SEC QB rankings for 2026: Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning headline loaded returning class
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SEC QB rankings for 2026: Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning headline loaded returning class originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The SEC has six returning starting quarterbacks in 2026 – including four who made starts in the College Football Playoff last season.
Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss, Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Texas A&M's Marcel Reed and Oklahoma's John Mateer are part of a loaded QB class. The other two returning starters – Texas' Arch Manning and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers – could be the two highest picks among this class in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Manning, of course, will be the center of attention in his second year as a starter for the Longhorns. He closed the season strong, and Texas will be among the top national contenders this season.
The SEC also has five first-years transfers who are projected to start this season. Sam Leavitt – an Arizona State transfer – joins Lane Kiffin at LSU. USF transfer Byrum Brown joins Alex Golesh at Auburn, and Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey could surprise at Kentucky with first-year coach Will Stein. Five-star freshman Jared Curtis and Faizon Brandon could make impacts at Vanderbilt and Tennessee, respectively.
How do the quarterback rooms in the SEC size up for 2026? Here is a closer look:
MORE: SN's post-spring Top 25 ranking
Ranking SEC QBs for 2026
1. Ole Miss
Starter: Senior Trinidad Chambliss (13 starts at Ole Miss)
Backup: Redshirt freshman Deuce Knight (1 start at Auburn)
Situation: Chambliss received an injunction from a state court that ruled he is eligible to play in the 2026 season. That gives the Rebels a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. Chambliss averaged 307 passing yards with four TDs and one interception through a three-game College Football Playoff run last season, and he led the SEC with 3,937 passing yards with 22 TDs and three interceptions. Chambliss should help the Rebels make a full transition under coach Pete Golding and co-offensive coordinators John David Baker and Cody Woodiel. Deuce Knight transferred from Auburn, and senior Walker Howard returns to a loaded position group.
2. Texas
Starter: Junior Arch Manning (15 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Karle Lacey Jr. (0 career starts)
Situation: Manning is back at starter – and with that the high expectations have returned. Manning averaged 255.9 passing yards with 13 TDs and two interceptions in Texas' last seven games, and that strong finish after some ups-and-downs early in the season has led to Heisman and NFL Draft hype that is assumed given his quarterback bloodline. He will be the Longhorns' starter for at least one more season. Trey Owens transferred to Arkansas State, which opens up a backup battle between Lacey, who played in one game last season; and senior transfer MJ Morris, who played at NC State, Maryland and Coastal Carolina.
MORE: Arch Manning, Dante Moore lead early top 10 for next year's QB class
3. Georgia
Starter: Senior Gunner Stockton (15 career starts)
Backup: Sophomore Ryan Puglisi (0 career starts)
Situation: Stockton led Georgia to an SEC championship and finished seventh in the conference with 2,894 passing yards. He also had 24 TDs and five interceptions. Stockton had a 158.6 passer rating with 16 TDs and two interceptions against ranked teams and should be even better in his second season with long-time offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Stockton could emerge as a Heisman sleeper if he leads the Bulldogs to a third straight SEC championship. Puglisi is the primary backup for the second straight season.
4. Texas A&M
Starter: Junior Marcel Reed (21 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Brady Hart (0 career starts)
Situation: Reed ranked 22nd in the FBS in total offense with 281.7 total yards per game. He is 15-6 as a starter at Texas A&M under third-year coach Mike Elko, and the junior quarterback led the Aggies to their first CFP appearance. Reed's most memorable game was a 439-yard, three-TD performance in leading Texas A&M back from a 30-3 half-time deficit for a 31-30 victory against South Carolina. Reed also added 493 rushing yards and six TDs in 2025. Hart is a redshirt freshman backup, and four-star freshman Helaman Casuga adds depth to the room.
MORE: SN's Big Board for 2027 NFL Draft
5. LSU
Starter: Junior Sam Leavitt (20 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Husan Longstreet (0 career starts)
Situation: Lane Kiffin has a completely re-engineered quarterback room with three transfers to start 2026. Leavitt – who was 16-4 as a starter at Arizona State – led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and had his season cut short after undergoing foot surgery last season. Leavitt is a playmaker who had 34 TDs and nine interceptions with 10 rushing TDs the last two seasons. He should be able to make the transition to the SEC with Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlies Weis Jr. Longstreet was a five-star recruit at USC and appeared in four games for the Trojans last season. Elon transfer Landen Clark passed for 2,321 yards, 18 TDs and eight interceptions for the Phoenix last season.
6. Oklahoma
Starter: Senior John Mateer (24 career starts; 12 at Oklahoma, 12 at Washington State)
Backup: Junior Whitt Newbauer (0 career starts)
Situation: Mateer ranked eighth in the SEC with 2,885 passing yards – and that came with 13 TDs and 11 interceptions. He added 431 rushing yards and eight TDs – a nod to his elusiveness outside the pocket. Mateer did suffer an injury to his throwing hand last season, but he still had more than 300 passing yards in the regular-season finale and the CFP loss to Alabama. Mateer isn't receiving as much preseason hype, but he should continue to produce with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. A Week 2 rematch with Michigan is a solid early-season indicator. Newbauer will be the backup, and four-star freshman Bowe Bentley is next on the depth chart.
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7. South Carolina
Starter: Junior LaNorris Sellers (24 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Cutter Woods (0 career starts)
Situation: Sellers – a 6-foot-3, 240-pound quarterback – has generated NFL Draft buzz because of his tremendous arm strength. He finished with 2,437 passing yards, 13 TDs and eight interceptions with 270 rushing yards and five TDs. It wasn't quite the same production as his breakout season in 2024 – and Sellers is 12-12 as a starter and will be on his third offensive coordinator in three seasons with Kendal Briles, who spent the last three seasons at TCU. Woods had 69 passing yards in limited action behind Sellers last season.
8. Auburn
Starter: Senior Byrum Brown (32 career starts at South Florida)
Backup: Freshman Tristan Ti'a (1 start at Oregon State)
Situation: It's a straight-forward QB transition at Auburn under first-year coach Alex Golesh. Brown – who led the FBS in total offense with 347.2 yards per game – followed Golesh from South Florida. Brown has two full seasons as a starter of experience and he passed for more than 3,000 yards each season. He should be an immediate impact player, but there will be a learning curve on a transfer-heavy offense. Ti'a will battle with redshirt freshman Locklan Hewlett, who also played at South Florida under Golesh, for backup duties.
9. Alabama
Starter: Freshman Keelon Russell (0 career starts)
Backup: Junior Austin Mack (0 career starts)
Situation: Ty Simpson entered the 2026 NFL Draft and was a first-round pick, and Kalen DeBoer has a more intense QB battle entering 2026. Mack – who transferred from Washington when DeBoer arrived – played in four games last season and finished 24 of 32 passing for 228 yards and two TDs. Russell played in two games last season and finished 11 of 15 for 143 yards and two TDs. It's too close to call heading into fall camp, and it's a good bet DeBoer does not name a starter until shortly before the season opener against East Carolina on Sept. 5. This ranking might be a touch low knowing the upside Mack or Russell has with second-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
10. Kentucky
Starter: Junior Kenny Minchey (0 career starts)
Backup: Sophomore Brennan Ward (0 career starts)
Situation: Minchey – a Notre Dame transfer – took control of the starting job this spring with first-year coach Will Stein. Minchey hit 23 of 29 passes (79.3%) for 212 yards with the Irish the last three seasons – a limited sample that offers upside at the position. Minchey impressed in the spring and will work with Joe Sloan, who was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU last season. The battle for backup quarterback features returner Brennan Ward, Marshall transfer JacQai Long and incoming freshman Matt Ponatoski, a two-sport star who could opt for the MLB Draft.
11. Florida
Starter: Sophomore Aaron Philo (1 career start at Georgia Tech)
Backup: Freshman Tramell Jones Jr. (0 career starts)
Situation: Jon Sumrall takes over at Florida, and the Gators will need to replace DJ Lagway, who transferred to Baylor after two seasons in Gainesville. Philo – a 6-foot-2, 208-pound quarterback who broke Trevor Lawrence's high school career passing record in Georgia – played in 10 games for the Yellow Jackets behind Haynes King the last two seasons. Philo averaged 5.9 yards per carry and was used in the Wildcat formation at times – but he also had 938 passing yards, two TDs and three interceptions. It will be an adjustment in his first season as a starter in the SEC. Jones played in two games last season.
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12. Mississippi State
Starter: Sophomore Kamario Taylor (2 starts at Mississippi State)
Backup: Senior AJ Swann (18 career starts: 6 starts at Appalachian State, 12 starts at Vanderbilt)
Situation: Taylor – a 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore – played in 10 games last season and made two starts. He had 629 passing yards with five TDs and one interception – but he also had 458 rushing yards on 5.6 yards per carry with eight TDs. Taylor had a year to develop with third-year coach Jeff Lebby, and that should pay off. The backup battle between Swann – a two-time transfer – and Jaden Rashada – who has played at Arizona State, Georgia and Sacramento State – is a fall-camp storyline worth monitoring.
13. Vanderbilt
Starter: Freshman Jared Curtis (0 career starts)
Backup: Junior Blaze Berlowitz (0 career starts)
Situation: Diego Pavia was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season after leading the Commodores to a 10-win season. Curtis – the No. 2 QB recruit in the class of 2026 from Nashville Christian High School – is the successor. Curtis – a 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback – will develop under Clark Lea and third-year offensive coordinator Tim Beck. Curtis had 9,710 passing yards, 128 TDs and 26 interceptions with 49 rushing TDs in high school. Berlowitz is a New Mexico State transfer, and sophomore Whit Muschamp is fighting for the backup spot.
14. Tennessee
Starter: Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre (0 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Faizon Brandon (0 career starts)
Situation: It's a legitimate quarterback battle with two inexperienced options in Knoxville for sixth-year coach Josh Heupel, but that does not mean the winner will not have success. MacIntyre played in two games last season. He finished 15 of 22 passing for 122 yards in the spring game. How long will MacIntyre hold off Brandon — a five-star recruit who was the No. 3 QB in his class? Ryan Staub – yet another option – started in two games for Colorado in the last three seasons.
15. Missouri
Starter: Junior Austin Simmons (2 career stats at Ole Miss)
Backup: Senior Nick Evers (8 career stats at UConn)
Situation: Simmons replaces Beau Pribula, who transferred to Virginia after one season as a starter. Simmons started two games at Ole Miss last season before suffering an ankle injury that led to Trinidad Chambliss taking the starting job. Simmons has 1,026 passing yards, six TDs and five interceptions in limited action the last two seasons with the Rebels. The Tigers hired new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsay in the offseason. Evers – a fifth-year senior – played at Oklahoma, Wisconsin and UConn. Matt Zollers – another backup option – played in eight games in 2025.
16. Arkansas
Starter: Sophomore KJ Jackson (1 career start)
Backup: Freshman AJ Hill (0 career starts)
Situation: Ryan Silverfield took the Arkansas job, and he pairs with Jackson, who started in one game last season and has waited his turn behind Taylen Green. Jackson had 441 passing yards with three TDs and no interceptions last season, and he added 52 rushing yards and a pair of TDs. He should be productive with offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, who was at Memphis the last four seasons. Hill also followed Silverfield from Memphis and is the primary backup option. Braeden Fuller – a senior transfer – played four seasons at Angelo State in Division II.
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