Arch Manning moves in updated SEC quarterback rankings

Sorry, Arch Manning, but a brutal week 1 loss and a wildly inconistent performance drops you down the ranks of SEC quarterbacks. Plenty of other passers stepped up to pick up the slack, but here's a rundown of the league's QBs after Week 1 of the 2025 season.

16. Zach Calzada, Kentucky

Calzada finished last among SEC starters in yardage, yards per attempt and completion percentage. He's also one of two SEC QB starters to NOT throw a touchdown. Not a great start.

15. Arch Manning, Texas

Texas wasn't this bad, but Arch probably was. Sure, it was Ohio State's defense, but Manning was near the bottom of the SEC in virtually every category. Just 57% completions and 5.7 yards per throw won't work against many teams. Missing some easy throws to seat a 14-7 loss was a brutal start to the season.

14. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Similarly, Ty Simpson was less than impressive in a Week 1 loss. Simpson's overall numbers look good, but at 53.5% completions and 5.9 yards per throw, he wasn't doing much with a bevy of opportunities.

13. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State

Shapen was fine, but on a week where much of the SEC was playing FCS or lower-tier FBS schools, a decent game (270 yards, 77% completions) won't set the world on fire. He was one of only five starting passers to throw a pick-- two are ranked below him and two had big, big days otherwise.

12. Beau Pribula, Missouri

He did get the nod and had a very nice game. Pribula completed over 82% of his passes, hit for 10.1 yards per throw and had a pair of touchdowns. But he did it all against an awful FCS team.

11. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

He should probably be higher, but the combination of experienced performers and huge games ahead of him is tough to argue. Stockton shined in a dual threat role, throwing for 190 yards and two scores and running for 73 yards and two more touchdowns. He won't stay this low for long.

10. Austin Simmons, Ole Miss

Some boom and bust here for Simmons. He threw for 341 yards and 11 yards per pass. But he also was the only SEC starter to throw more than one interception, as he threw a pair of them. He looked tremendous against awful competition, but is still something of an unknown.

9. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Reed was fine in week 1, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns. It's hard to dock experienced veterans above him if they didn't get quite as much playing time in their blowouts, but A&M would be quite happy with this level of play from Reed.

8. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

His first game with the Vols was a solid success. Aguilar threw for 247 yards and three scores. He faced stiffer competition than most QBs on this list and set a solid foundation to move even higher on this list.

7. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Superb week 1 as Pavia nearly had as many touchdowns (three) as incomplete passes (five). It doesn't mean much against Charleston Southern, but it was a nice start.

6. John Mateer, Oklahoma

Sure, it was another learn-nothing game, but Mateer's 392 passing yards and three scores suggests that Brent Venables has an offense to watch in 2025. It was an impressive SEC debut.

5. DJ Lagway, Florida

He didn't have to play much, still threw three scores and looks every bit of a player with a legitimate Heisman shot. But then, what was the expected result against Long Island?

4. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Yes, he played a random FCS team. But 322 yards passing, six touchdowns, 77% completions, 10.4 yards per play-- well, Green and Arkansas checked all the statistical boxes for week 1.

3. Jackson Arnold, Auburn

The passing numbers are humble-- 108 yards and the only SEC starting QB except Zach Calzada to not throw a touchdown. But Arnold led the SEC in rushing in Week 1 with 137 yards and two scores on the ground. Did we mention a big win for his Auburn Tigers over a potential wreck-the-season Baylor team? Steady stuff here.

2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

He did exactly what he was supposed to do, helping South Carolina pull away late from a pesky Virginia Tech team. Sellers threw for 209 yards and a score on just 19 passes and added a rushing TD. His offensive line was a bit shaky, but any Carolina hiccups aren't on the QB.

1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

The stats were solid and not flashy -- he completed 74% of his passes for 230 yards and a score. 6.1 yards per pass isn't great, but Nussmeier avoided mistakes, played smart, and led LSU to an impressive Week 1 road win over Clemson. He's arguably the Heisman front-runner after Week 1.