The QB situation for each SEC team as Texas enters its bye

Texas is entering its bye and will play the Florida Gators on the other side with Red River looming. But Florida and now Oklahoma, like a number of other SEC teams, has uncertainty or major questions at the quarterback position. Let’s look at the Longhorns’ defense and Arch Manning‘s projected quarterback opponents the rest of the way.

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@ Florida (1-3)

Date: October 4th

Florida QB DJ Lagway has not taken the step Gators fans wanted to see in his second year under Billy Napier. Maybe all the time spent not practicing in the offseason had an effect after all. Lagway this year is 83-for-123 for 690 yards and five touchdowns and six interceptions.

Against FBS schools, he is 68-for-105 (65%) for 570 yards (5.43 ypa) and two touchdowns. Lagway through five interceptions against LSU in the Gators’ 20-10 loss to the Tigers.

Lagway is back in a walking boot according to Gators Online. Florida is on bye this week.

Lagway’s backup is Tramell Jones Jr., a true freshman who was 12-for-18 for 131 yards and two touchdowns against FCS Long Island.

Oklahoma (4-0)

Date: October 11th (in Dallas)

In a major news day in Oklahoma, Sooners QB John Mateer will have surgery on Wednesday and be out for some time, the school announced. According to multiple reports, Mateer injured his right thumb in the first quarter of Oklahoma’s win over Auburn.

On3’s Pete Nakos reported “there’s some hope Oklahoma QB John Mateer could be back for Red River, but the recovery process will be critical.” Obviously, there are multiple qualifiers in that statement.

Mateer was the Sooner offense. He had 184 touches through four games, good for 46 plays per game when the outcome was reliant on Mateer. That includes 43 total rushes so far this season.

Oklahoma’s non-Mateer run game has been nonexistent. Mateer was OU’s leading rusher. Tory Blaylock was just behind him with 179 rushing yards. No other Sooner RB has at least 50 yards.

Mateer is likely to miss the Kent State game, meaning Michael Hawkins Jr. will likely take most of the snaps. Hawkins saw plenty of action last year, including starting the Red River Shootout. But Anthony Hill and Colin Simmons made his day at the Cotton Bowl very long, sacking the young quarterback six times. This year he’s 1-for-3 for five yards. He also has 25 rushing yards.

@ Kentucky (2-1)

Date: October 18th

Former Texas A&M quarterback and portal journeyman Zach Calzada was named the starting quarterback for the Wildcats going into the season. But after not eclipsing 150 passing yards in either of Kentucky’s first two games, Mark Stoops named Cutter Boley the starter.

Boley will be familiar to Longhorns after he played the second half in Austin last year and looked much more effective than Brock Vandagriff did against Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense. The Bluegrass State native went 10/18 for 180 yards and an interception, but was sacked four times.

The Wildcats have South Carolina and Georgia before hosting Texas, so there’s a chance their quarterback situation could change again.

@ Mississippi State (4-0)

Date: October 25th

The Bulldogs have already doubled their win total from last season under coach Jeff Lebby. Quarterback Blake Shapen didn’t play Texas last year, as injury gave way to Michael Van Buren (now at LSU). But Shapen will be a familiar face to Kwiatkowski and company.

Though the ex-Baylor passer missed the 2023 game against Texas in Waco, he was the Bears’ starting quarterback for much of that season. The year before, Baylor and Shapen lost to Texas 38-27 in Austin.

Vanderbilt (4-0)

Date: November 1st

Diego Pavia has been playing college football since before most of you were a twinkle in your parents’ eye. And once again, the Longhorns defense will see the pride of New Mexico when they face Vanderbilt. Pavia has nine total touchdowns to start the year.

Most importantly, the Commodores under Pavia and Coach Clark Lea are ranked 18th and 4-0 after drubbing South Carolina 31-7, but they will have SEC matchups against Alabama, LSU and Missouri before traveling to Austin.

It will be the most people to travel from Nashville to Austin since last weekend, when approximately 57 bachelorette parties traveled from one music hub to the other.

@ Georgia (3-0)

Date: November 15

Though Gunner Stockton‘s stats aren’t eye-popping (7 total touchdowns), it’s clear he’s a much improved passer from who Texas lost to in Atlanta last year.

Just watch Stockton’s clutch touchdown throw to London Humphreys in the nail-biter against Tennessee in Knoxville. A back shoulder fade to the corner of the end-zone while under pressure? That’s not something the Bulldog quarterback had in his repertoire last season. Kirby Smart spent the offseason retooling his receiving corps with Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas, then regained Colbie Young from suspension.

It’s going to be the toughest test of the year for the Texas defense. It also might be the game that Steve Sarkisian, his team and the Texas fans want to win more than any other.

Arkansas (2-2)

Date: November 22nd

Texas faced Razorback quarterback Taylen Green and coach Sam Pittman in Fayetteville last year and won 20-10. The Longhorns defense sacked Green six times and picked him off once.

It would be a strong bet that Texas will only be facing one of Green and Pittman this year when the Hogs come calling in Austin. Green is off to a good start and is even rising up NFL draft boards, but Pittman’s seat is hotter than the flames over a skewered pig.

Texas A&M (3-0)

Date: November 28th – Black Friday

The Aggies Marcel Reed has a new stable of wide receivers in College Station and he looks like a new man because of it. Transfers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion torched Chris Ash’s Fighting Irish defense in the thrilling 41-40 Aggie win. The weapons Reed had at his disposal were extremely limited last season and the Texas defense made the young quarterback’s night hell because of it. Reed and Mike Elko should also have running backs Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens healthy.

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But, the return of the Aggies to Austin is nine long weeks from this coming Friday. There’s a reason the long rivalry has historically seen the deeper and more talented team win. Its place on the calendar makes the difference. There’s a lot of time to get right, but even more time for attrition and depth to take hold on a team’s season