78th annual SEC post-spring football report: Answering 10 key questions for 2024

The SEC is bigger than ever in 2024, with Big 12 powers Texas and Oklahoma having joined up to form a 16-team super-conference.

But even among the greatest players and teams in college football, there are a few standouts. In the final part of the 78th annual SEC post-spring football report — first published by the Birmingham News in 1947 — we seek to identify the best of the best and answer the big questions facing the SEC in 2024.

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In voting conducted among AL.com sports staff members, here are how we see 10 key issues shaping up and panning out heading into the season:

1. Who is the SEC’s top Heisman Trophy candidate?

Answer: Carson Beck, quarterback, Georgia

The Heisman is a quarterback award nearly every year these days, and the quarterbacks on the top teams are almost by default among the favorites for college football’s top individual honor. Beck led the SEC in passing yards in 2023, and the Bulldogs are likely to begin the season ranked No. 1 nationally.

Others receiving votes: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas; Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

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2. Who is the league’s best overall defensive player?

Answer: Malaki Starks, safety, Georgia

Starks was a first-team All-America and All-SEC selection as a sophomore in 2023, and was also a finalist for multiple national awards. He’s the best player on what is another star-studded defense for the Bulldogs, who head into the season as the favorite to win the SEC championship.

Others receiving votes: James Pearce, DL, Tennessee; Harold Perkins, LB, LSU

3. Who is the SEC’s best offensive lineman?

Answer: Tyler Booker, guard, Alabama

Booker has been a rock-solid performer for the Crimson Tide in his first two college seasons, arguably outperforming teammates who had more recruiting hype and who play more glamorous positions along the line. He’s Alabama’s unquestioned leader up front this season.

Others receiving votes: Will Campbell, OT, LSU; Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

4. Who will be the league’s most-impactful transfer in 2024?

Answer: Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas

Bond went from Iron Bowl hero to transfer portal villain in a few short weeks over the winter, not only leaving Alabama but landing with the Crimson Tide’s new conference rival Longhorns. He’ll play in one of the more explosive and efficient passing offenses in the country in Austin.

Others receiving votes: Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama; Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia; Jawarn Howell, RB, South Carolina; Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss

5. Which true freshman will make the biggest impact this season?

Answer: Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn

No SEC recruit fills a more gaping hole than “playmaking receiver” at Auburn, which hasn’t had a player of his potential caliber at the position in decades. Coleman should be an instant starter for the Tigers, and could be a star before long.

Others receiving votes: DJ Lagway, QB, Florida; Colin Simmons, LB, Texas; Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama

6. Who will be the SEC’s surprise team (in a good way) in 2024?

Answer: Missouri

The Tigers won 11 games and the Cotton Bowl last season, but have quite a bit of helium headed into 2024. With quarterback Brady Cook, wide receiver Luther Burden and a number of other key players returning, Eli Drinkwitz’s team could make a serious push for the College Football Playoff.

Others receiving votes: LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee

7. Which team will disappoint this season, relative to expectations?

Answer: Oklahoma

The transition from the Big 12 to the SEC is not expected to go smoothly for Brent Venables’ Sooners, who bounced back with a 10-win season last year following a disappointing 2022. Oklahoma is almost never truly bad — just one losing season this century — but they might struggle to finish in the top half of a loaded conference.

Others receiving votes: LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee (P.S., it’s worth noting that these four teams received votes for both “surprise team” and “disappointing team.”)

8. Which SEC coach has the hottest ‘seat’ in 2024?

Answer: Sam Pittman, Arkansas

That Pittman kept his job after last season’s 4-8 debacle was a bit of an upset, but he might have helped dig his own coaching grave by hiring one of his predecessors — Bobby Petrino — as offensive coordinator. If things go south for the Hogs early in 2024, Petrino might add “interim coach” to his list of official and unofficial monikers.

Others receiving votes: Shane Beamer, South Carolina; Billy Napier, Florida; Steve Sarkisian, Texas; Brent Venables, Oklahoma

9. How many SEC teams will make the College Football Playoff?

Answer: Probably 3, but maybe 4

The new 12-team playoff format skews toward the power conferences, with not only the SEC champion a virtual lock for a Top 4 seed, but its runner-up and its “runner-up to the runner-up” probably guaranteed berths. Georgia, Texas and Alabama seems like solid bets for the 12-team field barring epic meltdowns this season, while Ole Miss, Missouri and Tennessee could also make their cases to be included among the seven “at-large” teams.

10. Who will win the national championship?

Answer: Ohio State

The SEC failed to put a team in the national championship game last season for the first time since 2014 (the first year of the College Football Playoff) and didn’t produce the champion for the first time since 2018. The latter fact might be more than a one-year blip, as Ohio State returns an absolutely stacked team in 2024. Georgia and Texas will also make their case to be holding up the big trophy in Atlanta on Jan. 20, and you can obviously never count out Alabama (though it seems like our panel did).

Others receiving votes: Georgia, Texas

Creg Stephenson is a sports writer for AL.com. He has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at cstephenson@al.com or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.