🏈 2025 SEC Quarterback Rankings

[TerryP]

while the SEC as a whole lacks an elite QB as of now, as a whole, top to bottom,

Which sucks donkey balls because Bama has one of the better secondaries they've had in quite some time.

 

[BamaFan334]

Give me Simpson in the Top 5. I think he'll have a better year than Lagway and Nussmeir.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Give me Simpson in the Top 5. I think he'll have a better year than Lagway and Nussmeir.

With the weapons around him, his ability, etc... he can (maybe even should) be in the top 5 come December. Lack of game experience aside, things are set up really well for him to be very successful.

 

[Justneedme81]

SEC football 2025: Ranking every starting quarterback after spring practice

From worst to first, the best quarterbacks in the SEC.

247sports.com

16. Zach Calzada, Kentucky

Expectations are low involving Calzada, the latest transfer quarterback to assume starting honors for the Wildcats. The Brock Vandagriff experiment worked out poorly, and Mark Stoops prays this former Texas A&M quarterback can execute the game plan with more precision.

15. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State

Had it not been for a season-ending injury in September, perhaps Shapen would have led the Bulldogs to bowl eligibility. He was off to a hot start, and Mississippi State is confident in its quarterback room as a whole this time around.

14. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

A post-spring pick up for the Vols, Aguilar is the replacement for Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. Can he master Josh Heupel's not-so-complex scheme? It's a tough ask for the former Appalachian State and UCLA transfer within the SEC.

13. Beau Pribula, Missouri

Pribula refused to sit behind Penn State's Drew Allar for another season, so made the jump to the Tigers. Missouri was in need of a replacement for Brady Cook and found a passer who's equally tough between the tackles.
12. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

Stockton has not shown enough yet to push him into the upper crust of SEC quarterbacking, but there's a certain expectation level that comes with being Georgia's starter in a Mike Bobo-driven scheme. He won't be asked to play Superman, but it's vital to Georgia's production that Stockton is better than Carson Beck was from a consistency standpoint.

11. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Over 11 games last season, Reed threw for 1,864 yards and 15 touchdowns and registered 543 yards and seven scores on the ground. Those are great numbers for a player who was not the Aggies' starter coming out of camp. He assumes a leadership role, and Texas A&M did a marvelous job of adding pass-catchers offensively to help out.

10. Ty Simpson, Alabama

A seasoned vet after serving the last few seasons as Alabama's backup to Jalen Milroe, Simpson appears to have won the job over former Washington transfer Austin Mack coming out of spring. Perhaps that changes during fall practice, but the expectation is Simpson will be a first-year starter for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama's passing game should be potent as a result.

9. Jackson Arnold, Auburn

As bad as the Auburn offense was at times last season from a giveaway standpoint, the Tigers still went downfield often and had success with explosive plays through the air. Those playmaking wideouts return along with a couple additions in the portal. The former Oklahoma signal caller should benefit from that along with better play up front. That's right — the guy the Sooners temporarily benched during last fall's spiral could be one of the SEC's best in 2025. Arnold was sacked 34 times in 10 starts last season, including 16 times total in losses to South Carolina and Ole Miss. Hugh Freeze has to hit a grand slam with this Arnold acquisition — or else.

8. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Why is the buzz so limited? At 6-6, 230 pounds, the Texas native had his way with SEC defenses last fall for the Razorbacks to the tune of 3,154 yards passing and 602 yards on the ground. He's going to be a splash at the NFL Combine next spring as one of the under-the-radar prospects.

7. Austin Simmons, Ole Miss

Everyone close to the program expects the Rebels' offense to be just as explosive under Simmons as it was last season with Jaxson Dart in charge. That's big shoes to fill given Dart's status as a first-round draft pick, but there's a confidence about Simmons from within the Ole Miss coaching staff that earns him the benefit of the doubt as a first-time starter. Portal reloads at wide receiver should help.

6. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt​

Vanderbilt's general manager Barton Simmons made a great point during Monday's appearance on 247Sports Ultimate College Football Show. Before diving into Diego Pavia as a player and impact on the Commodores, he said the only way his quarterback would be in the Heisman or league player of the year discussion is if Vanderbilt is a factor in the SEC title race. This is what potentially limits Pavia from moving into that elite tier among SEC quarterbacks. No one can doubt Pavia being Vanderbilt's MVP last fall. Instrumental in the upset win over Alabama, Pavia helped the Commodores get to the postseason and win a bowl game to generate fireworks at the end of the year for Clark Lea. Granted another year of eligibility, Pavia's back and will be a marked man in SEC play during the 2025 season.

5. John Mateer, Oklahoma​

Buy stock in John Mateer while you still can. The former Washington State quarterback brings his flare for big plays to the SEC, where the Sooners' new-look offense will be orchestrated by how well he performs under pressure. A true dual-threat, Mateer should be a breakout star in the spotlight. Brent Venables' coaching future relies on the success of this transfer under center, along with the pieces Oklahoma added around him to ensure he's the perfect fit.

4. DJ Lagway, Florida​

DJ Lagway only scratched the surface as a freshman, emerging as one of the SEC's brightest talents. Given some of the elite freshman pass-catchers the Gators added and the expectation Florida's offensive line could be the league's best, Lagway's sophomore season should be sensational from a numbers standpoint if he can stay healthy and his shoulder doesn't present any further issues.

3. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina​

There was no greater progression than what redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers showed from the first half of the season to the second. Over his final six starts of the regular season, Sellers helped South Carolina go 6-0 with 1,917 yards of total offense and 17 touchdowns. Prolific on third down with his legs and proficient against pressure, Sellers was the SEC's hottest player in November. New offensive coordinator Mike Shula has a versatile star to work with in 2025 and it's easy to see why Sellers has been mentioned amongst potential top 10 picks in 2026.

2. Arch Manning, Texas​

Arch Manning now completed three years worth of spring practices within Steve Sarkisian's offensive system and will finally get his opportunity to shine in 2025 with Quinn Ewers off to the NFL. You're going to see the Longhorns able to do more offensively from a quarterback run standpoint, too. While the pass-catchers will be different around Manning along with a four new starters along the offensive line, the preseason Heisman frontrunner has a chance to ascend to top billing nationally as the face of a program that should get back to the playoff as one of the SEC's favorites.

1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU​

When he's on, Garrett Nussmeier has No. 1 overall pick potential. When he's off, the quarterback who once backed up Heisman winner and top NFL rookie Jayden Daniels can be turnover-prone. Consistency trumps all with Nussmeier, who was elite in the fourth quarter in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina, but struggled during losses to Alabama and Texas A&M. He's a super-talented passer with incredible arm strength and plays with extreme confidence. Brian Kelly and LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan hope he's Heisman-level in 2025 and the Tigers have done all they can to ensure the weaponry around him is top-notch.

 

[BAMAneck]

Why?

I’m not saying they can’t get like a solid shout out. But to have Manning at 1 without even having to play game in and out. Especially when you have other players in the conference that have played a season or more and have actually balled out to a degree. That’s all. I believe Manning could be really good. I believe Ty will as well. but shouldn’t they haft to earn that ?

 

[Justneedme81]

I’m not saying they can’t get like a solid shout out. But to have Manning at 1 without even having to play game in and out. Especially when you have other players in the conference that have played a season or more and have actually balled out to a degree. That’s all. I believe Manning could be really good. I believe Ty will as well. but shouldn’t they haft to earn that ?

He played in the last 4 games, putting up good numbers. I think he been earned that for a while.

Ty has been in the system longer than Arch and both are going to be a top 5 QB come this December.

 

[BAMAneck]

He played in the last 4 games, putting up good numbers. I think he been earned that for a while.

Ty has been in the system longer than Arch and both are going to be a top 5 QB come this December.

I would somewhat agree with that but. If you had one game to win against a top SEC team you would pick Manning over DJ Lagway or LaNorris Sellers ? Man , after looking at the list again , SEC is a lil thin on big time QB play returning other than those 2 guys. Stark will make Manning a Heisman candidate if he can stay healthy and not give the ball away on the reg.

​

 

[Justneedme81]

I would somewhat agree with that but. If you had one game to win against a top SEC team you would pick Manning over DJ Lagway or LaNorris Sellers ? Man , after looking at the list again , SEC is a lil thin on big time QB play returning other than those 2 guys. Stark will make Manning a Heisman candidate if he can stay healthy and not give the ball away on the reg.

​

I would take seller over lagway and Manning over seller.

 

[TerryP]

Stark will make Manning a Heisman candidate if he can stay healthy

 

[BAMAneck]

I would take seller over lagway and Manning over seller.

I went back and looked and Manning played in 3 major games, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State. Mississippi State he played good passing for over 300 with 2 TD’s. But Florida, and Georgia top SEC tier teams. He was 3 of 6 for 19 yds. in both of those games .

That’s a lot of trust when most of his stats came from ULM , UTSA of thqn MISSISSIPPI STATE who sucked. Im not saying I wouldn’t want him at BAMA. I just like to hold my applause till they do it week in and out.

Phillip Sims , Blake Barnett were all supposed to be the man but for whatever reason it didn’t work out that way.

 

[TerryP]

I went back and looked and Manning played in 3 major games, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State. Mississippi State he played good passing for over 300 with 2 TD’s. But Florida, and Georgia top SEC tier teams. He was 3 of 6 for 19 yds. in both of those games .

That’s a lot of trust when most of his stats came from ULM , UTSA of thqn MISSISSIPPI STATE who sucked. Im not saying I wouldn’t want him at BAMA. I just like to hold my applause till they do it week in and out.

Phillip Sims , Blake Barnett were all supposed to be the man but for whatever reason it didn’t work out that way.

State was bad on defense last season. We have to take into account they played five or six top ten teams as well. I believe they were next to last in passing defense (conference.)

Funny to me you mentioning Blake...his "head issues" were a lot like Milroe...just give Jalen a surfboard and ...

 

[Justneedme81]

I went back and looked and Manning played in 3 major games, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State. Mississippi State he played good passing for over 300 with 2 TD’s. But Florida, and Georgia top SEC tier teams. He was 3 of 6 for 19 yds. in both of those games .

That’s a lot of trust when most of his stats came from ULM , UTSA of thqn MISSISSIPPI STATE who sucked. Im not saying I wouldn’t want him at BAMA. I just like to hold my applause till they do it week in and out.

Phillip Sims , Blake Barnett were all supposed to be the man but for whatever reason it didn’t work out that way.

BB was a nutcase and full of himself. Too Cocky and got ahead of himselves and was all about himself.

Sims- Not sure what happened with him, but he never "got it"

Arch- I don't like how you pulled the stats without providing contexts. In the game he played If I understood, He didn't start in both games and he didn't play the whole game. the context behind that matters the most.

 

[BAMAneck]

Double feature with Monty Python and the Holy Grail

BB was a nutcase and full of himself. Too Cocky and got ahead of himselves and was all about himself.

Sims- Not sure what happened with him, but he never "got it"

Arch- I don't like how you pulled the stats without providing contexts. In the game he played If I understood, He didn't start in both games and he didn't play the whole game. the context behind that matters the most.

im sure you are right and he got very few plays in the big games. Maybe like 1st and 10 on the 10 yard line and he got a play or two. But the stats say he didn’t do much with those plays unless i missed something on the stat sheet.

I’m not saying that your way is the wrong way. And I believe he could very well be, by the end of the season, the best quarterback I’m just saying that I think they should haft to earn it before being ahead of people who’ve actually done it a full season.

 

[Justneedme81]

im sure you are right and he got very few plays in the big games. Maybe like 1st and 10 on the 10 yard line and he got a play or two. But the stats say he didn’t do much with those plays unless i missed something on the stat sheet.

You definitely missed something. Go and watch you tube on those games you mentioned.

 

[BAMAneck]

You definitely missed something. Go and watch you tube on those games you mentioned.

I will. To be honest i dont have much free time on Saturdays to watch college football like i used to . I recently inherited our family farm so i spend a lot of time working there. And try to watch Bama on Sunday on my dvr. And maybe another game I believe could be a good game.