We’re now a third of the way through the 2026 regular season.
Some of the top SEC QBs are Heisman Trophy contenders. Others are just trying to hold onto their starting jobs.
Let’s rank every SEC quarterback, 1-16. Check out previous rankings below!
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16. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Marcel Reed and the Texas A&M Aggies are a train wreck. The Aggies’ senior QB turned in his worst performance of the season during Saturday’s loss to LSU, completing just 10 of his 26 passing attempts for 106 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception.
The Aggies are completely and totally stuck in the mud in the passing game. Backing up Reed is Brady Hart, a 3-star prospect from the Class of 2025 who threw an interception in his first and only passing attempt of Week 4’s game.
Last Week: 15 (-1)
15. KJ Jackson, Arkansas
Arkansas needs to keep rolling with KJ Jackson under center, because the difference from Week 1 to Week 4 is noticeable. And despite the fact Jackson’s offensive line and play calling has been abhorrent, he sits 45th in passing yards nationally entering Week 5.
Following a 20-for-27 week against Georgia, Jackson finally looks relaxed in the pocket. That growth, even against Tulsa, warrants a slight jump amid Reed’s continued downward trend.
Last Week: 16 (+1)
14. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Trailing 2 possessions early, John Mateer put together what I would consider his best drive of 2026 — an 8-play, 60-yard march that brought the Oklahoma Sooners to the Georgia Bulldogs‘ 2-yard-line.
Then whatever this is happened:
About 4 minutes later, Mateer coughed it up again by floating an absolute duck over the middle of the field, late and into coverage.
As you’d probably agree after watching the clips above, Week 4 was a microcosm of the John Mateer experience. There are flashes of legitimate talent that are overshadowed by questionable (that’s putting it nicely) decision-making and an overall inconsistency at the QB position. Mateer worked at Washington State. Apart from 4 games at the start of last year, he’s been a disappointment at Oklahoma.
Last Week: 14 (-)
13. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
I wouldn’t necessarily say LaNorris Sellers has regressed. Rather, he’s refused to take the step that his glaring physical attributes are begging him to take and that many folks who watch college football thought he would take.
Once again, South Carolina‘s run game found success while Sellers missed throws left and right — some of which were truly disastrous. Sellers is good for at least one hand-delivered interception a game at this point, and it’s getting to be tough to watch.
Sellers is doing way, way too much thinking.
Last week: 13 (-)
12. Byrum Brown, Auburn
Byrum Brown is so good with his legs that it feels wrong to have him any lower than this. That said, you have to sift through some rough sequences before Brown inevitably does something exciting with his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame.
The word I’d use to describe Brown’s passing game is “dangerous.” The USF transfer can hit open receivers, but he puts the ball in harm’s way far too often to be sustainable in SEC play. Five turnovers in 3 games against Power 4 opponents speaks to that.
Auburn is at its best when Brown is utilized in the run game and not forced to try to make it work in the pocket. As I alluded to last week, he was still too indecisive against Vanderbilt in the passing game. Without some Commodores special teams blunders, it probably would have cost Auburn the game.
Last Week: 10 (-2)
11. Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
If you’re a stat watcher, I’ve got nothing for you here. Curtis’s 199-yard outing with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception (Hail Mary at the end of the half) in a loss to Auburn doesn’t exactly jump off the page. You’ll get no argument here: Curtis, a true freshman, is raw.
Groundbreaking analysis.
I’m going to hold further comments until next week. I want to see what the former 2-time Bulldogs commit looks like against Georgia.
Last Week: 11 (-)
10. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
Kentucky rushed for 390 yards for 5 touchdowns at an average of 9.3 yards per carry during Week 4’s win over South Alabama. Minchey attempted just 25 passes and wasn’t asked to do very much as Jason Patterson, CJ Baxter and Jovantae Barnes bullied the Jaguars.
Here’s what Will Stein had to say about Minchey through 4 starts at Kentucky:
“I love his operation. I love how he can control a huddle. I love how he can get us into the correct play call,” Stein said. “He’s still got to continue to progress in the drop-back passing game, where there are players that are anticipating throws in certain windows.”
That last part is crucial heading into the bulk of SEC play. It needs to be pointed out that Minchey’s worst performance of the season came against the best defense the Wildcats have played thus far. From what we’ve seen, it’s obvious the Wildcats QB is at least serviceable — but how much more can he bring Kentucky?
Last Week: 9 (-1)
9. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee
I’m not ready to hit the panic button quite yet on Faizon Brandon. Admittedly, though, my expectations for Brandon heading into a matchup against the best defense he’s ever faced were probably inflated.
That Longhorns’ defensive front obliterated Tennessee‘s offensive line on Saturday. It was a crime scene. Sam Pendleton and Sham Umarov especially had rough games in both pass protection and run blocking, and Brandon suffered by way of 10 sacks. Shield your eyes!
The true freshman was timid and gun-shy after 3 impressive starts against lesser opponents. There were some throws that Brandon should have let rip on Saturday, but some of the throws he did commit to were grounded at his receiver’s feet.
Brandon will drop lower if this level of play becomes a trend, but I’m highly confident we’ve seen his worst performance of the year.
Last Week: 8 (-1)
8. Sam Leavitt, LSU
Something intriguing happened on Saturday in Baton Rouge.
Dealing with a hamstring injury (as confirmed by Lane Kiffin on Tuesday), Sam Leavitt was forced to trust his arm. The Tigers QB attempted just 5 carries for 22 yards after totaling double-digit carries in his previous 3 games. He responded with his best performance of the year by a wide margin.
Keep in mind, Texas A&M — as we covered in the Marcel Reed section — is an absolute dumpster fire at the moment. Still, Leavitt looked like a stylistically different quarterback against the Aggies.
Despite all his struggles, the Arizona State transfer has thrown for more yards than all but 3 SEC quarterbacks and his completion percentage is up to a respectable 63.8%. On the other side of the coin, Leavitt leads the SEC in interceptions and struggled against the one legitimate defensive threat he’s faced.
Will Leavitt play this week as he deals with his hamstring issue? With McNeese on the docket and little info out of Baton Rouge, I’d imagine the Tigers will turn to Landen Clark.
Last Week: 12 (+4)
7. Arch Manning, Texas
By his own admission, Arch Manning did not play well at Tennessee in Week 4.
The Vols collected 6 sacks with 10 tackles for loss and kept Manning to 14 completions (19 attempts) with 201 yards and 1 interception. Ohio State and Tennessee boast tougher defenses than most QBs on this list have had to face this season. I think that’s important information to digest when considering Arch Manning’s 2026 campaign.
That said, I can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed by the Longhorns’ signal caller’s lack of consistency. He doesn’t seem to have taken a step, and that schedule isn’t getting any easier. Texas still has to face Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Mizzou and LSU — all currently ranked in the top 25 — following the Red River Shootout in Week 6.
Show us something, Arch.
Last Week: 5 (-2)
6. Austin Simmons, Mizzou
Remember last year when Austin Simmons threw 4 interceptions across his first 55 passing attempts at Ole Miss? Well, the game is obviously moving much slower for Simmons in 2026 — he’s 1 of just 2 SEC starters to have not thrown an interception through the first 4 weeks of the season.
All the talk following Mizzou at Mississippi State in Week 4 is surrounding Kamario Taylor — which is fair — but Simmons quietly had a solid outing as well: 295 yards on 39 attempts for 3 touchdowns in a 1-score loss. Simmons’ connection with Cayden Lee is special, and when he’s on, he’s got a layering ability that is genuinely as good as any quarterback in college football.
That said, there are some inconsistencies to be wary of with Simmons. They showed last week against Troy and returned again early vs. MSU.
Simmons has posted slow starts against both Mississippi State and Kansas. Against the Bulldogs, for example, Simmons seemed to be trying to force some throws early that simply were not viable.
Simmons is good. I think there’s still a step to take.
Last Week: 6 (-)
5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
In unsurprising fashion considering the opponents Georgia has faced so far, Saturday’s Week 4 matchup against Oklahoma was Gunner Stockton’s worst of the season. The Bulldogs QB had his least efficient game (14-of-25) and reminded us that he still doesn’t have the elite arm some of the other quarterbacks in this league do. Again, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Stockton is ranked No. 5 because he wins, and he’s still the SEC’s EPA (expected points added) leader at +0.63. He’s not dynamic, but he consistently puts his team in position to win knowing the insane talent he has around him. Stockton is tough as nails, smart, rarely makes backbreaking mistakes and he knows his role. I still believe he’s one of the most underappreciated players in college football.
Last Week: 3 (-2)
4. Aaron Philo, Florida
Aaron Philo is the SEC’s most efficient quarterback, sitting at 917 passing yards (7th in the SEC) despite having totaled just 87 attempts (15th in the SEC. He actually missed a few throws that left some points on the board in Florida‘s 52-28 shellacking of a top 5 opponent, subtracting only slightly from his 2-touchdown performance against the Rebels.
Philo was more than happy to defer to Florida’s ridiculous run game led by Heisman candidate Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark, who combined for 41 carries, 268 yards and 4 touchdowns. Like Stockton, Philo plays his role perfectly in Buster Faulkner’s offense. Also like Stockton, he’s gritty and tough. With multiple games down, I think Philo’s arm gives him the slight advantage when comparing the 2.
P.S. — I’m going to continue noting this so it isn’t forgotten: Neither of Philo’s interceptions this season can actually be put on the quarterback. Both were perfect throws that bounced off the receiver and into opposing players’ hands. Alright, carry on.
Last Week: 4 (-)
3. Keelon Russell, Alabama
I mentioned last week that Keelon Russell would crack the top 5 if he continues to perform like he did against Florida State in Week 3. Well, he followed up his performance against the Seminoles with his best game yet, a 365-yard, 5-touchdown outing in a stomping of South Carolina.
You may have seen analysts and fans online point out that South Carolina’s secondary was effectively useless on Saturday. They are absolutely correct. Regardless, I’m not knocking 5 touchdowns and this level of continued success against 3 straight Power 4 opponents — especially when Russell has shown improvement each and every week since the start of the season.
Last Week: 7 (+4)
2. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Kamario Taylor is everything great about college football. The Mississippi State star is Mississippi born and raised, obviously loves his university and has a howitzer for a right arm.
Taylor currently ranks 1st in FBS with 14 passing touchdowns and sits within the top 10 nationally in passing yards and QBR. He averaged 5 yards per carry, has turned the ball over just 3 times and has Mississippi State sitting at 4-0 and No. 16 in the country after a thrilling 31-24 win over Mizzou.
Can he end Mississippi State’s 16-game losing streak to Alabama Saturday night in Starkville?
Last Week: 2 (-)
1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Trinidad Chambliss fought. His defense did not. Even on a bad day for the Rebels, the Ole Miss QB collected just under 350 total yards of offense with 3 touchdowns. His Heisman campaign will receive a knock for this, but it shouldn’t.
Last Week: 1 (-)
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Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
