The SEC has been at center stage all week with the annual SEC Media Days taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Here at Last Word on College Football, we are continuing our look at the best returning players in college football. When choosing the best returning SEC quarterbacks, there are many options to choose from. However, the conference did lose some extraordinary signal callers from last season. Heading to the NFL are Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), and Quinn Ewers (Texas). One of those teams has a quarterback on this list of the best returning SEC quarterbacks. Other quarterbacks gone are Carson Beck with a transfer to Miami. One of the biggest stories of the off-season was now former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferring to UCLA.
Best Returning SEC Quarterbacks
#4. DJ Lagway, Florida
The Florida Gators made a big turnaround last season, and the catalyst for that was quarterback DJ Lagway. As a freshman, he had his first start against the Samford Bulldogs on September 9th. He led Florida to a 45-7 win and threw for 456 yards with three touchdowns. He broke a Florida Gators record with that performance. Mertz would reclaim the starting position, but his season ended with an ACL injury against Tennessee.
Lagway would suffer an injury against Georgia, but he would return for the final three games of the regular season. When he returned versus LSU, the team was 4-5 and had hopes of a bowl game. Lagway led the Gators to victories over LSU and Ole Miss in back-to-back weeks to accomplish that. The next week, the Gators would defeat Florida State 31-11. To close out the season he threw for 305 yards in a 33-8 Gasparilla Bowl victory over Tulane. Overall, he threw 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns. His play towards the end of the season led to an 8-5 record for Florida and high expectations for the 2025 season.
#3. Arch Manning, Texas
What is a list about SEC quarterbacks without mentioning football’s royal family, the Mannings? Arch Manning enters this season with a lot of expectations that have rarely been seen. Not only will he look to live up to the legacy of his two uncles in Eli and Payton, but also his grandfather Archie. Add on to the fact that the media has selected the Texas Longhorns as the favorite to win the SEC.
Manning was the top recruit in the 2023 class and is heading into his third season as a Longhorn. He mostly played behind Ewers last season, throwing 939 yards and nine touchdowns. When Ewers was injured during the season, Manning showed what the future could bring. Manning was the starter when the Longhorns picked up their first SEC win when they defeated Mississippi State 35-13. In that game, he was 26 of 31 for 325 yards with two touchdowns. He also showed his athleticism throughout the season, and Texas would include him in packages throughout the season.
#2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
On Friday, the media selected LaNorris Sellers as the First Team All-SEC quarterback. Sellers was a surprise for experts and fans with his performance during the 2024 season. He passed for 2,534 yards with a completion percentage of 66% and threw 18 touchdowns. Sellers was a big reason for the Gamecocks closing the regular season with a six-game winning streak. Over that stretch of games, Sellers threw 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
South Carolina had wins over Texas A&M and Clemson, but his best performance was against the Missouri Tigers. While defeating the 23rd-ranked Tigers, Sellers threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns. Sellers, along with running back Raheim Sanders, were one of the best backfield duos in the SEC. South Carolina ranked fourth, averaging 184.4 yards per game with Sellers rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. He showed off that ability against Clemson, rushing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The Gamecocks will have to find a new backfield partner for Sellers with Sanders now gone.
#1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
The best returning SEC quarterback comes down to Garrett Nussmeier at LSU. Nussmeier had the opportunity to leave after last season but chose to run it back in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Last season, Nussmeier was second in the SEC with 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. He does need to improve at taking care of the football. Nuessmeier threw 12 interceptions last season. He has been tabbed as a serious contender to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
LSU is picked to finish fourth in the SEC behind Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. A lot of pressure is on the team and head coach Brian Kelly to make the College Football Playoff. LSU posted a 9-4 record last season, and that will not make the fans happy in Baton Rouge. Nussmeier has plenty of talent around him to make it happen, though. They return wide receiver Aaron Anderson, but they went into the transfer portal to add more targets. LSU added two SEC receivers in Barion Brown (Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (Oklahoma). An increased commitment to the run game will help Nussmeier as well.
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