Based on Matt Hayes' rankings in USA Today, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face three quarterbacks ranked in the top four of SEC QBs. No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings are Arch Manning and LSU's Sam Leavitt. Georgia's Gunner Stockton is No. 3, and Texas A&M Aggie Marcel Reed is No. 4. Alabama will not go against Manning in the regular season.
Crimson Tide fans know the merits of Gunner Stockton well. In last season's SEC Championship Game, Stockton was 20-for-26, with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. His Passer Efficiency Rating (PER) in the game was 165.4. Stockton was not as good in Georgia's regular-season loss to Alabama. He completed 13-of-20 passes, for 130 yards and one touchdown. His PER for the September game was a modest 136.1.
Of the four QBs on the '26 schedule who have played against the Crimson Tide, Stockton clearly poses the biggest threat to Kane Wommack's defense. In the 2024 season, LaNorris Sellers passed for 238 yards against Alabama, with a PER of 153.5. Sellers was not effective in 2025. He completed just over half his passes, for a total of 222 yards, but his PER was 118.6.
As passing threats, the other two Alabama has experience defending; Ashton Daniels and Byrum Brown are lacking. Playing for USF in 2023 and 2024, Brown's two PER's against the Crimson Tide were 69 and 67.6. Last season, as Auburn's quarterback, Daniels completed only 46.2% of his passes and earned a PER of 105.3. In fairness to Brown, his 2025 passing stats were much improved.
Daniels will quarterback Florida State this season, and Brown followed Alex Golesh to Auburn. Based on their past games against Alabama, both guys can cause the Crimson Tide problems on the ground. Daniels rushed for 108 yards in last season's Iron Bowl. In Brown's second USF game against Alabama, he rushed for 74 yards with a carry average of 9.3 yards.
History Favors the Alabama Crimson Tide
In the seven games Alabama has faced the quartet of quarterbacks, the Crimson Tide lost only once. Stockton is a legit threat, but the Crimson Tide secondary is expected to be one of college football's best. As good as Stockton was in the SEC Championship Game, he did not dominate Alabama. The Georgia defense did.
Going back to the USA Today rankings, Keelon Russell was ranked as the SEC's eighth-best QB. Five of Alabama's opposing quarterbacks were ranked lower than Russell. The five are: LaNorris Sellers, Tennessee's Georgia McIntyre (more likely freshman Faison Brandon will be the Vols starter), Kentucky's, Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor, and Vanderbilt freshman Jared Curtis.
The bottom line is that Alabama will face a few highly respected quarterbacks. But in six of Bama's nine SEC games, a now unproven Crimson Tide QB (Russell or Mack) should give Kalen DeBoer's team more than a small advantage.
Note: Quarterback stats provided by Sports Reference
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