A lingering QB question from SEC Media Days about how the position will shake out in 2025
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Somebody needs to say it. It’s not something that I want to shout from the mountain tops because after all, it’s Talkin’ Season. This is the time wherein “hopium” is in full bloom and everyone is either being disrespected or praised for their optimistic (but probably unrealistic) outlook.
History tells us that several SEC quarterbacks who represented their respective teams at Media Days will be, dare I say, a bummer. Who will those bummers be in 2025?
Was that too negative? I apologize. It’s reality, though.
Last year, Jackson Arnold, Jalen Milroe, Carson Beck and Payton Thorne all represented their respective teams at SEC Media Days, and they were all bummers. We had a record of 11 quarterbacks in attendance. The odds were strong that at least a handful of those guys were going to be bummers, and there were also decent odds that there were going to be a non-participant or 2 who were going to be revelations at quarterback. That also proved to be true. We can thank LaNorris Sellers, Diego Pavia and DJ Lagway for that.
This year, we again saw 11 quarterbacks at SEC Media Days, including that aforementioned trio of 2024 revelations. Several guys from that group of 11 will be bummers. Shoot, it bums be out just thinking about that because of how many of them were a joy to speak with in Atlanta. Even if SEC quarterback play is historically great and not a bummer like it was last year — I’ll stop using the word “bummer” — there will be quarterbacks who don’t build on the preseason love that they’re getting. And on the flip side, who from the 5 teams who didn’t have quarterbacks in Atlanta will have a revelation at the position?
Let’s dig into that.
The masses probably want Arch Manning to be one of those disappointments
I say that because of how he’s been covered. I get that. In the same way that it was fair to be annoyed by the coverage of Tim Tebow while having nothing against the person, Manning is already in that camp for some. Mind you, he hasn’t leaned into that coverage one bit. One of the refreshing things that came out of SEC Media Days was hearing him repeatedly remind media members about his limited sample size for someone in NFL Draft/Heisman Trophy discussions.
“I’m not in the business of, this is gonna sound mean, but caring about what other people think, but I’m grateful that y’all think that. But I’ve only played what, 2 games?” Manning said. “I’ve got a lot to prove. I’m ready to play, though.”
Here’s the other thing; what would a “disappointing” season actually look like for Manning? Last year, Quinn Ewers was considered “disappointing” because of the offensive limitations, yet he still earned All-SEC honors at season’s end, he delivered Texas’s most clutch play since Vince Young turned the corner and he nearly led the Longhorns to a national championship berth for the second consecutive year. Ewers was put in great spots because of that Texas ground game, the elite receivers, the wizard of a play-caller in Steve Sarkisian and an elite defense.
Which one of those surroundings are suddenly changing for Manning? Maybe Ryan Wingo won’t turn into Matthew Golden, and perhaps the offensive line with 4 new starters makes the ground game a bit less consistent, but it’s hard to project a floor lower than Ewers when Manning is in such an ideal situation.
Not everyone can say that.
I’m worried about LaNorris Sellers’ surroundings leading to him being the most disappointing QB from this group
To be clear, I love Sellers. I have him as my No. 2 quarterback in the SEC in large part because of how he dealt with some shaky offensive line play and an underwhelming group of receivers. He’s that dude, and in my ideal world, I get to watch him rip off performances like we saw vs. Texas A&M and Clemson on a weekly basis. I’m by no means a Sellers hater.
I am, however, skeptical about the surroundings he has in 2025.
Mike Shula replacing Dowell Loggains at offensive coordinator will be at the center of that, though it’s worth noting that once upon a time, there was skepticism about Loggains’ ability to maximize Spencer Rattler’s ability in Year 2 as a starter in Columbia, and those who watched him saw that growth. Shula might have deep SEC ties, but he’s someone who hasn’t been an offensive play-caller since 2017 when he was with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. We don’t compare anyone to Newton, but the hope is that Shula can help maximize skills of a big, fast quarterback. We’ll see on that.
It’s also fair to wonder if the receiver room will take a step up. Josh Simon became a go-to target at the tight end spot, and he’s gone. South Carolina would like former Kentucky transfer Jordan Dingle to have a similar presence, but so much of the “weapons” conversation will come down to whether the freakish Nyck Harbor takes that highly anticipated next step. That’s a huge question mark for the track star, who has shown flashes but is still trying to become a go-to option.
Let’s also remember that as of this writing, we don’t even know if South Carolina’s expected starting running back, Rahsul Faison, is going to be eligible because the NCAA hasn’t made a ruling on his waiver yet. Rocket Sanders’ emergence was a big reason why South Carolina’s offense found an identity in 2024. As heroic as Sellers was, he needs that complement so that he doesn’t need to put on his cape every time. Shane Beamer knows that.
“I think we’re going to be better around LaNorris as well on the offense, more depth and competition at pretty much every position I feel like. That’s going to help him. He doesn’t have to be Superman for us,” Beamer said. “Just continue to be the person he is, the leader that he is, and the player that he is, and watch him continue to take the next step.”
Fingers crossed that it’s a step forward and not a step back.
The new starters who could test their coach’s loyalty after being at Media Days: Gunner Stockton, John Mateer and Jackson Arnold
All 3 were at SEC Media Days to represent their respective teams even though they have a combined 1 start in their current uniforms (it was Stockton against Notre Dame in the Playoff). I’m fascinated to see the type of leash that each one of them has.
Stockton and Mateer are being managed by defensive-minded head coaches who might not have patience for dud showings, yet all of their actions publicly suggest that they’re all in on them leading them to their team’s version of a “bounce-back” season. Kirby Smart and Brent Venables have both benched a Day 1 starter in an SEC opener (D’Wan Mathis in 2020 and Arnold in 2024). It’d be stunning if that played out again, especially after Venables paired Mateer with his Washington State offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, though nobody in their right mind would’ve predicted that Arnold, who represented Oklahoma last year at the Sooners’ first SEC Media Days, would be pulled before halftime of that Tennessee game.
Speaking of Arnold, he’s not going to be getting the preseason buzz that his OU successor, Mateer, got so far, and he’s likely going to have a much shorter leash than those other 2. Hugh Freeze brought in Ashton Daniels from Stanford just in case Arnold doesn’t thrive in his new surroundings. Freeze’s awkward offseason could carry over into how he approaches the quarterback situation. As much as Freeze talked about how badly he wished he could’ve gotten Arnold to Auburn out of high school — he was a longtime OU commit from Texas who wasn’t going to flip to Auburn immediately after Freeze was hired — that’s all irrelevant if Arnold struggles out of the gate.
The most important date for Arnold’s 2025 outlook won’t be that season opener at Baylor in a standalone spot on a Thursday night; it’ll be when he returns to Norman to kick off SEC play.
Oh, the irony.
Which non-Media Days QB has the best chance to be All-SEC at season’s end? Marcel Reed
I’m tempted to go with Beau Pribula at Mizzou because his skill set in the Kirby Moore offense is all sorts of intriguing, especially with how that schedule sets up. But Pavia was the first quarterback to transfer from an FBS school to an SEC school and earn all-conference honors at season’s end in his first year in the conference. Guys like Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Hendon Hooker all fell short of doing that in their first seasons in the SEC.
And while Ty Simpson is trying to become Alabama’s 5th consecutive starting quarterback to finish in the top 6 in the Heisman Trophy voting in his college career, I’m still more skeptical about his floor and the fact that Kalen DeBoer recruited the 2 quarterbacks who are waiting behind him.
Reed is the most established SEC quarterback who wasn’t in Atlanta. Make of that what you will. Mike Elko wanted to bring seniors or a multi-year captain like Taurean York. Elko also made multiple quarterback switches last year. Always file that away for the defensive-minded head coaches who haven’t had to deal with quarterback room dynamics until they became head coaches.
But I’m a believer that Reed’s got some favorable surroundings. He’s in Year 2 in the Collin Klein offense, but he’s also got A&M’s top 7 returning offensive linemen back, and if Le’Veon Moss makes a full return from his torn ACL, that rushing trio with Reed and Rueben Owens might be as good as there is in the sport.
Reed has to improve his downfield accuracy (he had a 27.8% adjusted completion percentage on throws 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage) and he was last among qualified SEC quarterbacks with a 46.2% adjusted completion percentage under pressure. Those are real concerns, as is his hunt to find a new go-to receiver (NC State transfer KC Concepcion should be that guy), but there’s a lot to like. He only had 8 starts, but he had 22 total touchdowns and looked the part in big-time games like Florida and in relief vs. LSU. Even in losses like South Carolina and Auburn, Reed’s resilience fueled comebacks after the Aggies looked like they were dead in the water.
It wouldn’t be a stunner if Reed became A&M’s first All-SEC quarterback at season’s end in the post-Johnny Manziel era.
All I know is, I don’t have any Diego Pavia fatigue
If he’s the guy from the SEC Media Days quarterbacks who disappoints the most, he’ll hear about it. And if that proves to be the case, 2025 won’t be as entertaining as it could’ve been.
Here’s hoping that bummer doesn’t play out in 2025.
OK, now I really promise to put that word to bed for the rest of Talkin’ Season.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
