The SEC quarterback rankings could serve as a case study for the FBS landscape heading into the 2025 season.
Half of the projected starting quarterbacks – including our top four – waited their turn to start at their respective schools. That list includes LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Texas' Arch Manning, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and Florida's DJ Lagway. Those four quarterbacks have high projections heading into the 2025 season – and into the next two NFL Drafts.
Of course, Alabama and Georgia have first-year starters in Ty Simpson and Gunner Stockton, respectively. Those QBs waited their turn, too.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Three of those quarterbacks are in their second year as a starter after their first transfer. Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia is the most-interesting quarterback among those names. Yes, the Commodores have a top-five returning QB in the conference. When was the last time we said that? Jay Cutler?
The conference also featured five first-year transfers, and that is where the intrigue lies. Can Jackson Arnold bounce back with Auburn? Will John Mateer be the answer for Oklahoma?
How do the SEC quarterbacks stack up heading into fall camp? Here is a closer look.
MORE: Ranking the Big Ten quarterbacks for 2025
Ranking SEC QBs for 2025
1. Texas
Starter: Sophomore Arch Manning (2 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Trey Owens (0 career starts)
The Manning era is here at Texas. Arch Manning started in two games behind Quinn Ewers last season, and he's played in 12 games the past two seasons. Now that it's his turn, the hype is unrivaled. Manning had a 42.1% completion rate with four TDs and one interception on passes of 20 yards or more, and he adds to the running game, too. He is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by Sporting News, but we admit a full season of experience is needed to solidify that call. Owens – a 6-5, 225-pound redshirt freshman – appeared in two games last season. Steve Sarkisian has built stability at the most important position.
MORE: Will Arch Manning go to the '26 Draft? Maybe, maybe not
2. LSU
Starter: Senior Garrett Nussmeier (14 career starts)
Backup: Sophomore Michael Van Buren Jr. (8 career starts at Mississippi State)
Manning's upside is higher, but Nussmeier is the top returning starting quarterback in the SEC. He was second in the conference with 4,052 passing yards last season, and he had 29 TDs and 12 interceptions. He's a boom-or-bust player at times, and he closed last year with 307.3 yards per game, seven TDs and one interception in LSU's last three games. Nussmeier has a chance to establish first-round value against a tough schedule that starts with a road trip to Clemson on Aug. 30. Backup Michael Van Buren Jr. started in eight games for Mississippi State last season. Brian Kelly has a strong quarterback room, too.
3. South Carolina
Starter: Sophomore LaNorris Sellers (11 career starts)
Backup: Freshman Air Noland (0 career starts)
Sellers has generated Heisman hype at South Carolina after finishing 8-3 as a starter last season. He finished with 2,534 passing yards, 18 TDs and seven interceptions. He added 674 rushing yards and seven TDs, and he played well against ranked teams. He ranked second in the SEC with a 151.9 passer rating – which trailed Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (180.7). Offensive coordinator Dowell Logains took the head coaching job at Appalachian State, and Shane Beamer promoted Mike Shula to be the new offensive coordinator. That continuity should help. Air Noland transferred from Ohio State and is a high-upside backup option.
4. Florida
Starter: Sophomore DJ Lagway (7 career starts)
Backup: Senior Harrison Bailey (4 career starts at Tennessee)
Lagway is an exciting sophomore who was 6-1 as a starter last season under coach Billy Napier. Lagway led the Gators to four consecutive victories to close the season, and he had a 59.9% completion percentage with 12 TDs and nine interceptions. Lagway has both coordinators back in Rob Sale and Russ Callaway. He will need to cut down on the turnovers, but he has a high ceiling in his second season. Bailey is a sixth-year player who started in three games with Tennessee in 2020. He's also played for Louisville and UNLV.
5. Vanderbilt
Starter: Senior Diego Pavia (36 career starts, 13 at Vanderbilt; 23 at New Mexico State)
Backup: Sophomore Blaze Berlowitz (0 career starts)
Pavia took advantage of a ruling involving JUCO transfers for another year of eligibility with the Commodores. He had a memorable performance in the 40-35 victory against Alabama with 252 passing yards, 56 rushing yards and two TDs. He led the Commodores to their first winning season since 2013. Pavia finished with 2,293 passing yards, 20 TDs and four interceptions. He ranked 11th in the SEC in passer efficiency last season – which needs improvement if Vanderbilt wants to have back-to-back winning seasons.
6. Oklahoma
Starter: John Mateer (12 career starts at Washington State)
Backup: Michael Hawkins Jr. (4 career starts)
Oklahoma QBs combined for 16 TDs and six interceptions last season, and Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn. Mateer transferred in from Washington State – where he passed for 3,139 yards, 29 TDs and seven interceptions with 826 rushing yards and 15 TDs. He's an intriguing dual-threat QB, especially with the addition of Cal running back Jaydn Ott. Brent Venables also hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Mateer is a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate with first-round potential, and Oklahoma has an experienced backup with Michael Hawkins Jr., who made four starts last season. The Week 2 matchup against Michigan will reveal what Oklahoma has at quarterback.
MORE: SN's post-spring, post-portal Top 25
7. Arkansas
Starter: Senior Taylen Green (35 career starts, 13 at Arkansas; 22 at Boise State)
Backup: Freshman KJ Jackson (0 career starts)
Green ranked fifth in the SEC with 3,154 passing yards, and he finished with 15 TDs and nine interceptions. He added 602 rushing yards, which was second among SEC quarterbacks behind Alabama's Jalen Milroe, and eight TDs. Green will be a good bet to see improvements in a second season with offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Will Green improve on a 1-6 record against ranked teams last season? Jackson is a solid backup option, and the real offseason drama came when Madden Iamaleava entered the transfer portal in spring practice to join his brother Nico at UCLA. Otherwise, Sam Pittman has good options for 2025.
8. Texas A&M
Starter: Sophomore Marcel Reed (7 career starts)
Backup: Senior Jacob Zeno (17 career starts at UAB)
Reed played in 10 games and took the starting position from Conner Weigman, who transferred to Houston. Reed had 1,864 passing yards, 15 TDs and six interceptions and added 543 rushing yards and seven TDs. He had at least 40 rushing yards in six of those seven starts, and the continued improvement under second-year coach Mike Elko will happen. Jacob Zeno is an experienced backup who played at Baylor and UAB. Reed is a breakout candidate – and the Week 3 matchup at Notre Dame will be a good test before SEC play.
9. Georgia
Starter: Junior Gunner Stockton (1 career start)
Backup: Freshman Ryan Puglisi
It's a one-game sample in a high-pressure Sugar Bowl, but the fact Georgia didn't delve into the transfer portal shows that Stockton is the no-nonsense starter Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo tend to thrive with. Stockton has a 68.7% completion percentage in nine games with the Bulldogs, and Georgia added playmakers on the outside via the portal in USC's Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M's Noah Thomas. Stockton has some mobility, too, but the pressure at Georgia is unlike most programs. The next quarterback on this list is going to find that out, too.
10. Alabama
Starter: Junior Ty Simpson (0 career starts)
Backup: Sophomore Austin Mack or freshman Keelon Russell
Simpson – a five-star recruit from 2022 – has waited three seasons for his turn to start at Alabama. Second-year coach Kalen DeBoer brought back offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and the receiving corps is loaded with Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. Simpson will be the starter to open the season, so the backup battle between Mack and Russell will be the focus of fall camp. Mack (6-6, 235) has more experience, but there is a high level of fascination around Russell (6-3, 192) – a five-star freshman from Duncanville (Texas) High School. DeBoer has a deep quarterback room, and that's why we like their spot on this list.
11. Auburn
Starter: Junior Jackson Arnold (10 career starts at Oklahoma)
Backup: Senior Ashton Daniels (20 career starts at Stanford)
Peyton Thorne, Hank Brown and Holden Geriner are gone. Hugh Freeze will reset through the portal with Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, who had 1,984 yards, 16 TDs and six interceptions the last two seasons with the Sooners. Oklahoma ranked last in the FBS in sacks allowed – and Arnold took nine sacks in a loss against Ole Miss on Oct. 26. Will Arnold fare better with the Tigers? He could be a sleeper given the receiver room features Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton, Jr. Ashton Daniels had 20 career starts with the Cardinal over the past three seasons. He's a quality backup option.
12. Tennessee
Starter: Senior Joey Aguilar (24 career starts at Appalachian State)
Backup: Freshman Jake Merklinger (0 career starts)
The unprecedented QB drama at Tennessee this spring led to a change. Nico Iamaleava – who had 2,616 passing yards, 19 TDs and five interceptions last season – transferred to UCLA after an NIL dispute. Aguilar transferred from UCLA to Tennessee. The senior quarterback will have to play catch-up, but he is the best bet to start in Josh Heupel's QB-friendly system. It's a huge jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC, and Aguilar will have to cut down on the turnovers. He threw 24 interceptions the last two seasons.
13. Ole Miss
Starter: Sophomore Austin Simmons (0 career starts)
Backup: Sophomore Pierce Clarkson (0 career starts)
Jaxson Dart is gone after starting for three years and was selected with the No. 25 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Simmons – who gave up baseball this spring – is the favorite to be the next starter for Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinators Charlie Weis Jr. and Joe Cox. Simmons appeared in nine games last season and finished 19 of 32 (59.4%) with two TDs and zero interceptions. Kiffin has made it work with the last two quarterbacks, and Simmons has the potential to move up this list as the season progresses. He needs to prove it first.
14. Mississippi State
Starter: Senior Blake Shapen (27 career starts; 4 at Mississippi State, 23 at Baylor)
Backup: Sophomore Luke Kromenhoek (2 starts at Florida State)
Shapen started in four games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He returned to spring practice and will operate in Jeff Lebby's offense. Shapen is a sixth-year quarterback, and he maintained a 64.3% completion percentage between Baylor and Mississippi State with 44 TDs and 14 interceptions. He is solid when healthy. Kromenhoek started in two games for Florida State last season. Michael Van Buren Jr. transferred to LSU, which was a bit of a surprise. Lebby stuck with second-year offensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler.
15. Kentucky
Starter: Senior Zach Calzada (10 career starts at Texas A&M)
Backup: Sophomore Cuttler Boley (0 starts)
It's been an interesting journey for Calzada, who led Texas A&M to a memorable 41-38 upset against Alabama on Oct. 9, 2021. He played three seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Auburn then to Incarnate Word – where he did pass for 3,744 yards, 35 TDs and nine interceptions last season. Will he be another success story like Cam Ward? This is the third straight season where the Wildcats will have a first-year starter from the portal and the fourth in five seasons. Mark Stoops retained Bush Hamdan as offensive coordinator, so that helps.
16. Missouri
Starter: Senior Beau Pribula (0 career starts)
Backup: Junior Sam Horn (0 career starts)
Brady Cook – a three-year starter is gone. Drew Pyne transferred to Bowling Green, and that opens the competition between Pribula – who was primarily used as a mobile QB for Penn State the last two seasons; and Horn, who also plays for Missouri's baseball team. Pribula had a 65.9% completion percentage with nine TDs and an interception and 10 rushing TDs in a part-time role with the Nittany Lions. Eli Drinkwitz retained third-year offensive coordinator Kirby Moore. It's a good setup for Pribula, who should win the job in fall camp.