Despite Texas having a disappointing season in 2025, it looks like the Arch Manning hype train is back, and it's full steam ahead as we enter the spring. With the ever-changing landscape of college football granting and denying extra years of eligibility, it's tough to make projections until things get sorted out. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has officially been denied an extra season of eligibility for 2026.
Following the news, it looks like Auburn blue-chip transfer Deuce Knight will get the first chance to takeover and lead the Rebels' offense next season.
On that note, let's dive into the early quarterback rankings heading into the year:
Power ranking Arch Manning and the rest of the SEC QBs for 2026
Though the Volunteers could give incoming Colorado transfer Ryan Staub a shot to start in the spring, MacIntyre most likely has the best chance to be named the starter heading into week one. Yes, Joey Aguilar is petitioning to get another year of eligibility for 2026, but we all know how that'll probably end up.
With D.J. Lagway heading to Baylor, and Tramell Jones likely needing another season to develop, Aaron Philo probably gets the starting job. Philo came to Florida after being a career backup at Georgia Tech, which is kind of worrisome when it comes to the outlook for the Gators in 2026.
As mentioned in the intro, Knight gets to take over the Ole Miss offense in 2026, and he has a chance to be pretty successful. He's an incredibly mobile and explosive athlete, he just needs to work on his throwing mechanics over the summer. Though he could've been ranked a little higher than this, there's just too much uncertainty with Knight right now.
Minchey "looked" good in practice for Notre Dame over the past two seasons, he just couldn't find a way to start. He's a solid-enough passer to get things done through the air but his lack of experience and failure to secure the starting role over C.J. Carr in 2025 raises some questions.
Jackson has excellent size (6'4", 225 lbs.) and throwing ability, showing off his talent last season when he came in for Taylen Green against Texas and Missouri. Arkansas quarterbacks always seem to overperform despite being disappointing as a team, so based on sheer talent at the quarterback position, Jackson could be a sleeper in 2026.
The composite No.2-ranked quarterback in the 2026 class, Curtis has the potential and arm talent to hit the ground running for the Commodores this year. Vanderbilt has effectively established itself in the SEC after a big season in 2025, and it could be just as good in 2026 if Curtis adapts quickly.
Much like K.J. Jackson at Arkansas, Taylor looked pretty good when on the field for the Bulldogs in 2025. He had an 82.3 QBR through three games in which he attempted 10+ passes, and he went berserk against Ole Miss in the 2025 Egg Bowl. He finished the day with 170+ passing yards and 170+ rushing yards to go along with two total touchdowns. He could be a pretty exciting player in 2026 as the full-time starter.
Mack should get the starting nod based on what we've seen in the past, as he came in this year when Ty Simpson went down with an injury. I guess it's never a sure thing until we see who takes most of the reps in practice, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Russell, a 5-star QB from the 2025 class, take over if Mack begins to disappoint. Either way, the Crimson Tide should be fine on offense regardless of who gets the job. Both players can take over games if given the chance to.
Brown was incredibly inconsistent as a passer while at South Florida, but when he's "on", he's one of the best in the league. He has the ability to throw for 300 yards and/or rush for 100+ at any given moment. His size and play style are reminiscent of Cam Newton, and what better comp for the Tigers' new playmaker at quarterback? Let's see if Alex Golesh can get some more efficiency out of him at Auburn in 2026.
Simmons was incredibly hyped heading into the 2025 season, and though he began playing really well, an injury derailed his entire season. Even when he was back and ready to go, Ole Miss couldn't take Trinidad Chambliss out of the game; he was just playing way too well for the Rebels. The lefty has one of the biggest arms in all of college football, and he could explode in 2026 with Missouri's group of pass-catchers and rushing attack.
Reed is incredibly dangerous due to his athleticism and ability to create different passing angles within the pocket, but he still has a below-average arm. He can make a good amount of the throws that Texas A&M needs in order to move the ball, but he's not someone who can take over a game with his passing ability. Having said that, he heads into 2026 as the SEC's leading passer with 3,169 passing yards. It'll be interesting to see if he can limit the mistakes and turnovers that plagued him in big games in 2025.
Leavitt has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football when healthy, but that's been his biggest problem as of late. He started two years at Arizona State before joining Lane Kiffin at LSU via the transfer portal, and he could blow up in Kiffin's offense in 2026. As long as he stays healthy, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him as the No.1 quarterback in the SEC at some point throughout the year.
Mateer also had tons of hype heading into 2025 after putting up Heisman-type numbers at Washington State the year before. Everything looked great over the first part of the season before breaking a bone in his throwing hand. Following the injury, it was easy to tell that he wasn't fully himself, and it affected the entire offense for Oklahoma. He should be much better in year two under OC Ben Arbuckle, and he'll seemingly have more talent around him as well.
Sellers continues to be a "wow" factor in South Carolina's offense, despite the team as a whole disappointing in 2025. He has an NFL-type arm that needs a bit more refining, but he can also win with his legs if he gets the opportunity. It was puzzling to see the Gamecocks not bring in more pass-catchers in the transfer portal, but at least Sellers will have Nyck Harbor to throw to again.
Stockton showed everyone that he was the real deal last season, and he should be able to have just as much success in 2026. His offensive line took a big hit with starting LT Monroe Freeling declaring for the NFL Draft, but the Bulldogs will just have another blue-chip player step in for him. Stockton can single-handedly beat teams with both his arm and his legs, and there's no reason to have him ranked any lower than No.2 right now.
After being one of the most hyped-up players in all of college football, Manning started off the 2025 season incredibly slow. He looked jittery and uncomfortable over the first half of the year, but then took the SEC by storm after week 7. Manning can make any throw there is, and is one of the only quarterbacks in the league who can easily throw a 60-yard touchdown through the air, or run it in himself for 60 yards at any given moment. Now that Texas has seemingly fixed its offensive line and added Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, and Raleek Brown in 2026, the sky is the limit for Arch Manning and the Longhorns' offense.