The spring practices in College Football have come to a close and the only players the spring transfer portal window has close meaning players won't be entering the transfer portal. The spring practices saw a few quarterback battles in the SEC namely at Alabama while other schools may have a tough decision to make. The spring transfer portal had the biggest story in college football as Nico Iamaleava and Tennesse parted ways over an NIL feud.
Heading into the summer, every starting quarterback role in the SEC seems set, barring any injuries or teams making the decision to start a younger quarterback. Heading into the summer, here is how we rank each of the projected starting quarterbacks in the SEC.
The Tennessee Volunteers really didn't have a decision to make once Nico Iamaleava held out of practice as it would've sent the wrong message to the rest of the team if they gave in. While the Volunteers made the right decision they aren't exactly winners in this situation either. The Vols' land Joey Aguilar from UCLA coming off of a season where he took a step back at Appalachian State after an impressive 2023 season. Aguilar is now tasked with learning the entire offense in a short period of time after throwing the most interceptions in College Football last season.
The Kentucky Wildcats are once again looking to a transfer to lead the offense this time adding former SEC quarterback Zach Calzada. While Calzada has shown flashes during his two-year tenure at Incarnate Word, there's a reason to be concerned for Kentucky fans. Calzada hasn't panned out at Texas A&M or Auburn, and he's joining an offense that was one of the worst in the Power 4 and lost its two biggest weapons in the transfer portal.
Prior to his injury, Blake Shapen showed promise with 7 touchdowns and just one interception against Non-Conference opponents but, he was injured in the first game of SEC play. Blake Shapen has the experience in Jeff Lebby's system but, he may not be the best choice to start. True freshman Kamario Taylor has flashed during Mississippi State's camp and will likely be too good to keep off the field at some point this season.
The Missouri Tigers moved quickly this offseason to land their Brady Cook replacement, adding Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula. The Penn State transfer comes with more experience than most first-time starters, having played a role in Penn State's offense. Pribula's rushing ability will be a game-changer, but he's still unproven as an every-down passer.
The Auburn Tigers struggled at quarterback during the entire 2024 season, which sent the team into the transfer portal to find its next quarterback. Jackson Arnold looks to solve the team's problem while coming off of a bad season himself, as Arnold was benched at Oklahoma. At Auburn, Arnold will have a far superior offensive line and receiving core, which sets him up nicely for a bounce back season.
During his career, Ty Simpson has made the rare decision to stick around and wait his turn to play at Alabama behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. After the spring, Simpson appears locked in as Alabama's starter, and the lone concern will be over how he never got on the field sooner. Simpson can make big plays as a rusher like Jalen Milroe, but is a 58% career passer in limited playing time.
In the SEC Championship Game, Gunner Stockton was thrust into his first meaningful snaps, and he helped the team win the SEC Title. The College Football Playoff game was a Georgia loss, but Stockton was impressive and let down by his wide receivers. This offseason, Georgia went out and upgraded the talent in the receiving room, which will give Stockton every chance to have an impressive season.
In his first season at Arkansas, Taylen Green didn't dominate, but he showed flashes of being a solid player in the SEC. Green's biggest issue was turnovers, with 15 touchdowns to 9 interceptions, which hurt the team. Green is an explosive runner, picking up 602 yards and 8 touchdowns with his legs, giving the team something to build around. If Green can cut down on his interceptions this season, he'll have a chance to take a massive leap in the second season in this offense.
The Ole Miss Rebels have a difficult task at hand looking to replace Jaxson Dart who was a first round pick and was in Lane Kiffin's offense for three seasons. While Simmons has only played in relief of Dart, he's shown a ton of promise and could be Lane Kiffin's most talented quarterback at Ole Miss by the end of the season. Against Georgia, Simmons came in and marched the offense down the field for a score and the quarterback continues to shine at Ole Miss camp.
Last season, Marcel Reed was thrust into action and clearly was the Aggies' best quarterback on the roster and a player to build around. Reed has shown promise as a passer with 15 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, but he can take games over with his rushing ability. Mike Elko and his staff went out and built a solid group around Reed, and if he can take the next step, the Aggies will have a chance to make the College Football Playoff.
When Diego Pavia came to Vanderbilt, the hope was he'd show the magic he had his entire career this time in the SEC. Pavia didn't just lead the Commodores to being competitive but, he also helped the team beat Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia Tech. As long as the JUCO ruling stands, Pavia will be back under center and will make Vanderbilt competitive once again.
The wildcard in the Heisman race will be Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who joins the SEC after a stellar season at Washington State. Mateer has a strong arm and is accurate, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. Where Mateer will make his biggest impact is as a runner after picking up 826 yards and 15 touchdowns with his legs. The determining factor will be whether Oklahoma has the pieces around Mateer after their offensive line and receiving core were abysmal in 2024.
Coming into the 2025 season, Arch Manning making his way into the starting lineup will be the biggest story in College Football. While there's a ton of hype around Arch because of his last name, his ability on the field is deserving of the attention he'll get. Arch Manning has shown that he has the ability to throw the deep ball effectively while his ability running the football will give Steve Sarkisian plenty to work with.
Prior to the season everyone knew that DJ Lagway should start as he'd quickly make his way onto the field. As soon as DJ Lagway made his way onto the field, he showed the ability that made him a 5-star recruit but, an injury suffered against Georgia took away most of his rushing ability for the rest of the season. Florida will have a better set of weapons around DJ Lagway this season and how far he comes in his development will determine the fate of the Gators' season.
In his first season as the starting quarterback, LaNorris Sellers didn't disappoint with 2,534 passing yards for 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while picking up another 674 yards and 7 touchdowns with his legs. Now with a year of experience under his belt, LaNorris Sellers will look to take a massive leap and has Heisman potential. The Gamecocks will need Sellers to step up in their biggest games if they're going to compete for the playoff as he struggled in 2024 against Ole Miss, Alabama, Illinois, and Clemson.
In 2024, Garrett Nussmeier looked like the best quarterback in the conference for stretches but, he also struggled with turnovers in some crucial games. LSU needed Nussmeier to carry the offense with an ineffective rushing attack, which led to him forcing throws at times. This season, Nussmeier will have a better supporting cast around him, which will help the offense at converting more often in the red zone. The last two LSU quarterbacks to return for a second season have won the Heisman trophy which shows the level of jump Nussmeier could take.