Roman Harper shares early ranking of the SEC’s top 5 quarterbacks for 2026
By David Wasson
Published:
The Southeastern Conference produces NFL-ready talent every year at every position, but several SEC teams also will be blessed in 2026 with returning quarterbacks ready to take their teams to the next level.
SEC Network analyst Roman Harper knows this – taking to the airwaves Thursday morning to expound on his top 5 returning SEC quarterbacks. To the surprise of some, Harper didn’t tap Texas signal-caller Arch Manning as his top returner but instead went with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
“He took his team further than anybody else. He also came from Ferris State, where nobody was talking about him and started as a backup,” Harper said of Chambliss. “Got in this offense under Charlie Weis Jr. and started to get things rolling. The playmaking ability, the ability to create. The guy just keeps making plays.”
Chambliss electrified the Rebels en route to their first-ever College Football Playoff berth, throwing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 527 yards and eight more TDs – despite only starting 13 games following an injury to Week 1 starter Austin Simmons.
Harper tapped Manning, who threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Longhorns, as his second-best returning SEC quarterback. Rounding out Harper’s top 5 was LSU’s Sam Leavitt (who transferred from Arizona State), Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
