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Ranking all SEC quarterbacks before the start of fall camp

Here's the first look at the SEC's quarterbacks.
ByAustin Farmer|
Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green answers questions from the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green answers questions from the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The all-important quarterback position is always a hot topic before the season starts. People argue about which of the 16 stars in the SEC is No. 1, which will overachieve, and which will fail to meet expectations.

Here, Razorbackers will give you the first look into what each brings to the table for their teams, and rank the SEC QBs from first to last before the start of fall camp.

SEC QB preview

In tier one, which includes the top five quarterbacks, we have players with diverse levels of experience. At the lower end of this spectrum is Arch Manning. He is a prominent name in college football—hence the media's reaction at SEC Media—following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Archie Manning, and his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning, and shows massive upside potential. However, he hasn't seen much action.

On the opposite ends of the spectrum is LSU play-caller Garrett Nussmeier, who patiently waited his turn with the Tigers after losing to Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. For whatever reason, some aren't very high on him, but he's without a doubt a top-five QB in the SEC.

Rounding out the tier is DJ Lagway at Florida, John Mateer from Oklahoma, and Arkansas' own Taylen Green, who at least one analyst sees as the best NFL draft prospect in the SEC.

In the middle of the pack is Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons, LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina, Texas A&M's Marcel Reed, Gunnar Stockton at Georgia, and the man, the myth, the legend, Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia.

Of the five, Stockton and Sellers have the best chances to move up a tier. However, Sellers needs to prove he's more than just a runner, especially now that everyone on USC's schedule knows what they're getting into. On the other hand, Stockton must be more than just a game manager for a loaded Bulldog squad.

At the bottom of the barrel, it is still filled with a load of potential. Blake Shapen looked to be one of the better QBs in the SEC at the beginning of last season, but an injury derailed his season. If he can shock some people with a down-and-out Mississippi State team, he may jump higher after all.

Ty Simpson and Jackson Arnold are also in the boat. Simpson needs to follow the same advice as Stockton at Georgia and prove he can add to a stout Alabama team, and Arnold needs to overcome his confidence issue at Auburn. Rounding out the bottom of the group are Joey Aguilar at Tennessee, Missouri's Beau Pribula, and Zach Calzada at Kentucky.

SEC Quarterback preseason power rankings

  1. GARRETT NUSSMEIER - LSU
  2. ARCH MANNING - Texas
  3. DJ LAGWAY - Florida
  4. JOHN MATEER - Oklahoma
  5. TAYLEN GREEN - Arkansas
  6. AUSTIN SIMMONS - Ole Miss
  7. LANORRIS SELLERS - South Carolina
  8. DIEGO PAVIA - Vanderbilt
  9. GUNNAR STOCKTON - Georgia
  10. MARCEL REED - Texas A&M
  11. TY SIMPSON - Alabama
  12. JACKSON ARNOLD - Auburn
  13. Joey Aguilar - Tennessee
  14. BLAKE SHAPEN - Mississippi State
  15. BEAU PRIBULA - Missouri
  16. ZACH CALZADA - Kentucky
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