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LEAD STORY: Veteran Defensive Tackle Xzavier McLeod No Longer With Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs' defensive line took an unexpected hit Monday, as senior defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod is no longer with the team, according to multiple reports. McLeod has been removed from the roster on Georgiadogs.com, and according to a report from Jordan Hill of Dawgs247, McLeod posted on social media last week that he was "done with football" and "retired."
The Camden, South Carolina native was one of Georgia's most experienced interior defenders. He appeared in all 14 games last season with six starts, recording 17 tackles, 6 quarterback pressures and 2 pass break-ups. McLeod spent the past two seasons in Athens after beginning his career at South Carolina as a freshman in 2023, appearing in 29 games across his college career.
His departure reshuffles the interior rotation for the Georgia Bulldogs. Sophomore Elijah Griffin, juniors Nasir Johnson and Nnamde Ogboko, and freshman Valdin Sone headline a promising but younger group, while seniors Jordan Hall and Josh Horton are in line for significant snaps — especially Hall, if he can stay healthy. With McLeod gone, Georgia will need some of those younger Bulldogs to grow up quickly up front.
QUICK HITS
LSU-SEC standoff intensifies ahead of Thursday hearing. Per CBS Sports, the brewing battle between LSU and the Southeastern Conference continues to escalate ahead of Thursday's much-anticipated court hearing. The latest escalation could include possible forfeiture of games, a legal challenge in federal court, and even expulsion. This is the biggest off-field storyline in the conference right now — Thursday looms large.
LSU mourns a legend. Jerry Stovall, an LSU great and College Football Hall of Famer, has passed away at age 85, the school announced.
Missouri climbs in early hoops rankings. Per CBS Sports, Missouri moved back into the early Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings after Mark Mitchell reversed course on Monday, spurning Kentucky to head back to Missouri.
Ole Miss sweeps Monday's SEC weekly honors. Ole Miss volleyball junior Cameron Bradley was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, and junior goalkeeper Madi Munguia earned SEC Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors after backstopping a pair of shutout victories this past week.
Ole Miss women's golf lands two preseason top-25 nods. The Rebels will open the 2026-27 season ranked inside the top 25 by both Golf Channel and Golfweek, the outlets announced Monday.
Women's hoops books marquee November dates. Texas will face Duke and UCLA at the Players Era Showcase at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, while Florida drew West Virginia and Davidson at the 2026 Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving week.
PORTAL WATCH
A quiet 12 hours in the transfer portal — no new entries or commitments to report across SEC programs. With the season upon us, roster movement has slowed to a crawl, though Xzavier McLeod's retirement from football (see lead story) is the kind of late-August roster subtraction that can ripple through a depth chart.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments came in over the last 12 hours. The recruiting trail typically heats up once official game-day visits begin, so expect movement as SEC campuses fill up for opening weekends.
GAMES TO WATCH
No SEC games are on the schedule today, but the week ahead delivers:
- Tuesday: No. 22 Tennessee volleyball hosts Illinois in the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge in Knoxville. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
- Saturday: Mississippi State opens against ULM, with Anthony Evans III, Isaac Smith, Kamario Taylor and Kelley Jones among the Bulldogs previewing the matchup at Monday's press conference. In Nashville, Vanderbilt's season opener features American Authors headlining the first show of the Vandyville concert series.
- Sunday evening: Ole Miss meets Louisville in a marquee season-opening matchup for the Rebels.
