It’s time to continue our preseason previews for the 2025 college football season, and this time we’re turning our attention to the defensive back units across the SEC. After a wide range of opinions in our defensive line rankings, our panel—Caleb, Craig, and Matt—came a bit closer to consensus here, but not quite all the way. No team swept the top spot across all three ballots, but we came very close at the top and found several interesting areas of agreement and disagreement throughout the list. As always, our scoring system awards 16 points for a first-place vote, 15 for second, and so on, down to one point for the team ranked 16th.
At the top of our composite rankings, Alabama and Texas share the No. 1 spot with 46 points each, followed closely by Georgia at 43. There’s another tie at No. 4 between Oklahoma and Tennessee (36 points), while South Carolina rounds out the top tier at No. 9 with 24 points. That small gap from first to ninth highlights just how tight the race is among SEC secondaries this fall. Across the board, there were a few teams that generated similar evaluations—Alabama, Texas, and Georgia all landed in the top three for each voter—while others saw a wide range of rankings. Florida, for example, ranged from fifth to eleventh, and Missouri and Ole Miss also saw notable variance. At the bottom, we’re mostly aligned: Mississippi State and Vanderbilt finished 15th and 16th in some order for all three voters. Be sure to scroll down to view our full rankings and see where your team stacks up as the season approaches.
Heartland Sports Consensus SEC Defensive Back Rankings
| RANKING | POINTS |
|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 46 |
| 1. Texas | 46 |
| 3. Georgia | 43 |
| 4. Oklahoma | 36 |
| 4. Tennessee | 36 |
| 6. LSU | 34 |
| 7. Texas A&M | 26 |
| 8. Ole Miss | 25 |
| 9. South Carolina | 24 |
| 10. Missouri | 23 |
| 11. Florida | 22 |
| 12. Auburn | 15 |
| 13. Arkansas | 12 |
| 14. Kentucky | 11 |
| 15. Mississippi State | 5 |
| 16. Vanderbilt | 4 |
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1.Alabama | With Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard, Alabama has probably the best safety duo in the country, they also return both of their starting corners from last year while adding Cameron Calhoun a star corner from the portal.
2. Texas | The Longhorns have a very experienced secondary room. Lead by Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad. The Longhorns have a lot of depths as well with guys like Kobe Black, Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton.
3.Georgia | The Bulldogs return both of their corners from last year and have another stud safety in KJ Bolden. UGA shouldn’t see any drop off in the secondary room even after losing first round pick Malaki Starks.
4. Tennessee
5. Oklahoma
6. LSU
7. Texas A&M
8. Ole Miss
9. South Carolina
10. Missouri
11. Auburn
12. Kentucky
13. Florida
14.Arkansas
15. Vanderbilt | Vandy returns a lot of starters back from last season in their secondary room, but it was a room who really struggled last season. They have some promising newcomers but I will need to see improvement on the field before they bump up on the list.
16. Mississippi State | The Bulldogs had one of the lesser secondary rooms last season and failed to make a splash in the portal.
Craig
1. Texas | The Longhorns not only have one of the most talented secondaries in college football, but also one of the most experienced. Malik Muhammad, Michael Taaffe, and Jelani McDonald are all returning starters set to have another great year.
2. Georgia | Daylen Everette is the name to watch for the Bulldogs secondary. He was one of the better defensive backs in 2024. He is set to lead a strong group of defensive backs along with KJ Bolden.
3. Alabama | While Alabama may not be as talented from top to bottom as Texas and Georgia they certainly have the depth to be one of the better secondaries in the SEC.
4. Tennessee
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. South Carolina
8. Ole Miss
9. Missouri
10. Texas A&M
11. Florida
12. Arkansas
13. Auburn
14. Kentucky
15. Mississippi State | The Bulldogs will be pretty inexperienced in their defensive back group. They did go into the portal to find some depth, but there are still many questions surrounding this secondary unit.
16. Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt has some potential in their secondary, but they are very young at the position. Sophomore Martel Hight will be one of the only returning players with any significant playing time in 2024.
Matt
1. Alabama | The Tide’s secondary enters 2025 with one of the most intriguing collections of talent and versatility in the SEC, headlined by emerging playmakers and savvy veterans alike. At safety, Brayson Hubbard brings sharp instincts and offensive IQ from his high school quarterback days, earning a starting role after stepping in for an injured Keon Sabb and never letting go. Sabb, meanwhile, is the emotional tone-setter—an aggressive, high-impact safety whose fearless play can shift momentum but sometimes leaves him vulnerable. DaShawn Jones adds experience and versatility to the group, transitioning from corner to nickel safety after injuries thinned Alabama’s depth late last year. At cornerback, Domani Jackson finally lived up to his potential after transferring from USC, showcasing elite speed and physicality in both coverage and run support. He pairs with rising sophomore Zabien Brown, a playmaker with elite speed and a nose for big interceptions. Together, they give Alabama perhaps the most complete corner duo in the league heading into the fall.
2. Texas | The Longhorns enter the 2025 season with a strong and deep secondary, headlined by standout cornerback Malik Muhammad and rising safety Austin Jordan. Muhammad, a top-50 national player, anchors the cornerback unit, while the recent commitment of four-star recruit Samari Matthews bolsters the Longhorns’ future at the position. At safety, Jordan returns as a key starter after an impressive freshman campaign, and will be joined by a mix of veterans like Michael Taaffe and a talented crop of newcomers. Altogether, Texas appears well-positioned on the back end of its defense, with the kind of experience, athleticism, and depth needed to contend in the SEC.
3. Georgia | The Bulldogs’ secondary remains one of the most formidable in the SEC heading into 2025, even after losing star safety Malachi Starks to the NFL Draft. Veteran leaders like Javon Bullard and David Daniel-Sisavanh are poised to anchor the safety unit, while rising talent Joenel Aguero could see a larger role. At cornerback, the Bulldogs will lean on returning starter Daylen Everette and welcome highly rated freshman Ellis Robinson, who is expected to contribute right away. With a blend of experience and elite young talent, Georgia’s defensive backfield is well-equipped to maintain the high standard set in recent seasons.
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida
6. LSU
7. Tennessee
8. Texas A&M
9. Missouri
10. Ole Miss
11. South Carolina
12. Auburn
13. Arkansas
14. Kentucky
15. Mississippi State | The Bulldogs enter the 2025 season with a secondary looking to rebound from a rough 2024 campaign that saw the Bulldogs rank last in the SEC in both points (34.1) and yards allowed (456.4) per game. The cornerback room features a competitive mix of returners and new talent, while the safety position is under particular scrutiny following last season’s struggles. Development from younger players and key contributions from incoming recruits or transfers will be critical if Mississippi State hopes to spark a much-needed defensive turnaround this fall.
16. Vanderbilt | Vandy’s secondary in 2025 features a blend of returning experience and fresh talent. At cornerback, Martel Hight headlines the group as a versatile playmaker expected to contribute not just defensively, but also on offense and special teams. He’s joined by returning starter Cayden Daniels and promising freshman Caden Harris. At safety, the Commodores must replace two veteran starters, creating an opportunity for projected starters Dontae Carter and CJ Heard to step up. Depth will come from Jalen Gilbert, Marlen Sewell, and underclassmen like Carson Lawrence and redshirt freshman Tate Hamby as the unit looks to stabilize.
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