By Dorrington Myers
As the 2025 season nears, the SEC remains one of the blueprints for explosive offensive football. The SEC has no shortage of talent, but it’s the coaches doing the teaching who make the biggest difference. Great play callers are part tactician, part psychologist, and always have a little bit of crazy to them, hiding their intentions while exploiting others.
With that in mind, here are my top five offensive play callers in the SEC heading into this season, alongside their most likely starting quarterback.
1. Lane Kiffin/Austin Simmons, Ole Miss
Ole Miss legend Archie Manning is a proud Rebel.
The Mississippi native shared his thoughts on the job that Lane Kiffin has done with the Rebels program: pic.twitter.com/D54gPBYzfo
— Matt DeGregorio (@Matt_DeGregorio) June 28, 2025
2024: 526.6 yards per game (Pass: 4,561 yards, Run: 2,285)
Jaxson Dart was the starter for Ole Miss last season, so Austin Simmons is expected to fill some big shoes. Kiffin is a bold play caller with an explosive offensive scheme. It can best be described as a run-centric tempo set. Simmons is a young man who’s very poised and confident. He’s been preparing for this starting role as a backup. I have them at No. 1 because Ole Miss doesn’t miss a beat after Dart moves on to the NFL. On top of that, Simmons will have already graduated from his undergrad program at the age of 19.
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2. Bobby Petrino/Taylen Green, Arkansas
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2024: 459.2 yards per game (Pass: 3,571 yards, Run: 2,399 yards)
Petrino is still one of the best offensive minds in the game. He runs a power-spread scheme that utilizes a lot of different concepts. He’s not afraid to put the ball in the air, and that aggression keeps defenders on their toes. The run game is there to set up the pass, there’s no secret about that. Green is also severely underrated.
3. Josh Heupel/Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
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2024: 447.0 yards per game (Pass: 2,875 yards, Run: 2,936 yar
Nico Iamaleava was the starter last season, but he’s since transferred to UCLA. Enter Aguilar. Heupel runs a wide-split, spread scheme focused on an up-tempo, balanced attack. He loves the RPO game and getting the quarterback involved as a runner when the time is right.
4. Steve Sarkisian/Arch Manning, Texas
© Austin American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK
2024: 437.5 yards per game (Pass: 4,460 yards, Run: 2,540 yards)
Quinn Ewers led Texas to a deep playoff run last year, ultimately falling to the eventual National Champion Ohio State. Now it’s Manning’s turn, and the expectations couldn’t be higher. For Texas, it’s national championship or bust. Sarkisian is deliberate with his scheme—he likes to establish the run early and then use RPOs to keep defenses guessing.
5. Joe Sloan/Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
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2024: 431.5 yards per game (Pass: 4,097 yards, Run: 1,513 yards)
Nussmeier is a fan favorite across the board. The question is, can he get this offense rolling early and keep the momentum? LSU has historically struggled to find rhythm early in the season. In my opinion, Nussmeier has the best arm in the country, and this is his final shot at a national title. Sloan runs a balanced attack, though he tends to lean run-heavy at times. The run game can be predictable—expect outside zone from pistol and inside zone from regular shotgun. As for the passing game, Sloan knows how to cultivate quarterback talent. Just look at Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2023. Now it’s Nussmeier’s chance to follow that path.
Final Remarks
As an offensive guy, I love seeing how each team approaches the game. The SEC is loaded with creative minds on this side of the ball and defenses will have their hands full all season.
It’s important to note, this list isn’t based on name recognition. I carefully evaluated each coach and player to rank them based on what I’ve seen and what I expect. Bottom line: the SEC has a lot to offer at the quarterback position in 2025, and I’m excited to see how it all unfolds.
