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You’re not going to agree with me, and that’s fine. I won’t agree with you when you disagree with my top 10 SEC quarterbacks heading into 2025, and that’s fine.
See how that works?
Also, let’s get this out there. My rankings could change. Some of this is based on surroundings, but I try to rank quarterbacks not based on who I think will put up the biggest numbers, but who I’d want on my team if this were a schoolyard draft. Some of that can be related to production, but it’s not just about who had the most touchdown passes last year.
There’s some projecting that goes into this. Obviously, some of these quarterbacks have just a handful of starts. For the most part, though, this is about who I think these guys will be when they step onto the field to start 2025. I’ll rank these guys based on the thing I like most about them so far.
So here are my way-too-early top 10 SEC quarterbacks:
10. Taylen Green, Arkansas
The thing I like the most — When he’s healthy and able to use those long 6-6 strides, he can make a defense look completely helpless. That’s unique. It’s perhaps why Green often looked unstoppable against lesser competition. Hence, why all 23 of his touchdowns came against teams that are currently unranked in the AP Poll and 0 came vs. the 4 ranked foes that Arkansas faced (Texas, Ole Miss, Mizzou and Tennessee). It’s worth noting he was banged up vs. Tennessee and Ole Miss, and he had a touchdown against soon-to-be-ranked LSU, though that was still a blowout loss. Green should benefit from another year of working with Bobby Petrino.
9. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
The thing I like the most — The 2 games that Stockton got actual reps this year were against the 2 FBS leaders in opposing quarterback rating, and yet if you actually watched him and not just the box score, he seemed to handle that well. Granted, he didn’t handle backside pressure as well as he could’ve and ultimately in those instances, he very much looked like a guy who was playing meaningful football for the first time in 3 years. But Stockton’s legs and his ability to hit those intermediate throws into tight windows against elite secondaries should give Georgia optimism about the post-Carson Beck era.
8. Austin Simmons, Ole Miss
The thing I like the most — The Georgia drive cannot be overstated. What Simmons did in rare relief work of Jaxson Dart deserves to be remembered in what was easily the biggest win of Lane Kiffin’s career. When the southpaw led Ole Miss on that scoring drive, he showed a glimpse into the future while also confirming why he beat out the older Walker Howard for the backup job, which was a significant preseason development after the LSU transfer was billed as the quarterback of the future. Simmons’ poise could be the difference in making 2025 not feel like a rebuilding year for Ole Miss.
7. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
The thing I like the most — I can criticize the ending and say that A&M finishing with 8 wins was disappointing when you consider it was the SEC’s last unbeaten team in conference play. But I can do so while also pointing out that even after falling behind in road games at South Carolina and Auburn, Reed kept fighting and erased double-digit deficits. Reed’s most notable moment was resurrecting the Aggies in relief against LSU in what was their biggest home game of the post-Johnny Manziel era, but don’t forget he led a comeback effort against Arkansas, too. Reed finished the year leading an A&M offense that was No. 1 in the SEC in scoring vs. conference foes. Why? Because a guy who lost his job kept fighting. He’ll give A&M a chance every time he steps on the field.
6. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
The thing I like the most — He’s the only quarterback on this list who can say “I led my team to the Playoff,” and he did so without missing a start, which wasn’t the case for a banged-up group of Tennessee pass-catchers. Iamaleava turned into more of a game manager than a game-changer, but there’s nothing he’s incapable of doing. He avoided grenade games while showing the ability to throw 30-yard ropes to in-stride receivers. It’ll be up to him to take on an even bigger role in the passing game with Dylan Sampson off to the NFL after he — not Iamaleava — was Tennessee’s drive-finisher.
5. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
The thing I like the most — Uh, besides how turnt he made Vandy? How about the fact that he led Vandy to a winning season even though he was clearly hobbled in the latter half of the year. Go back to August and tell someone that Pavia would lead Vandy to victories against Virginia Tech, Auburn and Georgia Tech. Then knock them over with a feather when you tell them that Pavia led the Commodores to their first win ever vs. a No. 1 team in the country when he lit up Alabama and sent the goalposts into the Cumberland River (he didn’t personally do that, but his play fueled that). To doubt Pavia is to doubt one of the grittier, more dynamic mobile quarterbacks the SEC has had in the 2020s.
4. Arch Manning, Texas
The thing I like the most — His last name. Just kidding. There are actually people who believe he’s only a decorated 5-star recruit because of his 3 SEC relatives. Nah. I liked how Manning performed in those 3 starts in which he had 10 total touchdowns (8 passing, 2 rushing), as well as the 4th-down rushing score he added in the all-important showdown at Texas A&M. Including his non-starter reps, Manning scored 13 touchdowns on just 232 snaps played (Cam Ward was at 20.2 snaps/touchdown responsible compared to 17.8 for Manning). Everything Manning has done so far suggests he’s far more than a name and much closer to a championship-level quarterback than his detractors would admit.
3. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
The thing I like the most — What’s the best/only way to overcome a mediocre offensive line for a team with extremely limited pass-catching options? Have a quarterback like Pavia or Sellers. The latter was a massive reason South Carolina rattled off 6 consecutive wins to close the regular season, including 4 against teams that were ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the matchup. That included the Clemson game, where Sellers scored the go-ahead touchdown late to cap a performance that saw him force 18 missed tackles, which was a PFF era (2014-present) record for an FBS quarterback. Sellers’ escapability at his size is a thing to behold, and if he can get some weapons, there’s no reason he can’t become the first All-SEC QB in program history.
2. DJ Lagway, Florida
The thing I like the most — After returning from the hamstring injury that he suffered against Georgia — a game that he left in the 2nd quarter with a lead — Lagway led Florida to 4 consecutive wins to close the season. That included ending Ole Miss’ Playoff hopes with some dazzling throws while facing pressure. In fact, 3 of those 4 victories came vs. teams that won at least 9 games. Mind you, that was after he nearly led Florida to a comeback win at Tennessee in relief for the injured Graham Mertz. Lagway, even when he was limited with his mobility beyond the line of scrimmage. Lagway, who had 12 passes of 40 yards (No. 4 in SEC), looked every bit like the savior he was billed as after he was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school.
1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
The thing I like the most — If there’s 1 SEC quarterback that I need to just pick apart a defense for 60 minutes, I’m picking Nussmeier. Period. We’ll see if Lagway, Sellers and Manning develop into better passers, but for now, Nussmeier owns that title, even if it means he throws the occasional interception (1 INT every 44 attempts isn’t the end of the world when you can make NFL-level throws like Nussmeier). I love that even after a forgettable performance for most of the game against Ole Miss, he still found answers late. That’s the mark of a true gunslinger. Nussmeier is the SEC’s best quarterback, and there aren’t 5 better returning quarterbacks in the country.
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.