Chambliss shines, Simmons dominates and Kentucky surprises in SEC midseason awards

Kentucky opened the season picked to finish 14th in the Southeastern Conference football media preseason poll. Six games into the season, the Wildcats are ranked No. 15 nationally and have emerged as one of college football’s biggest surprises.

Coach Will Stein has led Kentucky to a 5-1 start, the program’s best since 2023, and the best start for a first-year Kentucky coach since Alpha Brumage in 1913. Stein has proven he’s not afraid to take risks, with two of those wins sealed by gutsy two-point conversion attempts in overtime.

The turnaround has earned Stein the title of the SEC’s top coach and Kentucky the title of the most surprising team at the midway point of the season, by a vote of Associated Press writers who cover the conference.

Top offensive player: Trinidad Chambliss

Trinidad Chambliss is making his final season of eligibility worth the offseason headache. Through five games, the Mississippi quarterback has completed 70.1% of his passes for 1,435 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also scrambled for 113 yards and five scores. Chambliss has regularly found himself in the Heisman conversation this year, especially after a big win against LSU and former coach Lane Kiffin. His efficiency as a passer and ability to make plays with his legs have made him one of the SEC’s most dangerous players.

Top defensive player: Colin Simmons

Texas junior edge rusher Colin Simmons has built a reputation as a game-wrecker, and for good reason. Simmons tops the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 9.5 sacks through five games and has a conference-high 12 tackles for loss. He set a program record with 5.5 sacks in a single game against Tennessee. He also has 17 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Simmons’ knack for consistently disrupting opposing quarterbacks can’t be ignored in any scouting report.

Top first-year freshman: Faizon Brandon

Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon has looked poised and confident in the pocket for Tennessee, completing 61 passes for 697 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 130 yards and three scores in five games. He exited Tennessee’s win over Auburn early with a shoulder injury initially sustained against Texas, adding a wrinkle to an otherwise promising start. The Vols are 4-1, with their sole loss coming against then-No. 1 Texas in a game that remained within reach until a swatted Hail Mary attempt. Brandon’s composure against top-tier opponents and early production have given Tennessee plenty of reason to be optimistic about the state of its offense moving forward.

Top first-year transfer: Austin Simmons

Quarterback Austin Simmons never earned his starting job back at Ole Miss last season after Chambliss stepped in while he missed time with an injury, but he has found a new home in Missouri. The senior quarterback has led Mizzou to a 5-1 start and the No. 13 rank in the AP Top 25 while throwing for 1,434 yards, 14 touchdowns and only one interception.

Most surprising player: Kamario Taylor

It didn’t take Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor long to turn heads. Taylor, in his first year starting, leads the SEC in touchdown passes (17) and has a third-best 1,450 passing yards. He’s helped the Bulldogs to a 4-1 start, with the lone loss coming against a front-runner Alabama team. Taylor played through a foot injury in that game, further emphasizing his importance to the Bulldogs’ success. His early production has made him one of the conference’s most exciting breakout players to watch this season.

Most disappointing team: Texas A&M

Texas A&M entered the season with high aspirations after an 11-0 start last year and clinching the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoff. Despite returning nine starters and 65% of its total production, the Aggies have looked like a shell of that team. Ranked No. 8 in the preseason poll, Texas A&M opened with a 2-0 record before being humbled with a 31-21 loss to an unranked Kentucky team and a 35-6 defeat at LSU. After bouncing back with a win against Arkansas, the Aggies’ season took another hit with a 27-6 loss to Missouri — very likely putting playoff hopes well out of reach. With a 3-3 overall and 1-3 conference record, A&M is off to its worst start since joining the SEC in 2012.

Hottest seat: Mike Elko

The Aggies’ shaky start has placed Mike Elko on the hot seat. A 3-3 record and three conference losses have left little margin for error moving forward for a Texas A&M team that entered the year with high expectations and an experienced roster. The second half of the season will be critical for Elko as he tries to get his program back on track and secure a desirable bowl.

Biggest injury: Terry Bussey

The Aggies’ offense and special teams unit took a hit when junior receiver and return specialist Terry Bussey went down with a season-ending leg injury against Kentucky. Bussey entered the season with a career 1,251 all-purpose yards and was a preseason third-team All-SEC selection as a kickoff specialist after averaging 23.4 yards per return in 2025.

___

AP Sports Writers Brett Martel, Charles Odum, Eric Olson, James Vertuno, Kristie Rieken and Mark Long contributed to this report.

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here