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The SEC is absolutely loaded with talent each and every year in college football, and the 2025 season should be no different. There are a number of rosters who will feel like they can compete for a conference title and a spot in the College Football Playoff this season, and the quarterbacks are a big reason why.
This season, the SEC will be home to two quarterbacks who will feel like they have a chance to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and two more who can claim the same for the 2027 draft. But who is the best of the bunch?
Here is a list of the top five quarterbacks in the SEC coming into the 2025 college football season.
5. Arch Manning, Texas
This may seem a little low for Manning coming into a season where he is one of the Heisman Trophy favorites and Texas is expected to be one of, if not the best team in the nation. However, he is behind four players who have shown that they can be great quarterbacks against elite competition in the past, something that Manning does not have.
Still, the former five-star recruit has all the talent to end up much higher on this list at the end of the season, perhaps even in the top spot. He can make all the throws, showed off his very good athletic abilities last season in special packages in the Texas offense, and is working with one of the best play callers in the world in Steve Sarkisian.
Manning posted superb numbers in a limited sample size last season, completing 61-of-90 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. A similar pace this year would put him right in the Heisman conversations provided that Texas is in the title picture as expected.
4. DJ Lagway, Florida
Lagway took the SEC by storm last year when he was slowly inserted into the lineup, and then fully let loose after the injury to Graham Mertz. While the Texas native struggled with some injuries of his own during the back half of the season, his incredible physical traits were amazing to see and gave Florida fans hope that he could be the man that leads the Gators back to national prominence.
For the season, Lagway completed just under 60% of his passes in 2024 for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
There seems to be more that Lagway can unlock as a scrambler and a designed runner, which a full offseason as the starter should help him do. He can also stop doing so much hunting for big plays and keep the offense on schedule like a more experienced quarterback, while falling back on his elite arm to make plays when needed.
He showed the ability to do that at times last season, which should give Florida fans optimism that he could be in for a huge sophomore year.
3. John Mateer, Oklahoma
The addition of John Mateer doesn't seem to be getting the kind of attention that it probably warrants given how well he played on a depleted Washington State squad last season, but it absolutely has the chance to turn Oklahoma into an SEC contender. Mateer is one of the best backfield creators and improvisors in the sport, and he will get to show it off on the biggest stage this fall.
In 2024, Mateer quietly had one of the best seasons of any quarterback in the nation. He finished the year completing just under 65% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns, throwing just seven interceptions in the process. He was also a high-volume ball carrier for the Cougars, with 178 carries adding up to 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Mateer may not get the same high volume on the ground at Oklahoma as he did last season with Cal transfer Jaydn Ott in the backfield, but his legs should still add an explosive element to the offense in Norman.
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
It would be a surprise to nobody if, next April, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called LaNorris Sellers' name first in the 2026 NFL Draft. The South Carolina signal caller is that talented and has the ability to be a truly transformative player for the Gamecocks this season. There is a strong argument to be made that Sellers has the highest ceiling of any player in college football this season.
The redshirt sophomore has a lot of polishing to do as a passer as he grows and gains more experience, but he is already one of the most dynamic runners in the country at any position. If he can clean up his accuracy and pocket presence and become a better on-schedule thrower in the South Carolina offense, it could get scary very fast.
Last season, Sellers completed 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 674 yards and seven touchdowns, and those numbers could get even more prolific in 2025.
1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
While Sellers may have the highest ceiling in the conference, there is nobody more polished and ready to go than Nussmeier. The LSU quarterback is one of the best pure passers in the country and likely would have garnered first-round consideration if he decided to go pro after the 2024 season.
Instead, he enters 2025 on a loaded LSU squad with a real chance to go No. 1 overall. It will be hard to find a more NFL-ready quarterback than Nussmeier anywhere in college football and he deserves the top spot coming into the season as a result.
The Louisiana native put up lucrative numbers in the pass-heavy LSU offense last season, completing just over 64% of his passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. With the Tigers more likely to lean even more into their star quarterback this fall, he could outpace that with another big year in 2025.
