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With college football around the corner, let’s rank the 16 SEC quarterbacks for 2024

john clay
·4 min read

With SEC Football Media Days wrapping up in Dallas and Kentucky’s opening game less than 50 days away, let’s zero in on the sport’s most important position.

So let’s rank the Southeastern Conference’s 16 starting quarterbacks for the 2024 season.

16. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina: The redshirt freshman has thrown four passes in his college career. He completed all four. A three-star prospect, Sellers has impressive wheels, which may lead Gamecocks offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains to implement a more run-oriented scheme.

15. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt: A transfer from New Mexico State, Pavia threw for 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions last season for the Aggies. Alas, the Albuquerque native may have had a better supporting cast in 2023 than he will in 2024.

14. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky: The former five-star prospect is untested. Vandagriff committed to Oklahoma before switching to Georgia when Lincoln Riley left for USC. Failing to beat out Carson Beck is no great knock. Vandagriff has the tools. He needs experience.

Five-star prospect Brock Vandagriff is expected to finally get his shot this season at Kentucky after seeing little action in three years at Georgia.
Five-star prospect Brock Vandagriff is expected to finally get his shot this season at Kentucky after seeing little action in three years at Georgia.

13. Payton Thorne, Auburn: The Michigan State transfer struggled last season, his first with the Tigers. Thorne threw 10 interceptions and averaged just 6.6 yards per attempt. He did rush for 515 yards. A second season in Hugh Freeze’s system helps.

12. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State: The Baylor transfer should fit new head coach Jeff Lebby’s Air Raid offense. The senior from Shreveport, Louisiana, played hurt last season. He threw for 13 touchdowns with three interceptions for the Bears, who finished 3-9.

11. Taylen Green, Arkansas: The 6-foot-6 junior transfer from Boise State was MVP of the Mountain West Conference title game last season for Bush Hamdan, now UK’s offensive coordinator. Green now has Bobby Petrino as his play-caller with the Razorbacks.

10. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: After two years backing up Jayden Daniels, Nussmeier takes over the Tigers offense. He was 31-of-45 passing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin. His father, Doug, is the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach.

9. Graham Mertz, Florida: The Wisconsin transfer completed 72.9 percent of his passes — fourth nationally — for the Gators in 2023. Florida finished 5-7, however. This is Mertz’s sixth year. He’s key to Billy Napier keeping his job.

8. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma: With Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon, Arnold takes over the Sooners’ offense. The five-star prospect from Denton, Texas, was 26-of-45 passing for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but three interceptions, against Arizona in Oklahoma’s Alamo Bowl loss.

7. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee: The California native was Rivals’ No. 2 class of 2023 prospect behind only Texas’ Arch Manning. Iamaleava was 12-of-19 passing for 151 yards in UT’s Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. It’s his first year as Tennessee’s starter.

6. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M: The five-star prospect played in four games last season before a season-ending foot injury. Still, Weigman was impressive, throwing for 979 yards with a 69.8 completion percentage. The Aggies were 3-1 with Weigman as the starter.

Brady Cook led Missouri to a 14-3 victory over Ohio State in last season’s Cotton Bowl.
Brady Cook led Missouri to a 14-3 victory over Ohio State in last season’s Cotton Bowl.

5. Brady Cook, Missouri: Cook lead the Tigers to an 11-2 season in 2023. The senior from St. Louis threw for over 300 yards in five games and averaged 9.0 yards per attempt. And star wide-out Luther Burden is back.

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss: The USC transfer is heading into his third season as the starter for Lane Kiffin with the Rebels. Dart threw for 3,364 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions as Ole Miss went 11-2 in 2023.

3. Quinn Ewers, Texas: The Ohio State transfer lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season. He threw for 22 touchdowns with six interceptions in Steve Sarkisian’s system. Texas should be a top-three preseason Top 25 pick in 2024.

2. Jalen Milroe, Alabama: Ewers is the better NFL prospect, but Milroe is the better college quarterback. After a slow start, Milroe averaged 10 yards per pass attempt and rushed for 531 yards. He should fit new coach Kalen DeBoer’s offense.

1. Carson Beck, Georgia: After two years as Stetson Bennett’s backup, Beck’s stellar 2023 makes him a 2024 Heisman Trophy candidate. Beck threw for 3,941 yards and averaged 9.5 per attempt. He could be QB 1 in the 2025 NFL draft.

Carson Beck (15) led Georgia to a 13-1 season during his first year as a starter in 2023.
Carson Beck (15) led Georgia to a 13-1 season during his first year as a starter in 2023.

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