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Ranking top five SEC quarterback rooms for 2026 college football season

Danby: Daniel Hager05/01/26DanielHagerOn3

Let the debate begin. On3’s J.D. PicKell has named his top-five SEC quarterback rooms.

The Southeastern Conference, heading into the 2026 college football season, looks like one of the most star-studded leagues in America. Just a few of the SEC’s star quarterbacks include Texas‘ Arch Manning, Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss, Texas A&M‘s Marcel Reed, Oklahoma‘s John Mateer, and Georgia‘s Gunner Stockton.

In a league as physical as the SEC, however, quarterback depth is essential. Having depth at the most important position in football is pivotal to an important season, as we saw with Ole Miss last season. Following Austin Simmons‘ injury early in the season, Trinidad Chambliss stepped up in a massive way.

Here are PicKell’s top five quarterback rooms in the conference.

1. LSU Tigers

Quarterback room: Sam Leavitt (starter), Landen Clark, Husan Longstreet

Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt is poised to be the first starting quarterback of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU. Leavitt will bring his College Football Playoff experience with him to Baton Rouge this season, as the Tigers seek a return to the CFP for the first time since 2019. In 20 career games at Arizona State, Leavitt compiled 4,513 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He is still recovering from foot surgery, but should be good to go by the time the season rolls around.

To back up Leavitt, Kiffin brought in two transfer quarterbacks. Landen Clark was brought in from Elon, while Husan Longstreet was poached from USC. Longstreet is a former five-star recruit, while Clark passed for 2,321 yards and 18 touchdowns last season at Elon. If Leavitt’s injury does nag a bit this season, LSU seems secure at the quarterback position.

2. Ole Miss Rebels

Quarterback room: Trinidad Chambliss (starter), Deuce Knight, Walker Howard

Ole Miss was one of the biggest winners of the college football season, as it was able to garner an extra year of eligibility for star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Although he didn’t open the 2025 campaign as the starter, Chambliss took over for an injured Austin Simmons and blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. He passed for 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions and led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Auburn transfer quarterback Deuce Knight was brought in as a contingency plan, just in case Chambliss was not able to be cleared. Now, the Rebels will boast one of the most talented backups in all of college football. Knight was a five-star recruit coming out of George County, while Howard (a Louisiana transfer) was a four-star recruit.

3. Texas Longhorns

Quarterback room: Arch Manning (starter), K.J. Lacey, MJ Morris

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is set to open the 2026 season as one of the frontrunners to win the Heisman Trophy. Manning entered the 2025 season, his first as Texas‘ starter, with massive expectations. While he didn’t quite get off to the best start, he finished extremely strong. Across Manning’s final eight games of the 2025 season, he led Texas to a 7-1 record, with strong wins over No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 9 Vanderbilt, No. 3 Texas A&M, and No. 18 Michigan. In that span, he passed for 2,012 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions.

Backing up Manning this season in Austin will be former four-star recruit K.J. Lacey and Coastal Carolina transfer MJ Morris. Morris played in just three games for the Chanticleers last season, passing for 304 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. With Manning leading the charge, the Longhorns are seeking a return to the College Football Playoff.

4. Georgia Bulldogs

Quarterback room: Gunner Stockton (starter), Ryan Puglisi, Ryan Montgomery

Gunner Stockton‘s first season as Georgia‘s starter in 2025 was a resounding success. Stockton passed for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns, and led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance. He was named a Third Team All-SEC selection and looks to be one of the top returning quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference.

While Puglisi and Montgomery haven’t seen much on-field action, both were four-star recruits coming out of high school. Georgia is seeking a return to the National Championship Game for the first time since 2022, when it won its second consecutive title.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide

Quarterback room: Austin Mack, Keelon Russell, Jett Thomalla

Finally, Alabama‘s quarterback room rounds out J.D. PicKell‘s top-five SEC quarterback rooms. While the starting quarterback position for the Crimson Tide is far from being figured out, they have two solid options in Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Mack initially followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington when he accepted the Alabama job prior to the 2025 season, while Russell was the No. 2-ranked player in the Class of 2025.

Mack played in four games last season, including Alabama‘s blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Russell was held to just two games. Whoever leads Alabama will be seeking the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the National Championship Game since 2021.