By October, the 2026 college football season will see the Alabama football quarterback situation be markedly different. Due to a lack of game experience, preseason projections of Alabama having the SEC's 8th-best or 11th-best quarterback are not unreasonable. The preseason claim will be disproven by midseason.
Maybe four SEC teams will have a better quarterback than Alabama by October. The four are LSU, Texas, Georgia, and Ole Miss. Maybe only Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will be better. And Chambliss will be playing for a new head coach and a different offensive coordinator than last season. The Rebels will be fast-paced and not drastically different in offensive style under OC John David Baker. Chambliss should thrive, but coaching transitions can be unpredictable.
At LSU, Sam Leavitt is coming off a serious injury. Leavitt was one of the most sought-after transfer quarterbacks, but in eight games with Arizona State last season, inconsistency was a problem. In an early loss to Mississippi State, Leavitt was 10-for-22 and threw two interceptions.
For Georgia, Gunner Stockton is a very good quarterback. He is yet to prove that he is a great one. At Texas, Arch Manning seems to have found solid ground, but he has reached the potential expected of him.
Whether it is Keelon Russell or Austin Mack, by mid-October, Alabama could have one of the top five SEC quarterbacks. Russell is widely recognized as having the potential to be a superstar. All he needs is game experience. If Mack beats out Russell for Alabama's starting role, he will have won a competition against one of the best young quarterbacks in college football. Alabama will be in great shape either way.
Big SEC Football Quarterback Question Marks
Close to half of the SEC football teams have shaky quarterback situations. In some cases, it is not so much a lack of quarterbacking skills. It is the lack of sufficient offensive talent that surrounds them. Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Auburn fit that description. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Florida are starting over at quarterback, with each program having young talent, but with less potential than Keelon Russell.
The ebb and flow of all of the above will be interesting to follow in the 2026 season. It is possible that when Playoff time comes, Alabama will have one of the SEC's top two or three quarterbacks.
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