The season is upon us and there are schools all across the SEC with high expectations and hopes for their program. The SEC will look very different this season with multiple different head coaches. We are entering a season with Texas and Oklahoma coming to the SEC, multiple new coaches and an era of Alabama football without Nick Saban.
This conference has never been this competitive and had this many great coaches. I am going to give you my five best SEC head coaching storylines in 2024
Kirby Smart
At number one we have the best coach in college football Kirby Smart. Georgia has been the most dominant football program in the country the last three seasons. They have lost two games in three years and both of those losses were to Nick Saban and Alabama.
Nick Saban is no longer the coach at Alabama so the door is wide open for Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs are returning their starting quarterback Carson Beck and have recruited at an elite level in the transfer portal and at the high school level.
Georgia is the best team in the country in my eyes in 2024 and opens the season against Clemson in Atlanta.
Steve Sarkisian
Texas is entering its first season in the SEC after going to the college football playoff last season and having one of their best season’s in years. This storyline is huge because Texas is one of the biggest brands in college football and the Longhorns are back.
Steve Sarkistan has flipped this Texas program around and many regard this team to be the second best team in the country behind Georgia. Coach Sarkistan is an offensive mastermind with his creative play calling and ability to get the best out of his players. Texas is returning their starting quarterback in Quinn Ewers but will have some new faces starting at wide receiver such as; Johntay Cook, Houston transfer Matthew Golden and some talented freshmen as well.
The Longhorns open the season with Colorado State this season.
Kalen DeBoer
Kalen DeBoer has one of the hardest jobs in the country replacing the greatest football coach of all time in Nick Saban. It is going to be odd to not see Nick Saban on Alabama’s sideline this season.
Kalen DeBoer felt like a slam dunk hire for the Tide, he has an outstanding record of 104-12. He took Washington to the National Championship game last season and Alabama fans seemed happy with the hire. That can change really quickly at Alabama if they lose a couple games.
That is why this is such a big storyline because of the pressure at Alabama and following Nick Saban.
Billy Napier
This is going to be a very tense season for the Florida Gators and Billy Napier because of their schedule. The Gators have the hardest schedule in the country and have not been a good program in Napier’s first two seasons. Coach Napier has a lot of pressure on him after going 6-7 in 2022 and 5-7 in 2023.
Coach Napier is going to have to win week 1 vs Miami to get off to a good start. If they lose week 1 you could see coach Napier be fired during the season because their schedule does not get easier.
Mike Elko
Mike Elko is entering his first season at Texas A&M and he is going to be great in Aggieland. I am very high on Coach Elko, any coach that can turn Duke into a good program I am very impressed with.
He is a coach that can get more out of less. His teams pay attention to the details and are disciplined and smart. I think the Aggies are going to be a sleeper team this year to really make some noise. I don’t see them making the playoffs but they could end up being a top 15-20 team in the country.
The Aggies open with Notre Dame at home and this game is going to be one of the best games in week 1. I am very excited for this game and to see how this Aggie offense is going to be this season.