Which SEC Team Has the Biggest Concern at QB in 2015?
Aside from Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, quarterback play in the SEC is largely a mystery heading into 2015.
Even the established starters have plenty of questions. Missouri's Maty Mauk led his team to the SEC East title last year, but he struggled early in games. Arkansas' Brandon Allen was more of a game manager than a difference-maker. Texas A&M's Kyle Allen and Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs started down the stretch, but are entering their first full seasons as starting quarterbacks in the conference.
Elsewhere, Florida and Georgia's depth charts are unsettled, Alabama has a medium-sized village vying for playing time and LSU has been searching for quarterback stability for the better part of a decade.
Which quarterback spot is most concerning?
Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Florida and others are certainly concerning, but expectations have to be factored in. LSU was picked to finish third in the SEC West by media members at media days earlier this month, which has put an enormous amount of pressure on head coach Les Miles.
LSU's situation should scare the daylights out of the coaching staff and Tiger fans.
While Alabama's battle is completely unknown and Auburn's Jeremy Johnson only has two career starts, the "known" factor associated with the battle in Baton Rouge is what makes it so concerning.
Anthony Jennings started all but one game for the Tigers last season and completed just 48.9 percent of his passes (111-for-227), threw for just 1,611 yards and was incredibly indecisive in the pocket. Jennings was suspended indefinitely earlier this summer following an arrest for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, which left the door wide-open for rising sophomore Brandon Harris to take the job back.
Harris, who started on the road at Auburn last year in place of an ineffective Jennings, completed 55.6 percent of his passes (25-for-45) for 452 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions, and added 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
With Jennings suspended, it's been Harris' show for the last month during offseason workouts, which has helped vault him to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart heading into fall camp.
"I think Brandon Harris has gotten most of the summer work," Miles said at SEC media days. "I think he has really improved. I think I'm confident in both guys, and I think competition will end up making the call there who will start. But, again, I think we're nothing but improved at the quarterback spot."
The unquestioned No. 1 snaps Harris has received have helped him earn the confidence of his teammates as the Tigers enter a critical season.
"He's changed a lot. He's stepping up," said running back Leonard Fournette. "Brandon has improved tremendously. He's making the right reads, reading defenses and making a lot of plays."
That's great, but has he really earned that trust?
At this point, it's hard to imagine Jennings being anything other than a guy who completes around 50 percent of his passes and is inconsistent with his throws and decisions. And yet, Harris couldn't pass him last year, couldn't draw more than even this spring and is still in a battle with him despite Jennings being in a legal mess during important seven-on-seven work this summer.
This, for a team that many consider a contender in the SEC West? LSU, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in particular, hasn't earned that benefit of the doubt.
This isn't a team like Alabama or Auburn, where plug-and-play quarterbacks have succeeded in the past. This is LSU, a team that—aside from Zach Mettenberger's senior season in 2013—has had quarterback instability and frustration every year since Matt Flynn won a national title following the 2007 season.
And we're supposed to believe that's going to change this year, the sequel to the Jennings-Harris experience?
I don't think so.
On top of that, Miles' seat could warm up if the Tigers underperform again in 2015, and Cameron's contract expires after this season. Another season of struggling quarterbacks could usher in significant change in the offense in 2016 and place an incredible amount of pressure on Miles moving forward.
LSU's quarterback situation is the most concerning in the SEC, and second place isn't even in the same ballpark.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
