{"id":336919,"date":"2026-06-15T12:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/336919\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:08:12","slug":"arch-manning-ranking-the-sec-football-qbs-entering-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/336919\/","title":{"rendered":"Arch Manning: Ranking the SEC football QBs entering 2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas football<\/a>\u00a0enters the 2026 season at a crossroads.<\/p>\n

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Head coach\u00a0Steve\u00a0<\/a>Sarkisian<\/a>‘s team went 10-3 a year ago and fell short of the College Football Playoff<\/a> for the first time in three seasons. But the Longhorns rebuilt with their biggest transfer portal overall in Sarkisian\u2019s first six offseasons. How does Texas stack up as it begins their third season in arguably the deepest conference in college football?<\/p>\n

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The American-Statesman is ranking the SEC position by position, assigning points for each team \u2014 16 points for first place through one point for 16th. We’ll update the totals with each installment, giving a sense of which teams could contend for the SEC title and one of the 12 CFP spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First, we rank the SEC schools on the strength of their quarterbacks heading into summer camp:<\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) celebrates a win over Texas A&M Aggies 27-17 during the NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.<\/p>\n

Ricardo B. Brazziell\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n

1. Texas Longhorns: Arch Manning returns to spotlight<\/p>\n

Arch Manning<\/a> returns along with perhaps the most expectations for any player in college football. After a rough start, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt junior blossomed into one the SEC’s best quarterbacks over the second half of the season; in his final eight games, Manning threw for 2,012 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions on 62.1% passing to go along with 239 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. And he\u2019s got better weapons around him compared to last year, when the Longhorns ranked ninth in the SEC with 388.5 yards per game. Redshirt freshman\u00a0KJ Lacey<\/a> appears to have beaten out veteran MJ Morris<\/a> for the backup job, and 2026 five-star recruit Dia Bell<\/a> waits in the wings.<\/p>\n

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2. Ole Miss Rebels: Trinidad Chambliss beats courts, defenses<\/p>\n

Winning court battles seems as important as winning on the field in this era of college football, and sixth-year senior Trinidad Chambliss received an injunction from a state court in late March that ruled he’s eligible to play in the 2026 season. That\u2019s good news for the Rebels, who led the SEC in offense last season with 488.9 yards per game and reached the CFP. \u00a0The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Chambliss keyed that attack by leading the SEC with 3,937 passing yards to go with 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. New coach Pete Golding, who took over for the departed Lane Kiffin prior to the CFP, signed former Auburn blue-chip recruit Deuce Knight to serve an apprenticeship under Chambliss.<\/p>\n

MORE:\u00a0Who are the 20 best Texas Longhhorns football players of all time? See our list.<\/a><\/p>\n

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3. Georgia Bulldogs: Gunner Stockton provides veteran poise<\/p>\n

A star in the Peach State going back almost a decade to his playing days at Rabun County High School, Stockton enters his fifth collegiate season as a home-grown success story. In his first season as a starter in 2025, the sturdy, 6-foot-1, 215-pound Stockton led Georgia to an SEC championship and finished seventh in the conference with 2,894 passing yards. He also had 24 touchdowns and five interceptions for a team that ranked seventh in the SEC in offense with 402.4 yards a game last season. Better yet, he recorded a 158.6 passer rating with 16 TDs and two interceptions against ranked teams. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Puglisi seems like the heir apparent to Stockton after he spends one more season as the primary backup.<\/p>\n

\"Marcel<\/p>\n

Marcel Reed (10) of Texas A&M\u00a0runs with the ball in the first quarter against Miami during the 2025 College Football Playoff First Round Game at Kyle Field on Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station. (Photo by Alex\u00a0Slitz\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Alex Slitz\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

4. Texas A&M Aggies: Marcel Reed\u00a0 looks to take next step<\/p>\n

Marcel Reed<\/a>, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior, took the reins of coach Mike Elko\u2019s offense as a freshman and seems poised for the next step. He\u2019s 15-6 as a starter and ranked 22nd in the FBS in total offense with 281.7 total yards per game. A slippery runner when forced to improvise, Reed also added 493 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground a year ago.<\/p>\n

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But\u00a0the Aggie<\/a> diehards want more from Reed and the offense against blood rival Texas; in two games since the Longhorns joined the SEC, Reed has averaged just 163 yards passing with no touchdowns and three interceptions in a pair of Aggie losses. Redshirt freshman Brady Hart, a three-star recruit from Florida, is expected to fend off four-star freshman Helaman Casuga of Hawaii for the backup job.<\/p>\n

MORE: Can Texas Tech billionaire Cody Campbell buy a football showdown vs. Texas? Nah. | Golden<\/a><\/p>\n

5. LSU Tigers: Sam Leavitt joins rebuilt Tigers<\/p>\n

New Tigers coach Lane Kiffin has enjoyed plenty of success over the years with transfer quarterbacks, and he got a good one in former Arizona State star Sam Leavitt. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt junior was 16-4 in two seasons as the starter for the Sun Devils despite playing in just seven games last season because of a foot injury. In those 20 games, he accounted for 44 total touchdowns and completed 61.5% of his passes. Kiffin also plucked former five-star recruit Husan Longstreet from USC and he still has four remaining seasons of eligibility.\u00a0 Elon transfer Landen Clark, who threw for 2,321 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season, provides veteran depth.<\/p>\n

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6. South Carolina Gamecocks: LaNorris Sellers tries to channel potential<\/p>\n

Now a junior, LaNorris Sellers has generated massive buzz since he stepped onto campus as a 6-foot-3, 240-pound five-star recruit with a massive arm and quick feet. Hopefully for Gamecocks fans, his experience \u2014 Sellers has started 24 games for his current school, the most in the SEC \u2014 can help him smooth out some lingering inconsistencies. He threw for 2,437 yards and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 2025 and added 270 rushing yards and five touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Those are a slight dip from his freshman season in 2024, and Sellers is just 12-12 as a starter. Redshirt freshman Cutter Woods returns as the backup but didn\u2019t see much action last season.<\/p>\n

7. Oklahoma Sooners: John Mateer, Sooners seek consistency<\/p>\n

John Mateer endured a roller-coaster of a season in his first tour with the Sooners. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior averaged 334 yards of offense through the first four games but then put up 174.2 yards passing a game over the next six weeks. He ended the season with back-to-back games of at least 300 yards passing. So which Mateer will show up?<\/p>\n

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The Sooners need the scrappy veteran with 24 career starts who can evoke Baker Mayfield at his best if they hope to keep up in the SEC. Redshirt sophomore Whitt Newbauer, who started as a freshman at Mercer before transferring to Oklahoma last season, returns as the top backup. Bowe Bentley, a four-star freshman from the Texas small-town high school powerhouse Celina, will likely redshirt.<\/p>\n

8. Auburn Tigers: New coach, new QB Byrum Brown have tight connection<\/p>\n

New quarterback Byrum Brown, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior, started 32 games for new coach Alex Golesh at South Florida, so both should have a comfort level as they adapt to life in the SEC. Brown proved himself at South Florida; in his two full seasons as a starter, he racked up a cumulative 6,450 yards passing, another 1,817 yards rushing and 79 total touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Locklan Hewlett also followed Golesh from South Florida and will battle redshirt freshman and Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti’a for the top backup spot.<\/p>\n

9. Alabama Crimson Tide: Texas high school star Keelon Russell could start<\/p>\n

While the top half of the SEC quarterback rankings boasts a total of 166 cumulative starts, the other eight teams have a combined six starts among their signal callers. But Alabama and head coach Kalen DeBoer get the benefit of a doubt when it comes to starting inexperienced quarterbacks, considering the coach\u2019s track record. Redshirt freshman Keelon Russell, a former five-star recruit out of Texas state power Duncanville, seems like the favorite to replace Ty Simpson. He boasts good size (6-3, 185) as well as a live arm. But junior Austin Mack, a Washington transfer, could also factor into the battle for No. 1 since he played for DeBoer as a freshman.<\/p>\n

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10. Mississippi State\u00a0Bulldogs: Kamario Taylor seeks next step<\/p>\n

Sophomore Kamario Taylor played in 10 games last season with two starts, and he flashed enough potential to stir some rare optimism in a long-suffering fan base. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder threw for 629 yards with five touchdowns to go with 458 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in that limited time, and he looks poised for a breakout season under third-year coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs brought in some veterans to back up Taylor, including senior AJ Swann, a former starter at Vanderbilt and Appalachian State. Redshirt junior Jaden Rashada joins his fourth school and could push Swann.\u00a0<\/p>\n

11. Missouri\u00a0Tigers: Austin Simmons seeks fresh start<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a rough year for Austin Simmons, who started last season for Ole Miss before losing his job to Chambliss after an injury. But the 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior gets a fresh start with head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers after last year\u2019s starter, Beau Pribula, left for Virginia. Can he rediscover the potential he showed at Ole Miss? If so, he could prove one of the better transfers in the conference. Fifth-year senior Nick Evers, a journeyman who started eight games at UConn, will battle redshirt freshman Matt Zollers for the backup spot.<\/p>\n

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12. Kentucky Wildcats: Can Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey kickstart career?<\/p>\n

New head coach Will Stein has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer going back to his days at Lake Travis <\/a>High School in 2018 and 2019, when he tutored former Cavalier stars Hudson Card and Nate Parnell. He lured in Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt junior who only attempted 29 passes in three seasons after joining the Irish as a blue-chip recruit. Minchey impressed in the spring while locking down the starting job, but the backup spot could be up for grabs between veteran Brennan Ward, Marshall transfer JacQai Long and touted freshman Matt Ponatoski, who could get drafted in the first round of the upcoming MLB draft.<\/p>\n

13. Tennessee Volunteers: Blue-chip recruits like Faizon Brandon get time to shine<\/p>\n

Few coaches can develop quarterbacks as well as Josh Heupel, the former All-American quarterback at Oklahoma who has consistently produced explosive offenses in his six years as Tennessee’s head coach. But he has his work cut out for him this year with two talented but raw recruits. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, a pure pocket passer at 6-6 and 200, started the spring game and has a year’s head start on five-star freshman Faizon Brandon, an athletic 6-4, 205-pounder who fielded offers from virtually every Power Four school in the country. Heupel also added junior Ryan Staub from Colorado to bring some veteran wisdom into the room.<\/p>\n

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14. Florida Gators: Transfer Aaron Philo takes over rebuilt Gators<\/p>\n

The DJ Lagway era never seemed to get off the runway, and the former five-star recruit is now at Baylor after two years at Florida. New coach Jon Sumrall will give Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo first crack at the starting job; the 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt freshman backed up Haynes King for the past two years and threw for a total of 938 yards. He also handled snaps in the Wildcat, so look for him to get some short-yardage work with the Gators. Blue-chip recruit Will Griffin waits in the wings as a freshman, but redshirt freshman Tramell Jones will likely get snaps if Philo gets hurt.<\/p>\n

15. Vanderbilt\u00a0Commodores: Can touted freshman Jared Curtis replace Diego Pavia?<\/p>\n

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has to find a replacement for Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia, who carried the Commodores into national relevancy while playing with a swagger that swept across the entire program. No pressure for freshman Jared Curtis or junior Blaze Berlowitz, right? The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Curtis, a five-star prospect from Nashville, is the highest-rated recruit to ever join his hometown program and may have enough talent to start the opener. Berlowitz transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State like Pavia, but threw just 17 passes last season. Redshirt sophomore Whit Muschamp, the son of Texas defensive coordinator\u00a0Will Muschamp<\/a>, could fight for the No. 2 spot.<\/p>\n

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16. Arkansas\u00a0Razorbacks: KJ Jackson part of new era<\/p>\n

One of new head coach Ryan Silverfield’s top priorities is finding a replacement for the mercurial Taylen Green, who started the past two seasons. KJ Jackson, a\u00a0 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, has patiently waited his turn and showed promise last season with 441 passing yards and three touchdowns in limited snaps. But he\u2019ll have to fend off redshirt freshman AJ Hill, who followed Silverfield and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey from Memphis. \u00a0Fifth-year senior Braeden Fuller, a native of Floresville, provides experience after four seasons at Angelo State in Division II.<\/p>\n

Series lineup:\u00a0Quarterbacks, June 14; running backs, June 21; receivers, June 28; offensive linemen, July 5; defensive linemen, July 12; linebackers, July 19; defensive backs, July 26; coaching\/intangibles, Aug. 2.<\/p>\n

Current team standings, through QBs<\/p>\n

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10. Mississippi State (7)<\/p>\n

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