The Sun Belt may have some of the most exciting passing offenses in the Group of Five in 2023. And that starts with the conference’s signal callers.
Here’s a ranking of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt.
Best Sun Belt Quarterbacks, Ranked
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina |
| 2 | Carter Bradley | South Alabama |
| 3 | Darren Grainger | Georgia State |
| 4 | Davis Brin | Georgia Southern |
| 5 | Malik Hornsby | Texas State |
1. Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
McCall is the only player to ever be named Sun Belt Player of the Year three consecutive times. He’s got a great shot to make it four in a row.
McCall is certainly the most decorated quarterback on this list. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound redshirt senior has earned countless All-American and all-conference accolades and was on the watch list for several other awards this past season.
McCall owns Coastal Carolina’s record for 95 touchdowns responsible for and 78 passing touchdowns. Last season, he threw for 24 scores while throwing a mere two interceptions, completing 70% of his passes, and totaling 2,700 yards.
McCall has the track record and talent to take the top spot on this list. He might just be the best QB among all Group of Five conferences.
2. Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Bradley made an immediate impact at South Alabama after transferring from Toledo. The 6-3, 216-pound senior might just threaten McCall’s run of winning Sun Belt Player of the Year.
In 2021, Bradley’s final season with Toledo, he threw for 972 yards and four touchdowns, helping him rank third in the MAC with a 164.1 pass efficiency rating and seventh with 212.3 passing yards per game.
Bradley led the Sun Belt with 28 touchdown passes and was second with 3,343 yards last season to go with a 65% completion rate and 12 picks. He helped South Alabama go 10-3 and 7-1 against Sun Belt teams.
Bradley, son of NFL coach Gus Bradley, might be even better in 2023 after a full season of experience with his current team.
3. Darren Grainger, Georgia State
Grainger, who used to play in the FCS at Furman, is one of the top passers and runners in the Sun Belt. The all-conference honorable mention in 2022 will likely earn more recognition after the 2023 season is over.
Grainger went from shining in the Southern Conference to thriving in the Sun Belt pretty quickly. He was the TaxAct Camellia Bowl MVP in 2021, a season in which he threw for 1,715 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four picks while completing 60% of his throws and running for 660 yards and three scores.
Last year, Grainger was even better. The 6-4, 195-pound redshirt senior threw for 2,443 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven picks while completing 59% of his throws. He was also ninth in the conference with 734 yards to go with six touchdowns on 164 carries.
Grainger will continue to be a problem for Sun Belt teams in 2023.
4. Davis Brin, Georgia Southern
Brin, a sixth-year signal caller, brings over plenty of experience from his days at Tulsa.
The 6-2, 210-pound quarterback made 22 starts there in the past two years. He was the ninth player in the program’s history to eclipse 5,000 career passing yards, as he was sixth all-time with 5,675 yards and seventh with 37 touchdown passes.
In 2021, Brin threw for 3,269 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions while completing 59% of his throws. A year later, he also completed 59% of his passes while totaling 2,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, and eight picks.
Only time will tell if Brin will help Georgia Southern bounce back from its 6-7 season in 2022. But there’s no question that he’s talented.
5. Malik Hornsby, Texas State
Hornsby has the highest high school recruiting ranking among any player to join Texas State. So his potential, and maybe even expectations, are high.
Hornsby, a 6-2, 185-pound redshirt junior, played at Arkansas the past three years. He competed in 16 games with one start.
Last year, Hornsby completed 13 of 27 passes for 268 yards with one touchdown and two picks in eight games. The year before, he was 5 for 12 with 46 yards and a touchdown.
Hornsby will have to acclimate to his new situation quickly if he wants to help the Bobcats improve from their 4-8 record last year. But he’s in a good situation to prove what he can do at the collegiate level.
