Wake me up when September ends?
Almost a month of football has been played in the SEC, and we don’t know a whole lot, other than Florida’s probably heading for a coaching change, most of us (but not “The List!”) probably slept on Missouri a little bit, and Arch Manning isn’t going to win the Heisman Trophy. John Mateer might have won the Heisman Trophy, but won’t now, following the unfortunate news that he’ll miss time with a hand injury. John will stay in “The List” this week, but like all injured players, he’ll depart after he misses more than 1 game. We hope he gets well soon—Oklahoma has been a joy to watch this season.
If September has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what we just don’t know.
“The List” has been around since 2019 and it’s hard to remember a year with more turnover in the first month.
DJ Lagway, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers? None have made “The List” in 2025 despite all being on preseason Heisman favorite lists.
Tennessee had its first “List” winner in 2024 (Dylan Sampson). Is a late spring transfer quarterback a threat to top it again in 2025?
For the first time in the Kirby Smart era, the Dawgs returned fewer than 40 career starts on the offensive line. There were legitimate questions about the unit in Athens this summer. Now “The List” wonders which Dawgs linemen to feature each week.
Alabama? Left for dead after being clobbered by Florida State in Week 1, Kalen DeBoer’s team has rallied and heads to Athens this week with confidence and a chance to make a statement. But naturally, even if they win, unbeaten Vanderbilt lurks around the bend. Unbeaten Vanderbilt. What a time to be alive.
Last Week’s “List” is here.
As always, we begin with Honorable Mentions, limited to 2 per school. If your school has less than 2 players on Honorable Mention, you aren’t good at football or you are coached by William Hall Napier. If your favorite player is missing, they should probably play better. Or “The List” thinks your favorite team stinks. You decide.
Honorable Mention: Alabama: Germie Bernard, WR; Bray Hubbard, S. Auburn: Cam Coleman, WR; Keyron Crawford, DE. Arkansas: Quincy Rhodes Jr., DE; Corey Robinson II, OT. Florida: Myles Graham, LB. Georgia: CJ Allen, LB; Micah Morris, OG. Kentucky: Alex Afari Jr., LB; Seth McGowan, RB. LSU: Garrett Nussmeier, QB; Dashawn Spears, S. Mississippi State: Blake Shapen, QB; Isaac Smith, S. Missouri: Cayden Green, OT; Chris McLellan, DT. Oklahoma: Kip Lewis, LB; Grayson Miller, P. Ole Miss: Zxavian Harris, DT; Diego Pounds, OT. South Carolina: Dylan Stewart, Edge; Vicari Swain, Return/DB. Tennessee: Joey Aguilar, QB; Boo Carter, DB. Texas: Jelani McDonald, DB; Michael Taaffe, S. Texas A&M: Cashius Howell, DE; Marcel Reed, QB. Vanderbilt: Nick Rinaldi, LB; Eli Stowers, TE.
10. Anthony Hill Jr., LB (Texas)
The Texas Butkus Award candidate continues to be a force for a defense that ranks 2nd nationally in yards allowed per play and success rate defense through 4 games. Hill leads the SEC with 2 forced fumbles and a 100% tackle rate (0 missed tackles this season). He’s the heartbeat of a team that has the defense to stay in the Playoff hunt while Arch Manning continues to slowly improve and figure things out.
9. Drew Bobo, C (Georgia)
Bobo is earning Rimington Trophy buzz for his play early in the season, which sees him currently grading out as the SEC’s top center, per PFF. Tougher tests are ahead for the Dawgs, beginning with Alabama’s visit Between the Hedges this weekend. But Bobo and the Georgia offensive line have been tremendous to date, allowing the fewest pressures in the SEC through 4 games.
8. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)
Frequently on “The List” a season ago, Pavia makes his first appearance in 2025 after a spectacular performance (331 total yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown) in Vanderbilt’s 70-21 evisceration of Georgia State. On the season, Pavia leads the Commodores in both passing and rushing yards and is averaging 9.7 yards per attempt, easily the best per throw average in his career. Does the schedule get more daunting moving forward? Yes. But Vanderbilt has laid waste to all comers early in 2025, making Pavia’s preseason Playoff prediction look… possible?
7. Kewan Lacy, RB (Ole Miss)
The do-it-all tailback scored 2 touchdowns and accumulated 71 yards on 21 touches in Ole Miss’s 45-10 rout of Tulane. The numbers were pedestrian by Lacy’s standards, but the Dallas product remains the centerpiece of Lane Kiffin’s offense, ranking first in the SEC in touchdowns and rushing attempts while standing fourth in rushing yards gained. With 8 receptions on 10 targets, Lacy also looks likely to stay a factor in the passing game, especially if the flux between Austin Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss continues in Oxford whether due to injury, production, or both.
6. R Mason Thomas, DE (Oklahoma)
Thomas returned from a suspension early in the game to dominate, collecting 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in a short day’s work. Thomas has always been a freakish combination of speed and athleticism coupled with monstrous size. This bull rush for a vital safety late in Oklahoma’s 24-17 win over Auburn is exhibit one.
The Sooners head into their bye week unbeaten with the nation’s fourth ranked total defense and third ranked success rate defense. If Oklahoma returns to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019, you can bet Thomas will be a mammoth reason why and have “List” staying power in the process.
5. John Mateer, QB (Oklahoma)
Mateer wasn’t brilliant against Auburn, but he was good enough, accumulating 300 total yards, 2 touchdowns (1 passing, 1 rushing) and committing just 1 turnover (a fumble) against a salty Auburn defense. The news that Mateer suffered a hand injury in the Auburn game and fought through speaks to his toughness. If the Sooners weather his absence, his legend will only grow. For now, Heisman dreams are on hold. Playoff dreams, thanks to an incredible Sooners defense and a schedule that doesn’t heat up again until the Red River Rivalry against Texas on October 11, may not be.
4. Chris Brazzell II, WR (Tennessee)
Another week, another touchdown for Brazzell II, who leads the SEC (and country) with 6 receiving touchdowns.
Brazzell II ranks second among SEC receivers in a host of other metrics, including PFF grade and PAR (points about replacement). He’s rocketing up NFL Draft boards as a result of his excellent play and making a Tennessee offense many thought would take a step back after offseason turmoil look like it may, in fact, be a strength of the football team through one month.
3. Mario Craver, WR (Texas A&M)
The only receiver with a higher PFF grade and PAR rating than Brazzell II? You guessed it—it’s Texas A&M’s Mario Craver. With a PFF grade of 92.3 (highest in Power 4), Craver is a YAC machine, averaging 13.7 yards after catch per reception. Craver also has 0 drops on 27 targets and a yards per reception number over 20 yards. The last receiver to post that big a number? Ole Miss’s Tre Harris, a “List” mainstay who became the first SEC receiver since Florida’s Jabar Gaffney to average over 100 yards per game over his SEC career. Big time stuff.
2. Mansoor Delane, DB (LSU)
The nation’s top corner wasn’t targeted by SE Louisiana in LSU’s 56-10 win last week, a sign that defensive coordinators are starting to give Delane the Patrick Peterson treatment: acknowledge that much of the world is covered by water and at least one boundary or perhaps the rest of the world is covered by Mansoor Delane. The LSU star grades out as the SEC’s best defensive back, per PFF, and he’s allowed just 4 completions this season on 18 targets, a 22.2% completion rate that is the best in America.
1. Ahmad Hardy, RB (Missouri)
Y’all.
We need to discuss the fact that Ahmad Hardy scored on this play.
And yes, my colleague Connor O’Gara is correct that Hardy absolutely belongs in early season Heisman conversations.
The numbers are outrageously good: 600 yards (first in SEC), 7.6 yards per carry (first in the SEC), 6 touchdowns (second in the SEC), 90.3 PFF grade (second in the country). Did I mention that 458 of Hardy’s yards are after contact? Did I mention he’s forced 37 missed tackles—which also leads the SEC?
I think Missouri’s offensive line, which I wrote earlier in the season was the most underrated in the sport, deserves a ton of attention and credit. Hardy would agree. But this is the best football player in the conference right now, and if he maintains this play as Missouri’s schedule toughens, the gap will grow.
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.
