You could argue that even before realignment, the SEC was already the best conference in college football, and that this offseason has gotten even better.

The conference already had No. 1 Georgia and No. 5 Alabama, but earlier this month No. 3 Texas and No. 16 Oklahoma were officially added to the conference.

Nine SEC teams are nationally ranked, four of which are in the top six. With the addition of the two former Big 12 schools, conference veteran Jalen Milroe is excited about the new league.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

An SEC logo billboard prior to the NCAA Women’s Final Four. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)

“It’s awesome. It’s added competition to the competition,” the Alabama quarterback told Fox News Digital. “To have that, to have more importance to the conference, that’s gonna be dope. Just to have that experience, that’s gonna be awesome, man.”

Added Garrett Nussmeier, gunslinger for No. 13 LSU: “I think when you add those schools, it just adds to the competitiveness and aura in our conference, which was already the best conference in all of college football. When you add those two, it makes it even stronger and more competitive.”

Quinn Ewers is an SEC rookie. He recently praised the 12-team playoff, noting that it was tough to see last year’s SEC champion get shut out. Georgia, which was 42-1 through 43 games, lost the conference title game to Alabama, sending the Crimson Tide in and eliminating the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns throws the ball downfield against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half of the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARS UNITED IN THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING 12-TEAM COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

If all goes according to plan, multiple SEC teams will be in the playoffs and Ewers is excited about his new opponent.

“I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to play in the SEC. Just that feeling from the outside — they have a saying, ‘It means more,'” the Texas quarterback said. “They really care about their football. So to be a part of a conference like that, it’s going to be a lot of fun.

“They have some of the best competition. So to be a part of a conference like that, where it’s top competition week in and week out, is awesome. If you want to be the best, you have to play against some of the best, so I’m looking forward to this year.”

The SEC logo on the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Sept. 1, 2022. (Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun/USA Today Network)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ole Miss (No. 6), Mizzou (No. 11), Tennessee (No. 15) and Texas A&M (No. 20) are the other ranked teams in the conference.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports reporting on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.