Midseason grades for every SEC quarterback situation

The college football season is dreadfully short, with just twelve regular season games for teams over 14 weeks of play, with the conference championship week serving as the 15th week of the season. With Week 9 approaching in college football, we’re already over halfway through the 2025 season, and Week 8 featured a first in the expanded Southeastern Conference. There were eight league games last week, all featuring an SEC versus SEC matchup.

Each SEC team has now played seven games this season, with the exception of the Kentucky Wildcats, who have already had both of their two bye weeks and have only played six games. That means it’s time to re-evaluate the quarterback position at all 16 schools.

We’ll give each QB situation in the SEC a letter grade over the first eight weeks, setting us up for a stretch run to the conference championship game over the next six weeks. There’s still so much on the line for just about every team in the league, and so many more incredible games to go.

Here are grades for each SEC quarterback situation at this point in the season.

Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 18: Ty Simpson #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes against Arion Carter #7 and Jeremiah Telander #22 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Ty Simpson has been one of the best players in the entire country ever since Alabama lost its Week 1 game against Florida State. Since that moment, the Crimson Tide haven’t lost again, with Simpson guiding them to a 6-1 record that includes key wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Arkansas Razorbacks

It’s been a rough season for the Razorbacks, but it’s hard to place too much of the blame on Taylen Green. He’s a dynamic playmaker who makes this offense go, but the wins just haven’t been there for Arkansas, which sits at 2-5. They’ve played Tennessee and Texas A&M very close in the past couple of games, and don’t be surprised if Green helps pull off an upset somewhere along the line.

Auburn Tigers

The player: Jackson Arnold

Jackson Arnold and the Tigers had a hot start to the season, but they’ve cooled off considerably and now sit at 3-4. Arnold has cut down on the turnovers since arriving at Auburn, but he still doesn’t see the field exceptionally well and he still holds on to the ball for far too long. He’s not entirely to blame for four straight losses, but he certainly hasn’t elevated his game in the big moments. The fanbase might start clamoring for Deuce Knight or Ashton Daniels soon.

Florida Gators

Florida also sits a 3-4, and it’s been a disappointing season for DJ Lagway. This was supposed to be his breakout year for the Gators, but the offense seems to constantly be stuck in the mud. He’s shown some promise in their wins this season, but the losses have typically been because the offense can’t get much going. He’s unbelievably talented, but he looks to have regressed some from last season.

Georgia Bulldogs

The player: Gunner Stockton

In his first year as the starter, Gunner Stockton has the Bulldogs at 6-1, with big performances in thrilling wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss. Stockton didn’t play his best game in Georgia’s loss to Alabama, but he’s been solid for this offense when needed and spectacular for the most part in high-pressure moments. He’s an excellent fit for his team.

Kentucky Wildcats

The players: Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley

The Wildcats have the smallest sample size to go off of in the SEC, but at just 2-4, it’s not looking like a great year is in the cards for Kentucky. Zach Calzada was the Week 1 starter, but he was replaced after just two games by Cutter Boley, who’s been the guy for the rest of the way since then. The redshirt freshman had one of his best games last week against Texas, posting a career-high in passing yards and leading the offense in rushing yards as well.

LSU Tigers

Oct 18, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Louisiana State Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) stands in the pocket against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium

The player: Garrett Nussmeier

The Tigers may be 5-2, but the offense just hasn’t looked right for much of the season. Garrett Nussmeier was hailed as the league’s best quarterback ahead of the season, but he’s looked pretty pedestrian compared to last year. LSU’s next two games will be very telling for Nussmeier, as they get Texas A&M and Alabama over the next three weeks.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Blake Shapen and the Bulldogs have already doubled their win total from a year ago, and they sit at 4-3. Shapen’s numbers aren’t flashy, and it’s always an uphill battle at Mississippi State, but the season has already included an upset win over Arizona State and near upsets against Tennessee and Florida. This team will still have a fight on their hands if they want to be bowl-eligible.

Missouri Tigers

Beau Pribula won the starting job for the Tigers in fall camp, and he hasn’t looked back. He’s got Missouri at 6-1, with the only blemish being a loss to Alabama a couple of weeks ago. Pribula has been a dual-threat force, one who helps make this offense a real threat on the ground. When he’s dealing in the passing game, they’re a hard team to stop.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 18: John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to pass the ball during the first half of a football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) — COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 18: John Mateer #10 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks to pass the ball during the first half of a football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

The players: John Mateer and Michael Hawkins Jr.

When you consider where the Sooners were at quarterback last year, it’s safe to say that John Mateer has been a massive upgrade. He ended up only missing one game due to his hand surgery, with backup Michael Hawkins Jr. stepping in while he was out. Mateer stunk it up against Texas, but he’s been solid at worst and spectacular at best in the other six games. Oklahoma is 6-1, and they’ve notched impressive wins over Michigan, Auburn and South Carolina.

Ole Miss Rebels

ATHENS, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 18: Trinidad Chambliss #6 of the Mississippi Rebels rushes in for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) — ATHENS, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 18: Trinidad Chambliss #6 of the Mississippi Rebels rushes in for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

The players: Austin Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss

Ole Miss sits at 6-1, but the journey there has been eventful under center. Austin Simmons played the first two games of the season before going down with an injury. That opened the door for Trinidad Chambliss to have a breakout campaign for the Rebels, and he simply hasn’t given the job back, looking like one of the league’s best quarterbacks since he stepped on the field. He was electric in a win over LSU and in a heartbreaking loss to Georgia. Now, Chambliss gets his toughest remaining test this weekend against Oklahoma.

South Carolina Gamecocks

The players: LaNorris Sellers, Luke Doty, and Cutter Woods

The Gamecocks are just 3-4 this year, and the offense hasn’t been nearly as good as it was last year. LaNorris Sellers is having to play the role of Superman far too often, and as great as he is, it’s just not sustainable for South Carolina. Sellers was injured in a loss to Vanderbilt, forcing Luke Doty into the lineup, but he’s not even a full-time quarterback. Cutter Woods is the backup right now, but if this team is going to finish strong again this season, it’s all about helping out Sellers, who is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the country.

Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) pulls back for the throw during a college football game against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Oct. 18, 2025.

Joey Aguilar has been a really good fit at Tennessee, and he’s running the offense really well. The Volunteers are 5-2, with the only losses coming at the hands of Georgia and Alabama. Aguilar has played well, but he doesn’t have very many impressive wins to show for the season so far. However, this team has won all of the games they’ve been supposed to win, and they’ve bounced back on offense in 2025.

Texas Longhorns

Arch Manning has been disappointing for the Longhorns this season, but they’re still 5-2 because they have really good players around him. With all of the hype surrounding him coming into the season, Manning has looked pretty pedestrian, save for a good performance against Oklahoma. This Texas team has an easy schedule, but upcoming games against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Texas A&M won’t be easy if the offense looks like it did against Ohio State and Florida.

Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies are 7-0, and Marcel Reed is a big reason why. He’s a dynamic playmaker who has taken the next step as a passer in the offense. Reed was excellent in the win over Notre Dame, and he has lead this team to the top of the SEC. Only Texas A&M and Alabama have yet to lose a conference game, and the run continues for Reed against LSU and Missouri over the next two games.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt sits a 6-1, and they are enjoying a historic season in 2025. Diego Pavia makes the unique offense that the Commodores run really dangerous, and last week’s win over LSU was the biggest of the year for this squad. With the exception of a loss against Alabama, Pavia has looked good this season, but they’ve still got Missouri, Texas ands Tennessee left on the schedule. Those games will decide how the rest of the year goes for one of college football’s underdog teams making noise this season.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Grades for each SEC quarterback ahead of the league’s stretch run

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