Ranking nine quarterbacks set to attend SEC media days

At his best, Mateer rivals the SEC's top quarterbacks. One of his most impressive throws of 2025 came on a 3rd-and-3 against Ole Miss, when Mateer stood confidently in the pocket and delivered a side-armed laser to Isaiah Sategna III, who sped down the field for a touchdown.

He's also an elite red-zone threat, scoring seven rushing touchdowns on 18 attempts last season inside opponents' 20-yard line, per CFBStats.com.

But the CFP flameout loss was a reminder of Mateer's limitations. In five games against Associated Press ranked opponents, he completed 59.3 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and five interceptions, including a crushing pick-six against Alabama in the playoffs.

7. Marcel Reed ( Texas A&M Aggies)

Reed helped lead the Aggies to their first College Football Playoff appearance last season, and his top plays — such as a scintillating 41-yard touchdown scramble against LSU and beautiful deep 39-yard strike in a comeback over South Carolina — are the kind we often find in Heisman candidate highlight reels.

But Reed's decision-making was a growing concern as the rising redshirt junior finished 2025 with 12 interceptions, including eight over Texas A&M's last six games.

On several of his turnovers, Reed forced the ball into tight, often non-existent windows, including both of his interceptions in a loss to Texas in the regular-season finale and red-zone turnovers against LSU and Miami.

Against a potentially more difficult 2026 schedule, Reed, who threw two touchdowns and five interceptions in three games last season versus ranked opponents, will need to be better for Texas A&M to take a step forward and not back. While the Aggies only lost one conference game in 2025, their seven SEC wins came against teams that were a combined 12-44 in conference.

6. Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State Bulldogs)

Whatever Taylor stock remains, we're buying.

The rising sophomore has the tools to be a breakout star in coach Jeff Lebby's QB-friendly offense. Taylor scored his first career college touchdown early in the season on a beautiful 42-yard deep ball and later wreaked havoc on the ground, finishing his freshman year with 458 rushing yards, including 173 in the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.

He had two rushing touchdowns versus the Rebels, the second a result of an unbelievable individual effort when Taylor escaped three defenders in the pocket before finding a running lane and scoring from 35 yards out.

While a small sample size, it's easy to get carried away when watching Taylor's tape. We already are. 

5. Byrum Brown (Auburn Tigers)

Few newcomers might make as big of an immediate impact as Brown, who followed first-year Auburn coach Alex Golesh from South Florida. Last season, the fifth-year senior became the 13th player in Stathead's college football database and first since 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels with at least 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.

Brown started hot in a win over Boise State and later was responsible for one of the best rushing touchdowns of the season by a quarterback against Memphis, breaking a pair of arm tackles and hurdling a defender on the way to a 44-yard score.

His familiarity with Golesh's scheme should allow him to hit the ground running, potentially leading to a quick turnaround for Auburn's offense after ranking No. 74 in scoring last season.

4. Gunner Stockton ( Georgia Bulldogs)

Quarterbacks rarely come tougher than Stockton.

The incoming senior has taken his fair share of licks over the past couple of seasons, none more forceful than in the 2024 SEC championship game or last season's CFP quarterfinal, and he's responded each time.

Stockton was also remarkably sharp last season, completing 69.7 percent of his passes and playing his best in big games by going 101-of-137 (73.7 percent) for 1,007 yards, 13 touchdowns and an interception in five matchups against ranked opponents.

3. LaNorris Sellers ( South Carolina Gamecocks)

We still believe.

Sellers' numbers worsened across the board last year, but he still has one of the best deep balls in the country as shown on the following scores against Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Clemson.

He's a decisive runner, too, making him a threat on designed runs and options.

Sellers has several traits teams covet, and it will be up to first-year offensive coordinator Kendal Briles to maximize South Carolina's good fortune.

2. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss Rebels)

Pick any one of Chambliss' three plays at the start of the fourth quarter against Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals and they'd be most quarterbacks' best highlight of the season.

That he reeled off the three within a minute of each other in game time was simply unbelievable and arguably the defining moment of the postseason before Fernando Mendoza's instantly iconic diving touchdown to secure Indiana's first national championship. 

Chambliss, a former D-II product, led the SEC with 3,937 yards in 2025 while throwing 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, including none in six games against ranked teams.

Chambliss proved he belonged in the FBS, and his decision to remain in Oxford and not follow former coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. to LSU gives Ole Miss a realistic chance of back-to-back CFP berths.

1. Arch Manning ( Texas Longhorns)

By the time the 2025 season ended, Manning looked like the hyped prospect he was billed as coming out of high school.

The glimpses were there as early as the opener against Ohio State, when Manning shook off a rough start to give Texas a chance late by connecting on a pair of impressive deep shots.

His confidence grew as the season progressed, firing a laser over the middle of the field into the end zone for a touchdown at Georgia and successfully navigating the pocket on scores against Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Manning's also already shown more athleticism than his famous uncles Peyton and Eli, adding a receiving touchdown and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2025 alone.

After another offseason of development, Manning should be even better in 2026. For a quarterback who was already among the SEC's best, that should be a terrifying thought for the rest of the conference.