Gunner Stockton, John Mateer Snubbed From Tier 1 of College Football QB Rankings

These two SEC quarterbacks were excluded from the top tier of a set of rankings of all 138 college quarterbacks.

Apr 18, 2026; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) passes the ball during the Georgia Spring football game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The SEC offers a little bit of everything at the quarterback position in 2026.

The group of returning starters comprises polar opposite paths to stardom. There is a prized five-star prospect from a strong quarterback pedigree in Arch Manning, but there is also a former Division II starter entering his second SEC season in Trinidad Chambliss.

The NCAA transfer portal gifted the SEC proven starters in Sam Leavitt and Byrum Brown. Lesser-known transfers like Aaron Philo and Kenny Minchey also made their way to the SEC to start at their respective programs.

The Athletic released tiered rankings of all 138 FBS starting quarterbacks on Tuesday. Among the most notable SEC quarterbacks it excluded from its top tier were Gunner Stockton of Georgia and John Mateer of Oklahoma.

Why was Stockton excluded from the top tier?

Stockton's exclusion is somewhat of a surprise after his promising first season as Georgia's starter. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder finished 2025 with 2,804 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, and five interceptions, along with 462 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

While Georgia quarterbacks are always some of the winningest in college football under Kirby Smart, there are questions about how much the team's success hinges upon them because of the talent that surrounds them. Stetson Bennett underwent this treatment in his Georgia career, and Stockton is no different.

In 2026, Stockton will play opposite a defense full of NFL-caliber talent that Georgia retained from 2025. The offense consists of multiple NFL-caliber offensive linemen and a pair of proven commodities in Nate Frazier and Lawson Luckie at the skill positions.

The biggest changes to the offense are the new faces in the wide receiver room. The Bulldogs bring in Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion and promote redshirt freshman and former five-star prospect Talyn Taylor into their starting lineup, and the gelling between those two and Stockton is crucial to the productivity of the Bulldogs' passing game.

Why was Mateer excluded from the top tier?

Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The rationale behind Mateer's exclusion from The Athletic's first tier is more understandable than that of Stockton.

Mateer was highly productive as the starter at Washington State in 2024. He finished the year with 3,139 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

The translation of Mateer's production with the Cougars to the SEC was a major question ahead of the 2025 season, and it still feels unanswered in 2026. He ended 2025 with 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 431 rush yards and eight touchdowns.

The main reason the college football world still has questions about Mateer is that it wants to see what he can do in the SEC when fully healthy. After Mateer's thumb surgery, much of Oklahoma's success down the stretch hinged on the play of its defense and special teams.