Week one is here. This weekend, 16 SEC quarterbacks will hit the field.
2024 was a relatively down year for quarterback play in the SEC. There was plenty of talent, but it was inexperienced. Meanwhile, the veterans who had played before, like Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Georgia’s Carson Beck, regressed.
This year should be better. A handful of SEC teams are returning starters from 2024, including a couple that are in the Heisman trophy discussion. Many think Arch Manning will be an upgrade over Ewers at Texas. In Gainesville, five-star DJ Lagway is expected to have a big sophomore campaign.
In Baton Rouge, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier hopes to follow in the footsteps of fifth-year quarterbacks who came before him. Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels both won the Heisman as fifth-year players at LSU.
Here are LSU Wire’s inaugural SEC quarterback power rankings for the 2025 season.
16. Zach Calzada, Kentucky
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Kentucky named Zach Calzada the starter. Calzaa began his collegiate career at Texas A&M in 2019.
He took over as A&M’s starter in week three of 2021 and didn’t look all that bad for a first-year QB — Calzada posted an 80.8 PFF grade in 357 snaps in 2021. Calzada transferred to Auburn in 2022, but didn’t see the field.
Then, Calzada transferred to Incarnate Word and played well at the FCS level. Now a seventh-year quarterback in the SEC, Calzada is ready for another chance. Calzada’s years at Incarnate Word are some cause for optimism, but Calzada hasn’t played SEC football in four years and he’s already transferred out of two SEC programs. If Calzada takes care of the ball and makes plays with his legs, he has a decent floor in 2025 but it’s hard to expect a lot from the Kentucky offense.
15. Jackson Arnold, Auburn
Jackson Arnold signed with Oklahoma in 2023 as a five-star quarterback. He earned the starting gig in 2024, but things didn’t go as planned. Arnold struggled and was eventually benched. After a few games out of the lineup, Arnold returned to his role as the starter, but the results weren’t better. Arnold averaged 5.7 yards per attempt and completed 62.6% of his passes. Those aren’t the numbers you expect from a QB with Arnold’s talent.
Arnold transferred to Auburn, where he’ll look to be the answer for Hugh Freeze.
Oklahoma’s offense was ravaged by injuries, poor offensive line play, and inconsistency at offensive coordinator. All of those contributed to Arnold’s struggles, but it’s not enough to explain the complete lack of production. There’s a chance Arnold figures it out in a simplified Auburn attack with elite wide receivers, but it’s hard to overlook his 2024 campaign.
14. Beau Pribula / Sam Horn, Missouri
Missouri has yet to name a starting quarterback and head coach Eli Drinkwitz suggested Penn State transfer and returnee Sam Horn could both play early in the year.
When Pribula signed with Missouri, many assumed he would cruise to QB1. But Horn hasn’t gone away. It’s unclear if Drink is just playing typical head coach games or if the battle really is tightly contested. Pribula brings real power conference experience from his time at Penn State. He was never the full-time starter, but Penn State made efforts to get Pribula on the field and was confident in his ability if Drew Allar got hurt.
When Allar left Penn State’s win at Wisconsin, Pribula entered and led the Nittany Lions to a win.
Horn can’t match Pribula in the experience department, but he was a four-star QB and is familiar with the Missouri system.
Both Pribula and Horn have the talent to be higher than No. 14 on this list, but it’s not encouraging when a coach is talking about playing two QBs. Sometimes the old saying is true: If you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.
13. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
It was quite the offseason for Tennessee’s quarterback room. Starter Nico Iamaleava transferred in the spring after an NIL fallout, leaving Tennessee scrambling. Iamaleava landed at UCLA and projected UCLA starter Joey Aguilar transferred to Tennessee.
Aguilar impressed at App State in 2023. He tossed 33 touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. But his numbers declined in 2024, where Aguilar struggled to protect the ball and threw 14 interceptions.
The Tennessee offense is designed for quarterbacks to have success. Aguilar has the tools to make it work and we saw his high ceiling in 2023. But there are natural questions about how Aguilar will fare vs. SEC competition. I think Aguilar has a solid year in Knoxville, but won’t see the world on fire just yet.
12. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Pavia has taken on a role as college football’s scrappy underdog. Whether it’s at New Mexico or Vanderbilt, Pavia has a reputation. Pavia and the Vandy offense gave Alabama’s defense fits last year. But Vanderbilt had its off weeks, too. The Commodores couldn’t get much going late in the year.
Pavia has physical limitations. This isn’t a guy who’s going to light up defenses with deep shots down the sideline, but he can get the job done. Pavia’s 2024 PFF grade of 88.0 ranked No. 2 among SEC quarterbacks.
Pavia only averaged 7.7 yards per attempt and completed less than 60% of his passes, but he only threw four interceptions and hurt defenses with his legs. Pavia is a high-floor QB and should have Vandy punching above its weight again in 2024.
11. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Gunner Stockton waited his turn at Georgia. Now, he’s finally getting it. Stockton earned his first career start vs. Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. The performance was underwhelming, but understandable given the situation and opponent. With an entire offseason to prep as QB1, Georgia is expecting a big step forward.
Stockton is talented. He was the No. 9-ranked cornerback in the class of 2022. His arm is decent, and he’s fast enough to pick up first downs with his legs.
Stockton completed 62.5% of his passes for 234 yards vs. Notre Dame. He threw a touchdown and didn’t turn the ball over.
Georgia doesn’t need Stockton to be a gamebreaker, but if UGA envisions a national title, it needs Stockton to be more than a game manager. It’s unclear if Stockton has that kind of ceiling yet.
10. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State
Placing Shapen this high might raise eyebrows, but there’s a lot to like about the Mississippi State quarterback. The arm talent is there, even by SEC standards. He has over 6,500 career passing yards between his time at Baylor and Mississippi State, making him one of the SEC’s most experienced passers.
Shapen played just four games in 2024 before an injury ended his season. When he was on the field, he earned an 84.6 PFF passing grade, averaged 8.9 yards per attempt, and had an 8-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Pretty good numbers given the talent (or lack thereof) he was surrounded by.
At Baylor, Shapen flashed all-conference potential but never took that next step. His ceiling is probably lower than we initially thought, but he’s a good quarterback and one of the few things Mississippi State has to be optimistic about in 2025.
9. Austin Simmons
We’ll stay in the state of Mississippi for the next one, and those around Oxford feel really good about Simmons’ potential. Simmons was a four-star recruit in 2023 and was ranked as the No. 19 QB in his class. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is one of the best play callers in the sport, and he’ll get the best out of his quarterback. That bodes well for Simmons.
Simmons only attempted 32 passes in 2024, but averaged 8.8 yards per attempt and threw two touchdowns. Simmons entered for a drive vs. the vaunted Georgia defense and went five for six with 64 yards on a scoring drive. That was just a flash, but it was promising.
Simmons’ arm can make all the throws and his legs allow him to extend plays. The Ole Miss offense is usually explosive and the big plays should continue with Simmons at the helm.
8. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Simpson is yet to start a collegiate football game, but I expect him to be in the top half of SEC quarterbacks.
Jalen Milroe was good — something LSU fans know all too well. Opinions varied on Milroe and there were certainly off days, but Milroe’s ceiling was sky high.
Simpson’s best games probably won’t be as good as Milroe’s best games (at least right away), but Simpson’s floor is higher. Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb know how to design an offense, especially with a quarterback they trust. They have that in Simpson. Alabama is loaded at wide receiver and if Simpson avoids mistakes, he’ll be one of the SEC’s most productive quarterbacks.
7. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
A&M was excited about QB Connor Weigman entering 2024, but Weigman was injured early in the year and struggled upon his return. Weigman was benched and by late October, Reed was A&M’s permanent starter. R
Reed was underwhelming as a passer. His PFF passing grade was 64.6 and he averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. But Reed’s arm flashed potential vs. Auburn, where he nearly threw for 300 yards.
The story with Reed is what he can do on the ground. Reed is one of the SEC’s most dynamic rushers. Not counting sack yardage, he ran for 622 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. If Reed is making plays on the ground, he doesn’t need to be Joe Montana as a passer. A lot of teams around the country would take Reed as their starter.
6. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Mateer was one of the top-ranked players in the transfer portal. After starring at Washington State, Mateer takes his talents to Norman in hopes of turning around a struggling Sooners offense.
Mateer eclipsed 1,000 yards as a rusher while scoring 15 touchdowns in 2024. He’s a great athlete. There are questions about how his athleticism will transfer to the SEC, but if Mateer even reaches 50% of his 2024 rushing total, he’ll be one of the top rushing quarterbacks in the SEC.
Mateer’s numbers through the air weren’t shabby, either. He threw for 3,136 yards and 29 touchdowns. Again, if he comes anywhere close to those marks in Norman, OU may be competing for a playoff spot. There’s a lot of pressure on Mateer and the Sooner offense in 2025, but he has the tools to answer the call.
5. Taylen Green, Arkansas
Not a lot went right for Arkansas in 2024, but Taylen Green proved to be a nice find at quarterback. The Boise State transfer was a playmaker in Bobby Petrino’s offense. He surpassed 3,000 yards through the air and 800 on the ground.
Green, in his fifth year of college football, is a veteran now. The situation at Arkansas isn’t great and there are questions all around Green, but he’s good enough to elevate the unit.
4. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Sellers has the attention of NFL scouts entering the 2025 season. Sellers completed 64.8% of his passes last year while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. He pushed the ball down the field and was efficient doing it.
It’s hard not be enamored with Sellers as an athlete. He’s 6-foot-3, 240-pounds, has a rocket for an arm, and one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the sport. Defenses learned the hard way last year — Sellers is a home run hitter in the run game.
There’s talk of Sellers being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. I think those expectations are a little high, but if Sellers takes another step in the passing game, he just might be the best quarterback in the country.
3. DJ Lagway, Florida
Lagway’s true freshman season was boom or bust. The five-star has an electric arm and he’s not afraid to show it off. He was a big play machine and ranked second in the SEC with 9.8 yards per attempt.
According to PFF, Lagway’s big-time-throw percentage was 8.8%, which led the SEC.
But Lagway also had one of the highest interception rates, tossing nine picks. He completed less than 50% of his passes and was especially inconsistent vs. the better defenses Florida played. Lagway’s injury status throughout the offseason is slight cause for concern, but he’s ready to go for week one. Expect Lagway to take a massive step forward as a sophomore.
2. Arch Manning, Texas
I know you might think Arch Manning is overhyped. I know you’re probably tired of hearing about him. I know he hasn’t proven anything yet. I get all that. But I’m a believer.
Manning is going to be good. He’s got a high floor and a high ceiling. He’s talented and he’s surrounded by even more of it. Quinn Ewers was good, but Texas was lacking something with Ewers under center. Now transitioning to Manning, expect the offense to open up. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will take advantage of a playmaker at QB. Texas will take shots down the field and design runs for Manning on the ground.
Manning is a legitimate Heisman contender as we enter 2025.
1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier starts in the top spot. The veteran QB enters his fifth year in Baton Rouge with something to prove.
Nussmeier put up big numbers in 2024, racking up 4,043 yards and 29 touchdowns. He led LSU to big wins over South Carolina and Ole Miss, which included a handful of dazzling throws to beat the Rebels. The final quarter of the Ole Miss game is why NFL scouts view Nussmeier as a potential No. 1 overall pick in 2026.
Nussmeier had some downs, though. The LSU offense struggled over the course of a three-game losing streak and Nussmeier wasn’t effective throwing the deep ball (for most of the year). Not all of that is on Nussmeier — a lot had to do with LSU’s wide receivers and struggling run game.
Something clicked for Nussmeier late in the year. LSU finished the year on a three-game win streak where Nussmeier was brutally efficient. Nussmeier threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the bowl win while completing 70.6% of his passes. If that’s the version of Nussmeier LSU gets in 2025, the Tigers could win a national title.
