MARLER: Week 7 SEC Quarterback Rankings

By Chris Marler
We are back with another week of SEC quarterback rankings. And, after the absolute chaos that ensued in college football last weekend, there is a lot of shakeup in this week’s rankings.
Some of the most notable things that impacted this week’s rankings include: Conner Weigman reintroducing himself to the league with a career day and, 41-10, win against Mizzou, Payton Thorne reintroducing himself to Hugh Freeze’s doghouse after the failed fourth down attempt and Diego Pavia introducing himself to the whole damn country as well as the history books with his win over Alabama.
Here are this week’s SEC Quarterback rankings.
Best of the Rest
16. Mississippi State Kid. Mississippi State (Last Week: 16)
15. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (Last Week: 11)
14. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky (Last Week: 12)
13. Not Dillion Gabriel, Oklahoma (Last Week: 15)
12. Payton Thorne/Hugh Freeze’s Scapegoat, Auburn (Last Week: 14)
11. Brady Cook, Missouri (Last Week: 7)
Top 10
- Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (Last Week: 5)
Nico Iamaleava had arguably his worst game of the season last week in Fayetteville. The freshman phenom had his lowest completion percentage, total yardage and passer rating of 2024, and he recorded a QBR of 39.5. Iamaleava hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards or completed 63 percent of his passes in any of his last three games. And, over his last two games he has just one total touchdown while the Vols are averaging only 19.5 ppg.
- Mertz & Lagway, Florida (Last Week: 13)
Over the last two games, Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway have combined for one of the most efficient passing offenses in the country. Together they have completed 49-of-55 passes (89.1 completion percentage) for over 570 total yards of offense. Lagway has been a perfect 11-for-11 through the air, and Mertz has one less touchdown (5) than total incompletions (6).
Yes he did!!! ✅
DJ Lagway looking like a veteran already with one of those little things that goes unnoticed at the time, but pays off huge. pic.twitter.com/Mduosp1df8 https://t.co/wB4xPSUhs7
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) October 8, 2024
- Taylen Green, Arkansas (Last Week: 10)
Green had his most productive passing game yet this season against Tennessee. He completed over 70 percent of his passes for the first time this season and had nearly 40 more yards by himself (266) than any other team has had total this season against the Vols.
And he did it without even playing in the full four quarters.
- Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (Last Week: NR)
Maybe the most overlooked and underappreciated performance of the season so far. Weigman had missed the last three games from injury, and his backup, Marcel Reed, had been great. Weigman was a game time decision, and he reminded everyone whose team this is. Weigman went 18-for-22 for 276 yards against a Top 10 team in what was arguably the best game of his career in College Station.
What a performance by Fifteen. 👏#GigEm | @ConnerWeigman pic.twitter.com/KDJU1t3JrW
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) October 9, 2024
- Carson Beck, Georgia (Last Week: 6)
Beck bounced back after his loss to Alabama by completing nearly 80 percent of his passes for 240 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Beck’s stats will suffer because of what happened in Tuscaloosa, but on the season, he’s still averaging 280 total yards per game with 12 touchdowns, and the fifth best QBR in the SEC at 81.7.
- Quinn & Arch, Texas (Last Week: 4)
Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning continue to be absolutely incredible this season for Texas. Though they had a bye last weekend, they still rank in the Top 10 nationally in passing yards per game, passing touchdowns, passer rating and yards per attempt. Arch Manning has been absolutely outstanding replacing Ewers during his injury as well. Manning ranks second in the SEC, and Top 10 nationally, in QBR, passer rating and PFF Quarterback Grades.
- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (Last Week: 9)
I said last week that Husky Johnny Manziel would have a chance to do the impossible Saturday and beat Alabama. Pavia didn’t disappoint. He completed 80 percent of his passes for over 300 total yards and finished without an interception for the fifth consecutive game. He became only the second quarterback in the last 14 years to do that against a No. 1 ranked team in the country joining Stephen Garcia who also did it against Alabama in 2010.
Pavia finished week six with the third highest PFF grade for SEC quarterbacks, the sixth best QBR in the league and the fourth highest passer rating.
Oh my goodness, Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia on 4th down with the TD dime. pic.twitter.com/2xAyRzeCcQ
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) October 5, 2024
- Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Last Week: 3)
Jaxson Dart had over 300 yards of offense against South Carolina last week and continues to lead the conference in seemingly every offensive category. However, his production has tapered off now that he’s playing teams with a pulse. He completed just 51.9 percent of his passes and for only the second time in his last 27 games as a starter, he failed to score a touchdown. Over the last two games he has just one total touchdown as well.
- Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (Last Week: 2)
Nussmeier and LSU had a bye week last Saturday. But, through five games he still ranks in the Top 5 nationally in total completions (139), passing touchdowns (15) and passing yards per game with 330.4. He’s been responsible for over 70 percent of LSU’s offense this season and accounted for 17 of their 23 total offensive touchdowns.
Plain and simple, if LSU was undefeated, Nussmeier would be a Top 5 Heisman contender as we head into the halfway point of the season.
- Jalen Milroe, Alabama (Last Week: 1)
While Alabama suffered one of the biggest upsets in SEC history last weekend in their loss to Vanderbilt, Jalen Milroe was hardly to blame. Milroe had 320 total yards of offense, two touchdowns and a completion percentage over 70 percent for the third consecutive game.
#Alabama QB Jalen Milroe vs. Vanderbilt
The positive development as a passer continued. Correct ball placement on various types of seam throws. pic.twitter.com/50kma7x1zr
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) October 9, 2024
However, it’s hard to score and put up more points when your offense is only on the field for 44 plays and less than 18 total minutes. Regardless, Milroe is still having the best season of any quarterback in the league. He has 20 total touchdowns, and he ranks in the Top 3 in the conference in QBR (85.9), completion percentage (73.4%) and yards per attempt (11.7). All three of those rank in the Top 8 nationally, as well. If that’s not enough, he leads the entire country in passer rating at 201.20.