The Athletic’s latest tiered quarterback rankings left two familiar SEC names just outside the top group: Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
That omission says plenty about how crowded the conference’s quarterback picture looks heading into 2026. The SEC has everything in the mix - a five-star talent with a famous family name in Arch Manning, a former Division II starter in Trinidad Chambliss, and transfer additions such as Sam Leavitt and Byrum Brown. Even lesser-known portal arrivals like Aaron Philo and Kenny Minchey are stepping into starting jobs.
Still, Stockton’s absence from Tier 1 stands out. He enters 2026 after a strong first season as Georgia’s starter, finishing 2025 with 2,804 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes and five interceptions, while also adding 462 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
But Georgia quarterbacks have long been judged through a different lens under Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs keep winning, and the surrounding roster often takes center stage in the evaluation. That was true for Stetson Bennett, and Stockton is facing the same kind of scrutiny.
He’ll have plenty around him again this fall. Georgia returns a defense loaded with NFL-caliber talent, and the offense includes multiple NFL-caliber offensive linemen plus proven pieces at skill positions in Nate Frazier and Lawson Luckie.
The biggest change comes at receiver, where Georgia adds Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion and gives redshirt freshman and former five-star prospect Talyn Taylor a bigger role. How quickly those two mesh with Stockton could shape the passing game.
Mateer’s case is a little easier to understand. He was excellent at Washington State in 2024, putting up 3,139 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing for 826 yards and 15 scores.
The jump to Oklahoma was always the real test, and the 2025 numbers show why the questions linger. Mateer finished with 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 431 rushing yards with eight touchdowns.
What keeps the doubt alive is simple: the college football world still wants to see Mateer at full strength in the SEC. After thumb surgery, Oklahoma’s late-season success leaned heavily on its defense and special teams, leaving his ceiling in the conference still up for debate.
In Other News...
Kalen DeBoer Just Said What SEC Coaches Know About Brent Venables
Kalen DeBoer has seen enough of Brent Venables defense to know why SEC coaches keep talking about him. At SEC Media Days, DeBoer praised the Oklahoma coachs work on that side of the ball, pointing to the way Venables has kept producing results even when opponents think they understand whats coming. It is the kind of respect that only builds after a few bruising meetings, and the Sooners have given Alabama plenty to think about in recent seasons.
Venables is 2-1 against DeBoer in their three matchups over the last two years, with Oklahomas defense carrying the day in Norman and then again in Tuscaloosa before Alabama finally answered in the postseason rematch. DeBoer said he was relieved not to have to deal with that defense again in the 2026 regular season, which is about as clear a sign as any that Venables still has a reputation for making life miserable, even when everyone in the stadium knows what he is trying to do. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Offensive Line Finally Looks Ready To Change Everything
The progress up front has become one of the more encouraging signs around Oklahoma this offseason, and it was enough to draw praise from an unlikely source at SEC Media Days. Defensive end Taylor Wein pointed to the offensive lines added experience and maturity as a major reason the Sooners have looked sharper than they did a year ago, with key returnees back in the mix and a transfer addition helping stabilize the group. What stood out most, though, was how much the lines growth has fed into the rest of the roster, turning daily work in practice into something that has lifted the whole team.
Wein also emphasized the chemistry inside that room, saying the group has built a strong bond while competing hard every day. For an Oklahoma team trying to establish itself in the SEC, that kind of cohesion matters almost as much as raw talent, especially when the line is being tested by one of the nations better defensive fronts throughout the offseason. The encouraging part for the Sooners is that this does not sound like a unit simply surviving practice anymore, but one that may be ready to change the tone of the offense itself. [Read more 🡒]
Eddy Pierre-Louis Takes On Bigger Role For Oklahoma Offensive Line
Eddy Pierre-Louis is stepping into a more visible spot for Oklahoma at a time when the Sooners offensive line is trying to keep its continuity while replacing an important voice. The redshirt sophomore, a former four-star prospect and returning starter, is one of the players the program sent to SEC media days, a nod to how much the Sooners expect from him as the group heads toward 2026 with four starters back.
The challenge now is less about talent than tone. Oklahoma has to fill the leadership void left by Febechi Nwaiwu, and Pierre-Louis has already acknowledged that his role has to grow beyond just his own play. For a line that should have experience, the next step is getting the room to match that on-field stability with the kind of leadership that keeps everyone aligned when the season starts to get difficult. [Read more 🡒]