The start of the SEC football season is still a few weeks away, but it's clear which teams can count on big things from their quarterbacks. While the SEC is still the king of college football, quarterback play has been lacking in the conference in recent years. This year, there are a group of young signal callers ready to take the country by storm - but the conference still lacks depth at the position. Here is how every quarterback stacks up going into the 2017 season:
14) Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt Commodores
Shurmur has really struggled in his career at Vandy, and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) last season. The first few games of the season will be make or break for him. If he continues to struggle, he could be benched quickly.
13) Stephen Johnson, Kentucky Wildcats
Johnson took over as Kentucky's starter following an early-season injury to Drew Barker, and while there is still a competition going on between the two, Johnson is set to start Week 1. More of a rushing option last year, the Wildcats are hoping he can improve as a passer (2,037 yards, 13 touchdowns, six interceptions last season).
12) Kellen Mond, Texas A&M Aggies
Mond, a four-star prospect and No. 2 dual threat quarterback in the 2017 class, is expected to win Texas A&M's starting job as a true freshman given the quarterbacks who have transferred out in recent years. He's talented, but is more of a runner than a passer at this time.
11) Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee Volunteers
Guarantano is in a heated quarterback competition to replace Joshua Dobbs with Quinten Dormady, one that looks like it may stretch into the regular season. Many think that Dormady left spring practice as the leader, but it's no secret that the coaching staff really wants Guarantano to take the reins of Tennessee's offense and run with it. He hasn't taken a regular season snap yet, but his speed, athleticism and strong arm give him the tools to be a real dual threat star. Even if Dormady starts the year as the starter, Guarantano will see time on the field in special packages. It's only a matter of time until this talented redshirt freshman runs the offense.
10) Drew Lock, Missouri Tigers
Mizzou has been very, very bad the last two years, but Lock started to fulfill some of his potential last year, passing for 3,399 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He needs his teammates to improve around him if he's going to be the kind of player he can be, but Lock also needs to improve on his accuracy (54.6 percent).
9) Danny Etling, LSU Tigers
Etling is going to have to fight to keep his job at LSU, but there's a good chance he'll have it for another year. He isn't a world beater under center (2,123 yards, 11 TDs, five INTs), but he's a veteran who takes care of the ball and usually makes the smart play. For an LSU team that will lean on running back Derrius Guice, that's all they really need.
8) Shea Patterson, Ole Miss Rebels
Patterson was actually the top quarterback prospect in the 2016 recruiting class (ahead of Jacob Eason, who appears later on this list), but spent most of the season backing up Chad Kelly. However, he did start the last three games and played incredibly well, passing for 880 yards with six touchdowns while adding 169 more yards on the ground. Now that he's the full-time starter, expect him to put on some exciting performances.
7) Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Fitzgerald isn't Dak Prescott, and he still has plenty of room to grow as a passer, but there are few quarterbacks who put up more impressive dual threat numbers last year. On top of passing for 2,423 yards and 21 touchdowns, he ran for 1,375 yards and 16 more touchdowns. How much will he progress? We'll see.
6) Malik Zaire, Florida Gators
Offense has been a problem for Florida ever since Tim Tebow graduated but that could change this year. Notre Dame graduate transfer quarterback Malik Zaire is expected to take over the starting job, and he was an excellent dual-threat for the Fighting Irish when healthy (which wasn't very often). Finding a quarterback has been Florida's biggest problem, and now that they have one, they should be able to get the most out of all their offensive weapons.
5) Jake Bentley, South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina decided to burn Bentley's redshirt halfway through last season, and it paid off in a big way. He led the Gamecocks to a 4-2 record, including an upset win over Tennessee, while passing for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns with just four interceptions. Did I mention that he left high school early and was playing when he should have been a senior in high school? An offseason of development and he's going to be very, very good.
4) Austin Allen, Arkansas Razorbacks
Allen is one of those hard-nosed, gritty quarterbacks who simply know how to get the job done. He took over the starting job in 2016 after sitting behind his brother, Brandon, for two years and played well, passing for 3,430 yards and 25 touchdowns. Allen won't win a game by himself, but he's a quality, reliable starter.
3) Jacob Eason, Georgia Bulldogs
Eason had the struggles you would expect from a true freshman starting right away in the SEC last year, but he flashed the rocket arm that made him a five-star prospect. If he progresses the way he is expected to, Eason is going to be a star in 2017.
2) Jarrett Stidham, Auburn Tigers
The Baylor transfer is set to take over as Auburn's starting quarterback, and he should immediately be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. The Tigers have lacked a good signal caller since Nick Marshall left, and Stidham will make them a contender in the SEC. Though he's not an elusive runner, he did pass for 1,265 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in 10 appearances, including three starts, in 2015.
1) Jalen Hurts, Alabama Crimson Tide
Assuming he takes another step in his development (which is expected), Hurts could become one of the elite quarterbacks in the country. Hurts is a talented dual-threat, although he does need some work on his passing. But his numbers as a true freshman, 65.3 completion percentage, 2,592 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions with 841 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, are mighty impressive.
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