Methods, systems, and computer readable media for submission queue pointer management are disclosed. One method is implemented in a data storage device including a controller and a memory. The method includes fetching a plurality of commands from a submission queue. The method further includes parsing at least one of the commands. The method further includes, in response to successful parsing of at least one of the commands and prior to executing all of the commands, notifying a host to advance a head entry pointer for the submission queue by a number of entries corresponding to a number of the commands successfully parsed.