Breaking down the highest-rated QB prospect to sign with each SEC team over the last decade
· Yahoo Sports
Quarterback recruitments, by nature, draw the most excitement. When a coveted blue-chip passer makes his commitment, it’s one of the rare times where both the hardcore and casual fans tune in to see which hat will be donned.
Visit mchezo.life for more information.
The SEC has been in the thick of some of the most high-profile QB recruitments in recent memory. The league has seen at least one five-star QB prospect signed in 13-straight recruiting cycles.
Over the last 10 cycles (2017-26), there have been 81 QBs who were also top-100 overall prospects in their respective cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Of those 81 QBs, 31 signed with an SEC school. That’s 18 more than any other conference.
Using the Rivals Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies, Rivals is looking back at the top-rated quarterback prospect to sign with each SEC team across the previous 10 cycles:
Alabama — Keelon Russell (99.62)
Recruiting Cycle: 2025
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 2 NATL. (No. 2 QB)
High School: Duncanville (Texas)
The first big recruiting splash of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa, Russell was originally committed to SMU, but Alabama offered and eventually flipped him from the Mustangs in the summer of 2024. He shot up the recruiting rankings ahead of his senior season, then was named the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year after throwing for 4,177 yards and 55 touchdowns for Duncanville.
Finishing only behind Michigan’s Bryce Underwood in the cycle, Russell is the second-highest-rated QB to sign with an SEC team over the last 10 cycles. After seeing action in two games as a freshman last season, Russell is in the thick of Bama’s starting QB battle for the upcoming campaign and was projected to get the nod by On3’s Pete Nakos.
Other top QB signees for Bama over the last decade include Bryce Young (99.51) and Tua Tagovailoa (96.60).
Arkansas — Malik Hornsby (91.95)
Recruiting Cycle: 2020
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 187 NATL. (No. 13 QB)
High School:Fort Bend Marshall (Texas)
One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks to come out of the Lone Star State in recent memory, Hornsby burst onto the scene as a junior for Fort Bend Marshall and proceeded to win 25 games as a two-year starter. He had over 3,800 total yards and 46 touchdowns as a senior, then headed to Arkansas as a member of Sam Pittman’s first recruiting class.
Hornsby spent three seasons in Fayetteville and played in 16 games, but reps were limited as KJ Jefferson (90.27) held the starting mantle. He scored two touchdowns during his time as a Razorback, one passing and one rushing. He transferred to Texas State for the 2023 season and rushed for six scores, then finished his college career with Arkansas State in 2024.
Auburn — Deuce Knight (97.20)
Recruiting Cycle: 2025
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 25 NATL. (No. 5 QB)
High School:George County (Miss.)
Notre Dame was the first to nab a commitment from Knight, but after moving back to Mississippi for his senior season, both Auburn and Ole Miss turned up the heat in a big way to try and flip the left-handed gunslinger. Knight took multiple fall visits to The Plains and finally flipped to the Tigers in October of 2024, in what turned out to be the last big recruiting win of the Hugh Freeze era.
Knight battled through injury as a senior for George County, but he was named On3’s MVP at the Elite 11 Finals that summer. Backing up Jackson Arnold as a true freshman, Knight saw action in two games for Auburn last season and had a six-touchdown performance in his first career start against Mercer.
He then opted to enter the portal and chose Ole Miss, returning to the Magnolia State once again. He’s now competing to be the Rebels’ primary backup behind Trinidad Chambliss this fall.
Florida — DJ Lagway (99.23)
Recruiting Cycle: 2024
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 3 NATL. (No. 1 QB)
High School:Willis (Texas)
Lagway was incredibly dominant during his time at Willis, throwing for more than 8,300 yards and 100 touchdowns. He earned National Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2023 after throwing 58 TDs as a senior, stamping his status as the top QB in his cycle in the process. Florida got him to commit early in December of 2022 and that pledge held strong through signing day, despite Texas A&M doing its best to flip him down the stretch.
He was ultimately thrust into the fire as a freshman, appearing in 12 games for the Gators while going 6-1 as a starter, earning On3 Freshman All-American honors. Lagway held onto the reins last fall, but UF tumbled to a 4-8 season as he threw 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
Florida fired head coach Billy Napier and Lagway eventually entered the portal. Back in his home state, he’ll now suit up for Baylor this fall and look to get back on track in a new conference.
Georgia — Justin Fields (99.67)
Recruiting Cycle: 2018
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 2 NATL. (No. 2 QB)
High School:Harrison (Ga.)
The highest-rated QB prospect to sign with an SEC program in the last decade, Fields was not a Georgia lock from the get-go. It was Penn State that landed his commitment first in December of 2016, but he came back on the board the following summer and had his eyes on schools in the Southeast.
He proceeded to consider the likes of Florida State, Auburn and LSU, but it was always going to be hard to beat Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs a second time. Fields decided to stay in the Peach State after capping off an impressive high school career.
As a true freshman for UGA, Fields operated behind starter Jake Fromm (96.07) in 2018 and tallied 594 total yards, throwing and rushing for four scores each. Of course, that would turn out to be his lone season in Athens.
Fields transferred to Ohio State and proceeded to go 20-2 in two seasons as the Buckeyes’ starter, throwing for 63 touchdowns while rushing for 17 more. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2019 and was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Now on the Kansas City Chiefs, Fields enters year No. 6 in the NFL with 75 total TDs to his name.
Kentucky — Matt Ponatoski (91.26)
Recruiting Cycle: 2026
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 234 NATL. (No. 14 QB)
High School:Archbishop Moeller (Ohio)
First a heralded baseball recruit, Ponatoski also emerged as a blue-chip passer while excelling at one of the top high schools in the Cincinnati area. He was named the Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year in both baseball and football last year, placing him in rarified air.
He then committed to Kentucky over Oregon, Arkansas and others last July with the plans of playing both sports. Earlier this month, though, he was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 18th round of the MLB Draft. The MLB signing deadline is July 27, but Ponatoski is currently on campus in Lexington, and at SEC Media Days this week, new UK head coach Will Stein said he expects the QB to be on the sidelines this season.
Ponatoski totaled 87 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons. If he is indeed on the Kentucky roster this fall, he’ll compete for a backup job.
LSU — Walker Howard (96.30)
Recruiting Cycle: 2022
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 45 NATL. (No. 6 QB)
High School:St. Thomas More (La.)
Howard emerged as one of the top dual-threat QBs in the cycle while leading St. Thomas More to multiple state titles. He was an Elite 11 Finalist and Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year, throwing for 67 touchdowns over his last two prep seasons. He made an early commitment to LSU in June of 2020.
Flip rumors swirled as Ed Orgeron was fired as the Tigers’ head coach, but Howard, an LSU legacy, honored his initial commitment and headed to Baton Rouge to play for Brian Kelly. After appearing in two games as a freshman, he hit the portal and landed at Ole Miss.
After sitting behind Jaxson Dart for two seasons, Howard went back to The Boot, transferring to Louisiana. Last season, he completed 18 of 41 pass attempts while rushing for one score across six games for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
He then got back in the portal for a third time and surprisingly returned to Ole Miss, where he’ll compete for the backup job alongside Deuce Knight in his final year of eligibility.
Mississippi State — Kamario Taylor (94.76)
Recruiting Cycle: 2025
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 77 NATL. (No. 8 QB)
High School:Noxubee County (Miss.)
Taylor was one of the best-kept secrets on a national level for some time as he led his high school to three-straight state titles in Mississippi. Between his junior and senior seasons, though, his stock began to soar as he earned an invite to the Elite 11 Finals and stunned most with his next-level athleticism.
Mississippi State prioritized him early and Taylor committed to the in-state Bulldogs in October of 2023. That pledge held strong through signing day and he became the highest-rated QB to sign with MSU in program history.
The dual-threat dynamo appeared in 11 games and made two starts as a true freshman last season, completing 56 percent of his passes and throwing five touchdowns while rushing for eight more. Entering year three of the Jeff Lebby era, many in Starkville are hopeful that Taylor will take the next step and look like one of the league’s top QBs this fall.
Missouri — Matt Zollers (94.16)
Recruiting Cycle: 2025
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 99 NATL. (No. 10 QB)
High School:Spring-Ford (Pa.)
Coming out of the Keystone State, Zollers was coming off a big junior campaign and he carried a high-profile recruitment. Eli Drinkwitz and the Mizzou staff had to beat out Georgia, Penn State and Pitt for his pledge.
Injury would force him to miss a majority of his senior season, but he threw for 70 touchdowns during his time at the prep level and many in Columbia felt that he could make an instant impact for the Tigers. He made three starts as a freshman in relief of Beau Pribula and played in seven games total last season, throwing for over 500 yards and four TDs to two interceptions.
Drinkwitz has named Austin Simmons Mizzou’s starter for the upcoming season. Zollers will serve as the backup.
Oklahoma — Jackson Arnold (98.94)
Recruiting Cycle: 2023
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 8 NATL. (No. 4 QB)
High School:Guyer (Texas)
No state has pumped out five-star QB talent like Texas over the last decade and Arnold was one of the best. Across his two seasons as the starter at Guyer, he threw 67 touchdowns, rushed for 36 more, won 28 games and Gatorade National Player of the Year honors. He was near the top of a cycle that was loaded with coveted passers.
Oklahoma nabbed his commitment in January of 2022 and he signed 11 months later. He saw limited action as Dillon Gabriel’s backup in 2023, then became the Sooners’ starter as a sophomore, but struggled across nine starts and was even briefly benched.
Arnold then entered the portal and chose Auburn. The Tigers struggled last season as Hugh Freeze was eventually fired. Arnold made eight starts and threw just six TDs. Now a senior, he has transferred to UNLV and will look to finally find his stride at the mid-major level under Dan Mullen this fall.
Ole Miss — Matt Corral (95.42)
Recruiting Cycle: 2018
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 56 NATL. (No. 6 QB)
High School:Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Corral was a standout West Coast gunslinger who excelled as a high school starter for four years. He finished with 123 touchdowns to his name, playing for Long Beach Poly as a senior after previously starring at Oaks Christian. His recruitment took a few twists and turns.
Originally, he was set to stay in the Golden State to suit up for USC. He backed off that pledge in June of 2017, then committed to Florida after visiting Gainesville the following month. The Gators then fired head coach Jim McElwain and brought in Dan Mullen. Corral initially planned to stick with UF, but he then visited Oxford and eventually flipped to Ole Miss in December.
He went on to have a great four-year career with the Rebels, becoming the full-time starter in 2020. Corral made 27 starts for Ole Miss and threw for over 8,200 yards and 57 touchdowns to go with 18 rushing scores across 37 total games. He helped guide the program to the Sugar Bowl in 2021.
Corral was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he never appeared in a regular-season NFL game. He’s currently on the Orlando Storm’s roster in the UFL.
South Carolina — Ryan Hilinski (95.19)
Recruiting Cycle: 2019
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 61 NATL. (No. 5 QB)
High School:Orange Lutheran (Calif.)
Playing for one of the more notable prep programs in California, Hilinski was a decorated passer who impressed at the Elite 11 Finals and earned multiple high school All-American nods. It was Will Muschamp, Bryan McClendon and South Carolina that went across the country to land his commitment in April of 2018.
Other big programs later offered and tried to get involved, but Hilinski made it to Columbia. An injury to Jake Bentley led to the freshman playing 11 games in 2019, throwing 11 touchdowns to five interceptions as South Carolina went 4-8. Hilinski did not win the starting job as a sophomore the following season.
He then transferred to Northwestern in 2021 and spent four seasons with the Wildcats, appearing in 24 games, mostly starting during his junior and senior campaigns.
Tennessee — Nico Iamaleava (99.01)
Recruiting Cycle: 2023
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 6 NATL. (No. 3 QB)
High School:Warren (Calif.)
Iamaleava wowed scouts with his frame, arm talent and overall skillset. He had 64 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons for Warren, emerging as one of the cycle’s top overall prospects, drawing Justin Herbert comparisons in the process.
Tennessee ultimately overcame Georgia, Oregon, Alabama and Miami to land his pledge in March of 2022. He served as the backup in 2023, then burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman, leading the Vols to 10 wins and a College Football Playoff berth. He threw for over 2,600 yards and 19 TDs that season.
Then came a public breakup between Iamaleava and the school after they were unable to negotiate a new NIL deal. UCLA immediately became a school to watch and he eventually transferred back to California to play for the Bruins.
He made 11 starts for UCLA last season, throwing 13 touchdowns to seven interceptions as the Bruins went 3-9. Now led by Bob Chesney, the Big Ten program will still feature Iamaleava under center in 2026 as he aims to remind the college football world why he was such a heralded recruit.
Texas — Arch Manning (99.53)
Recruiting Cycle: 2023
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 1 NATL.
High School:Isidore Newman (La.)
Likely the most high-profile recruitment in recent memory, Manning’s process was kept close to the vest and did not carry the pomp and circumstance we’ve become accustomed to expect from a five-star. It came down to Alabama, Georgia and Texas, in the end.
Manning pledged to the Longhorns in June of 2022 and signed six months later. He came to Austin as a four-year starter at the high school level, throwing 115 touchdowns during his time at Isidore Newman. The hype was loud and many waited to see Manning in action for the Longhorns.
After two seasons behind Quinn Ewers, Manning finally took the starting reins last season. He played 13 games, threw for 26 TDs and rushed for 10, tallying 3,562 total yards. Texas went 10-3 but missed the CFP. While he’s looked the part, expectations and goals are as lofty as ever on The Forty Acres this fall. Most expect Manning to be in the Heisman conversation, at least.
Texas A&M — Conner Weigman (97.08)
Recruiting Cycle: 2022
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 29 NATL. (No. 4 QB)
High School:Bridgeland (Texas)
An elite two-sport star, Weigman was initially thought of as a potential MLB standout, but as he continued to grow as a quarterback, it became apparent that he could make an impact on the gridiron at the next level. The Elite 11 Finalist accrued 34 touchdowns as a senior and and made a run in the state playoffs.
Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M, building what became one of the most notable recruiting classes of all time, snatched Weigman’s commitment in February of 2021. He was one of a whopping eight five-stars to sign with the Aggies that cycle.
Over three seasons in College Station, Weigman made 13 starts, throwing 19 TDs to seven INTs. Injury limited him to just four games in 2023. He stayed for the first year of the Mike Elko era in 2024, but transferred to Houston last season and enjoyed a nice resurgence, totaling 36 touchdowns. He’s back for another ride with the Cougars and is expected to be one of the best QBs in the Big 12 this season.
Vanderbilt — Jared Curtis (98.98)
Recruiting Cycle: 2026
Rivals Industry Rankings: No. 3 NATL. (No. 2 QB)
High School:Nashville Christian (Tenn.)
As Curtis was emerging as one of the top prep gunslingers to ever come out of the state of Tennessee, Georgia was licking its chops. He made an early commitment to UGA in March of 2024, decommitted in October, but then re-committed the following May despite a big push from Oregon.
It looked like the Bulldogs had their next big five-star passer locked up, but Vanderbilt was lurking. With buzz around the program as palpable as ever, Clark Lea and the Commodores decided that they weren’t going to make Curtis’ decision easy. He was listening to the local program, too.
After a couple of visits, momentum began to shift toward Vandy. On Dec. 2, Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong broke the news that Curtis was flipping from Georgia to the ‘Dores — their biggest recruiting win in program history. A mixture of program excitement, NIL and early playing time helped get them over the finish line.
It remains to be seen what kind of instant impact Curtis will have, but he’s competing for the starting job as a true freshman and is seen as the surefire signal-caller of the future.