Fayetteville folks already know the Razorbacks aren’t walking into many easy Saturdays in 2026.
A good chunk of that comes down to who’s lining up under center against them
The SEC only brings back six starting quarterbacks this fall. Arkansas catches four of them on its own schedule.
Throw in a brutal non-conference test against Utah in Week Two, and the Hogs wind up facing five of the better passers in the country before the year is done.
Arkansas still hasn’t settled its own quarterback room either. KJ Jackson and AJ Hill are battling it out heading into fall camp.
No QB on schedule worries Hogs more than Manning
Texas’ Arch Manning sits at the top of the list, and it isn’t close.
Last year’s third season on campus didn’t open the way folks expected. He settled in and got better as the year rolled on.
The 6-foot-4, 226-pound passer carries a 12-3 record as a starter into 2026. He completed 61 percent of his throws last year for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and just seven picks.
Manning will play under a microscope again this fall as Texas opens the year as the projected No. 1 team in the country.
He’ll get every chance to prove why scouts already view him as the top quarterback prospect in his class.
Georgia’s Gunner Stockton lands right behind him at the No. 3 spot on this list (Devon Dampier of Utah checks in at No. 2).
Stockton might be undersized compared to some of these other arms. He makes up for it with toughness and command of Kirby Smart’s offense heading into his second year as the starter.
Stockton completed 70 percent of his passes a season ago for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also added 462 yards and 10 more scores with his legs.
If his deep ball sharpens up even a little, Athens could have something special on its hands.
Dampier brings scariest early test for Silverfield
The name that might surprise Razorback fans most is Dampier. He followed his old offensive coordinator from New Mexico to Utah.
The Utes turned into one of the most explosive offenses in the country almost overnight. He threw for 2,490 yards and 24 scores last season.
He also added 835 rushing yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground.
Arkansas catches him in Week Two on the road. That hands first-year coach Ryan Silverfield one of the toughest early tests a new Hogs coach has faced in years.
The rest of the league brings its own challenges too.
South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers is tough to bring down once he escapes the pocket. Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed enters a prove-it year after the Aggies edged Arkansas 45-42 last season. Auburn’s Byrum Brown gives the Razorbacks fits with his scrambling ability under first-year coach Alex Golesh.
Other QBs on Hogs’ schedule
- Sam Leavitt, LSU
- LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
- Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
- Byrum Brown, Auburn
- Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
- Austin Simmons, Missouri
- George Macyntire, Tennessee
- Baylor Hayes, Tulsa
- Destin Wade, North Alabama
Key takeaways
- Arch Manning leads the list of quarterbacks Arkansas faces in 2026 after a 12-3 career record as a starter.
- Georgia’s Gunner Stockton ranks third on the list behind Manning and Utah’s Devon Dampier.
- Sam Leavitt of LSU headlines the rest of an SEC slate that also includes Sellers, Reed and Brown.
