SEC football rankings: Where Texas football, Georgia, Tennessee stand among linebackers

Texas football enters the 2026 season at a crossroads.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian's team went 10-3 a year ago and fell short of the College Football Playoff for the first time in three seasons. But the Longhorns rebuilt their roster with their biggest transfer portal overhaul yet in Sarkisian's first six offseasons. How does Texas stack up as it begins its third year in arguably the deepest conference in college football?

The American-Statesman is ranking the SEC position by position, assigning points for each team - 16 points for first place through one point for 16th. We'll update the totals with each installment, giving a sense of which teams could contend for the SEC title and one of the 12 CFP spots. 

This week, we rank the SEC schools on the strength of their linebackers heading into summer camp:

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1. Tennessee Volunteers: Arion Carter among loaded group

The wealthy got richer this offseason when a deep and gifted linebackers unit received an influx of talent in the portal and on the recruiting path. Redshirt sophomore Edwin Spillman and two-year starter Jeremiah Telander both return after leading the Vols with 81 and 80 tackles, respectively, a year ago. Yet both will have to battle for a starting job in a loaded room. Arion Carter, a 6-foot-1, 238-pound senior, also returns after a nagging toe injury delayed his entry into the NFL draft, and he had 76 tackles and six tackles for a loss last season despite his limitations. Amare Campbell arrives from Penn State after leading the Nittany Lions with 103 tackles. Oh, and former four-star recruits Jadon Perlotte and Jaedon Harmon both impressed in limited roles as freshmen in 2025. It gets even better: 2026 recruits TJ White and Brayden Rouse ranked No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, in 247Sports' recruiting rankings and shined during spring ball. It's enviable depth for a team that runs a base 4-2-5 base defense.

2. Georgia Bulldogs: Raylen Wilson back as team leader

Few programs in the country can lose a player like CJ Allen to the NFL and not miss a beat. But the Bulldogs appear poised to do just that at linebacker, especially after 6-1, 235-pound senior Raylen Wilson passed on his own pro opportunity to return for one more season. He's fast, savvy and productive; last year he racked up 74 tackles and 2½ sacks. No one recruits linebackers better than head coach Kirby Smart and his staff, and Chris Cole and Justin Williams look poised to become the next blue-chip breakout stars. The pair combined for 96 tackles as sophomores and each will get significant snaps alongside Wilson in the Bulldogs' flexible 3-3-5 scheme. The Bulldogs' depth will also help them overcome a season-ending knee injury to prized outside linebacker transfer Amaris Williams; the former Auburn player projected as a starter at the team's "jack" position, but Gabe Harris, Quintavius Johnson and Chase Linton look plenty ready to take over.

3. LSU Tigers: Whit Weeks back healthy

New LSU coach Lane Kiffin had one of his biggest recruiting wins early in the offseason when he convinced star linebacker Whit Weeks to bypass the NFL for one more season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior missed much of last season with an ankle injury but racked up 120 tackles in 2024. When healthy, there's not a better ballhawk in the SEC. TJ Dottery followed Kiffin from Ole Miss after leading the SEC with 98 stops and teams with Weeks for arguably the best linebacking duo in the league. The Tigers also boast impressive depth in their 4-2-5 scheme; returner Davhon Keys had 92 tackles a year ago and provides some insurance for Weeks' health, redshirt sophomore Tylen Singleton boasts intriguing talent, and Zach Weeks plays with the same passion as his older brother, Whit. If Weeks didn't have injury concerns, this group could be at the top of the rankings.

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4. Florida Gators: Myles Graham star of veteran unit

New coach Jon Sumrall and new defensive coordinator Brad White didn't bring in much linebacker help in the portal, which should say plenty about arguably the top unit on the team. Myles Graham, a 6-foot-1, 228-pound junior, could be the best of the bunch considering his ability to play in the middle, rush the passer and drop into coverage. Last season he tallied 76 tackles with a pair of sacks and broke up four passes. Senior Jaden Robins and junior Aaron Chiles also have starting experience and combined for 103 tackles. No other linebackers group in the SEC boasts such experience. Sophomores Ty Jackson and Myles Johnson drew praise from the coaches in the offseason and alleviate some concerns about a lack of depth. Factor in promising sophomore Kayden Woods at the edge in Florida's hybrid 3-3-5 scheme, and this unit doesn't have many weaknesses.

5. Oklahoma Sooners: Kip Lewis returns as team leader

The SEC's top defense in 2025 - the Sooners only allowed 272.5 yards and 15.5 points a game - welcomes back its best player in Kip Lewis, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound senior from East Texas prep powerhouse Carthage who has 205 total tackles over the past three seasons. His return alone gives OU one of the better linebacking groups in the league, but head coach Brent Venables and his staff got even better news after spring football when linebacker Owen Heinecke was granted his injunction against the NCAA for one more year of eligibility. Last season as a junior, Heinecke racked up 74 tackles while serving as a perfect complement to Lewis. The Sooners also reeled in former Michigan star Cole Sullivan in the portal after he tallied 44 tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions and two sacks in 2025. He may not start in OU's 4-2-5 scheme, but he'll see plenty of snaps at linebacker or perhaps play at OU's "cheetah" spot, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker. The lack of depth looks like the only concern.

6. Ole Miss Rebels: Keaton Thomas arrival unit bolsters defense

Even counting star pass rusher Suntarine Perkins as a defensive lineman in a hybrid 3-3-5 scheme, the Rebels look loaded at linebacker after an impressive portal haul. Keaton Thomas (Baylor), Luke Ferrelli (Cal), and Tah'j Butler (Georgia Tech) all transferred in and are expected to play heavy snaps at the two linebacker spots opposite Perkins for a defense that finished 37th in the country in scoring defense that allowed 21.1 points  and was 48th with 348 yards per contest. In particular, the 6-1, 240-pound Thomas, a first-team All-Big 12 player at Baylor, is "probably the best all-around linebacker that I've coached in the SEC over nine years," said Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, who once coached on the powerhouse Alabama squads under Nick Saban. Promising sophomore Jarcoby Hopson adds to the quality depth amassed by Golding and his staff.

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7. Texas Longhorns: Rasheem Biles arrives as key player

Considering the circumstances, Rasheem Biles' arrival from Pittsburgh in the portal could be one of this season's most crucial transfer moves in the SEC. A 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior, Biles earned All-ACC honors a year ago after 100 tackles, 4½ sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and he's expected to play a big role in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's multiple 4-2-5 scheme. The Longhorns need him after last season's starters Anthony Hill Jr. and Liona Lefau left for the draft and the portal, respectively. Junior Ty'Anthony Smith will step into a larger role after amassing 59 tackles primarily as a reserve, and converted edge Brad Spence will assume a similar role as the converted Trey Moore. Florida State transfer Justin Cryer, who started eight games a year ago, provides veteran depth while five-star recruit Tyler Atkinson could be too talented to keep off the field. If Biles can match the production of Hill, there may not be a dropoff for a solid unit.

8. Auburn Tigers: Xavier Atkins back after All-American season

The Tigers boast a big building block in the middle of the defense with Xavier Atkins, Auburn's first returning defensive All-American since Takeo Spikes played linebacker almost 30 years ago. The 6-foot, 210-pound Texas native who attended Summer Creek High School in the Houston suburbs led Auburn with 84 tackles, led the SEC with 17 tackles for loss and added nine sacks. If he seems almost unblockable, well, the numbers don't lie. Elijah Melendez started alongside Atkins as a freshman and proved a worthy sidekick with 29 tackles and a pair of interceptions, and classmate Bryce Deas also flashed his potential. If Demarcus Riddick is recovered from offseason shoulder surgery and returns to the form he had as a freshman in 2024 with 27 tackles, this unit could be one of the best in the SEC. It may already be the best room on the Tigers' roster.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores: Bryan Longwell leads deep group

Bryan Longwell has become a hometown hero of sorts for the Vanderbilt defense, and the Commodores will need a big season from the senior after last year's defensive struggles. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Nashville native wasn't one of the primary concerns for a unit that ranked 11th in the SEC with 357.5 yards allowed per game, but more big plays would help. He has 160 tackles over the past two seasons but just two takeaways and no forced fumbles. More turnovers could mean more All-SEC recognition. Nick Rinaldi and Bryce Cowan also return, with Rinaldi a proven disruptor on the edge after nine quarterback hurries, seven tackles for loss and 3½ sacks last season. Head coach Clark Lea apparently felt good enough about his depth with younger players like Jamison Curtis, Austin Howard and Tate Hamby to not pursue any linebackers in the portal.

10. Missouri Tigers: Nick Rodriguez back to anchor middle

After playing in 24 games his first two seasons, Nick Rodriguez looks like he's ready to blossom into a star. He tallied 61 tackles and broke up a team-leading seven passes a year ago, and the 6-foot, 225-pound junior boasts the sideline-to-sideline speed in the middle that fits well with Missouri's base 4-2-5 scheme. He's joined by one of the Tigers' top portal arrivals in Auburn transfer Robert Woodyard, a burly 245-pound redshirt junior who racked up 67 tackles and two sacks last season. There's a dropoff after that starting pair, however; Dante McClellan flashed as a freshman but must take on a bigger role while Jeremiah Beasley returns as a program stalwart who had 19 tackles in 13 games last season. Missouri ranked second in the league in defense last season with 277.1 yards allowed per game, but the Tigers may need to stay healthy at this position to approach that lofty number.

11. Alabama Crimson Tide: Edge Yhonzae Pierre highlights group

Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack likes to use three linebackers in his base defense: a middle linebacker, a weakside linebacker and a hybrid end he dubs "the Wolf" position. Wolf seems set with Yhonzae Pierre, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior who emerged as one of the SEC's best pass rushers a year ago with 52 tackles, 14½ tackles for loss and eight sacks. But can the Tide replace the trio of Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green, all of whom left after handling the bulk of the snaps at the other two spots? There's not a lot of positional production in the program, which prompted the Tide to sign Virginia Tech's Caleb Woodson as a presumed starter. Woodson didn't dominate as a Hokie, but does bring a veteran presence with 1,238 snaps over the past three seasons. But Alabama will need unproven players from a group that includes Cayden Jones, QB Reese, Duke Johnson II, Luke Metz and Abduall Sanders Jr. to emerge.

12. Mississippi State: Tyler Lockhart could be star on rise

Aside from the departed Nic Mitchell, the Bulldogs welcome back plenty of familiar faces at linebacker. But is that a good thing for a defense that allowed 409.3 yards a game, the second highest in the SEC? The coaches think so, especially since 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior Zakari Tillman should be fully cleared come the fall after missing spring football with an injury. He had 47 tackles with an interception last season and has emerged as one of the team leaders. Jalen Smith and Derion Gullette return after combining for 95 tackles. But hopes for a better season from the linebackers could start with Tyler Lockhart and Tyshun Willis, two high-profile recruits who need to take the next step. In particular, Lockhart flashed star power as a freshman in 2025 with 34 tackles. Gav Holman (Florida State) and James Heard Jr. (Syracuse) arrive via the portal and add quality for a suddenly deep room.

13. South Carolina: Fred Johnson has all-SEC potential

The return of Fred Johnson gives the Gamecocks a proven playmaker in the heart of their base 4-2-5 scheme. Now, it's up to defensive coordinator Clayton White and head coach Shane Beamer to develop some questionable depth. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Johnson has played in 25 games over the past two seasons and racked up 61 tackles and 3½ tackles for loss with an interception and a fumble recovery in his first season as a starter in 2025. He has all-SEC potential. But can either Justin Okoronkwo or Sean Murphy become a reliable starter alongside Johnson? The 6-3, 230-pound Okoronkwo, a junior from Germany who started the last eight games of last season, looks primed for a big year. South Carolina needs it after giving up 136.7 yards rushing a game, which ranked 11th in the SEC.

14. Arkansas Razorbacks: Brad Shaw only proven player

The Hogs ranked last in the SEC in total defense (425.2 yards per game) and scoring defense (33.8) a year ago, but new coach Ryan Silverfield thinks some portal help will provide a quick patch. It better, since 6-1, 235-pound junior Brad Shaw is the only proven linebacker who's back. He recorded 50 tackles with two sacks and a forced fumble in 2025, and he'll handle the calls for the defense from the middle. But can Ja'Quavion Smith adapt to the SEC after starring at Howard? He's a projected starter alongside Shaw. Can veteran Phoenix Jackson shake off injury concerns after five years at Baylor? Will Ben Bogle build on last season at West Virginia, where he had 37 tackles? How will Wyatt Simmons improve on a promising freshman season? It's a lot of questions for an uncertain group.

15. Texas A&M Aggies: Daymion Sanford health tops list of concerns

No position group has more questions for the Aggies entering summer workouts. Defensive stalwart Taurean York now plays for the Denver Broncos and returning starter Daymion Sanford went down during the spring game with an injury. Head coach Mike Elko has been quiet on Sanford's status, but the linebacker will attend SEC media days this week in Tampa, Fla., which bodes well for his availability come the start of the season. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound senior racked up 57 tackles and 3½ sacks a year ago, and an inexperienced unit needs his veteran leadership. Ray Coney arrives with high expectations from Tulsa as York's replacement after amassing 129 tackles, but SEC competition is a big step up from the AAC. The Aggies will also need quality snaps from Noah Mikhail, who had just 16 tackles as a freshman but could start for Sanford early in the season.

16. Kentucky Wildcats: Bo Barnes hopes to spark career

Bo Barnes, a former blue chip recruit for Texas, only spent one season in Austin before surprisingly jettisoning for Kentucky. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound redshirt freshman flashed his potential in limited snaps last season, and he could make the linebacking position a strength for the Wildcats if he reaches his potential as a likely starter. Kentucky needs the help after ranking just 12th in the SEC with 374.2 yards allowed per game, especially since Grant Godfrey is the only returner with much experience. He  started just two games but appeared in all 12 and totaled 34 tackles and two tackles for loss and appears poised to start alongside Barnes in a 4-2-5 base scheme. Depth is decent; Antwan Smith played in all 12 games last season, and Tavion Wallace is a former highly touted Arkansas recruit who transferred in during the offseason.

SEC preview series lineup

Quarterbacks, June 14; running backs, June 21; receivers, June 28; offensive linemen, July 5; defensive linemen, July 12; linebackers, July 19; defensive backs, July 26; coaching/intangibles, Aug. 2.

Current team standings, through LBs

1. Texas (84)
2. Georgia (79)

3. Ole Miss (75)

4. LSU (71)

5. Oklahoma (61)

6. Florida (57)

6. Tennessee (57)

8. Texas A&M (49)

9. Missouri (45)

10. Auburn (42)

11. Alabama (39)

12. South Carolina (37)

13. Vanderbilt (34)

14. Kentucky (27)

15. Mississippi State (25)

16. Arkansas (20)

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