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Jackson's early SEC quarterback rankings for 2026. His top 16 quarterbacks ranked from worst to first, including Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Sam Leavitt, and George MacIntyre.
Yes, it's early in the offseason, but is there ever a time to stop talking about college football? Personally, I don't think so. Way-too-early rankings give us a quick preview of next year's landscape, and in this article, we're taking a look at the crop of SEC QBs. Among 16 primary quarterback starters from last year, just six return in 2026. Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M will have continuity at the QB spot, while the other 10 schools will break in new starters.
This makes ranking all 16 quarterbacks a challenge, but let's give it a go anyway! This rankings list highly values proven production but also projects ahead to next year.
Below, find out where key SEC signal-callers like Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Sam Leavitt, George MacIntyre, and Jared Curtis stand, among all others.
16. Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
2025 stats: N/A
Jared Curtis flipping his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt was one of the biggest pieces of high school recruiting news this cycle, and the five-star should be favored to win the QB1 spot in Nashville right away. Clark Lea landing Curtis signals Vandy might be here to stay long-term, but it's tough for any true freshman quarterback to thrive, especially in the SEC.
Vanderbilt commit Jared Curtis has been named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/cTMwr8AXWT
— Alaina Morris (@alainammorris) December 5, 2025
Curtis threw for nearly 10,000 yards and scored 178 total touchdowns in high school, but as the only player on this list with zero collegiate experience, he takes the No. 16 slot to kick things off. He'll have big shoes to fill after a legendary run by Diego Pavia for the Commodores.
15. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
2025 stats (Notre Dame): 76.9% completion, 196 passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 84 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Originally a four-star recruit out of Hendersonville, Tenn., Kenny Minchey sat behind Sam Hartman, Riley Leonard, and CJ Carr during his Notre Dame career. He reportedly had a nice showing in the QB competition against Carr and Steve Angeli last offseason, but he was ultimately relegated to the QB2 role when Angeli left for Syracuse.
Minchey originally committed to Nebraska out of the transfer portal, but Kentucky and its new head coach, Will Stein, evidently zeroed in on him and wrestled him away from the Huskers. There's not much to know about Minchey, given his limited playing time, but he was a high-level recruit, so we can assume there is talent here.
14. KJ Jackson, Arkansas
2025 stats: 61.1% completion, 441 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 52 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
KJ Jackson isn't locked in as Arkansas' starting quarterback in the program's first year under Ryan Silverfield, as he'll compete with Memphis transfer AJ Hill for that job this spring and fall. However, this early in the offseason, we're projecting Jackson to win the job.
Had some time this week due to multiple snow days in a row, so here are KJ Jackson's highlights from last season: pic.twitter.com/gNodGQbkCk
— WarMachine2013 (@WarMachine2013) January 28, 2026
Jackson saw limited playing time behind Taylen Green in 2024 and 2025, but he looked solid and demonstrated upside in brief showings against Texas and Missouri last November. The 6'4", 220-pound rising sophomore has the size and talent to play in this league, and Silverfield has already praised him for his leadership skills.
13. Aaron Philo, Florida
2025 stats (Georgia Tech): 75% completion, 373 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception, 19 rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
Aaron Philo sat behind the productive Haynes King at Georgia Tech in his freshman and sophomore seasons, but new Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner evidently liked him enough to bring him to Gainesville with him from Atlanta. Philo heads into 2026 as a redshirt sophomore after only appearing in three games last season, and he should be in line to start for the Gators.
Disappointing quarterback play has been common for the program in recent years, and Philo, along with Faulkner, will look to turn that around in Year 1. Philo was one of the most prolific passers in Georgia high school history, and if you know anything about the talent that comes out of that state, that's quite the feat.
12. George MacIntyre, Tennessee
2025 stats: 77.8% completion, 89 passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, zero rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
It remains to be seen if Joey Aguilar will be back in Knoxville next season, but it's looking doubtful. If he's not, George MacIntyre figures to battle incoming true freshman Faizon Brandon for the QB1 job in Josh Heupel's offense. MacIntyre will benefit from having a year of practice in the system under his belt, so we'll give him a slight edge before we see either take the field and compete.
Who Should Tennessee Start at Quarterback in 2026?🍊
George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon? #ForTheFans pic.twitter.com/qbeP2cdheZ
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) February 23, 2026
We can assume whoever starts for Heupel will be productive, and he'll have a nice cast of weapons to throw to, including reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year Braylon Staley. He's another high-profile recruit out of the Volunteer State on this list.
11. Keelon Russell, Alabama
2025 stats: 73.3% completion, 143 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 17 rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
Austin Mack was ahead of Keelon Russell on the depth chart last season, but we're going out on a limb here and predicting Russell to win the job. Russell could be the first quarterback Kalen DeBoer has recruited to Alabama out of high school, and the former No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class has freakish talent.
In Russell's final two high school seasons in Texas, he threw for 7,444 yards and 90 touchdowns. NINETY TOUCHDOWNS. He fits what DeBoer and Ryan Grubb want to do on offense. All that said, Mack will likely give him a run for his money in the QB battle this preseason.
10. Austin Simmons, Missouri
2025 stats (Ole Miss): 60% completion, 744 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 71 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Austin Simmons was once viewed as the next highly productive quarterback in waiting at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, but the talented lefty disappointed in his brief stint as the starter in Oxford before Trinidad Chambliss took over. His first two collegiate starts weren't pretty, but he's a young player who had the misfortune of having a breakout star ready to take his job in 2025.
Now at Missouri, he'll work with Eli Drinkwitz in an offensive system that has proved to be successful in the SEC. The Tigers were missing a vertical passing game last season with Beau Pribula. Simmons has all the arm talent in the world, and his ceiling remains high. Don't write him off just yet.
9. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
2025 stats: 55.8% completion, 629 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, one interception, 458 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns
This is one of the most aggressive rankings on this list, but it's hard not to be excited about Kamario Taylor's potential in Jeff Lebby's offense. His rushing skills have already been on display, and Lebby should be trusted to help him come along as a pure passer.
The 6'4", 230-pound rising sophomore is Lebby's first high school recruit to start at QB in Starkville, and he looks the part of a dynamic signal-caller in this league.
Kamario Taylor is ELECTRIC ⚡ pic.twitter.com/YNr4XLRGZ8
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 28, 2025
It's a big leap, but does anyone get shades of Dak Prescott here? Prescott was a bulldozer on the ground from Day 1, but it took time for him to put it together as a downfield thrower. If Taylor can follow that path, watch out for the Bulldogs.
8. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
2025 stats: 62.1% completion, 3,169 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 493 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
Understandably, many would have Marcel Reed higher on this list thanks to his productive first full year as a starter in 2025. However, his supporting cast was arguably the best in the conference last year, and his downfield accuracy and decision-making left a lot to be desired in A&M's biggest games.
Against teams that finished inside the AP Top 25, Reed completed just 57% of his passes for 767 yards, one total touchdown, and six interceptions.
When he's on, he's one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, but the schedule gets much tougher for the Aggies in 2026. If he weeds out some of the weaknesses in his game, he could be a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. For now, a mid-level placement in the league is appropriate. He could shatter this ranking by the end of next season, though.
7. John Mateer, Oklahoma
2025 stats: 62.2% completion, 2,885 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 431 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns
John Mateer is a tough one to place on this list and analyze. The former Washington State Cougar began his Sooners career on fire, but a hand injury in his SEC opener against Auburn that required surgery seemed to limit him for the rest of the year.
Is that just an excuse, or will he be a much more effective passer with a healthy throwing hand in 2026? We're leaning toward the latter.
John Mateer TD pic.twitter.com/8BxHfzZdpL
— NFL Paint (@NFLPaint) November 15, 2025
Mateer is an impressive gamer and wills his way for yards on the ground, and I expect his passing skills to catch up in his second year playing big-time football. His back-to-back wins in Neyland and Bryant-Denny Stadium were among the most impressive of any quarterback last season, so he deserves some credit.
But like Reed, there were too many tough moments to put him ahead of some of the other SEC QBs. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if he emerges as a Tier 1 guy in 2026.
6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
2025 stats: 60.8% completion, 2,437 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 270 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns
Last preseason, LaNorris Sellers was often ranked as the No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3 quarterback on this list. He finished his freshman season on fire, but unfortunately, it didn't carry over into his sophomore campaign.
Based on last year's play, he'd be a lot lower on this list, but the history of upside, raw talent, and an upgrade at offensive coordinator should give South Carolina fans reason to believe. Those factors make him a fringe top-5 QB in the league heading into next season.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has had great success at several stops, and South Carolina's offensive line can't be any worse than last year. USC's wide receiver room should be much better and deeper this season, too. Nyck Harbor, Jayden Sellers, Nitro Tuggle, Jayden Gibson, and DJ Black are all viable targets. A bounce-back season should be in store. Shane Beamer's job depends on it.
5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
2025 stats: 69.7% completion, 2,894 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 462 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
Gunner Stockton won't impress anyone as an athlete, and he doesn't necessarily look the part of the big-time college football quarterback, but he's a gamer, and his clutch gene is evident. He doesn't flinch late in games.
In the fourth quarter last season, he completed over 83.6% of his passes, averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, and threw seven touchdowns to zero interceptions. On fourth down, he completed six of seven passing attempts for 77 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
GUNNER STOCKTON TO LONDON HUMPHREYS!!! pic.twitter.com/i3v3rlmUXy
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) September 13, 2025
Against AP Top 25 teams, he completed over 71% of his passes, threw 16 touchdowns, and tossed just two INTs. Do you see a trend? Yes, he was outdueled by Trinidad Chambliss in the College Football Playoff, but Stockton simply finds a way to rise to the occasion when it matters, getting Georgia in the win column more often than not. Another full offseason as a starter should benefit him.
4. Byrum Brown, Auburn
2025 stats (USF): 66.3% completion, 3,158 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 1,008 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns
Here's another aggressive ranking. It's understandable if you want to see Byrum Brown have a few nice outings in the SEC before viewing him as a top-5 quarterback in the conference, but I'm confident he'll hit the ground running for the Tigers this season.
Brown has tallied a whopping 9,955 total yards and 93 touchdowns in 35 career games. He already knows Alex Golesh's offense, and he's played a ton of football.
Brown is an elite runner, but he can do it all. Auburn likely isn't ready to compete for the conference in Year 1 of the Golesh era, but we've seen Golesh help Josh Heupel turn Tennessee into an offensive juggernaut overnight, and he has a great chance to do the same at Auburn with Brown following him to The Plains. Auburn may not be an easy out in 2026.
3. Arch Manning, Texas
2025 stats: 61.4% completion, 3,163 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 399 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
Based on his preseason hype and last name, it was going to be virtually impossible for Arch Manning to meet expectations in his first year as a starter. In fact, it may be impossible for him ever to meet expectations. But after a rocky start to last season, he had an electric second half of the season, and there is reason to be optimistic moving forward.
Over the final six games of the year, he averaged 286.2 passing yards per game, scored 19 touchdowns, and threw five interceptions. He faced the No. 9, No. 5, No. 3, and No. 18-ranked teams in four of those contests.
He did all of this without a real rushing attack to support him. The Longhorns have added a ton of talent around him in this year's transfer portal, so don't be surprised if his real breakout season is just ahead. Cam Coleman will be a game-changer. Get back on the Manning train!
2. Sam Leavitt, LSU
2025 stats (Arizona State): 60.7% completion, 1,628 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 306 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns
Leavitt's second and final season at Arizona State was cut short due to injury, but he showed this past year and during his 2024 breakout year enough to make him one of the top quarterbacks on the market this offseason. Leavitt can make every throw on the field, and he's a dynamic dual-threat.
CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN 💨
SAM LEAVITT TURNED ON THE AFTER-BURNERS FOR THIS 52-YARD TD RUN 😯 pic.twitter.com/JDvT1nRI6g
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 31, 2025
No matter what you think about Lane Kiffin, he's clearly one of the best offensive minds in football, and his quarterbacks never fail to be big-time producers.
Leavitt has some "Jaxson Dart" in his game. Expect him to hit the ground running in Baton Rouge with an upgraded supporting cast and elite offensive coaching. With a big year, Leavitt could play his way into the early first round of the 2027 NFL Draft.
1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
2025 stats: 66.1% completion, 527 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 527 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns
After being granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, Chambliss is in line to start for the Rebels in 2026. The former Division II national champion arrived in Oxford last season to be the backup to Austin Simmons, but he ended up being one of the best players in the country, leading Ole Miss to a historic season.
The loss of Lane Kiffin is significant, but retaining Chambliss, who turns 24 just before his final collegiate season, gives Ole Miss a chance to compete for a College Football Playoff spot once again. Chambliss is a special player and an X factor. You can debate whether or not he should be eligible this season, but he's a lot of fun to watch!
