Here's a ranking.
1. 15
2. 15
3. 29
4. 21
5. 20
6. 0
7. 24
8. 0
9. 1/0
10. 2
11. 24
13. 0
14. 0
15. 2
16. 1
Here's another ranking.
1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Ole Miss
4. Texas A&M
5. LSU
6. Alabama
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Florida
10. Missouri
11. South Carolina
12. Auburn
13. Vanderbilt
14. Kentucky
15. Mississippi State
16. Arkansas
As you've likely guessed by now, the first ranking is the SEC's predicted order of finish, with the career starts of the expected QB1 replacing the team name.
While only 12 of the 16 SEC schools have a named or expected starter, the remaining four battles -- Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt -- have a combined one career start among the combatants. The median number of starts an SEC quarterback will bring into this season is 15.5. Among the expected top seven teams though -- all of whom have been to the CFP within the last two years or coached by someone who has -- the number jumps to 20.
Correlation or causation? Probably a little of both. Either way, the median SEC quarterback, especially the median title-contending SEC quarterback, is in his fourth year of college, heading into his second full season as a starter. He may or may not be with the program he signed with out of high school, but either way he's seen some things since leaving the nest -- on the field, and in life. Maybe he's lost a quarterback battle elsewhere, or he had to sit and wait behind someone else.
SEC QBs by Signing Class
2026: 0
2025: 1
2024: 1
2023: 6
2022: 3
2021: 1
SEC QBs by Home State
2: Tennessee
1: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas
As of this writing, Arch Manning is the only former 5-star slated to start in the SEC this fall. That number could grow as high as four by opening day, if Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt), Faizon Brandon (Tennessee), and Keelon Russell (Alabama) win their respective battles. And if they do, that will just move the newest crop of star-studded pups onto the next, more challenging battle: beating out a pack of more experienced signal callers for the SEC title.
SEC QBs by Recruiting Ranking
5-star: 1
Top-100 4-star: 1
4-star: 6
3-star: 3
Unrated: 1
SEC Expected Starters at a Glance
Alabama -- too close to call
KJ Jackson, Arkansas
third-year player with one start and six appearances; signed with Arkansas out of Montgomery, Ala.; 3-star in the class of 2024
Byrum Brown, Auburn
fifth-year player with 32 starts in 35 games; signed with South Florida out of Raleigh, N.C.; 3-star in the class of 2022
Florida -- too close to call
Gunner Stockton, Georgia
fifth-year player with 15 starts across 23 games; signed with Georgia out of Tiger, Ga.; 4-star in the class of 2022
Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
fourth-year player with 10 appearances and no starts; signed with Notre Dame out of Hendersonville, Tenn.; 4-star in the class of 2023
Sam Leavitt, LSU
fourth-year player with 20 starts in 24 games, missing final portion of 2025 due to a foot injury; signed with Michigan State out of West Linn, Ore., arrived at LSU by way of Arizona State; 4-star in the class of 2023
Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
second-year player with two starts in 11 appearances; signed with Mississippi State out of Macon, Miss.; top-100 4-star in the class of 2025
Austin Simmons, Missouri
fourth-year player with two starts in 17 games; signed with Ole Miss out of Miami; 4-star in the class of 2023
John Mateer, Oklahoma
fifth-year player with 24 starts in 36 games; signed with Washington State out of Little Elm, Texas; 3-star in the class of 2022
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
sixth-year player with 29 starts in 38 appearances; signed with Ferris State out of Grand Rapids, Mich.; unrated recruit in the class of 2021
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
fourth-year player who has started all 24 games in which he's appeared; signed with South Carolina out of Florence, S.C; 4-star in the class of 2023
Tennessee -- too close to call
Arch Manning, Texas
fourth-year player with 15 starts across 25 appearances; signed with Texas out of New Orleans; a 5-star in the class of 2023
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
fourth-year player with 21 starts in 27 games; signed with Texas A&M out of Nashville; a 4-star in the class of 2023
Vanderbilt -- too close to call
We'll come back and update this once all the dust has settled.