For the SEC to end its national championship drought, it’ll require elite quarterback play. If you’ve got a premier quarterback, you’ve got a chance to reach the finish line of a 12-team playoff.
Good news for the SEC: It possesses at least one elite quarterback, and several others possess the potential to ascend from good to elite.
Six teams return their starting quarterback. A few others nabbed top-rated transfers.
Here’s a ranking of the SEC’s quarterbacks, one through 16:
1. Trinidad Chambliss (Mississippi)
He’s a proven star. Pete Golding gets credit — and, he should — for beating Kirby Smart in a playoff quarterfinal after Lane Kiffin left town, but Mississippi’s takedown of Georgia wouldn’t have been possible without Chambliss’ dazzling performance. A sixth-year player, he’s no longer the unknown underdog who came to Ole Miss as a Division II transfer. He’s become one of college football’s biggest stars, a charismatic dual threat with Heisman Trophy potential.
2. Gunner Stockton (Georgia)
He’s a gamer, he’s a winner, he’s clutch, and he’s got a really good arm. He showed all of those qualities on one play last season when he fired a fourth-down touchdown dart against Tennessee, allowing Georgia to survive an upset scare. Stockton elevates in the big games. He outplayed Arch Manning in their head-to-head duel last November. Stockton doesn’t attack downfield as often as some others, but he’s reliably accurate and avoids mistakes.
3. Arch Manning (Texas)
Now that Manning’s been a starter for a full season, maybe his every movement and fashion choices won’t be scrutinized to the nth degree. Ah, who are we kidding? He’ll be in the fishbowl as much as ever, but he’s built to handle that. Manning finished last season much better than he started it. His abilities were on full display in a Citrus Bowl win against Michigan. He’s an excellent runner who needs more consistency as a passer, but Texas added weapons around him. Perhaps, all that hype last summer was just a year too soon.
4. Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)
Reed nicknamed himself the “Gingerbread Man.” Why? Because, you can’t catch him. A multi-sport star in high school, he attacks defenses with his legs and his arm. His struggles came against Texas A&M’s toughest competition, and his sophomore season ended after a red-zone interception in a playoff loss to Miami. He’s vowed to cut down on his 12 interceptions. If he makes good on that pledge, he possesses abilities to be a top-tier SEC quarterback.
5. Sam Leavitt (LSU)
Leavitt joins Chambliss and Stockton as the SEC’s only quarterbacks to start a playoff game. The Arizona State transfer stalled last season (and injured his foot) after a breakout campaign in 2024. He must prove he’s recovered from his injury and is ready for an uptick in competition. The SEC is a different beast than the Big 12, but Leavitt's got a coach in Lane Kiffin and a coordinator in Charlie Weis Jr. who can help him handle it.
6. John Mateer (Oklahoma)
Will the real Mateer please reveal himself? He was dynamite through four games in his first season at Oklahoma after transferring from Washington State. Then, he broke his thumb. He gutsily rushed back from the injury, but his performance dropped. That dip in production makes you wonder whether last September was a mirage, or will he be healthy and productive this season? Mateer battles an interception bug, but he’s also packed with dual-threat and big-play abilities.
7. Byrum Brown (Auburn)
Auburn hired coach Alex Golesh to solve the program’s yearslong quarterback woes. This could be a quick fix. Brown followed Golesh to the Plains from South Florida, where he excelled as one of the nation’s top Group of Five quarterbacks. He’s a beast, a quarterback who’s never met a safety he didn’t want to run over. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. He’s a skilled deep-shot passer, too, and Golesh’s up-tempo spread offense is proven to work in the SEC.
8. Keelon Russell or Austin Mack (Alabama)
Kalen DeBoer hasn’t announced Alabama’s starter, but Russell’s talent and potential attract rave views from teammates, even as Mack is praised for his handle on the offense. Russell, the sophomore, outperformed Mack in the spring game. Russell’s running skills will threaten defenses more than Mack’s, and he offers the higher ceiling. Mack has more game snaps than Russell after serving as Alabama’s backup in 2025. This choice might boil down to upside versus experience.
9. LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
Other than Manning, few quarterbacks generated more hype this time last year than Sellers, but his performance dropped off in his second season as a starter. That’s not entirely his fault. His team stunk, and South Carolina hired a new offensive coordinator, Kendal Briles. It’s tough to know what to expect from Sellers. He requires better pass protection and support. Nobody would dispute he’s talented. Some NFL Draft evaluators believe he’ll become a first-round selection. He needs polish as a passer, but he’s got size, athleticism and a good arm.
10. Austin Simmons (Missouri)
Kiffin planned for Simmons to be Ole Miss' starter last season, but he injured his ankle in September and surrendered the job to Chambliss. The left-handed Simmons boasts impressive arm strength, and coach Eliah Drinkwitz says he’s “different than anybody that I've coached here.” Simmons threw four interceptions in two starts for the Rebels. Arm strength will only take him so far. He must develop into a complete quarterback.
11. Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State)
Taylor’s performance at the Manning Passing Academy generated widespread praise. Now the challenge becomes taking skills in drills to performing against the likes of LSU, Oklahoma and Texas. Mississippi State fans will want to believe he’s the next Dak Prescott. Taylor's got wheels. He rushed for 173 yards in the Egg Bowl, one of his two starts. If his passing accuracy catches up to his running abilities, he can become a total package.
12. Faizon Brandon or George MacIntyre (Tennessee)
Sure as the sun rises, quarterbacks perform well for Josh Heupel. He must decide which quarterback gets that opportunity to be his next starter. Brandon is a ballyhooed freshman, MacIntyre a sophomore. With experience lacking in both, the winner of the competition might be the guy who shows the most command and ease running Heupel’s high-octane system. Although Brandon is younger, he’s a dual threat who's more filled out physically than the tall and thin MacIntyre. Both players possess good arms.
13. Kenny Minchey (Kentucky)
Kentucky fans finally can feel excited about their quarterback trajectory. Quarterback play bogged down UK during the Mark Stoops era. New coach Will Stein is an ace quarterback developer. Minchey transferred in from Notre Dame, where he flashed accuracy in limited playing time as a backup. No shame in Minchey not winning the quarterback job at Notre Dame, where the Irish start Heisman hopeful CJ Carr. Call it a win for the Wildcats that Minchey transferred to Kentucky over Nebraska.
14. Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. (Florida)
Florida hasn’t announced its starter. Philo is the logical frontrunner. He’s experienced in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s system. Philo and Faulkner came to Florida from Georgia Tech, where Philo backed up Haynes King. Jones is a leftover from the Billy Napier era. Coach Jon Sumrall expressed openness to letting the competition continue into the season, but Philo’s decisiveness, quick release and ties to Faulkner make it tough to see him as anything but the top option.
15. KJ Jackson (Arkansas)
New coach Ryan Silverfield scored a win by retaining Jackson and not losing him to the portal. Jackson picked up a lot of snaps in the final two games of his redshirt freshman season, showing some upside. He’ll need to iron out his accuracy. Jackson's mobility rates as a top asset. The coaching staff likes his poise, leadership and football IQ, and his experience in SEC games will be an asset for a program in transition.
16. Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt)
Vanderbilt will miss Diego Pavia. No two ways about it. That doesn’t mean the Commodores shouldn’t be pumped about Curtis, the five-star freshman. Georgia wanted this blue-chipper. Vanderbilt landed him. How often can you say that? Vanderbilt can’t expect Curtis to mirror Pavia’s improvisational skills, so it must protect him. Coach Clark Lea needs to be willing to play the long game with Curtis and ride out any growing pains. He’s the future.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SEC QB rankings start with Trinidad Chambliss, but where's Arch Manning?