No. 1: AUBURN TIGERS

Last season, Auburn and LSU fought through the SEC Western Division and ended up sharing a title. The effort for each program to distance itself has already begun, and so far, the Auburn Tigers have the edge.

The Division’s top recruiting class is highlighted by defender Christine Schweer (pictured on front), a top tier player from Birmingham United. Schweer is ranked No. 45 on TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Top 100 list, putting her in the company of other defensive talents like Cloee Colohan, Lindsi Lisonbee, Rachel Quon and Kylie Bono.

Schweer is a strong and versatile player who could make an impact right away and possibly help Auburn improve on its second-round loss in the NCAA’s a year ago.

Midfielder Jessica Rightmer, of Lonestars SC, will be joined by midfielders Maddie Barnes (Tophat SC, Atlanta), Ana Cate (RSL Florida) and forward Mary Coffed (Tophet).

Two goalkeepers and an additional defender make this a deep and imposing group that sends a message to the rest of the SEC Western – especially LSU.

2. OLE MISS

Maybe the Rebels were under the impression that a signing class had to consist of an entirely new lineup, because that’s precisely what Mississippi did in bringing in a collection of 11.

Arielle Cohen, of Wellington Wave (Florida), is one of the group’s four midfielders. She’s a quick and clever attacking player with good 1v1 skills and will arrive alongside Alex Hildal (Ohio Elite SA), Kim Hobgood (Team Boca) and Alyssa Smith.

Ole Miss was among the worst in the conference in goal production, an area that kept it third behind Auburn and LSU.

On the defensive side, Ally Hein and Lacy Key (Edmond Soccer Club) will bring depth to the backline and goalkeeper Jade Davis, of the IMG Soccer Academy, brings steady hands and leadership.

3. LSU

LSU's Fightin’ Tigers were one of the more explosive teams in all of the SEC a year ago, and despite losing top goal scorer Roslyn Jones to graduation, it should see more of the same.

Local Mandeville Soccer Club midfielder Kelly Gautreaux, Tricia Johnson and Catherine Luparello will join the offense, along with Dallas Sting forward Amy Jah.

Probably more importantly for the Fightin’ Tigers are the incoming defenders. In goalkeeper Hannay Linzay, the program got a big pickup. She’s a local talent with a strong track record who will try to get the team’s defensive unit to match the production of the offense.

4. ALABAMA

Ten players from all over the map make up Alabama’s incoming class. Three California defenders including Megan Petersen (San Diego Surf), Ashley Willis (Irvine Strikers) and Katie Woolbright (So Cal Blues) make for a strong defensive unit.

Avalanche midfielder Kylee Brown and Vardar-Michigan Soccer Club midfielder Kelsey Breaugh are two of the headliners on the offensive side.

The Crimson Tide finished in the middle of the pack last season and are looking to make a move upward.

OTHERS
Alexandria Chandler will be a player to watch for the Arizona Razorbacks. She’s an accurate passing midfielder who is a natural playmaker and could make life easier for incoming coach Erin Aubry.

On one hand, Mississippi State failed to win a conference game a year ago, while on the other there’s nowhere to go but up.

The Bulldogs have a class of five that includes touted Canadian forward Rachel Wannek.