The SEC just dropped its preseason All-SEC team Friday, and let me tell you, the picture it paints for the 2026 season is crystal clear: Georgia and Texas are coming for it all. Media members, 164 of ’em, put these two powerhouses right at the top of the conference rankings. Together, they snagged eight of the 23 first-team selections on offense and defense. If you’re wondering who the contenders are, the voters laid it out for us.
Texas and Georgia Are Absolutely Stacked
It wasn’t just the first team where Georgia and Texas cleaned up, either. These two accounted for seven more players on the second and third teams. When you break it down, Texas saw eight of its offensive starters and three defensive starters get preseason all-conference nods. Georgia, for its part, had six selections on offense and another six on defense. That’s at least half their starting lineups accounted for in the preseason. Does that sound like a coincidence? No way. There’s a reason these teams are projected to sit atop the SEC standings. LSU followed with eight total selections, while Oklahoma pulled in seven, and Alabama and Ole Miss each had six. The depth is real for these top programs.
The Arch Manning ‘Snub’ That Wasn’t Really a Snub
Now, the biggest buzz out of this list is probably the absence of Arch Manning from the first-team QB spot. And look, it’s totally fair. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss got the nod instead, and man, did he earn it. Chambliss dragged the Rebels to the playoffs last season, emerging as one of the sport’s most dynamic players, despite playing Division II football just a year before. Frankly, it’s not even close between Chambliss and Manning if you look at their 2025 stats. Chambliss put up 3,937 yards, 22 TDs, 3 INTs, a 66.1 CMP%, and 8.8 YPA, plus 527 rushing yards and 8 TDs. Manning was good, sure, with 3,163 yards, 26 TDs, 7 INTs, 61.4 CMP%, 7.8 YPA, and 399 rushing yards with 10 TDs. But Chambliss was a program-changing presence who took his team to the CFB Playoff. Do I expect Manning to be better in 2026? Yes, absolutely. I think he’ll emerge as the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft with a full year as a starter and that much more talented group around him in Austin. But Chambliss earned that top spot based on pure production.
A Head-Scratching Pick and What It Means
Sometimes, these media votes are more about name recognition than actual on-field performance, and Ryan Coleman-Williams’ selection feels like one of those moments. He’s coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw him finish with just 689 yards and four touchdowns, riddled with drops. That’s a big step back from his standout true freshman season where he had 885 yards and eight TDs. He only snagged one touchdown across Alabama’s final nine games! Could Coleman-Williams rediscover his 2024 form? He’s definitely got first-round talent. But picking him over Mario Craver, who put up 917 yards and four TDs, really makes you wonder what the voters were watching last season.
So, with the preseason dust settled, we know who the media thinks is leading the pack and who’s got something to prove. Get ready, because the 2026 season is about to kick off, and you know Georgia and Texas are coming in hot, while guys like Manning and Coleman-Williams will be fighting to rewrite their narratives on the field.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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