October brings the harvest and in college football, separation.
Wheat is pearled in America’s grain belt while in the SEC, pretenders are exposed and the elite make their presence felt. We don’t forget the stories that charmed us in September but we learn what parts of those stories were fiction. Sundays are more sober, as September’s optimism is tempered by the reality of repetition.
Was Florida just flat, or are its problems on the line of scrimmage systemic enough to become fatal?
Texas is No. 1, but will its offense ever show the explosiveness you need to win a championship?
Ole Miss: Playoff team or pain in Lane Kiffin‘s side?
LSU: Can Sam Leavitt make plays with his arm or are Texas A&M and McNeese simply not adequate tests?
Alabama: Can the Tide really run the ball or will they wilt once again when they play equitable talent on the line of scrimmage?
Kentucky: The Wildcats are 1 win away from bucking the 4.5 Vegas expected this August. Are 8 wins possible or will bowl eligibility be a win?
These are questions that remain. The rest of October will offer answers.
Here at “The List”, things are starting to trend back to “normal.” We have a third No. 1, which is one under the average number of top ranked players in “List” history since we started this band in 2019. “The List” loves quarterbacks, because it’s the most important position in sports, not just football. But 3 on “The List” in one week? That hasn’t happened since September 2024. Until this week. “The List” doesn’t discriminate because you are a great player on a bad or mediocre team. Individual excellence is always rewarded. After all, this “List” is about production, not hype. CJ Heard, come on down.
But there’s still plenty we’re trying to figure out, too. October will bring us autumn leaves, sweet-tasting brisket on those first chilly days, and answers. With due respect to the old holiday tune, October is the most wonderful time of the year. Hope isn’t gone. Heroes are still being made. But we’re learning about greatness, too. It’s the best of both worlds.
With that in mind, here are the top 10 players in the SEC through Week 5. Last week’s “List” is here. As always, we start with honorable mentions, listing only up to 2 per school.
Honorable Mentions: Alabama: Bray Hubbard, S; Luke Metz, LB. Auburn: Xavier Atkins, LB; Elijah Melendez, LB. Arkansas: Chris Marshall, WR. Florida: Vernell Brown III, WR; Jayden Woods, Edge. Georgia: Drew Bobo, C; Raylen Wilson, LB. Kentucky: Coleton Price, C; Lance Heard, OT. LSU: TJ Dottery, LB; Jordan Seaton, OT. Mississippi State: Anthony Evans III, WR; Jett Jefferson, CB. Missouri: Cayden Green, OL; Robert Woodyard Jr., LB. Oklahoma: Kip Lewis, LB; David Stone, DT. Ole Miss: Deuce Alexander, WR; Patrick Kutas, OG. South Carolina: Nyck Harbor, WR; Justin Okoronkwo, LB. Tennessee: DeSean Bishop, RB; Dejuan Lane, DB. Texas: Rasheem Biles, LB; Trevor Goosby, OT. Texas A&M: Mario Craver, WR; Mark Nabou Jr., C. Vanderbilt: Nick Rinaldi, LB; Junior Sherrill, WR.
10. CJ Heard, S (Vanderbilt)
Heard was all over the football field on Saturday in Vanderbilt‘s loss at Georgia, collecting a team-high 8 tackles, including a sack and 2 tackles for loss. He also had a pass breakup, his fourth of the season, which leads the Commodores. Heard ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in tackles and pass breakups and currently ranks top 5 in the SEC in tackle rate, with just 2 missed tackles this season, per PFF. A complete football player who will play on Sundays.
9. Cayden Lee, WR (Mizzou)
Lee dominated the Gators, catching 8 passes on 10 targets for 110 yards in helping Mizzou rout then-No. 8 Florida 45-17 at Faurot Field. Lee’s 35 receptions rank second in the SEC and he ranks third in the league in receiving yards (522) and touchdowns (4) and fourth in average depth of target.
Austin Simmons played the best game of his career against the Gators, in large part because he could trust Lee to win every 1-on-1 he had on the perimeter. What a luxury for Eli Drinkwitz as Missouri finally opens up its offense.
8. Kamario Taylor, QB (Mississippi State)
Taylor and Mississippi State lost badly Saturday, but the Bulldogs still rank 10th in success rate offense and 9th in SP+ efficiency through 5 games. A loss to an Alabama team that out-talents State by miles is not reason for panic. Taylor looked flustered for the first time this season against Alabama’s ferocious pass rush. But he battled it and the adversity of an early pick-6 to to keep State within arm’s length at halftime. Bama pulled away in the second half, but Taylor, who threw for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns despite losing running back Fluff Bothwell after just 1 carry, was hardly the cause of defeat. State is going to beat someone (else) they shouldn’t down the stretch. Taylor will be a vital reason that occurs.
7. Princewill Umanmielen, Edge (LSU)
Umanmielen’s slowed down after a furiously productive start, producing only 4 pressures in his past 2 outings. He’s still registered 2 sacks and 2 hurries, making the most of those opportunities, and it’s worth noting he only played 19 snaps in LSU’s rout of McNeeese. Kentucky, which has an offensive line grading out as one of America’s best, will be a challenge — and a chance for the LSU All-American candidate to move back up the “List.”
6. Arion Carter, LB (Tennessee)
Tennessee‘s All-SEC linebacker made 6 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, in the Vols’ 24-14 win over Auburn.
It was another strong performance for Carter, who does a little of everything, from recovering onside kicks to stopping the run to harassing the quarterback. Carter’s talents have helped Tennessee to an excellent 4-1 start and at 29th in total defense and 25th in success rate defense, the Vols are one of the nation’s most improved defenses in 2026.
5. Keelon Russell, QB (Alabama)
The Crimson Tide have their difference maker under center. Russell’s week-to-week improvement is no longer the story. Instead, that’s become a legitimate debate about whether Russell makes Alabama a national championship favorite. The sophomore threw for 285 yards and 3 touchdowns in Alabama’s 56-23 rout of then-No. 16 Mississippi State, adding a touchdown on the ground as well to pace an Alabama offense that ranks second in the country in scoring offense (Georgia) and first in SP+ efficiency offense. Obviously, what happens next — a titanic tilt with No. 2 Georgia — may sway opinions one way or another on Alabama’s title-winning prowess. I think that whatever happens Saturday night in Tuscaloosa is merely a data point. Russell is going to continue getting better. He’s already one of the best quarterbacks in America, grading out as the top player at the position in the SEC, per PFF. That’s heady stuff, considering he’s in a league with Kamario Taylor, a bona fide star, and Trinidad Chambliss, the likely Heisman runner-up. It’s also instructive. Russell is already this good, and he hasn’t come close to his ceiling yet.
4. Chris Cole, LB (Georgia)
Cole is 1 of 2 menacing UGA linebackers to grace the list this season (Raylen Wilson, Honorable Mention). It’s hard to know who is harder to scheme against. Cole’s a boundary-to-boundary linebacker grading out among the top 10 linebackers in America this season, per PFF. He plays with a relentless motor and incredible closing speed.
On the season, Cole has 12 quarterback pressures and 9 hurries along with 5 tackles for loss. Two of those came against Vanderbilt.
3. Jadan Baugh, RB (Florida)
The Florida junior running back remains the SEC’s leading rusher with 613 yards, but his streak of 8-consecutive 100-yard rushing games ended with a thud in Columbia last weekend. Corey Battoon’s defense stuffed Baugh, limiting the national leader in yards after contact to just 13 yards on 12 carries. Baugh faces another big test this week when South Carolina visits The Swamp. Despite their rough start, the Gamecocks rank 29th nationally against the run this season, and they’ll return preseason All-SEC edge man Dylan Stewart. Baugh’s “List” staying power may depend on whether the Gators can get back on track in the run game in The Swamp.
2. Trinidad Chambliss, QB (Ole Miss)
The Rebels’ quarterback had a bye after the loss at Florida. Still a Heisman hopeful, he’s fallen off the “favorite” list thanks to the continued astounding play of Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Still, it’s a long season, and the Rebels can get back on track this week with a win over Vanderbilt.
1. Colin Simmons, Edge (Texas)
Simmons becomes the 6th defensive player in “List” history to hold the top spot. Only one — 2021 Nagurski and Butkus Award winner Nakobe Dean — ultimately was crowned “List” champion. Still, Texas is ranked No. 1 because of its defense. Don’t believe me? Consider these facts. Texas ranks 14th in the SEC in explosive play rate (10%) and the Longhorns are outside the top 40 in points per drive and success rate offense. Their quarterback, Arch Manning, has completed just 50% of his passes in the past 2 games. In other words, it’s a mess on offense. The saving grace is the defense, and Simmons, who ranks first in the SEC in pressures and second in sacks, is the best football player on that defense.
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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.
