College Football's 5 Most Overrated QBs Reveal Major SEC Problems Entering Week 5

Four SEC starters and Michigan's former No. 1 recruit opened 2026 with Heisman buzz, but turnovers, sacks and stalled offenses defined their first month.

A general view of fan fest at the Miami Beach Convention Center before the College Football National Championship | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is one of five college football quarterbacks whose national reputations have outrun what they've produced on the field through Week 4 of the 2026 season.

Four of the five play in the SEC, and the group includes Michigan's former No. 1 recruit, a Texas A&M passer who started 11-0 last season and an LSU transfer with more interceptions than touchdown passes.

Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) passes against the Tennessee Volunteers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Most college football fans have a sober view of Manning's talent and potential. It seems more like the sports media can't help but prop up the young signal-caller given his name recognition and the attention given to Longhorns football.

Texas is 4-0 and ranked No. 1, but its defense has won the biggest games. Manning has completed 63.5% of his passes for 862 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. More than a third of those yards and four of those touchdowns came in the opener against Texas State.

His two best opponents kept him in check. Manning threw for 196 yards and one touchdown in the 24-23 comeback win over Ohio State. Then he went 14 of 19 for 201 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in the 20-17 win at Tennessee.

The Volunteers sacked him six times, and he ran 11 times for minus-1 yard. Texas managed only 262 total yards in Knoxville. Meanwhile, defensive end Colin Simmons tied a school record with five sacks, and the Longhorns finished with 10 sacks.

"I didn't play very well," Manning said after the game. His next start comes against Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry game in Dallas after a bye week.

John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) is interviewed after a college football game | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer came back from hand surgery last season, but Oklahoma is 2-2 after losses to Michigan and Georgia.

The former Washington State starter has completed 72 of 109 passes for 883 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has just 76 rushing yards on 1.9 yards per carry, so his legs haven't made up for his passing.

The 41-13 loss at Georgia showed the problem at its worst. Mateer lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the first half, and Georgia defender Chris Cole returned one of those fumbles 85 yards for a touchdown. Those two fumbles pushed his season total to six turnovers.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) walks on the field prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed led the Aggies to an 11-0 start and a College Football Playoff berth last season, but Texas A&M is 2-2 after back-to-back SEC losses.

Kentucky won 31-21 at Kyle Field, and LSU won 35-6 in Baton Rouge. Across those two games, Reed completed 36 of 75 passes for 342 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

The LSU loss was his worst outing. He went 10 of 26 for 106 yards with an interception, took four sacks and lost 13 yards on 10 carries before backup Brady Hart replaced him in the fourth quarter.

Sam Leavitt, LSU Tigers

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt ranked LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt No. 10 among his preseason quarterbacks and said, "I think Leavitt is going to have a great season."

Instead, the Arizona State transfer has six interceptions in four games, tied for the most in the FBS, against five touchdown passes. He threw three picks against Louisiana Tech, two of them in the red zone, and his interception with 59 seconds left sealed a 32-24 loss at Ole Miss.

Still, he bounced back against Texas A&M. Leavitt completed 17 of 28 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in the 35-6 win.

Bryce Underwood, Michigan Wolverines

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) throws a pass in the second quarter of a game against UTEP | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was the top recruit in the 2025 class, but he has completed 57 of 92 passes for 780 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions this season. In addition, Michigan has scored fewer than 20 points in three of its four games.

Underwood's best game came in a 20-19 loss to Iowa. He threw for a career-high 276 yards and two touchdowns to JJ Buchanan before the Hawkeyes scored on the final play.

My Big Ten QB Week 5 rankings lay out where the Detroit native stands among the league's passers.