Fayetteville this fall, and I am putting the Tide on upset alert in May. Arkansas will have this game circled on the calendar.

Texas A&M: NIL produced on paper the best recruiting class ever. Time will tell. Who will the QB be? Many have the Aggies higher than I do, but until a QB emerges they sit at #5 for me.

Ole Miss: Yes, they lost Matt Corral and Lane Kiffin addressed that in the portal with Jaxon Dart.

This team has a swagger about them. I know they will score points. How good this team eventually becomes will depend on the defensive side of the ball. Alabama travels to Oxford on November 12^th.

Tennessee: Hendon Hooker returns at QB. The Vols have some talent at WR. Will this defense perform good enough to get Tennessee to nine wins? The jury is out.

LSU: This seems low, but who should they be ranked above with the QB issues they have and a first-year head coach in Brian Kelly?

Kelly is an elite coach and LSU will always recruit well, but again tell me who the QB is?

South Carolina: Will Spencer Rattler be able to lead the Gamecocks to 8-9 wins?

Mississippi State: Will Rogers is an elite QB. State is a team that can shock the world one week and look like the worst team in the country the next.

Florida: Billy Napier will get this ship turned around and Florida will be Florida again soon.

If he can win eight games with the depth issues, he inherited in 2022 then look out for the Gators moving forward.

Auburn: Brain Harsin is the equivalent to dead man walking. The power brokers have tried to fire him this offseason and were not successful.

Talent is just not up to Auburn standards. Now watch this team win the SEC West. That is what Auburn does.

Missouri: Bowl team that just lands here due to the overall power of the SEC.

Vanderbilt: Vandy just lands here most seasons now. That is just the way things are in the SEC.