Analyzing Mizzou's 6-Week Stretch Against Top SEC Quarterbacks: The Read Option
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Watch the video below as Missouri On SI reporter Zachary Knox-Doyle details a stretch of talented opposing quarterbacks.
Welcome to "The Read Option," a series featuring Missouri On SI's beat reporters providing analysis or intel on the Tigers.
Missouri underwent a massive retooling of its defensive line during the offseason and will largely rely on returning backups to head the room this year. Without All-SEC defensive lineman Zion Young, Damon Wilson II and Chris McClellan, the new unit will be put to the test in the 2026 season.
While the first five games may serve as the gage for what the Tigers' new-look line can bring, the next five games could be the test.
Between Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 the Tigers will face four premier quarterbacks in one of football's top conferences. From an away contest against Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss to hosting Texas' Arch Manning, the stretch features a lengthy list of the SEC's top talents.
Week 6: Texas A &M's Marcel Reed
Reed is one of two players Missouri faces during the stretch who were not an All-SEC quarterback last season – alongside Manning – but his raw talent and chance for a breakout season makes him a potentially lethal opponent against the Tigers.
The returning starter performed well in the Aggies' 38-17 victory against the Tigers in 2025, logging 221 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on a 69 percent completion rating. Reed finished the year top-25 in the country across three major quarterback categories with 3,169 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and a 75.6 QBR. He can also be a threat on the ground after rushing for 493 yards and six scores on 104 carries last year.
Reed was far from perfect last year, as he threw 12 interceptions and underperformed in the final two games of the season, but as a redshirt sophomore he strung together an impressive year. If the 6-foot-1 quarterback continues his season-by-season growth, he could be one of the SEC's top quarterbacks in the 2026 season and an early test for Missouri's defensive line.
Week 7: Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss
The Week 7 matchup against Ole Miss will be an important game for the Tigers from a variety of viewpoints. It will mark the return of three former Rebels from last year's squad, now in Tiger stripes, and will also be the Missouri's biggest quarterback test up to that point.
Chambliss was an All-SEC second team quarterback last season and emerged as a star after Austin Simmons went down with an injury in Week 2. Despite only attempting six passes in the first two weeks, Chambliss ended the season with 3,937 passing yards, which ranked third in the country. The senior was also safe with the pigskin and recorded just three interceptions despite logging 22 touchdowns.
Much like Reed, Chambliss can tear up some turf as the senior finished the year with over 500 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Chambliss could be the top quarterback in the SEC in 2026 and will be a danger to the Tigers due to his command and consistency with the ball in his hand.
Week 10: Texas' Arch Manning
Following a bye week and a contest at Arkansas, the Tigers face another SEC quarterback who is an early-season Heisman favorite in Manning. Manning will enter his redshirt junior season after a year that encountered ups and downs that concluded with an impressive finish from the 6-foot-4 field general.
After beginning the season with underwhelming performances against Ohio State, UTEP and Florida, Manning closed the season on a tear. His dominance led Texas to a late-season resurgence that included victories against top 25 teams Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Michigan.
Through the first seven games of the season – including three games against mid-major teams – Manning threw for 1,449 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 60.3 completion percentage. In his final six games against four top-25 teams, he recorded 1,714 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and two picks on a 62.3 completion rating.
His impressive turnaround could give the Tigers a glimpse of an even stronger quarterback this season. That second-half resurgence and youth will make him one of the toughest tests for Missouri in 2026.
Week 11: Georgia's Gunner Stockton
The last elite quarterback Missouri will face between Week 6 and 11 stretch is Stockton. The redshirt senior has developed at Georgia for three years and following a breakout season last year, will certainly pose a threat in Athens, Georgia.
Stockton embodies what is expected of a Georgia starting quarterback; He's gritty, efficient and pulls together a cohesive offensive unit. In the 2026 season Stockton threw for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions and took the Bulldogs to the second round of the College Football Playoff.
He averages 3.6 yards per carry but still brought in 10 scores for the Bulldogs on the run last season, posing as somewhat of a dual-threat against Missouri. The All-SEC quarterback's experience and reliability makes him a danger as the final premier quarterback in the Tigers' six-week stretch.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as Analyzing Mizzou's 6-Week Stretch Against Top SEC Quarterbacks: The Read Option.
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