The 2026 SEC Quarterback carousel came to a close this week when a Tennessee court ruled that Joey Aguilar’s time in JUCO most certainly did count. Ok, it was more official than that, but the short of it is that Aguilar will now have to focus on the NFL Combine rather than getting ready for year two at Rocky Top. So, with Spring ball quickly approaching, we figured we would rip around the league to find out what the origin story is for the 2026 SEC quarterbacks. The answer: we have returners, transfers, freshmen, and old-fashioned QB battles, oh my!
What are the 2026 SEC Quarterback Origins Stories?
Homegrown Starters
Believe it or not, there are still programs that actually try to develop quarterbacks. We have five quarterbacks returning to the program in 2026, the one they committed to out of high school. It would not be a surprise to see at least three from this list in the CFB Playoff in 2026.
- Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs
Stockton enters 2026 as QB1 of the back-to-back SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs. While that is usually impressive, the back-to-back Sugar Bowl (CFB Playoff Quarterfinal) losses have dampened the hype. Stockton will be one of the top QBs in 2026. - Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns
Arch is a bust! Or is he? Not so fast, my friend. The Texas signal caller weathered the early storm and showed that he can handle the heat. The Longhorns have provided Arch with plenty of weapons via the Portal and Boom Mushchamp, giving the Texas defense an edge. Look for the Arch hype train to be rolling again. - Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Taylor split time and eventually replaced Blake Shapen as QB1 in StarkVegas in 2025. The 6’4″, 230 lb dual threat took full advantage when his number was called. He finished 2025 with 629 passing yards, a 143.3 passer rating, five touchdown passes, and 458 rushing yards (5.6 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns rushing. - LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina Gamecocks
Much was expected of Sellers and the Gamecocks in 2026. Instead, the year was forgettable. Sellers finished the year with almost 2500 yards passing, but had just 13 passing touchdowns on the season. Shane Beamer will need a big year out of Sellers in 2026 to avoid the hot seat and unemployment line. - Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Reed took the Aggies to the promised land. No, they didn’t win a national championship, but A&M did have a better record than 8-4 and made the playoffs. While the matchup against Miami was forgettable, Reed showed in multiple games what type of quarterback he can be. The Aggies will need more consistency from Reed to find wins against Texas and in the Playoffs.
Freshman Starters
- Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt Commodores
We will likely have just one freshman starter in the SEC in 2026. With Diego Pavia (finally) gone from Vanderbilt, the torch now passes to the highly-touted freshman. Curtis is a consensus five-star recruit and Vanderbilt’s highest-rated commitment. Scouts raved about his elite arm strength and playmaking ability. A local product from Nashville Christian School, he flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt on Signing Day. Good luck, kid.
Transfers Returners
- John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners
Mateer returns for year two in Norman. Year one looked great if the season had stopped in October, before a broken hand changed Mateer’s luck. Mateer averaged 303 passing yards and nearly 50 rushing yards per game. He was the most explosive player in the SEC, led OU to a statement win over Michigan, and a gritty victory over Auburn. In the three games following surgery, he failed to throw for more than 225 yards and didn’t record a single rushing touchdown. Despite Oklahoma making the playoffs, Matter lost some of that dynamic spark we saw earlier in the season. Who will Mateer be in 2026? - Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss Rebels
Perhaps you heard that a Mississippi judge ruled the NCAA erred and that Chambliss should be provided an additional year of eligibility. Sure, it was home cooking, but for Pete Golding and Ole Miss, the ruling added a spark and stability to the change and chaos in Oxford. Chambliss was elite in 2025 and will have a big part in seeing if the Rebels can find the magic again in 2026.
Transfers Nubes
- Byrum Brown, Auburn Tigers
Brown comes to The Plains with new head coach Alex Goelsh from USF. Auburn may finally have a quarterback, though we have heard that before. Brown was dynamic in 2025 at USF. He led all FBS players with 42 total touchdowns, throwing for 3,158 yards (28 TDs and 7 INTs) and rushing for 1,008 yards with 14 touchdowns. - Aaron Philo, Florida Gators
Who? Gator fans were hoping maybe for a bigger fish from new coach Jon Sumrall. Philo was the understudy at Georgia Tech under Haynes King and new Florida OC Buster Faulkner. Faulkner is one of the best RPO minds in the game and should bring an offense that might be dynamic in Gainesville. - Kenny Minchey, Kentucky Wildcats
The Will Stein era is off and running in Lexington. Stein may be a big flip in the Portal in January when he convinced Michey to come to the Bluegrass State after committing to Nebraska the day before. Stein has raved about Minchey’s accuracy, and he will have two years of eligibility remaining as a new era dawns for the Wildcats. - Sam Leavitt, LSU Tigers
LSU has a new coach and what seems like a whole new team. Lane Kiffin seemingly went on a dating spree with all of the top quarterbacks in the Transfer Portal in early January. While it didn’t seem like his heart was initially set on Leavitt, Sam eventually came back around. Leavitt was the golden goose in 2026. Will Lane have enough to help Baton Rouge find the Playoffs in 2026? Our initial thoughts say maybe not yet.
Spring QB Battles
- Keelon Russell vs. Austin Mack, Alabama Crimson Tide
We have a QB controversy in Tuscaloosa. Here is what you get in both. Mack’s arm strength is reportedly the best on the team, while Mack is the wild card. Mack has been compared to Bryce Young and Tua Tagovailoa. While he has less experience, his ability to create plays when the pocket breaks down gives him a higher “ceiling.” - KJ Jackson vs. AJ Hill, Arkansas Razorbacks
Woo Pig got a chance to Jackson a little bit in 2025. He completed 61.1% of his passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and added 52 rushing yards and tw touchdowns on the ground. Hill comes with a new coach, Ryan Silverfield, from Memphis. Hill has familiarity with the staff, but is green on the field. He appeared in two games in 2025, passing for 223 yards and one touchdown while throwing one interception. - Austin Simmons vs. Matt Zollers, Missouri Tigers
Eli Drinkwitz loves him a transfer, and he got a good one in Austin Simmons. Simmons was supposed to be the guy in Oxford in 2025. Unfortunately, he was Wally Pipped by Chambliss after an injury. Zollers got time in 2025, but an especially forgettable Bowl game experience made finding some competition a necessity. - George MacIntyre vs. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee Volunteers
And now we come full circle. With Aguilar gone, MacIntyre and Brandon will battle for Rocky Top. MacIntyre is the “in-state” legacy and the clear frontrunner for spring practice. He spent 2025 learning Josh Heupel’s system, giving him a head start in terminology and timing. Brandon is arguably the most talented quarterback recruit Tennessee has ever signed. Described as having the “most complete physical skill set” in the 2026 cycle, he enters Knoxville with a championship pedigree.
Main Photo: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
