Tim Tebow names best SEC quarterback heading into Week 6

Ryan Young | Oct 4, 2025

SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow. Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Tim Tebow weighed in Saturday morning with his pick for the best quarterback in the SEC, while debating the matter with the SEC Nation crew.

He went with Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who leads the undefeated No. 16-ranked Commodores (5-0) into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on the No. 10 Crimson Tide (3-1) today at 3:30 p.m. ET in one of the marquee games of the day.

"If we're talking about every single week, I believe it has to be Diego Pavia," Tebow said. "Their offense is by far the most efficient in the entire country. He has done everything. You can say, 'Well, they haven't played the same competition.' Well, who he has gotten to play, he has dominated, and he has done it in every single way -- he's done it throwing, he's done it running, but most importantly, he's done it with his leadership. He makes everybody else around him better, and that's the most important thing a quarterback can do."

Pavia has passed for 1,211 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions while also leading Vanderbilt in rushing yards with 294 and two scores on the ground. He had a big game in Vandy's upset win over Alabama last year in Nashville, completing 16 of 20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns with 56 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the rest of the SEC Nation panel disagreed as Jordan Rodgers and Roman Harper picked the quarterback going against Vanderbilt today -- Alabama's Ty Simpson.

Simpson has passed for 1,138 yards, 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions (plus two rushing TDs) and had a big game in the Tide's win at Georgia last week, passing for 276 yards and accounting for three TDs.

"To me, it's Ty Simpson," Rodgers said. "Everyone focuses on Week 1 against Florida State -- that was his first career start. Since that point, he's completing almost 90 percent of his passes, 11 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. He has been phenomenal."

Added Harper: "And the reason I agree is because you can literally take Ty Simpson and put him in any other offense in the SEC, and he would still be successful. For me, it's the way he's able to transfer into any situation."

Finally, Paul Finebaum added a third name into the debate -- Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, who has been one of the great stories in college football as a transfer from Division II Ferris State who took over in Week 3 for the injured Austin Simmons and has passed for 1,033 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT with 266 rushing yards and 2 TDs for the unbeaten No. 4 Rebels.

"I don't mean to filibuster the experts here, but I think it's Trinidad Chambliss," Finebaum said. "He's come out of nowhere. Austin Simmons was all-everything; he got hurt, and Chambliss came in, and what he did last week was the difference in the game."

Added Tebow: "You're not wrong. He's played unbelievable, especially never playing at this level and coming in. Not only did they not miss a beat, they actually got better. This is a dude that also has a lot of swagger to him. I love the way he's played."

"[Diego Pavia] makes everybody else around him better and that's the most important thing a QB can do."

The SEC Nation crew discuss who the best QB in the SEC is thus far 👀 pic.twitter.com/vAgkvQ8JOj

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 4, 2025

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