Power 5 preview: 1 reason each SEC team will succeed in 2022

The nation's preeminent conference will once again be a powerhouse charging toward two likely College Football Playoff berths in December.

In fact, it's easy to see another rematch of last year's title game between Alabama and Georgia given how talented both rosters are heading into the 2022 season.

While the West remains the class of the conference, there's movement in the East that'll ensure the Bulldogs won't have an easy path to the conference title game in Atlanta.

Here's one reason each SEC team will succeed this season, with last year's record in parentheses.

West division

Alabama (13-2): Star power

How stacked is Alabama? The Crimson Tide don't just have the country's best offensive player in Bryce Young, they also tout the nation's top defensive player in edge rusher Will Anderson.

Young walked away with the Heisman last season after a brilliant showing in his first campaign as the starter. While he'll feel the losses of Jameson Williams and John Metchie, Alabama reloads with a pair of transfers at wide receiver in Jermaine Burton from Georgia and Tyler Harrell from Louisville. Add in Ja'Corey Brooks, and the Crimson Tide's receiver room still holds plenty of talent. Young may not top his gaudy stats from last season, but expect the talented passer to once again be among the nation's most productive signal-callers.

Anderson was perhaps college football's most dominant player last year. The star sophomore ended the campaign with a whopping 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss despite regularly commanding double teams. With plenty of talent returning in the linebacking core and secondary, expect Anderson to wreck the opposition's game plan yet again.

Ole Miss (10-3): Transfer portal

The Portal King was at it again, as Lane Kiffin lived up to his self-proclaimed title with another strong influx of transfers to Ole Miss.

Kiffin nabbed prized quarterback Jaxson Dart from USC and TCU running back Zach Evans to form a new high-powered backfield in Oxford. He then built himself a strong receiver trio by adding Jordan Watkins from Louisville and Jaylon Robinson from UCF to go alongside returnee Jonathan Mingo. Those new faces should keep the nation's sixth-ranked offense in total yards firing on all cylinders.

Transfers will also impact the defense as Kiffin brought in Central Michigan's Troy Brown, Georgia Tech's Jared Ivey, and Auburn's JJ Pegues. Those additions, combined with a number of returning players in the secondary, should keep the Rebels near the top of the SEC West.

Arkansas (9-4): KJ Jefferson

KJ Jefferson entered the 2021 season having thrown just 72 passes for Arkansas. Despite that inexperience, Jefferson shone from the jump in his first campaign as the starter, finishing with over 2,600 passing yards, 664 rushing yards, and 27 total touchdowns. The electric junior is more than enough reason to get excited about Arkansas football.

Jefferson's biggest challenge this season will be playing without star wideout Treylon Burks. Burks, who departed to the NFL, lined up all over the field for the Razorbacks and immediately established himself as Jefferson's favorite target. To replace his production, head coach Sam Pittman hit the portal and brought in Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma. Add in four starters returning on the offensive line, and it's easy to see Jefferson having another standout campaign in 2022.

Texas A&M (8-4): Secondary

No team had a better offseason than Texas A&M as Jimbo Fisher delivered the best recruiting class in history to College Station. The Aggies' good vibes should continue on the field in 2022 thanks in large part to an elite secondary that should shine in the SEC West.

While the rest of the defense experienced a decent amount of turnover, the secondary returns almost all key pieces, including All-SEC nickelback Antonio Johnson. Add in the fact that Fisher added four elite secondary recruits with Denver Harris, Bryce Anderson, Jacoby Mathews, and Deyon Bouie, and it's easy to see why Aggies fans should be high on the pass defense.

Texas A&M faces a schedule loaded with elite quarterbacks like Young, Jefferson, Mississippi State's Will Rogers, and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke. But thanks to Fisher's roster building, the Aggies are as equipped as any team in the country to handle it.

Mississippi State (7-6): Experience

Mike Leach's outfit is a trendy pick to compete in the SEC West due to Mississippi State's experience. The Bulldogs' 17 returning starters are the most in the division, with Will Rogers being the most important name on that list. The talented quarterback thrived in Leach's Air Raid system, ranking fourth in the nation with over 360 passing yards per contest. Despite losing top receiver Makai Polk and Charles Cross on the offensive line, Rogers should once again put up huge numbers in the passer-friendly attack.

The defense is also veteran-laden, with most of the starting defensive line and linebackers returning in 2022. Another season in Zach Arnett's system should see the unit emerge as one of the division's strongest. The schedule is very difficult, with four straight games against preseason ranked opponents in October, but the roster's experience should help send the Bulldogs bowling yet again.

Auburn (6-7): Low expectations

Not only does Auburn enter the 2022 campaign on a five-game losing streak, but the Tigers are also coming off an offseason that featured an extensive university inquiry into Bryan Harsin and the football program. Harsin retained his job for a second year, but his hold on the position seems as weak as any Power 5 coach in the country. Add one of the toughest schedules in the country and the loss of defensive coordinator Derek Mason, and expectations are as low as ever for Auburn.

The offense, in particular, struggled in Harsin's premier season, as the Tigers ranked 11th in the SEC in scoring. They'll try to improve that number with a new quarterback under center after longtime starter Bo Nix left for Oregon. Who that'll be remains the biggest question on campus with Harsin thus far declining to name a starter between TJ Finley, Robby Ashford, and Zach Calzada.

LSU (6-7): Brian Kelly

If Auburn has low expectations, the opposite is true for the other Tigers in the SEC West. Brian Kelly's arrival at LSU has come with as much hype as any coaching hire in recent memory. The former Notre Dame coach's shocking move from the Fighting Irish will bring some stability to a program that was surrounded by drama in the final two seasons of Ed Orgeron's tenure.

While there are plenty of questions surrounding the roster, it's almost a guarantee that Kelly will turn LSU into a winner yet again. In his last 15 years as a head coach, Kelly has recorded 10 seasons of double-digit wins and just one with a losing record.

What the 60-year-old does at the quarterback position is likely the biggest decision of his first campaign in the SEC. Whoever wins the starting job between Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier will be surrounded by a talented receiver room led by star Kayshon Boutte.

East division

Georgia (14-1): Defense

Despite having a record five defensive players taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Georgia somehow returns this season with an equally terrifying unit. The defending national champions will once again compete for the country's best defense, this time led by stars Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo. All three should be able to parlay strong seasons in 2022 to solid first-round standing for next year's draft.

Coordinator Dan Lanning left for Oregon, but Kirby Smart has always had a strong hand in the defense regardless of who's calling the plays. The offense has the potential to actually improve with Stetson Bennett, Brock Bowers, and three of five starters back, but it'll still be the dominant defense that powers the Bulldogs to another likely CFP berth.

Kentucky (10-3): Will Levis

Will Levis' first season at Kentucky began as a Penn State transfer battling for the starting quarterback job. It ended with the 6-foot-3, 232-pounder throwing for almost 3,000 yards, accounting for 33 total touchdowns, and flying up NFL draft boards.

With Levis at the controls, Kentucky posted a top-five offense in the SEC for the first time since 2010. Star wideout Wan'Dale Robinson and offensive coordinator Liam Coen departed for the NFL, but Levis showed enough in 2021 that he's ready for the spotlight going forward. Another strong season under center should see the Wildcats contend as Georgia's biggest challenge in the division.

Tennessee (7-6): Explosive offense

Few people in the country had more impact on a program than Josh Heupel had on Tennessee in 2021. The former UCF head coach wasted no time in transforming the Volunteers into the nation's seventh-ranked scoring offense just one year after they sat 108th. With electric Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker at quarterback, Tennessee scored 18 more points per game and was the only team outside Alabama to put up at least 17 on national champion Georgia.

With Hooker back and Heupel in his second year in the job, the Volunteers' offense should once again be explosive. Last year's questions on the defensive side of the ball remain in 2022. However, if the offense is firing on all cylinders, Tennessee has the potential to knock off any team in the country.

South Carolina (7-6): Spencer Rattler

Shane Beamer brought some excitement to South Carolina in his first season with the program, something that's been ramped up ahead of Year 2 thanks to his work in the transfer portal. The former Oklahoma assistant brought in his former quarterback, Spencer Rattler, to hopefully turn the Gamecocks' offense from an issue to a strength.

Three separate players attempted more than 50 passes last year for South Carolina, with the offense finishing 108th in the country in scoring. While Rattler lost his starting job to Caleb Williams last season with the Sooners, the former highly touted recruit showed the previous campaign that he's as talented as any passer in the country. Both he and Beamer will be hoping that form returns with the pair reunited in Columbia.

Florida (6-7): Anthony Richardson

There are changes aplenty at Florida with Dan Mullen out and Billy Napier the new head coach in Gainesville. Napier wasted little time in turning to Anthony Richardson as the team's starting quarterback after the ultra-talented redshirt sophomore flashed his ability in numerous appearances in his freshman campaign. The 6-foot-4, 232-pounder averaged more than eight yards per play with nine total touchdowns last year.

The Gators are firmly Richardson's team with Emory Jones now at Arizona State, and he'll have an experienced line back to help protect him in Napier's offense. Florida should be very balanced offensively as Richardson will also play a huge role in the rushing attack. With impressive measurables, athleticism, and arm strength, a strong season out of Richardson will grab the attention of NFL scouts.

Missouri (6-7): Luther Burden

While the on-field results might not have been ideal for Missouri last season, Eli Drinkwitz was able to keep the energy around the program with an excellent showing in recruiting. Buoyed by the commitment of the nation's top receiving prospect, Luther Burden, Drinkwitz delivered the 11th-ranked class in the country, according to ESPN.

Burden will likely be an immediate contributor to a passing offense that'll need to perform well in 2022 after the departure of star rusher Tyler Badie. Burden should join Tauskie Dove and Dominic Lovett to give new starting quarterback Brady Cook plenty of downfield options.

Vanderbilt (2-10): Clark Lea

Clark Lea knew he faced a huge task at Vanderbilt when he took over the program before last season, a point hammered home by a surprising Week 1 23-3 loss to FCS East Tennessee State. The Commodores rebounded with two wins over the next four games before losing seven straight SEC contests to close the season. The task is tall yet again in 2022, but the fanbase should be excited that Lea is someone up to the challenge.

The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator landed a top-35 recruiting class and secured a number of transfers to help shape the roster to his liking. With winnable games against Hawaii and Elon to start the season, Lea could match last year's win total by mid-September. The big goal for the Commodores: notch their first SEC win since 2019.