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2026 SEC Football Preseason Position Rankings | LSU & Georgia Lead the Way at Linebacker

M. Hofeld
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Championship defenses are built from the inside out, and nowhere is that more evident than at linebacker.

The SEC annually features some of the nation’s best second-level defenders, and the 2026 season is no different. From proven All-Americans to rising stars ready for breakout campaigns, nearly every program in the conference has talent roaming the middle of its defense.

To determine how every linebacker corps stacks up entering the season, our staff independently ranked all 16 SEC linebacker units. Using a 16-point voting system—16 points for a first-place vote, 15 for second, all the way down to one point for 16th—we combined the ballots from Matt, Craig and Caleb to create one consensus ranking.

The result revealed a clear top tier, a tightly packed middle of the conference and a handful of rebuilding linebacker rooms at the bottom.

SEC Linebacker Consensus Rankings

RankTeamMattCraigCalebPoints
1LSU2 3 1 42
2Georgia14441
3Oklahoma36237
4Texas51538
5Auburn45337
6Alabama87627
7Tennessee92930
8Texas A&M681125
9South Carolina119724
10Ole Miss7111021
11Florida13101216
12Missouri1212816
13Kentucky10131511
14Arkansas1414137
15Vanderbilt1615144
16Mississippi State1516162

Note: LSU actually edged Georgia by one point (42-41), but the voting illustrates just how close those two linebacker corps are entering the season. Oklahoma, Texas and Auburn also formed an extremely tight second tier, separated by just a single point.

Individual Ballots

Matt’s Rankings

  1. Georgia | The Bulldog defense is going to rely heavily on former elite recruits Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, and Justin Williams. This trio offers unmatched length, terrifying baseline closing speed, and the physical power to absorb interior climbing blockers without losing gap integrity.
  2. LSU | The Tiger defense runs directly through star Whit Weeks, who provides elite tracking fluidness. LSU further insulated their linebacker room by bringing in highly experienced veteran transfer TJ Dottery, who logged 27 career starts under Lane Kiffin before arriving in Baton Rouge to solidify the middle.
  3. Oklahoma | Veteran linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke guide Oklahoma’s rotation. Their elite diagnostic skills allow Oklahoma to excel in coverage metrics, cleanly passing off crossing routes while locking down interior options lanes.
  4. Auburn
  5. Texas
  6. Texas A&M
  7. Ole Miss
  8. Alabama
  9. Tennessee
  10. Kentucky
  11. South Carolina
  12. Missouri
  13. Florida
  14. Arkansas
  15. Mississippi State | Former transfer Stone Blanton brings immense passion and heavy-thumping production to the inside. However, the unit as a whole lacks the elite recovery speed required to handle slot mismatches and perimeter wheel routes when isolated in space.
  16. Vanderbilt | Linebacker Langston Patterson consistently registers massive tackle numbers through sheer motor and hard work. Despite his individual effort, a lack of blue-chip support and a thin depth chart leave this group vulnerable to getting worn down over four quarters of physical play.

Craig’s Rankings

  1. Texas | Rasheem Biles will lead the way in a stacked Longhorns linebacker group. Texas is loaded with potential NFL talent, and has the depth to compete with anyone. 
  2. Tennessee | The Vols could have the deepest rotation of linebackers out of anyone in the nation. Arizona Carter and Jeremiah Telander are just a few names. They also picked up Amare Campbell from Penn State.
  3. LSU | The Tigers make this list simply because of Whit Weeks. He’s also accompanied by TJ Dottery making them one of the best duos in the conference.  
  4. Georgia
  5. Auburn
  6. Oklahoma
  7. Alabama
  8. Texas A&M
  9. South Carolina
  10. Florida
  11. Ole Miss
  12. Missouri
  13. Kentucky
  14. Arkansas
  15. Vanderbilt | The Commodores simply lack the talent at the linebacker position to compete with the rest of the conference. Even with a few guys that might stand out, there’s just no depth. 
  16. Mississippi State | The Bulldog defense was gutted after last season. 

Caleb’s Rankings

  1. LSU | The Tigers enter the 2026 season with what I believe is the strongest linebacker room in the SEC because of Whit Weeks. He’s the centerpiece of the unit and is widely considered one of the best linebackers in college football. With solid players like TJ Dottery and other quality depth pieces this LSU Linebacker room looks to be the most complete linebacker room entering the season.
  2. Oklahoma | The Sooners earn the No. 2 spot because of its combination of veteran leadership, consistent production, and outstanding coaching. With Kip Lewis and Owen Heinicke Headlines returning and the addition of Cole Sullivan the Sooners look to be in good hands. If another linebacker emerges as a depth piece, Oklahoma has every opportunity to challenge LSU for the top spot by season’s end.
  3. Auburn | The Tigers have tremendous talent and upside in the linebacker room. Xavier Atkins has developed into one of the premier linebackers in the SEC and has legitimate All-American potential thanks to his speed, physicality, and ability to make impact plays against both the run and the pass. With De’marcus Riddick and Bryce Deas playing alongside Atkins, Auburn looks to have a very aggressive and athletic room heading into the 2026 season.
  4. Georgia
  5. Texas
  6. Alabama
  7. South Carolina
  8. Missouri
  9. Tennessee
  10. Ole Miss
  11. Texas A&M
  12. Florida
  13. Arkansas
  14. Vanderbilt
  15. Kentucky | The Wildcats are replacing several experienced contributors and have more questions than answers at linebacker. While there is talent in the room, much of it is either young or has yet to prove it can consistently perform against the depth and physicality of SEC competition.
  16. Mississippi State | The Bulldog  linebacker room is in the middle of a significant rebuild. Roster turnover, a lack of returning production, and limited proven experience make this one of the biggest question marks in the SEC.

Where We Agreed

Despite some differences at the top, there was surprising agreement across much of the conference.

Mississippi State was ranked last by two voters and 15th by the third, making the Bulldogs neatly a unanimous choice for the conference’s weakest linebacker room.

Arkansas was nearly unanimous at No. 14, while Vanderbilt appeared in the bottom three on every ballot.

At the top, every voter placed LSU, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and Auburn inside their top six, establishing those five programs as the SEC’s premier linebacker units entering the season.

Where Opinions Differed

Tennessee

No team created more disagreement than Tennessee.

Craig ranked the Volunteers second overall because of their tremendous depth and transfer additions, while Matt and Caleb viewed Tennessee as more of a middle-of-the-pack unit at ninth.

Texas

Craig’s top-ranked linebacker corps landed fifth on both Matt’s and Caleb’s ballots. While everyone respects the talent, Craig is clearly the highest on the Longhorns’ overall depth.

Texas A&M

Matt viewed the Aggies as the sixth-best linebacker room in the SEC, while Caleb dropped them to 11th. The difference comes down to how much value is placed on veteran experience versus top-end playmakers.

Kentucky

Matt slotted Kentucky 10th thanks to the Wildcats’ physical identity, but Caleb ranked them 15th because of significant roster turnover and a lack of proven production.

Breaking Down the Tiers

The voting naturally divided the conference into four groups.

Tier One belongs to LSU and Georgia. Both programs feature elite talent, proven production and the coaching necessary to develop linebackers into All-SEC and NFL-caliber players.

Tier Two includes Oklahoma, Texas and Auburn. Each has the ability to finish the season as the conference’s top linebacker corps if development and health break their way.

Tier Three features Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Ole Miss. There is very little separation between these five programs, and the order could change dramatically once conference play begins.

Tier Four begins with Florida and Missouri before transitioning into rebuilding groups at Kentucky, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

Final Thoughts

One of the biggest takeaways from this exercise is just how much quality linebacker play exists across the SEC.

While LSU narrowly finished atop the consensus standings, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and Auburn were all within striking distance, giving the conference five linebacker units capable of carrying championship-caliber defenses.

Beyond those contenders, the middle of the SEC remains incredibly fluid. Programs like Tennessee, Texas A&M and South Carolina produced some of the widest differences of opinion among our voters, making them the teams most likely to outperform—or underperform—their preseason projections.

If the voting proved anything, it’s that the battle for the SEC’s best linebacker corps won’t be settled in July. By November, several of these units could look very different after navigating one of the toughest schedules in college football.

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