KJ Jackson's place among SEC quarterbacks is a big question mark

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The start of the 2026 SEC college football season gets closer and closer. SEC quarterback rankings are a fun mid-July topic. It's natural to wonder where Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson stands among the rest of the projected starting quarterbacks in the conference. One SEC football commentator, podcaster Michael Bratton, recently presented his preseason rankings of the 2026 quarterbacks in the SEC. 

Bratton put KJ Jackson at No. 13 in the conference. The only three SEC quarterbacks ranked lower than Jackson are Aaron Philo of Florida, Austin Simmons of Missouri, and Jared Curtis of Vanderbilt. 

Quarterback discussions are consistently and reliably interesting, especially in the offseason, when so many unknowns exist and we are all itching to see live football games which will begin to give us real answers. It's no different with KJ Jackson and the coming SEC season. 

When any player at any position is ranked before a season begins, we are all left wondering if that ranking is a pure evaluation of that individual as a raw athlete or draft prospect, or if the ranking is a reflection of how well that athlete is expected to be on his particular team, given the roster's combination of overall strengths and weaknesses. 

This brings us back to KJ Jackson. Arkansas is expected to be the worst team in the SEC this season, according to many SEC football pundits and publications. If Jackson is No. 13 in the quarterback rankings, it suggests the ranking is an extension of a view that he is better than his teammates and will lift Arkansas to a degree. If he plays up to his capabilities, maybe UA will exceed its preseason projections as a team. At worst, Arkansas won't fall below any projections. It might also suggest that Bratton, as an analyst, is slightly more bullish on Arkansas than other SEC football commentators.

What is also notable about the SEC quarterback rankings from Bratton is that Austin Simmons and Jared Curtis are below KJ Jackson. The Simmons ranking is surprising, given that Simmons played at Ole Miss and — though certainly not anything special — was not atrocious. Is Simmons really going to face-plant at Missouri under Eli Drinkwitz, who has shown he can develop quarterbacks? That will be one of the more intriguing coach-quarterback situations in the SEC this year.

Jared Curtis being ranked last might be the product of his identity as a freshman and therefore as an unknown entity. However, the No. 16 placement in the SEC basement also suggests Bratton thinks Vanderbilt is in for a world of hurt after the departure of Diego Pavia.

All in all, KJ Jackson being ranked No. 13 doesn't seem like a sign of disrespect from Bratton. Now Jackson needs to earn fresh respect on the field for Arkansas.

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