Roughly half the SEC will start a transfer at quarterback in 2026. It's the most important position in the sport, and one of the least predictable. Last year proved it: the "safe" pick disappointed, and an unexpected D-II transfer nearly ran the table.

Here's how the SEC QB pool breaks down for 2026, starting with the options the BlueChip community is drafting inside the top 200.

 Drafted Inside the Top 200

 33 ADP — Arch Manning (Texas)

Manning took control of the offense in 2025 and delivered 3,163 passing yards with 26 TDs while adding 399 rush yards and 10 scores. Unlike previous generations of the Manning family, his ground speed is legit. He's competing for the national QB1.

55 ADP — Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)

Chambliss made one of the most unique jumps in sport, going from Division II Ferris State to nearly 4,000 passing yards and 30 total TDs in the SEC. His 2026 season came via a court ruling in his favor, making him a rare sixth-year starter. The profile is clear: high-level production, dual-threat balance, and one of the safest weekly outputs in the conference.

62 ADP — Byrum Brown (Auburn)

Brown arrives on the Plains from South Florida after posting a true cheat-code season: 3,158 passing yards and 28 TDs paired with more than 1,000 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores. That kind of 3k/1k profile is rare at any level. The bet is simple: if the volume carries over even at a less efficient rate, he's a potential fantasy difference-maker every time he's on the field.

84 ADP — Sam Leavitt (LSU)

Leavitt heads to LSU after a disappointing 2025 season at Arizona State, throwing 1,628 yards with 10 TDs against just 3 INTs while adding 306 rushing yards and 5 scores. The tools are obvious: mobility, efficiency, and playmaking. This is a projection bet: if Lane Kiffin unlocks a full healthy season in his system, watch out.

95 ADP — Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State)

Taylor, a former four-star in-state recruit, flashed as a true freshman in 2025, throwing for 629 yards with 5 TDs and just 1 INT while adding 458 rushing yards and 8 scores. Once he replaced Blake Shapen, the rushing ceiling showed up immediately, including a breakout Egg Bowl performance that put him on the fantasy community radar. The upside is obvious: if the passing develops even slightly, he already has one of the most dangerous profiles in the league.

96 ADP — Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)

Reed erupted in 2025, posting 3,169 passing yards and 25 TDs while adding 493 rushing yards and 6 scores as a true dual-threat engine. The production is real, but so is the volatility: 12 interceptions tell the story. If the efficiency tightens, he jumps up a tier.

102 ADP — John Mateer (Oklahoma)

Mateer put up 2,885 passing yards and 14 TDs in 2025, but the real value came on the ground with 431 rushing yards and 8 scores. Unlike his time at Washington State, Mateer isn't throwing the ball every down anymore. If the touchdown rate through the air doesn't improve, it will be hard for him to be truly elite in the SEC.

123 ADP — LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)

Sellers' first full season produced 2,437 passing yards with 13 TDs and 8 INTs, along with 270 rushing yards and 5 scores. At 6'3", 240, the physical tools are obvious (he was the national QB1 to many last summer), but the efficiency and decision-making lagged expectation. The upside is still there, but this is a prove-it year with a new offensive coordinator and a wide range of outcomes.

175 ADP — Gunner Stockton (Georgia)

Stockton stepped in and delivered immediately, throwing for 2,894 yards and 24 TDs with just 5 interceptions while adding 462 rushing yards and 10 scores. The passing efficiency is strong, but the real edge comes from consistent red-zone usage as a runner. That combination gives him one of the safest weekly floors in the SEC, even if the ceiling isn't as explosive as the top names.

Late-Round Projected Starters

These are the late-round SEC projected starters the market isn't paying up for (yet).

Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt)

Curtis arrives as a five-star and one of the highest-rated recruits in program history, coming off a dominant high school run with 30+ TD passes. At 6'4", 225, the physical profile and arm talent check every box, but he's stepping straight into the SEC with zero college experience. If the talent translates early, he's a breakout story; if not, growing pains come fast.

KJ Jackson (Arkansas)

Jackson's 2025 sample was small but efficient (441 passing yards, 3 TDs, no interceptions) with two rushing scores showing off his mobility. The tools are obvious, but the volume hasn't been tested against a full SEC slate. This is a projection built on traits, not production — if the role expands, the upside follows.

George MacIntyre (Tennessee)

MacIntyre barely saw the field in 2025, completing just 7 passes for 69 yards, but arrives with prototypical size at 6'6" and a strong recruiting pedigree. He fits the mold of a traditional pocket passer in Tennessee's system, but the lack of experience shows. Still competing with incoming 5-star Faizon Brandon, this remains one of the more uncertain QB situations in the SEC.

Kenny Minchey (Kentucky)

Minchey transfers in from Notre Dame with just 196 passing yards and one rushing score in limited action. The mobility is there, but the passing resume is essentially blank heading into a full SEC season. The range is wide: he either grows into the role or struggles to generate consistent production at all.

Aaron Philo (Florida)

Philo comes over from Georgia Tech after a tiny but efficient sample (21 completions, 373 yards), and elite downfield production. The arm talent shows up immediately, but there's no rushing floor and no proven volume. This is a pure system bet: if the Gators offense pops, he matters, but he has not officially won the job yet.

Keelon Russell (Alabama)

Russell's freshman stat line (143 passing yards and 2 TDs) tells you almost nothing, but the five-star pedigree tells you everything about the upside. He has the arm talent to become Alabama's next star, but there's no real track record yet. This is a classic boom-or-bust profile. Spring game buzz says Russell starts, but Austin Mack is still competing.

Austin Simmons (Missouri)

Simmons transfers from Ole Miss after opening 2025 as the starter before an injury cost him the job to Trinidad Chambliss, finishing with 744 yards and 4 TDs in limited action. The arm talent is real, but the results were uneven even before the injury. This is a reset opportunity. If he stabilizes, he's usable; if not, the floor falls out quickly.

Time 4 Action

The SEC QB pool is volatile and loaded with talent. The BlueChip market is paying for safety that doesn't really exist at the position.

Wait on quarterbacks in SEC formats and swing on unique profiles like Sellers, Russell, Philo, and Curtis.

Build with intent. Safe quarterbacks don't win titles.

More from Steve Jackson

Substack: https://substack.com/@cffjacko

X: @CFF_Jacko