Three SEC Teams in Phil Steele’s Most Improved

One of the annual traditions of every avid college football fan’s offseason is the day Phil Steele’s preview drops during the “Magazine Season” portion of the countdown to kickoff.

In this year’s issue he listed 15 teams he thinks will be the most improved in the country, and Steele has been very accurate in year’s past with his predictions. For instance, in 2023 nine of the Top 11 teams he placed on his Most Improved list went from losing records to a bowl berth the following season.

This year three SEC teams made the list: Florida, Auburn and South Carolina. All three teams ended last season with a losing record even though Auburn did finish the regular season at 6-6. Regardless, each team is expected to make a significant jump from 2023 to 2024 despite two of the three playing Top 10 schedules nationally. Florida faces the toughest schedule in all of FBS this year with 11 Power 4 opponents and eight of their 12 opponents ranked in the preseason Top 25.

Phil Steele’s 2024 Most Improved Teams

1. East Carolina
2. Nebraska
3. Louisiana-Lafayette
4. Indiana
5. Marshall
6. UCF
7. TCU
8. Colorado State
9. Arkansas State
10. Florida Atlantic
11. Florida
12. Auburn
13. Cincinnati
14. South Carolina
15. UAB