Post-spring SEC QB rankings for 2026

Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

It’s countdown season. We have 18 weeks until football season, less than 40 days until preseason magazines hit the shelves, and zero days until the first universally disliked quarterback rankings are made by yours truly. You’re welcome. Here are my post-spring SEC Quarterback Rankings for the upcoming season based on the best quarterbacks going into the year and projections of who I think will be where by the end of the 2026 season.

1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

It will no doubt be interesting seeing what Chambliss looks like in a new offense without Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weiss. He’s still the top quarterback in the league going into the season. Chambliss was incredible last year. He was top five in the country in QBR (86.0) and put up over 4,000 yards of offense in a season where he didn’t start the entire year. What was most impressive about his first season in the SEC, or FBS football for that matter, is that he finished the year with just three interceptions. That was the fewest of any starter in the SEC last year.

2. Arch Manning, Texas

I didn’t buy into the Arch Manning hype a season ago. It was a lonely island to be on in the offseason, but it felt like he was getting way too much love and assumptive adoration for a quarterback who hadn’t made any starts against quality competition since grade school. This year, I am buying as much stock as possible. Manning had his early season struggles, but by the end of last season he was one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. Manning’s receivers led the SEC in drops last season with 22. His completion percentage for the season was 61.3 percent, but his adjusted completion percentage was over 73 percent. The talent that Texas brought in around him offensively should be a significant improvement from last year, and I think he’s destined to reach all the potential this year that he missed in 2025.

3. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

Pick your adjective. Underrated, overlooked, and/or disrespected. Gunner Stockton is the most version of that quarterback in the SEC and maybe the country. All Stockton did was win in his first year as a fulltime starter. He had the sixth best QBR in the country at 85.8. He finished the season with 34 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He gets a lot of hate because he only averaged 206.7 passing yards per game and had the second lowest average depth to target rate of any SEC signal caller. That was in part because 40 percent of his passes last season were at or behind the line scrimmage. He also was second in the league in turnover-worthy play rate.

4. John Mateer, Oklahoma

Mateer was another first year transfer quarterback that came into the league with a ton of hype. The biggest concern on my end was that all the numbers he put up at Washington State were at, well, Washington State. He played one game in 2024 against Power Four competition. Mateer’s season played out exactly how I thought it would, besides his injury. He got off to a great start in September in non-conference play and against a 5-7 Auburn team. Once the competition got better, his production got worse. He had six passing touchdowns and three interceptions in September. He had six touchdowns and seven interceptions the rest of the regular season. The ceiling is still very high for Mateer, and he’ll come much closer to reaching the potential everyone hyped up last season, this season. I love the continuity he has with the offense and coordinator in Norman in year two.

5. Sam Leavitt, LSU

Leavitt is fascinating. There are few quarterbacks with more hype coming into this season, and there are zero quarterbacks coming into a better situation than Leavitt. Two years ago we watched him lead Arizona State to the CFP. That was his freshman season, and he finished that campaign ninth nationally in QBR. Leavitt is going to play in one of the best offenses in America. He’s also going to play against significantly better competition than he ever did in the Big 12. As stated earlier with aforementioned players, I’m usually hesitant to buy into first year transfers in this league, but with what Leavitt will have at his disposal, I have a hard time seeing him fail. Lane Kiffin’s track record is far too impressive with far less talented quarterbacks over the last decade and a half.

6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

When you’re done rolling your eyes, hear me out. LaNorris Sellers had a miserable season in 2025. That’s totally fair. The expectations were through the roof, but the production was brutally underwhelming. There are parts of Sellers’ game that definitely need improving. His consistency in the passing game needs work, but he is a 1-of-1 physical talent. There is no one else in the country that has his arm strength, athleticism, or size. The marriage between all that and new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles will feed families this season. First year quarterbacks in Briles’ offenses have thrived throughout his previous stops. The LaNorris Sellers we saw in the final six games of 2024 is what we’ll see this year, not whatever Mike Shula did to him a season ago.

7. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Reed doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a quarterback in this league. He’s not the most polished passer, and his 12 interceptions were the second most of any quarterback in the league in 2025. Still, a third year starting quarterback in this league feels like a recipe for winning. The biggest question in regards to Reed is how will he do this year after losing four starters off the most experienced offensive line in the country a season ago, no KC Concepcion, and a new offensive coordinator.

8. Byrum Brown, Auburn

Brown has experience and a lot of it. The size and physical tools are obvious. The question marks are too, however. Brown was one of the highest ranked portal players in the country this past offseason, and his previous years as a starter in Alex Golesh’s offense should help for a smoother transition than some into this league. He’s been a starter for three years at the FBS level, but only six of his 35 career games have come against Power Four competition. In those six games he’s completed just 58 percent of his passes and scored just five touchdowns.

9. Keelon Russell, Alabama

The biggest argument to make for Russell is his upside. Sure, we have seen highly ranked recruits fail before, and just because someone is a five star recruit doesn’t mean they are going to pan out. There are a ton of examples to prove that. Russell isn’t just a five star Alabama recruit, though. He’s the highest ranked recruit in program history. That’s saying something at Alabama. His skillset was on full display in the spring game, and despite being thin depth-wise at wide receiver, he has a lot of talent around him. One would have to assume that the run game will be better this year in comparison to last year. It can’t get much worse.

10. Austin Simmons, Missouri

Simmons had a rough start to his time as Ole Miss’ starter a season ago. He will have less talent at the skill positions around him at Missouri than Ole Miss for sure. Eli Drinkwitz however, is still a very good offensive mind. Simmons should take a huge step forward with a fresh start in Columbia. He’s still a young quarterback, and a young quarterback’s best friend is a good run game. Missouri just so happens to have arguably the best running back in America in Ahmad Hardy.