Ranking the 3 Best Quarterbacks Mizzou will Face in 2025

Already projected as a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL draft, LaNorris Sellers is expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference after a promising debut season as a starter.

Completing 65 percent of his 299 pass attempts, Sellers threw for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a rating of 151.9 in 2024. He also rushed for 674 yards on 166 carries.

Sellers' big frame mixed with his mobility makes him a difficult player to defend.

"He's really hard to tackle because he's about 240 pounds," Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said of Sellers before facing South Carolina in 2024. "So arm tackles aren't going to get it done. You have to have a hard shoulder tackle in order to get him to the ground."

In a win over Missouri in 2024, Sellers had arguably the best performance of his career, setting career-highs with 353 passing yards, five touchdowns and a rating of 217.2. He also added 45 yards on 14 carries. He operated the offense like a seasoned veteran on a game-winning drive with under a minute left, completing passes of 10 and 39 yards before rushing in the game-winning touchdown.

Missouri will have tape on Sellers to learn what went wrong last year. When the Gamecocks come to Faurot Field in Week 4, Missouri will have to be better prepared than they were last time around.

2. John Mateer, Oklahoma

A standout season at Washington State made John Mateer one of the best quarterbacks available in the transfer portal this offseason, with the Sooners winning the sweepstakes.

Mateer's 29 passing touchdowns were tied for the 10th-most in the nation, and his 826 rushing yards on 178 carries were the eigth-highest for any quarterback. On the year, he completed 64.6 of his 347 pass attempts for 3,139 yards. In a similar way to Sellers, Mateer's stocky, 6-foot-1, 219-pound frame make him difficult to bring down. He's a dangerous thrower on the run too, creating many problems for a defense.

The big question for Mateer is how much of that production will transfer to the SEC. By the time Missouri travels to Oklahoma in late November, that question will mostly be answered.

3. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

One of the biggest surprises in college football last season, Diego Pavia is back for another year. Just like the other two quarterbacks on this list, Pavia is mobile and difficult to bring down.

Missouri learned this in Week 4 of 2024, allowing Pavia to rush for 84 yards on 17 carries. He was less effective in the passing game, completing 14 of 23 pass attempts for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

"They utilize their quarterback, Diego [Pavia] in a lot of different ways and he gives them a chance on every play to be explosive," Drinkwitz said ahead of the matchup. "He's more physical, downhill. ... Will lower his shoulder and take on defender."

For as reckless and improvisational as Pavia's game is in some areas, he did an excellent job at protecting the ball in 2024. His ratio of 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions was the best among any quarterback in the SEC (minimum of 100 pass attempts).

Pavia and Vanderbilt are no longer the sleeping giants hungry for massive upsets like they were in 2024, and teams have a season worth of tape from the creative quarterback to examine.