Devy Conference Review: SEC

Rob Willette

After Ohio State dispatched Texas in the national semifinals, the dunking on the SEC – which has been in vogue this winter – continued with fervor. Fans outside of the southeast have reveled in the fact this was a relatively pedestrian year of the league, with no truly elite team and no individual player figured into 2024’s Heisman race. Some believe it spoke to a new era, a time when the SEC was falling back to the pack, a far cry from the days when the conference won seven consecutive national championships.

While NIL and the transfer portal may mute the SEC’s natural recruiting advantage to a degree, this is still the standard for any league. Nick Saban moved on – removing college football’s most decorated coach – but the coaching and personnel remain elite. Expect better in 2025 as the league rebuilds for a run at the national championship.

What Went Right

Ryan Williams’ Reclassification

Perhaps more than any other sport, football requires physical maturity to truly thrive. It is what prevents many freshmen from contributing as they get their bodies ready to compete at a high level. Nobody shared this limitation with Ryan Williams, Alabama’s 17-year-old phenom who reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2024 class and dominated nonetheless, posting a 48-865-8 line for a Tide team that desperately needed his game-breaking ability.

His high moments were brilliant, including a long catch and run against Georgia in which he moved like few humans ever have before. The 6’0- and 175-pound Williams is not a big receiver, yet he plays like one and is already one of the best receivers nationally with the football in his hands. You may hear a lot about how strong the 2027 NFL Draft is at the skill positions over the next few years, and it is not just folks firing off a hot take early in the process. This group is special, and Williams is a big reason why.

La’Norris Sellers’ Development

A quarterback with endless tools yet potentially fatal flaws, 2023 recruitSellers was always a prospect who would demand patience. Early in 2024 – despite being named the starter heading into the year – it looked as though he was as green as advertised. Sellers was limited early, crossing the 200-yard passing threshold only once in his first six games, often looking to rely on his legs to create any offense.

Give Shane Beamer credit for staying the course and understanding what he had. Sellers was a huge reason why the Gamecocks were such a tough out over the second half of the year, making massive strides as a passer while still pressing defenses with his athleticism and dynamism in the open field. He threw for 353 yards and five scores in a critical win over Missouri and showcased his ability to change a game with his legs by rushing for 166 yards and two scores in a win over archrival Clemson.

The surge has placed Sellers firmly in the conversation for the 2026 NFL Draft. If he continues his rapid development, he has the type of size (6’3”, 242 pounds), arm talent, and mobility teams will crave. Sellers is not all the way there, but he is ahead of schedule, and has become an excellent devy prospect.

What Went Wrong

Carson Beck’s Next Step

Once a favorite to be the first quarterback off the board in 2025, Carson Beck struggled through many rough patches in 2024, gifting interceptions to opponents and often looking lost without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey to make plays. To say it was a disappointment would be an understatement. Beck went from a player with first-round promise to one who had to hope for day two to one who hit the transfer portal, landing at Miami with a healthy NIL deal.

The book on Beck as a future pro is far from closed. He is still a big quarterback with solid arm strength and underrated mobility. The tools that made him a breakout star in 2023 have not disappeared; he just needs to tweak his mechanics and recapture the form that had him so highly regarded. A sixth season in college used to be a negative but we have seen quarterbacks with extensive starting experience make a smooth transition to the NFL game. The shine has come off Beck as a prospect, but he has a great opportunity to rebuild his reputation with the Hurricanes, an offense that took off in 2024 with Cam Ward under center.

What Was Unexpected

Florida’s Midseason Rebound

A proud program stuck in neutral, it looked to be more of the same for the Gators in 2024. A 4-4 start led to speculation that head coach Billy Napier could be on the way out, with athletic director Scott Stricklin having to make a statement indicating Napier would lead the program moving forward. The declaration may have been less of a vote of confidence as much as it was a pragmatic move given the financial commitments the school has made to coaches no longer leading the team combined with Napier’s 27.1-million-dollar buyout.

A week after Stricklin announced the decision, the Gators were blown out by Texas, 49-17. Following the loss in Austin, the Gators were perfect. They closed with four straight wins, including one which ended Ole Miss’ playoff hopes, and trounced rival Florida State before toppling Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.

While Napier has plenty of work ahead of him, Florida is in a better spot heading into the offseason than most expected. True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has star potential. Running back Jadan Baugh, ditto. They closed the recruiting cycle tenth nationally and passed the all-important vibes check late in 2024. They may finally be building towards something in 2025 and beyond.

Looking Ahead

The league loses some big-name quarterbacks. Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, and Jaxson Dart are all off to the NFL and should hear their names called relatively early in the draft. Carson Beck moves to the ACC while Jackson Arnold – expected to be the next star at Oklahoma – moved within the league to Auburn. Turnover at the game’s most important position could make for a wide-open race in 2025.

Nico Iamaleava showed a ton of promise as a sophomore and Arch Manning is finally ready to take over in Austin, leaving the league in good hands despite all the personnel losses. LSU hit the portal hard to surround Garrett Nussmeier with all the talent he needs, and La’Norris Sellers and South Carolina will have a ton of helium around them after their strong close to the season. You could make a case for six or seven teams to win this conference, making the SEC a fascinating watch in 2025.

Devy Players To Watch in 2025

  • Nico Iamaleava, QB Tennessee
  • DJ Lagway, QB Florid
  • Arch Manning, QB Texas
  • Garrett Nussmeier, QB LSU
  • Marcel Reed, QB Texas A&M
  • La’Norris Sellers, QB South Carolina
  • Caden Durham, RB LSU
  • CJ Baxter, RB Texas
  • Ryan Williams, WR Alabama
  • Cam Coleman, WR Auburn
  • Ryan Wingo, WR Texas
  • Deion Burks, WR Oklahoma
Rob Willette

After Ohio State dispatched Texas in the national semifinals, the dunking on the SEC – which has been in vogue this winter – continued with fervor. Fans outside of the southeast have reveled in the fact this was a relatively pedestrian year of the league, with no truly elite team and no individual player figured into 2024’s Heisman race. Some believe it spoke to a new era, a time when the SEC was falling back to the pack, a far cry from the days when the conference won seven consecutive national championships.

While NIL and the transfer portal may mute the SEC’s natural recruiting advantage to a degree, this is still the standard for any league. Nick Saban moved on – removing college football’s most decorated coach – but the coaching and personnel remain elite. Expect better in 2025 as the league rebuilds for a run at the national championship.

What Went Right

Ryan Williams’ Reclassification

Perhaps more than any other sport, football requires physical maturity to truly thrive. It is what prevents many freshmen from contributing as they get their bodies ready to compete at a high level. Nobody shared this limitation with Ryan Williams, Alabama’s 17-year-old phenom who reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2024 class and dominated nonetheless, posting a 48-865-8 line for a Tide team that desperately needed his game-breaking ability.

His high moments were brilliant, including a long catch and run against Georgia in which he moved like few humans ever have before. The 6’0- and 175-pound Williams is not a big receiver, yet he plays like one and is already one of the best receivers nationally with the football in his hands. You may hear a lot about how strong the 2027 NFL Draft is at the skill positions over the next few years, and it is not just folks firing off a hot take early in the process. This group is special, and Williams is a big reason why.

La’Norris Sellers’ Development

A quarterback with endless tools yet potentially fatal flaws, 2023 recruitSellers was always a prospect who would demand patience. Early in 2024 – despite being named the starter heading into the year – it looked as though he was as green as advertised. Sellers was limited early, crossing the 200-yard passing threshold only once in his first six games, often looking to rely on his legs to create any offense.

Give Shane Beamer credit for staying the course and understanding what he had. Sellers was a huge reason why the Gamecocks were such a tough out over the second half of the year, making massive strides as a passer while still pressing defenses with his athleticism and dynamism in the open field. He threw for 353 yards and five scores in a critical win over Missouri and showcased his ability to change a game with his legs by rushing for 166 yards and two scores in a win over archrival Clemson.

The surge has placed Sellers firmly in the conversation for the 2026 NFL Draft. If he continues his rapid development, he has the type of size (6’3”, 242 pounds), arm talent, and mobility teams will crave. Sellers is not all the way there, but he is ahead of schedule, and has become an excellent devy prospect.

What Went Wrong

Carson Beck’s Next Step

Once a favorite to be the first quarterback off the board in 2025, Carson Beck struggled through many rough patches in 2024, gifting interceptions to opponents and often looking lost without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey to make plays. To say it was a disappointment would be an understatement. Beck went from a player with first-round promise to one who had to hope for day two to one who hit the transfer portal, landing at Miami with a healthy NIL deal.

The book on Beck as a future pro is far from closed. He is still a big quarterback with solid arm strength and underrated mobility. The tools that made him a breakout star in 2023 have not disappeared; he just needs to tweak his mechanics and recapture the form that had him so highly regarded. A sixth season in college used to be a negative but we have seen quarterbacks with extensive starting experience make a smooth transition to the NFL game. The shine has come off Beck as a prospect, but he has a great opportunity to rebuild his reputation with the Hurricanes, an offense that took off in 2024 with Cam Ward under center.

What Was Unexpected

Florida’s Midseason Rebound

A proud program stuck in neutral, it looked to be more of the same for the Gators in 2024. A 4-4 start led to speculation that head coach Billy Napier could be on the way out, with athletic director Scott Stricklin having to make a statement indicating Napier would lead the program moving forward. The declaration may have been less of a vote of confidence as much as it was a pragmatic move given the financial commitments the school has made to coaches no longer leading the team combined with Napier’s 27.1-million-dollar buyout.

A week after Stricklin announced the decision, the Gators were blown out by Texas, 49-17. Following the loss in Austin, the Gators were perfect. They closed with four straight wins, including one which ended Ole Miss’ playoff hopes, and trounced rival Florida State before toppling Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.

While Napier has plenty of work ahead of him, Florida is in a better spot heading into the offseason than most expected. True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has star potential. Running back Jadan Baugh, ditto. They closed the recruiting cycle tenth nationally and passed the all-important vibes check late in 2024. They may finally be building towards something in 2025 and beyond.

Looking Ahead

The league loses some big-name quarterbacks. Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, and Jaxson Dart are all off to the NFL and should hear their names called relatively early in the draft. Carson Beck moves to the ACC while Jackson Arnold – expected to be the next star at Oklahoma – moved within the league to Auburn. Turnover at the game’s most important position could make for a wide-open race in 2025.

Nico Iamaleava showed a ton of promise as a sophomore and Arch Manning is finally ready to take over in Austin, leaving the league in good hands despite all the personnel losses. LSU hit the portal hard to surround Garrett Nussmeier with all the talent he needs, and La’Norris Sellers and South Carolina will have a ton of helium around them after their strong close to the season. You could make a case for six or seven teams to win this conference, making the SEC a fascinating watch in 2025.

Devy Players To Watch in 2025

  • Nico Iamaleava, QB Tennessee
  • DJ Lagway, QB Florid
  • Arch Manning, QB Texas
  • Garrett Nussmeier, QB LSU
  • Marcel Reed, QB Texas A&M
  • La’Norris Sellers, QB South Carolina
  • Caden Durham, RB LSU
  • CJ Baxter, RB Texas
  • Ryan Williams, WR Alabama
  • Cam Coleman, WR Auburn
  • Ryan Wingo, WR Texas
  • Deion Burks, WR Oklahoma
Rob Willette