The activity in the Transfer Portal has significantly slowed down as teams have seemingly set their rosters for the 2026 college football season. At the quarterback position, the players are seemingly set perfectly in place, especially in the SEC. Coming into the offseason, there were 6 SEC teams that seemingly needed a quarterback.
Some of the new head coaches were able to bring their quarterbacks with them or had a coordinator bring a signal caller with them. Other SEC teams like LSU and Lane Kiffin went out and shopped at the top of the market for their next quarterback.
Ranking the best new signalcallers in the SEC
6. AJ Hill
The Arkansas Razorbacks will have a quarterback competition as Ryan Silverfield takes over the program. Following Silverfield to Arkansas is AJ Hill a year after he signed with the Memphis Tigers. At this point in his career, Hill is a massive unknown, but he could quickly rise up everyone's rankings if he wins the starting job this fall.
5. Aaron Philo
Jon Sumrall's first staff is headlined by Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner who's been widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the sport. Faulkner brings his quarterback Aaron Philo with him to replace the outgoing DJ Lagway. Philo is inexperienced, but he knows the system and should give this team reliable quarterback play.
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4. Austin Simmons
Coming into the season, Austin Simmons had a ton of hype after showing great flashes behind Jaxson Dart. An injury early in the season allowed Trinidad Chambliss to see the field and the rest became history. Eli Drinkwitz will hope that Simmons can return to form and take a leap giving the team an exciting duo with Simmons and star running back Ahmad Hardy.
3. Kenny Minchey
Will Stein takes over at Kentucky, and Cutter Boley left for Arizona State giving the Wildcats a need at quarterback. Quietly, Kenny Minchey was one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the Transfer Portal, commiting to Nebraska before Kentucky flipped his commitment. The Wildcats are getting an inexperienced quarterback, but the talent is clearly evident with how many teams pushed to land the Notre Dame transfer.
2. Byrum Brown
The biggest issue every season under Hugh Freeze was quarterback play as the Tigers never could find a competent starter. Byrum Brown steps into the lineup instantly giving Auburn a much better chance even if the talent is lesser around him than during Freeze’s tenure. While Brown faces tougher competition this season, his experience in Golesh’s offense should allow for a smooth transition.
1. Sam Leavitt
The LSU Tigers plan to start the Lane Kiffin era as contenders, and they're doing so by bringing in a star quarterback. Sam Leavitt missed a ton of time with injury in 2025, but when you look back at 2024 when he passed for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 443 yards and 5 touchdowns, you see the level of talent he is. Leavitt gives LSU one of the best quarterbacks in the Country, and a chance for Lane Kiffin's offense to be one of the SEC's most explosive.