Which SEC teams still have a QB competition after spring camp?

USA Today

23-05-2025

Which SEC teams still have a QB competition after spring camp?
Spring camp is the audition, and fall camp is the callback.
Players transfer out after dropping down the depth chart in the spring, and the ones who impressed get the summer to work out before securing their spot in the fall. It's especially true with players at premium positions, such as quarterback. One of the worst situations for an SEC team to be in is not knowing who their starter is heading into the summer, and it's pretty easy to gauge the upcoming class of signal callers within the conference by the end of the spring.
USA TODAY Sports national college football columnist Blake Toppmeyer recently broke down the starting quarterback competitions across the SEC and grouped teams into one of three categories: "We know the starting quarterback," "Door remains cracked in quarterback competition," and "Door fully open in quarterback competition."
Unsurprisingly, Florida falls into the first category with DJ Lagway as the clear starter on the roster.
"The Gators won four straight games to finish last season while Lagway started as a true freshman. He's a top-tier SEC quarterback," said Toppmeyer.
Which teams are still figuring it out at QB?
Lagway is one of 13 presumed starters on Toppmeyer's list, and the three schools that still have some uncertainty at quarterback aren't who most would expect. It's not the Vanderbilts of the conference. It's Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are in the "door remains cracked" group, while Tennessee is still standing still with its pants down after losing starter Nico Iamleava to UCLA in the transfer portal. Ty Simpson and Gunner Stockton appear like the heir apparents at Alabama and Georgia, respectively, but the former has five-star freshman Keelon Russell to consider.
The rest of the class
Lagway's anointment as the leader of Florida's offense came a year earlier than expected when Graham Mertz went down with a season-ending ACL tear; however, he showed flashes early in a record-breaking start against FCS Samford. The rest of..
There are other returning starters: Arkansas' Taylor Green enters his second year with the program after transferring from Boise State; LSU has Garrett Nussmeier back for another season; Blake Shapen returns from injury for Mississippi State; LaNorris Sellers enjoyed a breakout year for South Carolina and is one of the top quarterbacks in the conference; Marcel Reed forced Conner Weigman out at Texas A&M while taking over the starting role; and Diego Pavia has another year of eligibility at Vanderbilt.
There are the transfers: Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has outright named Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold the starter already; Kentucky brought Zach Calzada, formerly of Texas A&M, back to the SEC after most recently playing for FCS Incarnate World; Missouri added Beau Pribula from Penn State; and Oklahoma replaced Arnold with Washington's John Mateer, who might be among the best in the country this season.
Finally, there are the two first-time starters stepping up in the program: Texas' Arch Manning and Ole Miss' Austin Simmons. Manning has the surname to live up to but is already considered a Heisman contender despite not playing a ton in his first two seasons. Simmons is a one-time Florida commit who got playing time as a back to Jaxson Dart last year. Lane Kiffin is high on him and he should get every chance to start.
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