The top 10 SEC safeties for 2025: Georgia 5-star leads the way, two LSU players make it

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 transferred to Missouri for the 2025 season, making it his fourth school.

Catalon has played over 2,200 career snaps — which makes him one of the most experienced defenders in the country. At UNLV, he recorded 75 tackles while picking off five passes. He’s smart enough and athletic enough to be a true playmaker on the backend.

Catalon’s best year in the SEC was 2020 at Arkansas. His next three years of SEC football provided mixed results, but its hard to overlook Catalon’s production and experience.

8. Bryce Thornton, Florida

Few SEC safeties were better in coverage than Florida’s Bryce Thornton. He posted a 38.3 passer rating when targeted, which is No. 2 among returning SEC safeties. Thornton’s allowed completion percentage of 59% ranks in the top 10 among the same group.

Thornton is entering year three in Gainesville, but already has significant experience thanks to playing as a true freshman in 2023. The three-star safety took a big leap as a sophomore and similar progress can be expected as a junior.

7. Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma

Spears-Jennings enjoyed a breakout campaign as a junior in 2024 and enters 2025 as a leader in the Sooners’ secondary. He was a four-star recruit in 2022, ranking as the No. 12-ranked safety in the country.

Spears-Jennings has been limited with an injury at times during OU’s fall camp, but should be ready to go for week one. Per PFF, his 78.7 defensive grade ranks No. 4 among returning SEC safeties. Spears-Jennings stands out as a run defender and his 93.1 PFF grade in that department led the same group.

Spears-Jennings made 47 tackles and 19 stops while recording a pick in 2024.

6. Kaleb Harris, Auburn

Harris was a true freshman in 2024 and wasted no time finding his way on the field.

Harris proved to be ready for SEC physicality, making 16 run stops with a 5.7% stop rate. He only got better as the year went on, making nine stops in Auburn’s final three games. Harris was a havoc player, forcing a fumble and breaking up three passes.

Harris was targeted 26 times, but only allowed 13 catches. Harris should make another jump as a sophomore.

5. AJ Haulcy, LSU

Haulcy was a key piece of LSU’s top-ranked transfer class after leaving Houston and entering the portal. Per On3, he was the No. 2-ranked safety in the class and the No. 30 overall player.

Haulcy was all-conference at Houston, but now tries his hand in the SEC. If practice reports are any indication of Haulcy’s SEC preparedness, he’s in for a big year. The adjustment has been smooth for the safety who began his career in the Mountain West before moving to the Power Four.

Haulcy’s 80.5 PFF grade in 2024 ranked No. 4 among Big 12 safeties. He made 58 tackles while recording 18 stops and owned a 64.9 passer rating when targeted. Haulcy is the prototypical safety and filled a big need on LSU’s defense.

4. Bray Hubbard, Alabama

Hubbard was one of the SEC’s breakout defenders last year. He was a four-star recruit in 2023, but didn’t see much action in year one. He cracked the lineup and 2024 and made the most of it.

Alabama trusts Hubbard in different roles across the defense. He’ll play center field in a traditional free safety role, but he can roll into the box too. He’s athletic enough to hold up in man coverage, which gives Alabama flexibility in the secondary.

Hubbard’s 89.7 PFF coverage grade is the best among returning SEC safeties. When he did allow a catch, it was for an average of 3.1 yards per reception.

And while Hubbard isn’t an elite tackler, he mitigates it with his ability to track down ball carriers.

3. Isaac Smith, Mississippi State

Smith was one of the SEC’s best run defenders in 2024. His 56 tackles vs. the run led the SEC and his 18 stops ranked No. 2 in the conference. Only three returning SEC safeties posted a better missed tackle rate than the rising junior.

2024 was Smith’s first season in a full-time role, and it didn’t take him long to adjust to the physicality of the SEC. Having a run defender of Smith’s caliber on the backend adds real value to a defense. Mississippi State allowed its fair share of explosive plays in 2024 — it would have been even worse without Smith as a stopper.

The Bulldogs want to see Smith take a step forward in pass coverage after opposing quarterbacks completed 75% of passes when targeting Smith in 2024, but Smith finished the year on a high note vs. Ole Miss, only allowing two catches and breaking up a pass.

2. Michael Taffe, Texas

With an 84.4 PFF grade in 2024, Taffe owns the second-best grade among returning SEC safeties. With over 1,400 snaps, he’s one of the most experienced defenders in the conference. Texas is counting on Taffe’s experience to come up big after the Longhorns lost key secondary pieces to the NFL.

Taffe was elite in coverage last year, breaking up eight passes and coming up with two picks. His passer rating when targeted was 65.2, an elite number.

Taffe had occasional struggles when tackling, but expect an All-SEC level performance from this Texas safety this fall.

1. KJ Bolden, Georgia

Bolden was a five-star recruit in the class of 2024 and made an immediate impact, playing 552 snaps on defense. According to PFF, he posted an 83.9 coverage grade and a 74.6 grade defending the run. Bolden is an all-around safety who impacts all levels of the defense.

When targeted, Bolden allowed a passer rating of just 66.1 and allowed 6.7 yards per catch. Both marks were among the best in the SEC.

Bolden made 20 stops, forced a fumble, and recorded a sack. Expect those numbers to be even better in Bolden’s sophomore campaign.

Honorable Mentions

I’m sure Alabama fans think Keon Sabb should be on this list. Sabb has All-SEC potential in the secondary, and many predict he’ll play to that level in 2024, but I want to see it on the field first.
Florida’s Jordan Castell is a name to watch. He played a lot of football last year and the Gators are optimistic about what he can be this year.
Texas A&M safeties Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe both should be impact players in the Aggies’ secondary.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: The top 10 safeties in the SEC for the 2025 college football season

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