CBS Sports analyst ranks his top five quarterbacks in the SEC
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The SEC is year in and year out one of the best conferences in the country when it comes to quarterback talent. The 2026 season shouldn’t be any different.
But who are the best players at the position right now? CBS Sports college football analyst Bud Elliott took a crack at ranking his top five. And, perhaps, unsurprisingly, Texas‘s Arch Manning was number one. Manning and the Longhorns have received plenty of hype heading into the season thanks, in part, to the way he grew during the back end of the 2025 campaign.
“He played really well down the stretch. The guy’s supremely talented. He’s big, strong arm. He can run. I expect big things this year from Arch,” Elliott said.
Behind Manning at No. 2 is Ole Miss signal-caller Trinidad Chambliss, who led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2025 and brought them a win shy of a national championship game.
“(He) carved up Georgia obviously in that crazy (43-35) game. He took it to Miami in a loss (in the CFP semifinal). Just the throws he makes down the stretch were nuts. Full command of that offense. I think he keeps rolling,” Elliott said.
A “surprise” at No. 3 is Sam Leavitt from LSU, in his first season with the Tigers after transferring from Arizona State. Leavitt threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just six interceptions in 2024 while running for 443 yards and five TDs, but injuries in 2025 hindered his progress before joining Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge.
“There’s a lot of teams out there in the SEC that wanted to bring this guy in and boot their incumbent starter out this off-season. When he’s healthy, and I expect him to be this year, he’s a dude,” said Elliott.
Rounding out Elliott’s top five: Alabama‘s Keelon Russell — who Elliott believes will beat out Austin Mack — at No. 4 and South Carolina‘s LaNorris Sellers at No. 5.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
