We are already halfway through the 2025 college football season, which means it’s time to call timeout.
Or not call timeout (wink, wink). I don’t have any opinions on whether college football happens too fast and I wish we could halt time. I’m just worried about Georgia and Ole Miss. Or that’s what Kirby Smart would have you believe.
Speaking of things we believe in at “The List,” if Alabama is obvious (what a win at Mizzou) how about Texas A&M?
The Aggies are 6-0 for the first time since 2016. That season didn’t end well. The Aggies lost 5 of their last 7 games, marking the beginning of the end for Kevin Sumlin in College Station. Mike Elko’s team will close differently. I know this because you simply won’t find more than 5 teams in the sport better on both lines of scrimmage than the Texas A&M Aggies, who whipped Florida on both sides of the ball in a 34-17 win last weekend.
The Aggies limited the Gators to 1 conversion in 10 third-down attempts, meaning that in the last 3 games, opponents are just 2-for-34 on third down. That’s preposterous, but it’s also a testament to marvelous roster construction. The Aggies pressured Florida quarterback DJ Lagway 12 times, generating 9 hurries, 2 sacks, and forcing 2 fumbles. That sounds incredibly productive — but it was actually the fewest pressures the Aggies have generated in their last 3 games. Texas A&M generated 26 pressures against Auburn and 16 in its win over Mississippi State. In other words — a 12 pressure night is almost “subpar” for this Aggies defensive line. At most programs, it would be a cause for celebration.
Offensively, the Aggies aren’t flashy, but thanks to an offensive line that’s allowed the third fewest pressures and fourth fewest sacks in the SEC, Texas A&M is balanced and efficient, ranking 34th in rushing offense, 36th in passing offense, and 29th in success rate. With elite playmakers in Mario Craver and KC Concepcion and an improving quarterback in Marcel Reed, the Aggies have enough offensively to ride a terrific defense to the College Football Playoff.
Don’t be stunned when it happens.
“The List” isn’t buying… Hugh Freeze’s offense. “I promise it wasn’t a timeout”-gate aside, Auburn lost to Georgia because the offense withered on the vine in the second half. Auburn gained just 40 yards (10 rushing) in the second half, failing to convert a single third down. It’s hard to win when you don’t score, and the Tigers have averaged just 12 points in 3 SEC games. That’s even worse than Billy Napier and Florida and Mark Stoops’s Kentucky. Not good, Hugh!
As we head down the back 9 of another college football season, “The List” is hardly stabilized. A new No. 1 graces “The List” this week, and a top 5 mainstay early in the year falls out of the top 5 altogether.
Could a defender top the greatest list in college football for the second time this season? Nakobe Dean (2021) would love the company. With a half season to go, he may get it.
Last week’s “List” is here, for those scoring at home.
As always, we list Honorable Mentions first, limited to two per school. If your favorite player is missing — they should play better. Or I don’t know ball. It depends on your perspective or whether you read my weekly emails.
Honorable Mention: Alabama: Germie Bernard, WR: Bray Hubbard, S (Alabama). Auburn: Keyron Crawford, DE; Keldric Faulk, Edge. Arkansas: Mike Washington, RB. Florida: Myles Graham, LB. Georgia: Drew Bobo, C; Ellis Robinson IV, DB. Kentucky: Alex Afari Jr., LB. LSU: Tamarcus Cooley, S; Harold Perkins Jr., LB. Mississippi State: Fluff Bothwell, RB; Jayven Williams, DB. Missouri: Connor Tollison, C; Keagan Trost, OT. Oklahoma: Kip Lewis, LB; R Mason Thomas, DE. Ole Miss: Zxavian Harris, DT; Diego Pounds, OT. South Carolina: Dylan Stewart, Edge; Vicari Swain, Return/DB. Tennessee: Chris Brazzell II, WR; Arion Carter, LB. Texas: Malik Muhammad, DB; Colin Simmons, Edge. Vanderbilt: Nick Rinaldi, LB; Brock Taylor, K.
10. Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)
The big Alabama tackle continues his sterling play, having surrendered just 1 sack all season to anchor one of the nation’s best offensive lines. He did allow 3 pressures against Missouri, bringing his season total to 12 allowed. Proctor also continues to feature in the Crimson Tide short-yardage offense.
In Alabama’s win over Missouri, he took a snap from center and nearly bulled his way to 6 points. Next time, big fellow.
9. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)
Pavia has become a true hero to heel tale.
A hero leads Vanderbilt back to relevance, prevails in litigation against the NCAA, and ranks 12th in the NCAA in passer rating, trailing only Alabama’s Ty Simpson among SEC quarterbacks.
A heel spends a whole week talking about beating Alabama and practices the game-winning kneel down in the pregame warmups before losing to Alabama.
Is Pavia right to still talk about Vanderbilt’s national championship aspirations? Absolutely. But he doesn’t need to be so loud about it.
8. Trey Zuhn III, OT (Texas A&M)
The Aggies offensive line is led by Zuhn III, who has surrendered just 1 pressure and sack in 2025. Against Florida, he graded out at 86.1 as a pass blocker, per PFF, helping the Aggies hold a Florida defense that swarmed Texas with 35 pressures to just 5 pressures all evening. Zuhn III and the Aggies made winning a Joe Moore Award, honoring the nation’s best offensive line, a preseason goal. Through 6 games, they grade out higher than any group in the SEC, with Zuhn III leading the way.
7. Kewan Lacy, RB (Ole Miss)
Lacy totaled 161 yards (142 rushing, 19 receiving) in Ole Miss’s 24-21 escape against Washington State. The centerpiece of Lane Kiffin’s offense ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Lacy’s 57% success rate as a runner is third in the SEC, behind only Ahmad Hardy of Missouri and Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop.
6. Ahmad Hardy, RB (Missouri)
Hardy managed just 52 yards rushing in the Tigers’ 27-24 defeat to Alabama. He also fumbled on a frustrating afternoon for the Missouri run game. Still, Hardy ranks second nationally in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns at the midway point of the season, making him the SEC’s most productive running back in 2025.
5. Michael Taaffe, S (Texas)
The Texas All-American had 9 tackles and a sack in the Longhorns’ 23-6 rivalry win over Oklahoma. On the season, Taaffe grades out as the best defensive player on one of the nation’s best defenses, per PFF. The Longhorns rank 11th nationally in total defense, 14th in success rate defense, and Taaffe has the highest PFF mark of any safety in America.
4. CJ Allen, LB (Georgia)
Georgia’s star linebacker had a game-high 10 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss and a sack in Georgia’s come from behind win over Auburn.
Allen ranks second in the SEC in tackles this season with 46, adding 3 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and a SEC-leading 2 forced fumbles. The best player on the latest edition of a salty group of junkyard Dawgs.
3. Ty Simpson, QB (Alabama)
Simpson fumbled and struggled with consistency at times against Missouri, but when it mattered most, he came up with big time throws.
Simpson leads the SEC in passer rating, big time throws (12), and touchdown passes (16) and ranks second in passing yards (Joey Aguilar).
2. Mansoor Delane, CB (LSU)
The LSU corner made the game-clinching play in the Tigers’ 20-10 win over South Carolina. With the Gamecocks driving in the fourth quarter, LaNorris Sellers boldly went right at the LSU star. It didn’t end well.
Delane grades out as the best corner in America — and he played like it again on Saturday night in Death Valley.
1. Cashius Howell, Edge (Texas A&M)
Is this controversial? Perhaps.
But here’s the data on the SEC’s best football player at the season’s midpoint: 24 quarterback pressures (first in the SEC), 15 hurries (first in the SEC), and 8 sacks (first in SEC, second in nation). The Aggies lead the nation in third-down defense and rank 10th in success rate defense. Howell’s done all of this facing a barrage of double teams and running back/tight end help.
And oh by the way: Texas A&M is undefeated.
It might be controversial. But it shouldn’t be. This is the best player in the SEC.
Neil Blackmon covers SEC football and basketball for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.
