Former college and NFL head coach Urban Meyer made headlines earlier in the week when he expressed his belief that the SEC’s longtime reign of college football was over. While appearing on “The Triple Option” YouTube channel, Meyer explained how other non-SEC teams seemed to be closer to or stronger than programs in the SEC this year than in the past.
Of the four remaining teams in the College Football Playoff, only one SEC team — the Texas Longhorns — are still fighting for the National Championship. However, Meyer also explained how there is NFL fallout that also results from the lack of dominance by SEC teams.
What Did Urban Meyer Say About the SEC and NFL?
Meyer explained how he was nervous to see what the NFL Draft fallout would be from the SEC’s lack of strong teams and performances this year.
“I’m anxious to see the NFL Draft this year because normally speaking, Rob, NFL Draft I would always tell our staff, other than championships — championships are number one — NFL Draft is the indicator of how you are doing in recruiting,” he stated.
Meyer further explained how he believed the dominant reign of the SEC was over in college football.
“The question is, is the SEC dominance over? It is,” he added.
2025 NFL Draft First-Round SEC Players’ Projection
As evident by Meyer’s comments, he believes that the SEC is entering an era where it is no longer the dominant college football force. However, in Pro Football Network’s latest 2025 NFL First-Round Mock Draft completed by Sterling Xie, there were still numerous SEC players taken within the first round, and the top of it at that.
Xie projects that Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks (No. 7 overall to the New York Jets), Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton (No. 9 overall to the Chicago Bears), and Bulldogs EDGE Mykel Williams (No. 10 overall to the New Orleans Saints) would all be selected within the first 10 picks of the draft.
Regarding Starks, “A once-mighty New York Jets defense has totally collapsed since Robert Saleh’s midseason firing. The Jets still have plenty of talent on their defense, but safety stands out as a position that could use a future boost.
Enter Malaki Starks. The Georgia safety is versatile enough to line up in the deep half or in the box, and he’s flashed enough coverage skills to believe he could play cornerback.
The Jets may need another cornerback anyways if they can’t bring back D.J. Reed in free agency. However, no matter where he lines up, Starks would be a Day 1 starter that could help elevate the New York defense back to its prior elite levels.”
As is clear despite Meyer’s words of caution for SEC teams, PFN’s recent mock draft seems to highlight how the SEC is still producing some elite prospects for the NFL.