2026 SEC football QB power rankings following spring

Spring ball is over, and it gave College Football fans a glimpse of what to expect in the Fall when the season kicks off. Schools throughout the SEC dropped footage of their QBs making plays during practices and Spring Games. Some schools exit spring ball still having a tight QB competition, while others have their established starters returning for another season before they pursue the NFL in what will be a loaded 2027 draft class.

Now that spring has concluded, here are the SEC QB power rankings heading into the Summer.

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16. KJ Jackson, Arkansas

Jackson has competition in the Razorbacks QB room; Memphis transfer AJ Hill is another former four-star prospect who will certainly make the QB competition interesting, but for now, it feels like Jackson will start, as the more tenured Razorback. Both Jackson and Hill took QB1 snaps in the Arkansas spring game, so it still feels wide open.

15. Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt

14. Aaron Philo, Florida

Both QBs will have a real shot at starting, and potentially could both see starts this season, depending on how the early stretch of the year goes. The biggest advantage Philo has is that he knows the offense better. Buster Faulkner is the new offensive coordinator for the Gators, who came from Georgia Tech just as Aaron Philo did.

13. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State

There are certainly injury concerns with a QB who is as willing to use his legs and take hits as Taylor does, but if he stays healthy and the rest of the Bulldogs offense is in good shape, then Taylor will be dangerous every Saturday.

12. George Maclntyre, Tennessee

Of all the QB competitions still ongoing in the SEC, Tennessee’s is the most unique, as three QBs are competing for the job. Redshirt freshman George Maclntyre, true freshman and 5-star Faizon Brandon, and redshirt junior Ryan Staub. Maclntyre doesn’t have the starting job locked up, but hasn’t lost any QB1 reps in spring practice or the spring game, and is the only QB of the three that has experience in Josh Huepel’s system.

George Maclntyre has a great physical frame for a QB, stands 6’6, roughly 200 pounds, while he doesn’t possess the athleticism of Faizon Brandon, Maclntyre’s decision making and pure passing ability very well can win him the starting role

11. Austin Simmons, Missouri

Simmons also has to stay healthy; he lost the Ole Miss starting job in 2025 because of a left ankle injury, and because their backup happened to be Trinidad Chambliss, who’s electric.

10. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky

Minchey is a 6’2 dual-threat who has excellent mobility and a gunslinger mentality that makes him exceptional at pushing the ball downfield. Minchey also has great pocket presence, his overall skill set makes him a great fit in new head coach Will Stein’s system.

It’s important to note that Minchey doesn’t have many real game snaps, but he should make Kentucky’s offense much more exciting than in years past.

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9. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Sellers has a lot riding on this season; he can raise his draft stock exponentially by putting together a complete season and delivering game-breaking performances in which his rushing and passing shine. If not, then Sellers may regret coming back to South Carolina, and head coach Shane Beamer might be looking for a new job.

8. Keelon Russell, Alabama

While unproven as a starting QB, Keelon Russell is in an offensive system that’s set up for him to succeed, that is, if he wins the starting job over the other QB competing in that room, redshirt junior Austin Mack. When it comes to pure ability and who has the highest ceiling, it’s Russell, a redshirt freshman who has great arm talent and mobility as well.

Both Russell and Mack are familiar with Kalen DeBoer’s system, but Mack holds a slight edge since he played under DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb back at Washington. The competition is still close, but the system and surrounding talent around the starting QB give either option as much or more potential than the QBs ranked below them.

7. Byrum Brown, Auburn

If Brown doesn’t miss a beat in the transition to the SEC, then Auburn will be extremely dangerous every Saturday.

6. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

When Marcel Reed is at his best, he can play as well as any QB in the conference. This was especially evident when he performed at the highest level on the road against Notre Dame, essentially burying their chances of making the CFP.

Reed has shown he can perform in high-leverage moments, especially in the second half of the South Carolina game in 2025, when he led a 27-point comeback, throwing for a career-high 329 yards and three touchdowns.

What holds Marcel Reed back at times is his consistency and turnover issues, which really plagued Reed against Miami in the Aggies’ 10-3 CFP loss.

5. Sam Leavitt, LSU

Sam Leavitt is simply a playmaker, has great scramble ability, and he isn’t afraid to push the ball downfield. Now Leavitt brings those skills to Baton Rouge, where he joins the incredible offensive staff of head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive playcaller Charlie Weis Jr.

Leavitt does have injury concerns, though: he missed most of 2025 with a Lisfranc foot injury and wasn’t able to participate in Spring practice; his health can make or break LSU’s season.

Sam Leavitt was the top QB in the transfer portal this year, and now should be a great fit in Kiffin’s offense, despite this being a jump in competition compared to what Leavitt saw against the Big 12.

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4. John Mateer, Oklahoma

The issue with Mateer is that he has one of the lower floors, whether it be turning the ball over with careless throws or taking unnecessary sacks, Mateer’s reckless abandon playstyle has had its faults.

John Mateer was the Heisman favorite for the first month of the season, before he broke his thumb on his throwing hand against Auburn. His level of play fell off a cliff after that, but if he’s healthy and puts all his skills together, he may be the most entertaining player to watch in the country.

Arch Manning ended the year on a high note, putting together back-to-back impressive performances against Texas A&M to close the regular season and then against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.

If anything, the expectations have only grown on Arch, with the reloaded offensive talent around him, especially his new WR1, Cam Coleman.

2. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

Stockton has the highest floor, he doesn’t make silly mistakes, and he has a competitive spirit that makes him as dangerous as any QB in the SEC. Shown time and time again, whether it’d be in a primetime game against Texas, where Georgia ran the Longhorns out of the building. Another example is the SEC Championship, where he outdueled the 13th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Ty Simpson, and led Georgia to their second straight SEC title.

1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Coming off of some of the best performances in CFP history, it’s only right that Trinidad Chambliss is ranked No. 1 in the SEC. At his best, Chambliss looked like 2018 Kyler Murray on the field. Making absurd plays out of nothing, scrambling into first downs, or showing perfect ball placement even on the move, and creating explosives downfield.

The only concern with Chambliss is that Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. aren’t at Ole Miss anymore, so the most intriguing part of his season will be if he can keep up the elite level of play in a new system.

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