QBs to start in SEC as true freshman: Tennessee's Faizon Brandon joins short list including Peyton Manning

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QBs to start in SEC as true freshman: Tennessee's Faizon Brandon joins short list including Peyton Manning originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Billed as college football's greatest conference, the SEC is hardly for the youth. True freshmen have undoubtedly made an impact in the superconference. Harold Perkins Jr., LaRon Landry and Herschel Walker all found success during their maiden campaigns.

And yet, true freshman quarterbacks have tended to watch from the sidelines when they arrive on campus, biding their time in the shadows as more experienced talents take aim inside the pocket.

Conventional wisdom would suggest this is a smart strategy. The SEC is a gauntlet that can wreak havoc on players unfamiliar with its pace, physicality and tactics. The difference between a first-year player and a redshirt senior can feel like an ocean-sized gulf.

Still, as the old adage goes, if you're good enough, you're old enough. The spotlight wasn't too big for a select few SEC newcomers, who rose through the ranks to establish themselves as SEC heavyweights in their maiden campaigns.

With that, here's a look at some notable SEC quarterbacks who emerged as starters during their true freshman seasons.

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Notable QBs to start in SEC as true freshman

Tommy Hodson, LSU

A gifted talent from Mathews, Louisiana, Hodson was one of college football's finest talents during his maiden season in Baton Rouge in 1986. The then-teenager was named first team All-SEC setting conference records for the passing yards (2,261) and passing touchdowns (19) by a freshman.

Fueled by his displays, the Tigers claimed their first SEC title in 16 years. His performances that season set the stage for a splendid career that saw Hodson become the first SEC hurler to surpass 8,000 passing yards and 60 passing touchdowns.

Eric Zeier, Georgia

Having come of age on the gridiron in an unusual place — Zeier went to high school in Germany — the famed Bulldog gunslinger swiftly made a name for himself in Athens.

Zeier started the 1991 season as a backup. He was inserted into Ray Goff's lineup for its Oct. 5 tilt against No. 6 Clemson. The Bulldogs downed the heavily favored Tigers, 27-12, with Zeier throwing for two touchdowns. He wouldn't relinquish his position, starting each of the next 40 games for Georgia.

The Bulldogs won seven of their next nine games, with Zeier tallying 1,984 yards and seven touchdowns. He would become Georgia's most decorated passer by the time he left campus, finishing his career with more passing yards than any other SEC quarterback. Zeier placed seventh in Heisman voting in his senior season. He was elected to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

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Steve Taneyhill, South Carolina

Taneyhill was a precocious talent out of high school. He knew as much, reportedly issuing the following message to then-South Carolina boss Sparky Woods before his maiden year: "Start me and we win."

The Gamecocks star did a lot of winning in his maiden season. Taneyhill had to bide his time in the shadows during the 1994 season, watching from the sidelines as South Carolina dropped its opening five games. Woods eventually gave him his chance, handing him the reins to the Gamecocks' offense.

His decision was an inspired one. Taneyhill tallied 1,272 yards and seven touchdowns as South Carolina won five of its final six games.

The teenager was named National Freshman of the Year by Sports Illustrated for his heroics. He went on to collect nearly 9,000 yards and 62 touchdowns during his time in Columbia. He was inducted into South Carolina's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Danny Wuerffel, Florida

A highly touted prospect out of nearby Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Wuerffel quickly surged to the top of Steve Spurrier's QB depth chart. The College Football Hall of Famer found success in Spurrier's "Fun 'n' Gun" system, amassing 2,230 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Gators climbed as high as No. 4 in the AP rankings.

The Gators capped off their season with a 41-7 blowout win over No. 3 West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl. Wuerffel earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors for his displays. Three years later, he'd add to his collection of career accomplishments, landing the Heisman Trophy while leading Florida to its first national championship.

Peyton Manning, Tennessee

Odds are, you have heard Manning's name before. Before he was making waves as a record-breaking gunslinger in the NFL, Manning was arguably one of college football's greatest-ever quarterbacks.

Some were surprised Manning spurned his father's alma mater, Ole Miss, for Tennessee. He didn't figure to factor into the Volunteers' plans as a freshman, starting the 1994 season as the team's third-string quarterback.

Injuries wracked the Volunteers' QB room. Manning served as the understudy to Todd Helton (yes, that Todd Helton) before replacing him after Helton suffered a knee injury. Suffice to say, Manning didn't surrender his place in Phillip Fulmer's offense, leading the Vols to wins in seven of their last eight games.

Manning's freshman-year figures didn't quite reach the heights of his following three campaigns. But 1,141 yards and 11 touchdowns to six interceptions is nothing to sniff at for a first-year passer who entered the year at the bottom of the depth chart.

Chris Leak, Florida

Leak recorded 2,435 yards and 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions during his true freshman season in 2003. Named a five-star prospect during his time at Independence High School (North Carolina), Leak showed flashes of brilliance during his maiden year in Gainesville. The then-teenager steered the Gators to wins over eventual national champion LSU as well as No. 4 Georgia in that famous 2003 season, offering flits of light to a fairly dour campaign in Ron Zook's final year as head coach.

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Jalen Hurts, Alabama

Hurts made history shortly after arriving on campus in Tuscaloosa, becoming the first true freshman to be named starting quarterback since Vince Sutton in 1984.

He went on to shatter Alabama's record books during his first year, setting the record for most rushing yards (954) and most rushing touchdowns (13) for a Crimson Tide passer. He finished the year with 36 total touchdowns, another program record.

Fueled by Hurts' heroics, Alabama surged to the national title game. The Crimson Tide fell in the national championship game to Clemson. Still, Hurts' displays proved dazzling — he landed SEC Freshman and SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Jake Fromm, Georgia

Like many of the names on this list, Fromm entered his freshman year as an understudy, wearing the headset as Jacob Eason took snaps to start the 2017 season. Eason was cut down in Georgia's first game, prompting Fromm to surge to the top of Mark Richt's QB depth chart.

Fromm finished his maiden season with 2,615 yards and 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. The Bulldogs posted a 12-2 record under Fromm's watch before falling in the national championship game to Alabama.

Bo Nix, Auburn

Nix was named Auburn's starting quarterback ahead of the 2019 season. A four-star prospect out of Alabama, the teenager performed admirably for the 9-4 Tigers, tallying 16 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

His most impactful showcase came in the Iron Bowl against the Crimson Tide. Nix accounted for more than 200 yards of total offense and two touchdowns as Auburn downed its hated rival in their regular-season finale.

Faizon Brandon, Tennessee

Brandon is the latest true freshman to take hold of his team's starting lineup, landing the staring nod in Josh Heupel's setup ahead of the 2026 season. A consensus five-star prospect, the Greensboro, North Carolina native takes over for former Appalachian State star Joey Aguilar. He'll guide a veteran-laden attack that features eight returning starters, including 1,000-yard back DeSean Bishop and former five-star Mike Matthews, who tallied 53 catches for 853 yards as a sophomore last year.

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