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The SEC has some of the biggest names at the most important position in football for 2026. Seven quarterbacks return as starters for their teams, and that doesn't include Austin Simmons, who was the week one starter at Ole Miss last season and will now be the starter at Missouri. John Mateer, Arch Manning, Trinidad Chambliss, Gunner Stockton, Marcell Reed, LaNorris Sellers, and Kamario Taylor return.
Gone are big names like Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Beau Pribula, Taylen Green, D.J. Lagway (Baylor), and Jackson Arnold (UNLV). Programs like Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, LSU, and Arkansas are hoping to strike gold with transfer quarterbacks, while Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee hope to see the quarterbacks they recruited out of high school step into starting roles and seize their opportunities in 2026.
Some of the quarterback battles will carry over to the fall. However, with spring ball wrapping up, how do the projected starters in the SEC stack up four months away from the 2026 regular season?
More: Where did John Mateer rank in USA TODAY Sports SEC QB rankings?
The SEC's leader in passing yards was perhaps the most electric player in the conference a year ago. His ability to escape danger and make plays with his feet had some Kyler Murray to it. Trinidad Chambliss nearly led Ole Miss to a national championship game appearance amid the Lane Kiffin saga. That's pretty impressive.
There were questions this time a year ago about Gunner Stockton's ability to lead the Georgia Bulldogs and he more than answered them. He was a "dawg" for the Bulldogs last season, throwing for 24 touchdowns and running for another 10. In year two as the starter, look for his stock to rise even further in 2026.
Arch Manning hasn't lived up to the expectations just yet but the former five-star has done a lot of positive things on the field. Helping keep Texas in the playoff hunt by overcoming a huge deficit to Mississippi State and orchestrating a late comeback vs. Kentucky showed some of the intestinal fortitude needed to play quarterback at a high level. With Cam Coleman to throw to in 2026, Manning should take another step forward this season.
Marcell Reed's decision-making can be a problem at times, but last season, he helped Texas A&M reach the College Football Playoff. Their only losses last year were to Texas in the regular season finale and to Miami in the CFP. He's got the tools to be an elite quarterback, but he has to be more consistent, especially in big games.
John Mateer was really good in games against Michigan, Auburn, LSU (3 interceptions notwithstanding), and Alabama. Turnovers are going to happen. If he can cut back on the interceptions a touch and stay healthy, Mateer will have a huge year for the Sooners and could finish as the top quarterback in the league.
There are few college quarterbacks as physically gifted as LaNorris Sellers. We're going to give him a mulligan year in 2025 for dealing with a banged-up offensive line and a bad offensive coordinator situation. Look back to his first year as a starter in 2024 for what to expect from Sellers.
Sam Leavitt was the big quarterback fish in the transfer portal this offseason. He was courted by Miami and others before settling on LSU. He's a good player but will be able to raise his game enough to help make LSU a contender this year? It's hard to forget the 10-for-22 for 82-yard day that included two interceptions he had in a loss to Mississippi State early last season.
Was good enough to earn the starting job at Ole Miss over Trinidad Chambliss, but couldn't get it back after getting hurt because Chambliss was balling. Simmons has elite tools like size and arm strength, and won't have the pressure of doing it all in Missouri's ground-heavy attack led by Ahmad Hardy.
Byrum Brown is a good quarterback, but like Leavitt, how's it going to look against SEC competition? We've seen it take a couple of years for quarterbacks to get comfortable with the speed and pace of SEC defenses.
Some may look at this and think it's a bit high, but let's consider the circumstances. Kamario Taylor wasn't the starter when Mississippi State opened the 2025 season. But he did a solid job at the end of the season when he got starts against Ole Miss and Wake Forest. Taylor threw five touchdowns, ran for eight, and threw only one interception. He'll need to up his completion percentage, which was just 55.8% last year, but under Jeff Lebby, look for a big jump from Taylor.
Keelon Russell had a strong performance at the spring game, solidifying himself as the frontrunner to be Alabama's starting quarterback in 2026. You can expect Kalen DeBoer to have Russell set up for a good season.
Kenny Minchey is heading into his fourth season at the collegiate level. Though he's only played 10 games and thrown just 29 passes, he's completed 79.3 percent of his passes for 212 yards. He's also run for an average of 10.6 yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns.
There are high expectations for any quarterback under Josh Heupel. George MacIntyre was a former four-star prospect and the No. 9 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. Though he'll battle with 2026 signee Brandon Faizon, look for MacIntyre to get the first shot to start. MacIntyre's got great size at 6-foot-6 and is a plus athlete.
A lot of folks are projecting Aaron Philo to be the starter at Florida after coming over from Georgia Tech with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, but don't sleep on Tramell Jones, who lit it up in the Gators spring game.
Jared Curtis was a huge recruiting win for Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt Commodores. The five-star quarterback was originally committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, but after Vanderbilt's success the last two seasons, Lea was able to make the big move to land Curtis. The expectation is that the Commodores will roll with the true freshman as the day one starter.
A.J. Hill's limited experience at Memphis won't necessarily serve him well with the limited talent at Arkansas. Hill played in two games as a freshman last season and completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 223 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. That includes a 6 of 7 performance for 48 yards against NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Ranking projected starters at quarterback in the SEC for 2026
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Gone are big names like Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Beau Pribula, Taylen Green, D.J. Lagway (Baylor), and Jackson Arnold (UNLV). Programs like Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, LSU, and Arkansas are hoping to strike gold with transfer quarterbacks, while Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee hope to see the quarterbacks they recruited out of high school step into starting roles and seize their opportunities in 2026.
Some of the quarterback battles will carry over to the fall. However, with spring ball wrapping up, how do the projected starters in the SEC stack up four months away from the 2026 regular season?
More: Where did John Mateer rank in USA TODAY Sports SEC QB rankings?
1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
The SEC's leader in passing yards was perhaps the most electric player in the conference a year ago. His ability to escape danger and make plays with his feet had some Kyler Murray to it. Trinidad Chambliss nearly led Ole Miss to a national championship game appearance amid the Lane Kiffin saga. That's pretty impressive.
2. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
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There were questions this time a year ago about Gunner Stockton's ability to lead the Georgia Bulldogs and he more than answered them. He was a "dawg" for the Bulldogs last season, throwing for 24 touchdowns and running for another 10. In year two as the starter, look for his stock to rise even further in 2026.
3. Arch Manning, Texas
Arch Manning hasn't lived up to the expectations just yet but the former five-star has done a lot of positive things on the field. Helping keep Texas in the playoff hunt by overcoming a huge deficit to Mississippi State and orchestrating a late comeback vs. Kentucky showed some of the intestinal fortitude needed to play quarterback at a high level. With Cam Coleman to throw to in 2026, Manning should take another step forward this season.
4. Marcell Reed, Texas A&M
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Marcell Reed's decision-making can be a problem at times, but last season, he helped Texas A&M reach the College Football Playoff. Their only losses last year were to Texas in the regular season finale and to Miami in the CFP. He's got the tools to be an elite quarterback, but he has to be more consistent, especially in big games.
5. John Mateer, Oklahoma
John Mateer was really good in games against Michigan, Auburn, LSU (3 interceptions notwithstanding), and Alabama. Turnovers are going to happen. If he can cut back on the interceptions a touch and stay healthy, Mateer will have a huge year for the Sooners and could finish as the top quarterback in the league.
6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
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There are few college quarterbacks as physically gifted as LaNorris Sellers. We're going to give him a mulligan year in 2025 for dealing with a banged-up offensive line and a bad offensive coordinator situation. Look back to his first year as a starter in 2024 for what to expect from Sellers.
7. Sam Leavitt, LSU
Sam Leavitt was the big quarterback fish in the transfer portal this offseason. He was courted by Miami and others before settling on LSU. He's a good player but will be able to raise his game enough to help make LSU a contender this year? It's hard to forget the 10-for-22 for 82-yard day that included two interceptions he had in a loss to Mississippi State early last season.
8. Austin Simmons, Missouri
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Was good enough to earn the starting job at Ole Miss over Trinidad Chambliss, but couldn't get it back after getting hurt because Chambliss was balling. Simmons has elite tools like size and arm strength, and won't have the pressure of doing it all in Missouri's ground-heavy attack led by Ahmad Hardy.
9. Byrum Brown, Auburn
Byrum Brown is a good quarterback, but like Leavitt, how's it going to look against SEC competition? We've seen it take a couple of years for quarterbacks to get comfortable with the speed and pace of SEC defenses.
10. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
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Some may look at this and think it's a bit high, but let's consider the circumstances. Kamario Taylor wasn't the starter when Mississippi State opened the 2025 season. But he did a solid job at the end of the season when he got starts against Ole Miss and Wake Forest. Taylor threw five touchdowns, ran for eight, and threw only one interception. He'll need to up his completion percentage, which was just 55.8% last year, but under Jeff Lebby, look for a big jump from Taylor.
11. Keelon Russell, Alabama
Keelon Russell had a strong performance at the spring game, solidifying himself as the frontrunner to be Alabama's starting quarterback in 2026. You can expect Kalen DeBoer to have Russell set up for a good season.
12. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
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Kenny Minchey is heading into his fourth season at the collegiate level. Though he's only played 10 games and thrown just 29 passes, he's completed 79.3 percent of his passes for 212 yards. He's also run for an average of 10.6 yards per carry and a pair of touchdowns.
13. George MacIntyre, Tennessee
There are high expectations for any quarterback under Josh Heupel. George MacIntyre was a former four-star prospect and the No. 9 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. Though he'll battle with 2026 signee Brandon Faizon, look for MacIntyre to get the first shot to start. MacIntyre's got great size at 6-foot-6 and is a plus athlete.
14. Aaron Philo, Florida
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A lot of folks are projecting Aaron Philo to be the starter at Florida after coming over from Georgia Tech with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, but don't sleep on Tramell Jones, who lit it up in the Gators spring game.
15. Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
Jared Curtis was a huge recruiting win for Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt Commodores. The five-star quarterback was originally committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, but after Vanderbilt's success the last two seasons, Lea was able to make the big move to land Curtis. The expectation is that the Commodores will roll with the true freshman as the day one starter.
16. A.J. Hill, Arkansas
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A.J. Hill's limited experience at Memphis won't necessarily serve him well with the limited talent at Arkansas. Hill played in two games as a freshman last season and completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 223 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. That includes a 6 of 7 performance for 48 yards against NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Ranking projected starters at quarterback in the SEC for 2026
Continue reading...
