Midseason Power Rankings for SEC Quarterbacks
It's hard to believe we have reached the midway point of the season, but here we are with Mississippi State and Ole Miss in the top five—just as we all planned.
What? We didn't plan on that?
Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott and Rebels signal-caller Bo Wallace have set the college football world on fire, leading their respective teams to unblemished records and joining the Heisman conversation in full force.
Elsewhere, there are quarterbacks struggling.
Georgia has had issues replacing Aaron Murray with Hutson Mason, LSU has played musical quarterbacks with Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris and Vanderbilt's quarterback situation is a hot mess.
With half the season in the books, we'll re-rack the quarterback rankings in this slideshow.
14: Vanderbilt QB Johnny McCrary
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Will the real Vanderbilt quarterback please stand up?
Anyone, anyone, Bueller?
Patton Robinette, Stephen Rivers, redshirt freshman Johnny McCrary and freshman Wade Freebeck all have taken turns as Vanderbilt's quarterback this year, and it has been Freebeck who has seen the majority of the snaps. He has completed 34 of 72 passes this season for 376 yards, one touchdown and five picks.
Freebeck was benched in Vandy's 21-20 win over Charleston Southern in favor of McCrary. All McCrary did was complete 10 of 16 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and one pick, providing stability for a Commodore offense that was noticeably lacking stability throughout the season.
"He's talented," said head coach Derek Mason said in quotes released by Vanderbilt. "He does a good job of using his legs. He was able to extend plays in the pocket. He's more versatile than the other guys we have."
Is he "the man" moving forward?
There's no way to tell considering the way Mason has run the program for the first month-and-a-half. McCrary should be the next man up, though. If he plays like he did against Charleston Southern, that should be good enough to lock down the starting job full time.
13. Florida QB Treon Harris
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As I stated after Florida's loss to LSU, Treon Harris is the future at Florida, and the future needs to be now.
Junior Jeff Driskel came in and had a typical Driskel day against the Tigers, throwing more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one), including one pick into double-coverage that set up LSU's game-winning field goal.
Now that Harris has been reinstated following last week's sexual assault investigation being dropped, it's time for head coach Will Muschamp to make the move permanently.
Does that mean he'll start this week against Missouri? No. In fact, Driskel will start according to Jeff Barlis of ESPN.com.
"#Gators plan to start Jeff Driskel at QB and also play Treon Harris against Missouri - http://t.co/YHut3SfUKJ
— Jeff Barlis (@JeffBarlisESPN) October 13, 2014"
Since Muschamp's job is on the line, though, expect him to be quick on the trigger. When Harris gets into the game, he'll take control of the game and the job.
Harris has the athleticism to be a difference-maker at quarterback and provide the spark the Gators offense desperately needs.
Will he make freshman mistakes? Sure. But those are better than the same mistakes being made by redshirt junior Driskel.
12. LSU QB Anthony Jennings
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Sophomore Anthony Jennings and freshman Brandon Harris have each seen time as LSU's starting quarterback this season, but after Harris struggled in his first career start at Auburn, it was Jennings getting the nod on Saturday at Florida.
It wasn't the best performance in college football history.
Jennings completed 10 of 21 passes for 110 yards, one touchdown and no picks in the 30-27 win over Florida.
Is he going to be a difference-maker? Maybe not, but about the best LSU can ask for right now given the current state of the position is a game manager, and Jennings managed it well enough to get a road win.
Jennings is the guy for now, and as long as he doesn't make mistakes, it's likely going to stay that way.
Translation: Running back Leonard Fournette and the rest of the LSU running backs better live up to the hype.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. Missouri QB Maty Mauk
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Maybe having three wide receivers who resemble NBA power forwards and Henry Josey in the backfield really was what made Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk great last year, when he filled in admirably for an injured James Franklin.
In his first full season as the starting quarterback, Mauk has been less than stellar.
Sure, he has 1,207 yards and 14 touchdowns, but those stats are lying their faces off. In SEC games, Mauk is 21-of-55 (38.2 percent) for 229 yards, zero touchdowns and four picks. His conference opponents—South Carolina and Georgia—aren't exactly known for their stifling pass defenses.
All of Mauk's four picks in conference games came in the 34-0 shutout loss to Georgia, which prompted a rather dubious comparison from ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy.
"Maty Mauk’s QBR today was 0.9, slightly higher than John Blutarksy’s 0.0 GPA
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) October 11, 2014"
Next up: Florida.
Yikes.
10. Georgia QB Hutson Mason
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With star running back Todd Gurley suspended, you'd think Georgia head coach Mark Richt would put the game in the hands of redshirt senior quarterback Hutson Mason on the road at Missouri.
Wrong.
Instead it was true freshman running back Nick Chubb notching 42 touches in the 34-0 win. Granted, considering the way the game went, Georgia didn't have to pass much. It was clear, though, that it was Chubb's show from the moment toe met leather.
Mason has completed 91 of 129 passes for 843 yards, eight touchdowns and three picks on the season, and his 140.5 passing yards per game ranks last among SEC quarterbacks who have started every game.
Mason is good in the middle of the field but struggles on difficult throws outside the hash marks. If Georgia can keep finding a way to make it work on the ground, though, being a "game manager" should be considered a badge of honor.
9. Tennessee QB Justin Worley
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Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley has been knocked to the ground and continually picked himself back up this season, and he is a big reason why Tennessee maintains hope of getting back to a bowl game for the first time since 2010.
Worley has completed 63.3 percent of his passes (138-of-218) for 1,388 yards, 12 touchdowns and five picks—making smart decisions on the run with pressure consistently coming at him.
He hasn't been perfect by any means, which is a big reason why he isn't higher on the list. But he has managed games better than a lot of other quarterbacks would given the Vols' offensive line woes.
Worley doesn't have the upside of others, but he's managing games very well for head coach Butch Jones.
8. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen
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Arkansas has gone from punchline to potential player in the SEC West, thanks to a bruising rushing attack that features studs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams.
The quarterback, though, is the real MVP of the Hogs.
Brandon Allen has been fantastic for Bret Bielema's crew this year, completing 79 of 137 (57.7 percent) for 997 yards, 10 touchdowns and only two picks. His one major blemish was an interception to Alabama's Landon Collins across the field while the Hogs were down one in the waning moments of the 14-13 loss to Crimson Tide.
In this offense, all he has to do is not make mistakes for things to go well. For the most part, he's done that, which is a big reason why Bielema's crew is no longer considered a pushover.
7. Kentucky QB Patrick Towles
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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator Neal Brown spent the entire offseason trying to find the perfect quarterback on the roster to run Brown's air-raid offense, and they found him in sophomore Patrick Towles.
The 6'5", 238-pounder has been excellent this season, completing 62.5 percent of his passes (120-of-192) for 1,541 yards, 10 touchdowns and only four picks, adding 112 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
He's accurate on short and intermediate routes and has the arm strength to stretch the field and keep opposing defenses honest. He has brought stability and explosiveness to the quarterback position and is a big reason why Kentucky is on the brink of bowl eligibility.
Towles wants more, according to Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal.
"Towles on preseason expectation: "I would've said we'd be 6-0. But we'll take 5-1."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) October 11, 2014"
Don't sleep on Towles and the Wildcats. That offense can put pressure on any team, and a run at the SEC East title isn't out of the question.
6. South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson
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South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson has been Jekyll and Hyde this year, tossing 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, with five of those picks coming in conference games.
Forced into shootouts more times than not thanks to a porous pass defense, Thompson has answered the call at times. But he did toss three interceptions in the loss at Kentucky and completed 50 percent of his passes in the loss to Texas A&M in which the Aggies put the Gamecocks into a big hole in the first half.
Head coach Steve Spurrier has been pleased with Thompson's performance, according to David Caraviello of the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier.
"Spurrier says Dylan Thompson has played well. "We've had some picks where the receiver kind of waited on it, and the guy jumped in front."
— David Caraviello (@dcaraviello) October 8, 2014"
It hasn't helped Thompson that star running back Mike Davis has been battling injuries this year. When he's on, he's tough to beat. When he's off, he's way off.
5. Alabama QB Blake Sims
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Alabama quarterback Blake Sims has gone from game manager to gunslinger and back to game manager in the span of seven weeks, leading his team to a 5-1 record and a top 10 ranking.
That's not bad, despite what fans pining for backup Jake Coker tell you.
Sims has completed 67.8 percent of his passes (101-of-149) for 1,480 yards, 10 touchdowns and three picks this year, making his biggest mark in the 445-yard effort against Florida.
Unlike other game managers in the conference, Sims has proved he can step it up when asked and possesses running ability that presents problems to defenses that don't respect his legs.
He's not the problem in Tuscaloosa. An undisciplined and poorly coached offensive line is a much bigger deal, and Sims has actually masked some of that with his athleticism this year.
4. Auburn QB Nick Marshall
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Auburn has tried to become more balanced this season with quarterback Nick Marshall in his second year in the system, and the dual-threat star has responded with 10 touchdowns and only three picks, adding 492 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
At times—including in Saturday's loss to Mississippi State—head coach Gus Malzahn has gotten a little too pass-happy and tried to force an identity on an offense that had a pretty good run-based identity last year with many of the same pieces.
Marshall routinely makes great decisions in the zone read, has the arm to stretch the field when appropriate and has progressed on his short and intermediate routes.
His team has an uphill battle to get back in the hunt for the SEC and national titles, but Marshall has been down this road before. If Auburn can get back to playing "Auburn football," Marshall can still find his way to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
3. Texas A&M QB Kenny Hill
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Trademarks aside, the "Kenny Trill" shine has worn off Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill following his breakout performance in the season opener vs. South Carolina.
He leads all SEC quarterbacks with 23 touchdowns and has already thrown for 2,511 yards in just seven games. Are some of those stats related to an easy early-season schedule and, as was the case against Ole Miss, some prolific passing during garbage time?
Sure.
But he's still been incredibly effective in head coach Kevin Sumlin's offense, could have stayed on the periphery of the Heisman Trophy race had his receivers held on to the football in the blowout loss at Mississippi State and has only rushed for 167 yards, which could become a bigger part of the Texas A&M game plan at some point.
"Kenny Trill" may be gone for now, but Kenny Hill is pretty good too and will be even better once he continues to grow with those young stars in Texas A&M's offense.
2. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace
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"Good Bo" and "Bad Bo" are both gone and have been replaced with "Big Game Bo."
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace has been sensational in big games this season, completing 67.5 percent of his passes in conference games for 749 yards, five touchdowns and—most importantly—no picks. He's eighth in the nation in passing efficiency (168.12) and has added 68 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
He led the Rebels back for an upset win at home over then-No. 3 Alabama and followed it up by slicing and dicing the Texas A&M defense on the road. That's good enough to get him in the Heisman conversation, according to CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd.
"Heisman top five filed to http://t.co/Do0GY2YbwU and Heisman Pundit: 1) Mariota 2) Prescott 3) Bo Wallace 4) Melvin Gordon 5) Jameis Winston
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) October 12, 2014"
Dr. Bo in New York. It's not the most outlandish thing in the world anymore, thanks to his work in Ole Miss' biggest games of the year.
1. Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
14 of 14There's nothing more for Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott to do.
The 6'2", 230-pound junior has led his team to three straight huge, program-defining wins, thrown for 1,478 yards and 14 touchdowns, rushed for 576 yards and eight touchdowns and vaulted the Bulldogs to the No. 1 ranking in both major polls.
It's crazy, considering they started the season unranked and preseason No. 1/defending national champ Florida State hasn't lost.
He's the Heisman front-runner in my eyes, as mentioned in the Week 7 Heisman video (above), and has earned several more votes along the way, including FoxSports.com's Bruce Feldman, AL.com's Brandon Marcello and David Brandt of The Associated Press.
The dual-threat bruiser is efficient through the air, dangerous between the tackles, fast enough to run away from defenders and in the perfect system to suit his skills.
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.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
