We’re less than two weeks away from all 16 SEC football teams kicking off 2025 on Labor Day weekend. It’s time to cram these last season preview pieces in before we get underway.
Today, we’re talking about safeties. Specifically, SEC safeties. A good safety can elevate the floor of a defense. What would be big plays are limited to eight-yard gains. A good safety can take away the middle of the field or shut down an opposing tight end. The best are also used as dynamic blitzers and make an impact in the box defending the run.
LSU made upgrading the safety room a priority this offseason. The Tigers signed transfers TaMarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy — both will be impact players as LSU expects to have its best secondary of the Brian Kelly era.
Here are the SEC’s 12 best safeties for the 2025 season.
Note: I tried to focus on players who played true safety. For that reason, hybrid players like Kendall Daniels, Jelani McDonald, and Daylan Carnell weren’t included.
10. TaMarcus Cooley, LSU
LSU was aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason, which included the signing of former NC State defensive back TaMarcus Cooley. This is Cooley’s third stop after he began his career at Maryland in 2023.
Cooley led all ACC safeties in pass breakups in 2024. He picked off three passes and owned a 62.4 passer rating when targeted. Cooley recently took control of a starting safety spot at LSU and the Tigers are counting on Cooley to create the same havoc for LSU’s defense.
Cooley impresses as a run defender too, making 11 stops and forcing two fumbles in 2024.
9. Jalen Catalon, Missouri
Catalon is entering his seventh year of college football. Yes, you read that right — seventh year. Catalon began his career at Arkansas in 2019, where he spent four years. Then he transferred to Texas for a year before playing the 2024 season at UNLV. Catalon…
Source link : https://lsutigerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/lsu/football/2025/08/21/ranking-college-football-safeties-lsu-georgia-texas/85706778007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-21 12:33:00
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