Georgia are the SEC Champions and to quote the great Coach Yoast, they “left no doubt.”

The Dawgs steamrolled LSU 50-30, capturing their second SEC Championship under Kirby Smart and entering the College Football Playoff as prohibitive favorites to repeat as national champions. As icing on the championship cake, Stetson Bennett IV was named a surprise Heisman finalist, becoming one of just a handful of former walk-ons to receive an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

What does Bennett’s status as the lone SEC Heisman finalist mean for “The List”?

After all, the national championship winning quarterback hasn’t appeared in “The List” since midseason. That’s less about Bennett, by the way, than it is about how difficult it is to pick just 10 of the best football players in the best conference in America and rank them each week. Here’s one final list before awards season and bowl games, which for the SEC begin on Dec. 17.

Last week’s list is here.

As always, Honorable Mentions are first, limited to just 2 names per school to keep the author from listing Georgia’s entire starting defense. This will be the last “List” until a final “List” after bowl games, so from my family to yours, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, good health and many blessings in 2023. Thanks for reading and thanks for all the great comments telling me how terrible my list is. It truly makes it all worthwhile.

Honorable Mention: Emil Ekiyor Jr. (Alabama); Jahmyr Gibbs, RB/Returner (Alabama); Ricky Stromberg, C (Arkansas); Drew Sanders, LB (Arkansas); Tank Bigsby, RB (Auburn); Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn); Kingsley Eguakan, C (Florida); Trevor Etienne, RB (Florida); Kelee Ringo, CB (Georgia); Brock Bowers, TE (Georgia); Keidron Smith, CB (Kentucky); Jordan Wright, LB/Edge (Kentucky); Harold Perkins Jr., LB (LSU);  Mekhi Wingo, DT (LSU); Will Rogers III, QB (Mississippi State); Jett Johnson, LB (Mississippi State); Isaiah McGuire, DE (Missouri); Ty’Ron Hopper, LB (Missouri); Nick Broeker, OL (Ole Miss); Malik Heath, WR (Ole Miss); Cam Smith, CB (South Carolina); Antwane Wells, WR (South Carolina); Devon Achane, RB (Texas A&M); Antonio Johnson, S (Texas A&M); Byron Young, Edge (Tennessee); Cooper Mays, C (Tennessee); Anfernee Orji, LB (Vanderbilt); Ray Davis, RB (Vanderbilt).

10. Stetson Bennett IV, QB (Georgia)

The Georgia quarterback returns to the list after a 274-yard, 4-touchdown performance in the SEC Championship victory over No. 14 LSU. Bennett’s performance in Atlanta was a bounce-back after 3 ho-hum games against Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Miss State, where Bennett threw for just 545 yards over 3 games with 3 interceptions. The LSU game, against the best defensive front Bennett and Georgia have played this season, was a return to his vintage consistency.

Bennett’s ability to make the right read, as he does hitting “option 3” in his progression in the touchdown to Ladd McConkey above, is his greatest trait as a player, and it’s why he’s been such a successful 3-year starter in Athens.

9. O’Cyrus Torrence, OL (Florida)

The Gators’ lineman graded out as the nation’s best offensive guard in 2022, per Pro Football Focus. He also graded out as the nation’s best run blocker among all offensive linemen, with a grade of 92.9. Florida finished the regular season ranked 3rd in the country and No. 1 in the SEC in yards per rush. Torrence led the way, becoming 1 of 5 of the SEC’s unanimous first-team All-SEC selections this season as a result. The Florida junior declared for the NFL Draft last week, and is expected to be the first guard taken in the spring.

8. Jalin Hyatt, WR (Tennessee)

The junior finished the regular season as the SEC’s leading receiver in yardage (1,267) and touchdowns (15). Only Quinshon Judkins of Ole Miss scored more touchdowns this season than Hyatt, whose connection with quarterback Hendon Hooker felt otherworldly at times. Hyatt’s best game came in Tennessee’s biggest moment, as he grabbed 6 passes for 207 yards and scored an absurd 5 touchdowns in the Vols’ win over Alabama. Hyatt was at his best in big games, period, and partly due to that, he should win the Biletinikoff Award as the nation’s most outstanding wide receiver.

7. Quinshon Judkins, RB (Ole Miss)

The freshman earned first-team All-SEC honors after winning the SEC regular-season rushing title with 1,476 yards. Judkins also led the SEC in touchdowns with 16, and finished 2nd in the SEC and first among running backs in explosive run plays (10 yards or more). Judkins, overlooked by every SEC program but Ole Miss, will have at least 2 more seasons to make folks sorry they didn’t sit in the bleachers in the rain like Lane Kiffin, waiting to land their man.

6. Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)

As has become custom for returning Heisman winners since the lone repeat winner, Archie Griffin, Bryce Young’s season as the reigning winner did not end in another Heisman Trophy. It did end with another New Year’s 6 bowl game for the Crimson Tide and Young was the largest reason for that, rescuing Alabama again and again with miraculous escapes from pressure and pinpoint throws. In at least 2 of Alabama’s games this year (a win at Texas and the loss to LSU), Young making this type of play was the only reason Alabama had a chance to win.

A special player whose leadership and quiet, poised confidence will be desperately missed in Tuscaloosa next season, even if Nick Saban makes a big splash in the transfer portal.

5. Will Anderson Jr., Edge (Alabama)

Anderson led the nation in quarterback pressures for the second consecutive season and tied his former roommate (Honorable Mention player Drew Sanders of Arkansas) for the SEC sack title (10). While the Crimson Tide fell short of the College Football Playoff, Anderson’s (likely) final year on the Capstone saw the Crimson Tide finish in the top 20 nationally in total defense for the 14th time in the past 15 seasons, with the junior earning unanimous first-team All-SEC honors as a result of his efforts.

4. Jalen Carter, DL (Georgia)

Carter graded out as the nation’s second best interior defensive lineman, with his 92.7 grade the best among Power 5 players at his position. Georgia’s defense went from excellent to dominant when he returned from an injury in the Florida game, and Carter’s ability to shed double teams and get to the quarterback or fit gaps in the run game has been a game-changer schematically for Will Muschamp and Kirby Smart’s defense. He also makes plays like this, which make you go “WHOA” at least once a game:

 

3. Emmanuel Forbes, CB (Mississippi State)

Forbes wasn’t a Jim Thorpe Award finalist (a complete farce, honestly), but he was the best corner in the SEC and probably the country in 2022, collecting 6 interceptions in leading a Miss State defense that was outstanding against the pass (23rd in pass efficiency defense). Forbes also set the NCAA record for interception returns for a touchdown, moving his career total to 6 this season. Forbes also finished the season as the No. 1 corner in the country in 1-on-1 coverage situations, allowing just 2 completions in those scenarios, per Stats Solutions.

2. Christopher Smith, S (Georgia)

The captain of the best defense in the country, it was Smith who opened the scoring in the SEC Championship by returning a blocked field goal 96 yards to paydirt.

This heady play, which came on special teams, not only demonstrates how Smith is so committed to winning he wants to be on the field-goal block team, but it demonstrates why he’s such a smart player. Smith knew the rules, knew he had a live football, and waited for everyone to clear out before taking off to the end zone. Smith added 3 tackles and a tackle for loss in the SEC Championship Game as well, helping the Dawgs seal a 20-point victory and a perfect regular season. Smith is the No. 1 safety on most NFL Draft boards, but he’ll look to capture a second national championship in Athens before playing on Sundays next autumn.

1. Hendon Hooker, QB (Tennessee)

While Hooker was regrettably not a Heisman finalist, he was the SEC’s best football player for most the season, and the biggest reason for Josh Heupel’s turnaround in Knoxville. Since turning the reins of the program over to Hooker ahead of the Florida game in 2021, the Volunteers have been a different outfit, with an explosive, efficient offense and growing confidence.

The early returns started last November, when the Vols closed 3-2, losing only to eventual national champion Georgia and in a thrilling bowl game against Purdue. But this year, the transformation was complete. Tennessee went 10-2 and qualified for a New Year’s 6 bowl game for the first time, led by Hooker’s 3,135 yards passing, 27 touchdowns and a miniscule 2 interceptions.

Whatever the reason for his Heisman omission (the injury, I guess?), he won’t be left out of the top spot on the List as the regular season and championship week come to a close.