Projecting Every SEC Starting Quarterback Ahead of the 2026 College Football Season

There are established stars like Gunner Stockton and Arch Manning and unsettled fall camp battles at Alabama, Florida and Tennessee around one of the key conferences.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton had a solid first season in 2025. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With no spring transfer portal window in 2026, college football rosters for the upcoming season are mostly finalized as of mid-May—barring any extreme cases. That means it’s time to take a look at the most important position on the field for the sport’s top programs: the quarterbacks. 

Spring ball is now complete, and with the insight we’ve gained from a busy offseason and early practices, Sports Illustrated will project every Power 4 starting quarterback, as well as a handful of Group of 6 signal-callers over the next couple of weeks. We’ll also include a confidence meter, based on how certain we are that the named quarterback will be the one who trots out onto the field for his team in Week 1. 

Over the past two weeks, SI projected every Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 signal-caller in 2026. That means we’re on to the final power conference: the SEC. There’s a number of ongoing competitions that should linger into fall camp, but also some of the most experienced players in the country leading playoff contenders. Here’s a closer look at the names to know.

Alabama: Keelon Russell

2025 stats: 11 for 15, 143 yards, two touchdowns

Confidence Level: Medium

Kalen DeBoer has a real competition on his hands and though he’s known for keeping his cards close to the vest, this time around he may not actually have an answer until late August. Indications suggest Russell is the leader in the clubhouse at this point due to upside, even with less experience. The redshirt freshman and former five-star recruit was sharp in April’s A-Day scrimmage, throwing for 240 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He also got significantly more opportunity with his chief competition, Austin Mack, “dinged up,” according to DeBoer. Mack played a bit more as Bama’s backup last season, and will be entering his fourth year with this coaching staff, but the idea of what Russell can do may be too tantalizing for the Tide to pass up.

Arkansas: KJ Jackson

2025 stats: 33 for 54, 441 yards, three touchdowns

Confidence Level: Medium

Stylistically, Jackson and main competitor AJ Hill are quite different. Jackson would provide more of a dual-threat look, something he showed off in relief against Texas and then again in the Razorbacks’ 2025 finale against Missouri. But Hill followed new head coach Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and may have earned some good will. And the pressure will be on Silverfield to make the right decision after Arkansas posted its worst record in six seasons in Sam Pittman’s final year on the job. 

Auburn: Byrum Brown

2025 stats (South Florida): 66.3% completion rate, 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 167.1 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

In one of the many, head coach–quarterback tandems that changed locations in 2026, former South Florida coach Alex Golesh brought along Brown after a stellar year together in the American Conference. Brown, a redshirt senior, earned second-team conference honors and dazzled as a runner on top of his career season as a passer, adding 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. The Tigers are desperately trying to break out of the malaise of the past few seasons, having not won more than six games or less than five games since 2019. Brown is the type of talent to get them there.

Florida: Aaron Philo

2025 Stats (Georgia Tech): 21 for 28, 373 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Confidence Level: Low 

Philo seemed to be the clear choice after new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner plucked him from Georgia Tech where the pair had spent the past two seasons together. But Tramell Jones Jr. has made quite the impression on Jon Sumrall, and the Gators’ new head coach is leaning into competition across his roster this offseason. Philo turned in a mixed bag in the spring game, starting off poorly with two interceptions before going 9-for-10 for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Though a decision will be made off of more than one high-profile scrimmage, Jones was much cleaner and could continue his rise into the starting gig with a strong start to fall camp.

Georgia: Gunner Stockton

2025 Stats: 69.7% completion rate, 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions, 150.6 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

Stockton’s first complete year as the starter ended earlier than the Bulldogs would’ve liked, but through no fault of their quarterback. Though not asked to be a world-beater, Stockton made throws when he had to and was adept at scrambling away from SEC defenses in a way that infuriates opponents. Georgia may need more from him if it hopes to elevate back into the true national title contender category. If he can play the kind of football that he did in the SEC championship game against Alabama (20 for 26, three touchdowns, no interceptions) consistently, watch out.

Kentucky: Kenny Minchey

2025 Stats (Notre Dame): 20 for 26, 196 yards

Confidence Level: High

The Will Stein era begins in Lexington and with it a new quarterback. Minchey lost the battle at Notre Dame to CJ Carr last season but arrives at Kentucky in position to take the first-team snaps throughout the offseason. How good he can be remains to be seen, but all accounts suggest he really gave Carr a run for his money, and the Irish quarterback was exceptional last season. Minchey now gets the chance to work with Stein, who elevated the collegiate careers of Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore at Oregon.

LSU: Sam Leavitt

2025 Stats (Arizona State): 60.7% completion rate, 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions, 129.2 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

The Tigers have unloaded a Brinks truck on the roster for Lane Kiffin’s inaugural season and it’s safe to say Leavitt was one of the priciest pieces. He emerged as a star in 2024 at Arizona State, shining down the stretch to get the Sun Devils into the playoffs and then almost pulling off a quarterfinal upset of national runner-up Texas. Last season was marred by injuries, but outside of a dismal nonconference performance against Mississippi State, Leavitt was solid. He handed Texas Tech its only Big 12 loss and scored 13 touchdowns with no interceptions over the next five games. Leavitt is more than deserving of one of the top jobs in the country; the spotlight on him will just be brighter than ever.

Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss

2025 Stats: 66.1% completion rate, 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, 155.3 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

Chambliss has an argument to make that he’s the best quarterback in college football and thanks to an injunction from a Mississippi judge, he’ll get one more chance to prove it. There were up-and-down moments during the regular season, but his three playoff performances were on another level. Chambliss has the ability to make throws and get the ball downfield, or take off and scramble—all of which we saw in the quarterfinal upset of Georgia. And that was in his first year at the Division I level. With a season of experience in hand, he’ll try to find another level to take his game to.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss received an injunction to play another season of college football. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Mississippi State: Kamario Taylor

2025 Stats: 55.8% completion rate, 629 yards, five touchdowns, one interception, 143.3 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

The Bulldogs took a small step forward in Jeff Lebby’s second year on the job. And while Taylor starting the final two games (both losses) may not have helped the team get bowl eligible, it did show what the blueprint will be in 2026. Taylor has a long way to go as a passer, seeing as he completed less than half his passes in last year’s Egg Bowl. He did run 20 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns in that same game, however, and has a skill set that should lend itself to a run-first offense. Throwing consistency is the next step. 

Missouri: Austin Simmons

2025 Stats (Ole Miss): 45 for 75, 744 yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions, 147.6 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: Medium

Simmons did nothing truly wrong at Ole Miss, but a September injury paved the way for Chambliss to ascend to superstar status. That left him without a spot at Oxford and he opted to stay in the conference after the Rebels’ playoff run. Simmons has a big arm and is a solid scrambler as well. The issue can be that sometimes that combination gets him in trouble and attempting dangerous throws, hence the four interceptions in his two starts. Taking risks with his arm talent is a positive, but too many mistakes could open the door for Matt Zollers, who filled in for the Tigers when Beau Pribula was injured last season.

Oklahoma: John Mateer

2025 Stats: 62.2% completion rate, 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 129.4 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

The stars finally seemed to align for the Sooners last season with a top-notch defense and a return to above-average quarterback play with Mateer. There were still some flaws however, especially along the offensive line. Mateer, who’s fairly elusive as a scrambler, took 13 combined sacks in Oklahoma’s three losses and that sort of pressure also dialed up his mistakes. The three interceptions against Texas were the low point. Yet there’s a lot to like about Mateer’s versatility and dual-threat nature. With Brett Venables’s defense expected to fire on all cylinders again, the Sooners should be in the playoff conversation with consistent play from Mateer.

South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers

2025 Stats: 60.8% completion rate, 2,437 yards, 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 139.8 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

Keeping Sellers was a tremendous win for Shane Beamer, even if his sophomore season had some rough patches. That’s mostly due to the fact that Sellers was constantly fighting for his life behind the line of scrimmage. The Gamecocks allowed more sacks per game than any Power 4 program in the country, 42 of which came on Sellers. Some of that is on the quarterback, but it didn’t help that there was also no run game to help relieve the need for constant dropbacks. If the supporting cast can improve, and Sellers can improve on his own shortcomings, South Carolina is due for a bounce-back season.

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was plagued by a patchy offensive line last season. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Tennessee: Faizon Brandon

2025 Stats: N/A

Confidence Level: Low

Though the Volunteers backed Joey Aguilar’s attempt to prolong his eligibility, Josh Heupel ended up with just a pair of young options going into 2026. And it may be the most compelling quarterback battle in the conference. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre has one more year at the college level but exactly nine passes more experience. Which leads one to wonder if turning to Brandon is the smarter long-term play, even if he takes his licks early on. A true freshman and the No. 3 ranked quarterback in the 2026 class, Brandon has tons of untapped potential. It will be up to Heupel to unlock it. 

Texas: Arch Manning

2025 Stats: 61.4% completion rate, 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 144.9 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

The 2025 Manning story can largely be told in what happened before and after the Red River Rivalry. A dominant win over the Sooners kickstarted Texas’s season and nearly saw the Longhorns backdoor their way into the playoff. Manning played much better from that moment on, throwing 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions, staying more efficient and unlocking his own running ability against tougher competition like Texas A&M and Michigan. It was difficult to live up to the outsized hype last season. But momentum behind the Longhorns QB is only building once again. This time around, he’s much better prepared to meet it. 

Hype is building around Texas quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns again this season. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Texas A&M: Marcel Reed

2025 Stats: 62.1% completion rate, 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 148.2 efficiency rating

Confidence Level: High

Reed showed that he was far more than a run-first quarterback in 2025, elevating his game with a special ability to push the ball downfield. The turnover issues came later in the year however, with half of his 12 interceptions coming in three of the Aggies’ last four games, two of which were losses. Though he’s played quite a bit over the past two seasons, Reed still seems like he has a lot to learn, but his floor is fairly high. If he’s able to clean up some of those self-inflicted mistakes, watch out. 

Vanderbilt: Jared Curtis

2025 Stats: N/A

Confidence Level: Low 

The battle to replace Diego Pavia is on. And Clark Lea faces a similar situation to the one in Knoxville. He could turn to Blaze Berlowitz, who backed up Pavis in 2025 and has been with Tim Beck dating back to their days at New Mexico State. But the upside of Curtis is too tempting. Nothing this spring has indicated that the five-star recruit isn’t up to the task and so long as he doesn’t look overwhelmed in fall camp, he seems like the better long-term play. Vanderbilt is undergoing a number of other offensive changes, which could favor Berlowitz if Lea doesn’t want to throw his highly touted freshman to the wolves in Week 1.

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