Re-Ranking SEC Quarterbacks After Blake Sims' Epic Week 4
Four weeks are in the books, and the once-murky SEC quarterback picture has come into focus.
Remember when Texas A&M had a challenge replacing former quarterback Johnny Manziel? That seems like a decade ago.
Remember Alabama's "quarterback controversy?" Blake Sims ended that the moment he stepped foot off the bus at the Georgia Dome for the season opener.
Remember when Jeff Driskel was set to thrive in Kurt Roper's hurry-up, no-huddle offense? That hasn't really happened yet.
Stars have emerged, others have fallen off and several SEC veterans have elevated their play through the first four weeks. We re-rank the SEC starting quarterbacks in this slideshow.
14. Vanderbilt QB Patton Robinette
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Through no fault of his own, Vanderbilt quarterback Patton Robinette finds himself in the cellar in the quarterback re-ranking. Whose fault is it? Head coach Derek Mason.
Mason named Robinette the starting quarterback and promptly played musical quarterbacks with Robinette and three—yes, three—other quarterbacks through the first three games.
Robinette earned his second start of the season in Week 4 vs. South Carolina but injured his neck in the first quarter of the 48-34 loss and didn't return.
He has completed 71.9 percent of his passes on the season (23-of-32) for 240 yards, two touchdowns and no picks, rushing for 24 yards and a touchdown. Not bad, but Mason's game of musical quarterbacks and injuries have prevented Robinette from really settling into the role as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart in Nashville.
13. Florida QB Jeff Driskel
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At this point, it's clear Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel isn't going to live up to the 5-star hype that followed him to Gainesville.
After relatively decent performances against Eastern Michigan that saw the redshirt junior complete a lot of passes but struggle with consistency downfield, it all fell apart on Saturday afternoon in a 42-21 loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Driskel completed just nine of 28 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Tide and was consistently erratic on both deep passes and intermediate routes.
“We have to go back again and evaluate where we are," head coach Will Muschamp said in quotes emailed by Alabama. "The execution is not where it needs to be. We missed a deep ball to (Demarcus Robinson) early in the game where he got on top of a guy. (We) had a dropped third down. Against a team like that, you have to make plays when you have the opportunities, and we didn’t do that."
Driskel has completed just 56 percent of his passes his season (65-of-116) for 636 yards, five touchdowns and three picks for an SEC-worst 5.5 yards per attempt (among qualifying quarterbacks).
That won't cut it.
12. Georgia QB Hutson Mason
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With the amount of weapons Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason has around him, I expected better. I expected Mason to connect early and often with Chris Conley and Michael Bennett, find running back Todd Gurley in the screen game and work well downfield with his tight ends—a staple of head coach Mark Richt's offense.
That hasn't happened.
Mason has 71.2 percent of his passes (42-of-59) but has only thrown for 419 yards in three games and not displayed the zip on his passes that he had in the spring game, when he looked like he'd slide right into the shoes left by record-setting quarterback Aaron Murray.
On top of that, the tempo Mason said he was comfortable with during the spring has been largely absent from Georgia's offense.
Whether it's jitters from his first and only year as Georgia's starter, reluctance from offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to turn him loose or the combination of the two, it's clear that Mason hasn't settled in quite yet.
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11. LSU QB Anthony Jennings
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Inconsistency and uncertainty finally caught up to LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings in the 34-29 loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night, as the true sophomore completed 13 of 26 passes for 157 yards, no touchdowns and no picks.
It was bound to happen.
Jennings is completing just 51.3 percent of his passes on the season (40-of-78) and had been living and dying with passes deep downfield. A good SEC defense—like Mississippi State—can get in his face with pressure and lock down his receivers outside, and Jennings hasn't proved that he's capable of adjusting quite yet.
True freshman Brandon Harris came in for what seemed like mop-up duty late in the game and nearly led LSU to one of the most improbable comebacks in college football history. Jennings is, however, the starter for now, with Harris looming.
“He [Harris] definitely gave a strong performance when he came in," head coach Les Miles said in quotes emailed by LSU. "We are still going to look at the overall body of work and the things that we can do with him. He certainly made a case today that we need to look at a bit more seriously."
It's Jennings' job for now, but if he doesn't pick it up in the consistency department, it might not stay that way for very long.
10. Tennessee QB Justin Worley
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Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley's primary job is to keep the chains moving, and he has done a very good job of that considering Tennessee's offensive line has been in a state of flux early in the season.
Worley is completing 58.3 percent of his passes (70-of-120) for 720 yards, six touchdowns and three picks this season for an average of 6.0 yards per attempt. He's been smart with the football, has taken the checkdown when appropriate and thrown the ball away at the right time.
Basically, he's been managing games.
That's not a knock against Worley. That's the most important aspect of the job for any quarterback, particularly one whose line is full of fresh faces. Once his line jells and running backs Jalen Hurd and Marlin Lane become more consistent in the running game, the opportunity for Worley to become a difference-maker will arise.
Will he capitalize? We'll see. He certainly has the weapons at wide receiver to help him out.
9. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen
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Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen has progressed by leaps and bounds in his second full season as the starting quarterback for head coach Bret Bielema's Razorbacks.
Sure, he's managing the game well. With a trio of running backs named Alex Collins, Jonathan Williams and Korliss Marshall, that's job No. 1. He's also stretching the field when given the opportunity.
Allen has completed 43 of 70 passes for 552 yards, eight touchdowns and only one pick, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt in the process. He has been spreading the receptions around to his underrated receiving corps which includes Demetrius Wilson and Keon Hatcher.
Allen isn't going to light up the stat sheet, but he has proved through four games that he can stretch the field, make smart decisions and keep those chains moving.
That's the goal.
8. Kentucky QB Patrick Towles
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A common question after Kentucky's triple-overtime loss to Florida in The Swamp was, "Is Florida that bad or has Kentucky improved?"
The answer is "both," and a big reason Kentucky has improved from last season has been the emergence of sophomore gunslinger Patrick Towles. After redshirting last season, Towles won the job this summer and has helped stabilize the offense with the help of underrated receiving and running back corps.
Towles has thrown for 916 yards and five touchdowns with three picks through three games, adding 111 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Suddenly—seemingly in one offseason—Kentucky's offense has gone from punchline to potential power, and Towles is a big reason why.
7. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace
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Before Ole Miss fans sprint to the comment section to defend their guy, let me get this out of the way first—there are a lot of really good quarterbacks in the SEC now, and somebody has to be seventh.
Wallace threw three picks in the first half of the season opener against Boise State and has rebounded nicely. The senior signal-caller for the Rebels has thrown for 1,093 yards, nine touchdowns and four picks through three games, posting a nation's-best completion percentage of 75.5 percent.
So what's the problem? There's not a huge one, except for the fact that I just can't trust him as much as I'd like once he gets into the meat of the SEC schedule.
His delivery is slow, he telegraphs his passes and I can't shake the feeling that the interception bug will pop back up once the Rebels play SEC teams not named "Vanderbilt."
6. South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson
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Dylan Thompson's ranking in the sixth spot is another that might jump off the page, but there's suddenly an abundance of quarterback talent in the SEC.
Thompson has been very effective in place of Gamecock legend Connor Shaw, completing 62 percent of his passes (88-of-142) for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and three picks. What's more, Thompson has been forced to try to dig his team out of a hole vs. Vanderbilt and been without Heisman Trophy candidate Mike Davis at running back for parts of two of his four games.
Is he Shaw? Of course not.
But he does have enough mobility to buy time behind the line of scrimmage, as Matt Connolly of the Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal noted during Saturday night's win over Vanderbilt.
"Heck of a scramble by Dylan Thompson to avoid two defenders and draw the pass interference penalty.
— Matt Connolly (@MattConnollySHJ) September 21, 2014"
Thompson makes that South Carolina offense click, and it's been clicking so far this year.
5. Missouri QB Maty Mauk
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I'll be honest; I was one of Maty Mauk's biggest doubters this offseason.
He had a knack for the home run last year as a reserve/fill-in, tossing 11 touchdowns and only two picks, but he completed just 51.1 percent of his passes with a wide receiving corps that resembled the frontcourt of many NBA teams.
With a whole new receiving corps, Mauk not only picked up right where he left off; he improved. The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 973 yards, an SEC-best 14 touchdowns and only four picks, upping his completion percentage to 61.3 (76-of-124).
He has also rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, and The Kansas City Star's Tod Palmer pointed out just how fast Mauk is during Missouri's loss to Indiana on Saturday.
"Mitch Morse told me this week Maty Mauk ran a 4.51 laser-timed 40-yard dash. Showed his speed there.
— Tod Palmer (@todpalmer) September 20, 2014"
Missouri's offense has picked up right where it left off, and Mauk's consistency has helped ease the transition.
4. Auburn QB Nick Marshall
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For some reason, Nick Marshall was heavily criticized for his performance in a 20-14 win at then-No. 20 Kansas State on Thursday night.
It was unnecessary.
Marshall completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 231 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. The yardage is solid, but the completion percentage leaves a little bit to be desired. That figure is skewed quite a bit, though, because Auburn's wide receivers developed a massive case of stone hands in Manhattan, dropping several passes that not only should have led to big gains, but big touchdowns.
Did he make every throw? No. He's not going to do that. Peyton Manning wouldn't either. But he looked like a quarterback who has taken the next step through the air in his first true test of the season—his teammates just let him down.
Add that onto what we already know is dynamic dual-threat ability on the ground, and Marshall has the potential to make it all the way to New York City as a Heisman finalist.
3. Alabama QB Blake Sims
12 of 14Alabama hasn't had a quarterback controversy from the moment Blake Sims got off the bus for the season opener against West Virginia in the Georgia Dome. When Sims walked into that building, everything he's done has suggested that he's the unquestioned starter, and everything Jake Coker has done has proved that he's the unquestioned No. 2.
Through the first three games, Sims managed games extremely well. He distributed the ball to his weapons—namely Amari Cooper—made smart decisions in the passing game and took off on the ground where appropriate.
The game changed in a big way on Saturday against Florida.
Sims opened things up, completing 23 of 33 passes for 445 yards, four touchdowns and only one pick, not only putting to rest any lingering doubts in his ability, but ushering in a new era of offensive football for Alabama.
Check out these stats courtesy of Marq Burnett of The Anniston (Ala.) Star.
"Blake Sims national rankings: No. 4 in comp % - 73.2 No. 3 in yards per attempt - 11.2 No. 4 in QB rating - 190.77 No. 17 in yards - 1091
— Marquavius Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) September 21, 2014"
Not bad. You know, for dynamic, well-rounded quarterbacks who can do just about everything.
2. Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
13 of 14Resounding victory over divisional foe in a hostile environment? Check.
Dynamic dual-threat playmaking ability? Check.
Heisman moment? Check.
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott has enjoyed quite a ride during the first month of the season, throwing for 964 yards, 11 touchdowns and only two picks, and rushing for 378 yards and three touchdowns for the now nationally ranked Bulldogs.
It culminated with a sizzling performance on Saturday night in Death Valley against LSU, when Prescott threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 105 and a touchdown.
“It was really great because Dak is a great player," said defensive lineman Preston Smith in quotes released by Mississippi State. "He’s a great quarterback, and he can do anything with the ball in his hand.”
"Anything," including lead Mississippi State into SEC West contention.
1. Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill
14 of 14No Johnny Manziel? No problem.
All Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill has done in his first four games is throw for 1,359 yards, 13 touchdowns, only one pick and helped the Aggie offense keep the same momentum former Heisman Trophy winner Manziel helped create.
What does Hill think of himself? Contrary to the way his predecessor carried himself at times, he's not patting himself on the back quite yet.
"Hill: Think I'm coming along alright. Have had moments but need to be more consistent. Coaches and players have helped me out a lot.
— Gabe Bock (@GabeBock) September 20, 2014"
What's more, Hill has only carried the ball 16 times for 106 yards this year.
Is he Manziel on the ground? No, but he is a dangerous weapon on zone reads and designed runs. When he adds that element of his game to his already established ability through the air, Texas A&M could be looking at its second Heisman Trophy winner in three seasons.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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