ESPN Writers Name Two SEC Teams On The Rise

ESPN reporters Chris Low and Mark Schlabach published their SEC preview this week and picked Tennessee and Texas A&M as their two teams on the rise in the conference:

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Teams on the rise

Chris Low: Tennessee

The Vols won 11 games in Josh Heupel's second season and were in contention for a playoff berth. They won nine a year ago. Breaking through and making the playoff this season is a realistic expectation. If Iamaleava is as talented as the Vols think he is and the defense holds up, this may be Heupel's best team.

Mark Schlabach: Texas A&M

The Aggies lost a plethora of highly recruited players to the transfer portal, including defensive tackle Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) and receiver Evan Stewart (Oregon), but they still might be ready to take off if Mike Elko can sanitize the locker room chemistry and instill discipline. The program can't get any more dysfunctional than it was under Jimbo Fisher the past couple of seasons. Quarterback Conner Weigman is more than capable of running the offense, and the defense added a few key playmakers, including Nic Scourton. There's still plenty of five-star talent on the roster.

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