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Jackson's SEC quarterback rankings for all 16 SEC signal-callers. 2025 SEC quarterback outlooks and previews for Arch Manning, DJ Lagway, LaNorris Sellers, and more.
Is it too early for college football rankings? Absolutely not. After all, there's no offseason for college football fans, and what's more fun than debating player rankings, especially at quarterback? With spring practices wrapping up soon, let's take an early look at the QBs around the SEC.
All 16 SEC schools have quarterbacks with interesting upside in 2025, and 10 conference programs will have new primary starters. That said, the end-of-season rankings could look far different from the spring edition. In this set of rankings, we'll factor in the previous body of work for each signal-caller but also project for the next season.
Will Arch Manning deliver on his otherworldly hype? Can Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers compete for the Heisman Trophy? Will youngsters like DJ Lagway and Marcel Reed take the next step in their development? How will transfer quarterbacks Zach Calzada, Beau Pribula, John Mateer, and Jackson Arnold fit in with their new programs? There is no shortage of storylines for quarterbacks heading into the 2025 SEC campaign, especially after the departure of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
16. Jake Merklinger, Tennessee
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 6/9 (66.7 percent), 48 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT
- Rushing: 22 yards
Nico Iamaleava is out in Knoxville after reportedly seeking a bigger payday. He is expected to hit the transfer portal when it opens on April 16. For now, rising redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger can be penciled into the QB1 chair. That said, the program will likely bring in a transfer quarterback and has true freshman four-star George MacIntyre on the roster.
A lot of talk about Tennessee finding a portal QB, don’t sleep on Jake Merklinger. @On3sports had him rated as a top 60 national prospect & top 10 QB in his class before he didn’t attend any camps heading into his SR season.
Merklinger went 42-10 in his prep career in Georgia… pic.twitter.com/TQ2L3chWzd
— Jordan Moore (@jordanmoore_21) April 11, 2025
Things just got really interesting for Josh Heupel, who seemingly handpicked Iamaleava. Merklinger slots into the No. 16 spot given the uncertainty. The Georiga native was somewhat of a high-profile recruit, but he was not expected to push for the starting gig this season.
15. Zach Calzada, Kentucky
2024 Season Stats (Incarnate Word):
- Passing: 343/524 (65.5 percent), 3,744 yards, 35 TDs, 9 INTs
- Rushing: 332 yards, 5 TDs
Welcome back to the SEC, Zach Calzada! The 24-year-old began his collegiate career at Texas A&M in 2019, throwing for 2,318 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in three years across 15 games. He then transferred to Auburn but did not play, leading him to a two-year stint with Incarnate Word of the FCS. He was highly productive with the Cardinals, tossing for over 6,342 yards and 54 touchdowns.
Now, he's the favorite to land the starting job in Lexington. Have we seen older quarterbacks have a quality season in the SEC? Yes. But it's tough to take too much stock in what he did at the FCS level, so he's in the No. 15 slot.
14. Beau Pribula, Missouri
2024 Season Stats (Penn State):
- Passing: 26/35 (74.3 percent), 275 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
- Rushing: 242 yards, 4 TDs
Replacing Missouri standout quarterback Brady Cook is Penn State transfer Beau Pribula. Unfortunately, he won't have Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. to throw to. However, he flashed his talent as a runner in his limited reps with the Nittany Lions. Paired with running back Ahmad Hardy, who rushed for 1,351 yards as a true freshman at UL-Monroe, the Tigers have a shot to be a top rushing offense in the SEC.
His raw passing numbers look solid, but the sample size is small, so consider Pribula one of the league's biggest wild cards heading into next season. It's worth noting that Sam Horn is also in the competition for QB1.
Beau Pribula has committed to Missouri
It was rumored that he was offered somewhere around $1.5 million when he entered the portal last week pic.twitter.com/aMxkMEVY7o
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 23, 2024
13. Jackson Arnold, Auburn
2024 Season Stats (Oklahoma):
- Passing: 154/246 (62.6 percent), 1,421 yards, 12 TDs, 3 INTs
- Rushing: 444 yards, 3 TDs
Hugh Freeze is excited about Jackson Arnold, and he better get results out of him if he wants to keep his job as the head coach at Auburn. However, it's fair to be skeptical of the former Sooners quarterback. Oklahoma did not put Arnold in a position to succeed, but he looked lost at times against high-level competition. But hey, he does know how to beat Alabama and run wild against the Crimson Tide defense.
Will we see true freshman quarterback Deuce Knight take over the QB1 job later in the year, or will Arnold prove the doubters wrong with a fresh start? It'll be fun to find out. Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr. should be the best wide receiver he has played with to this point.
12. Ty Simpson, Alabama
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 14/25 (56.0 percent), 167 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT
- Rushing: 44 yards, 1 TD
Alabama is unlikely to name a starting quarterback anytime soon, but for now, we'll pencil Ty Simpson in at QB1 for Kalen DeBoer. The other contenders are Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer from Washington, and true freshman Keelon Russell. Of all the quarterback rooms around the conference, this is the most difficult to analyze.
That said, Simpson was a talented recruit coming out of Martin, Tenn., and has the tools to be successful surrounded by top-notch pass-catchers. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb should also bring a spark to the offense, but it's tough to put Simpson any higher than the 12th spot based on what we know.
11. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 74/108 (68.5 percent), 974 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT
- Rushing: 36 yards, 2 TDs
Shapen, a former starter at Baylor, made it through just 3.5 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in his first year with the Bulldogs. With Michael Van Buren Jr. now in Baton Rouge, Shapen is in line to start for Jeff Lebby again in 2025. He was productive in his limited opportunity, but it will be interesting to see him make it through an entire SEC schedule.
Due to the nature of Lebby's offense, he could contend to lead the conference in total passing yards, but five of his top six wideouts will likely be first-year transfers. It could take time for the offense to jell.
10. Austin Simmons, Ole Miss
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 19/32 (59.4 percent), 282 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
- Rushing: 14 yards, 0 TDs
Austin Simmons is ultra-talented and could end up being the best quarterback Ole Miss has had since Lane Kiffin came to town. That said, it's a bit too early to get too high on the rising redshirt freshman with 32 career passing attempts. Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart thrived under Kiffin, but we can't get too far ahead of our skis yet.
The passing of the torch..
The Austin Simmons era as QB1 officially begins today 🔥pic.twitter.com/bfCWCTRho9
— Everything Ole Miss (@EverythingRebs) March 18, 2025
All that said, the upside is significant here for the lefty, and no one should be surprised if he emerges as a breakout star in 2025.
9. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 45/64 (70.3 percent), 440 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing: -13 yards, 0 TDs
Not much is known about Gunner Stockton, who is replacing Carson Beck as the leader of the Dawgs. The Georgia native had a gutsy performance in the SEC Championship Game against Texas, leading Kirby Smart's squad to a comeback victory. He wasn't the reason Georgia lost to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, but it's difficult to find too many takeaways from that contest.
It was odd to see Georgia lack pass-catching talent and struggle to run the football in 2024, but if it improves in those areas due to the rise of running back Nate Frazier and wide receiver additions Noah Thomas (Texas A&M) and Zachariah Branch (USC), Stockton should have a productive Year 1 as a starter.
8. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 147/240 (61.3 percent), 1,864 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs
- Rushing: 547 yards, 7 TDs
One of the league's best dual-threat quarterbacks, Marcel Reed, enters the 2025 campaign as the clear starter after beginning last season backing up Conner Weigman. Head coach Mike Elko believes in Reed, and there's reason for optimism in his sophomore season. Reed rushed for at least 60 yards in five of the 10 games he played significant snaps in and delivered six multiple-touchdown passing days.
MARCEL REED DOES IT HIMSELF 🔥
TEXAS A&M TAKES A 31-28 LEAD WITH 1:49 LEFT IN THE GAME‼️ pic.twitter.com/xBlLKyv3Ss
— ESPN (@espn) December 28, 2024
NC State and Mississippi State transfer wideouts KC Concepcion and Mario Craver have a lot of upside in College Station, and running back Le'Veon Moss could be due for a breakout in 2025. Reed should be better equipped to thrive.
7. Taylen Green, Arkansas
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 230/381 (60.4 percent), 3,154 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTs
- Rushing: 602 yards, 8 touchdowns
It was difficult to rank Taylen Green. The former Boise State transfer has the talent to be among the elite SEC quarterbacks. His physical tools are tough to question, but his lack of consistency was his shortcoming last season. That said, a second year under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's system could result in Green being the breakout star of the SEC in 2025.
Green has NFL talent, size, and speed, and if only one of these rankings ages like milk, it could be this one.
6. John Mateer, Oklahoma
2024 Season Stats (Washington State):
- Passing: 224/347 (64.6 percent), 3,139 yards, 29 TDs, 7 INTs
- Rushing: 826 yards, 15 TDs
If you want to be more aggressive with the ranking of John Mateer, that's completely understandable. The former Washington State QB boomed onto the scene in 2024 after taking over for Cam Ward, posting over 4,000 yards of offense and 44 touchdowns. It wouldn't surprise me if he ended up being a top-3 quarterback in the conference this season, but there's also a chance he faceplants against SEC competition.
Washington State ranked 105th in strength of schedule a season ago, while Oklahoma is set to face the 13th-toughest schedule in 2025. Matchups against Michigan, Auburn, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, and LSU will give him plenty of chances to prove himself against potential top defenses.
5. DJ Lagway, Florida
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 115/192 (59.9 percent), 1,915 yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs
- Rushing: 101 yards, 0 TDs
DJ Lagway's raw stats from his true freshman season aren't going to make headlines, but he envigorated the Gators' program and posted a 6-1 record as a starter, effectively saving Billy Napier's job by winning four straight to close the 2024 campaign. His wins over No. 22 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss officially put him on the map, but he showed flashes of future excellence all season long.
Paired with fellow rising sophomore running back Jadan Baugh in front of a veteran offensive line, Florida should have one of the most improved offenses next season. If not, it's bad news for Napier.
4. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 177/298 (59.4 percent), 2,293 yards, 20 TDs, 4 INTs
- Rushing: 800 yards, 8 TDs
Diego Pavia is not going to throw for 4,000 or 5,000 yards, but his craftiness with the football and improvising ability make him one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. Pavia is not the biggest, strongest, fastest, or most talented quarterback, but he makes things happen in Vandy's unique offense.
Standout tight end Eli Stowers is back for Vanderbilt, and look for Pavia's former New Mexico State teammate, Trent Hudson, to emerge as a potential go-to target in the passing attack.
3. Arch Manning, Texas
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 61/90 (67.8 percent), 939 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs
- Rushing: 108 yards, four TDs
Many rankings around the industry already have Arch Manning in the No. 1 slot, while others rank him below all of the "established" quarterbacks.
The No. 3 spot feels like a fair ranking for the nephew of Peyton and Eli based on what we've seen thus far. Would the Longhorns' ceiling be higher under Manning rather than Quinn Ewers in 2025? Many believe so, and it's finally time to find out.
CAN'T TOUCH HIM 😮💨@ArchManning pic.twitter.com/65nR57qIR5
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 15, 2024
Texas has sent a ton of talented pass-catchers to the NFL over the last few seasons, including Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Matthew Golden, and Isaiah Bond. However, Steve Sarkisian's program has recruited at an elite level, and Ryan Wingo is ready to step into the WR1 role. The talent around Manning will not be an issue. A test at Ohio State awaits Manning immediately to begin his starting career.
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 196/299 (65.6 percent), 2,534 yards, 18 TDs, 7 INTs
- Rushing: 674 yards, 7 TDs
The highs were high for South Carolina with Spencer Rattler at the helm, but LaNorris Sellers brought a new dynamic to the Gamecocks offense in 2024. If he can stay healthy, Sellers could be the nation's top dual-threat QB.
His heroic performances against Missouri (353 passing yards, five touchdowns) and Clemson (166 rushing yards, two touchdowns) in November cemented him as a must-watch performer in 2025. Had he not gotten knocked out of the game against LSU, there's a good chance the Gamecocks would have come out on top in that one, which would ultimately have put the program in the College Football Playoff.
South Carolina has a lot of roster turnover heading into the next campaign, but a step forward for Sellers could negate those losses. Look for Nyck Harbor to have a breakout season for the talented signal-caller.
1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
2024 Season Stats:
- Passing: 337/525 (64.2 percent), 4,052 yards, 29 TDs, 12 INTs
- Rushing: -38 yards, 3 TDs
While Garrett Nussmeier needs to clean up the interceptions, he could be the best pocket passer in all of college football in 2025. After his first full season as a starter, he'll enter next year's campaign ready to roll, and the additions of transfer wideouts Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) give him plenty of firepower to work with. Hopefully, LSU's rushing attack improves and helps the passing game.
Garrett Nussmeier put this throw in the perfect spot before getting hit 😤 pic.twitter.com/QzkgThoWOZ
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 16, 2024
A Week 1 road test at Clemson is about as tough as it gets, but the veteran could start his Heisman campaign hot with an impressive showing in the other Death Valley.
