SEC Football Q&A: Which Unproven QBs Will Become Stars in 2016?
Spring is in the books, post-spring power rankings are out and we have officially entered the doldrums of summer.
How will you survive?
A little SEC Q&A will do the trick.
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In this week's edition, we'll take a look at some of the unknown quarterbacks in the SEC, Auburn's title hopes, and Austin Allen's future—and we'll get a little weird.
Enjoy.
Chad Kelly is clearly the best of the bunch after he produced the third-best single season in SEC history in 2015 with 4,542 total yards. For the sake of focusing on unproven quarterbacks, I'm going to ignore Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs and Trevor Knight for this question since they have proven a lot during their respective careers.
Who else could become a star?
I really liked what I saw from Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason in the G-Day game earlier this month. The true freshman early enrollee completed 19 of his 29 passes for 244 yards, a touchdown and zero interceptions, including a perfect 37-yard sideline pass to Reggie Davis in the fourth quarter and a 35-yarder down the opposite sideline to Riley Ridley in the second.
It wasn't just the statistics or the throws that were impressive; it was the respect Eason demanded.
From the moment he took the field in the second quarter for his first series, the entire Georgia secondary took about five steps back. They knew what was coming, because they had seen it for 14 straight practices.
In the end, isn't that all that matters for Georgia?
Eason doesn't have to throw for 4,000 yards for the Bulldog offense to be successful; he just has to look like he's capable of doing it. If he can do that—and he did in the spring game—running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel should be able to take it from there.
Will he have his ups and downs? Sure.
Any true freshman would, regardless of the star ranking coming out of high school. But the highs for Eason will be high, and where and when the lows come could determine just how successful Georgia's season is.
Elsewhere, "Alabama Quarterback X" will be a star, whoever it is. Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell, Blake Barnett and Jalen Hurts are all talented and will have the luxury of facing off against the best defense in the nation everyday in practice.
Why so much faith in Alabama, especially after the offense's struggles in the spring game?
Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has worked wonders for the Crimson Tide offense in each of the last two seasons that included massive quarterback uncertainty. Kiffin's system works. It has led Alabama to consecutive SEC titles, College Football Playoff berths and last season's national title and is founded on creating mismatches pre-snap through different formations.
Well, sure. If John Franklin III can lead Auburn's offense to its 2013 level—when it finished 11th in the nation in total offense (501.3 YPG), eighth in yards per play (6.92) and 12th in scoring offense (39.5 PPG)—yes, Auburn can win it all.
But getting to that point isn't likely with the questions the program faces at wide receiver and quarterback.
Auburn's offense was widely panned following the spring game in which it converted just one of 22 third-down chances, but Franklin—the junior college transfer from East Mississippi Community College—wasn't allowed to show off his wheels since quarterbacks weren't "live."
What were short gains or losses in the spring game wouldn't have been short gains or losses in real games, because Franklin has the speed and moves to replicate Nick Marshall—whom he imitated while on the Florida State scout team prior to the 2014 BCS National Championship Game between the Seminoles and Tigers.
He is an edge threat, and the quest for Auburn's staff is to make him enough of a threat deep in the passing game to keep opposing defenses honest.
If he can do that, yes, Auburn can contend.
Unlike the 2013 season in which Auburn's defense finished 87th in the nation in total defense (420.7 YPG), this defense led by a fierce defensive front that includes end Carl Lawson, tackle Montravius Adams and enough depth to roll nine or 10 players in throughout games should be much better.
Because of that, the offense might not have to be at the 2013 level in order for Auburn to contend.
Auburn has the talent on the roster, and Franklin is the right man for the job at quarterback. The pieces just have to come together, and the Tigers have to catch a few breaks. If all of that happens, don't count them out.
It won't be as great as his brother's senior season last year, when Brandon Allen threw for 3,440 yards and 30 touchdowns.
But Austin Allen did look solid in Arkansas' spring game, when he completed 13 of his 19 passes for 141 yards. He showed off his big arm at times in the spring game and has a veteran group of receivers to rely on including Keon Hatcher, Cody Hollister and Dominique Reed.
A season more like his older brother's junior season in 2014 is more likely. That year, Brandon Allen threw for 2,285 yards, 20 touchdowns and five picks and was more of a game-manger than a difference-maker.
That's a good thing.
The most important aspect of any quarterback's job is to manage the game and avoid mistakes, and that should be the expectation for the younger Allen after three years in the system with the veteran weapons he has around him.
This is a foundation year for the redshirt junior, and he should set a solid one.
Vanderbilt will make a bowl for the first time since James Franklin's last season as head coach in 2013.
It's easy to pile on Vanderbilt thanks to its reputation as the SEC East's cellar dweller and a couple of years of rather mediocre football. But the dirty little secret in Nashville is that head coach Derek Mason has built a phenomenal defense that finished sixth in the nation in third-down defense (28.16 percent) and fourth in red-zone touchdown defense (38.78 percent) according to CFBStats.com.
Linebacker Zach Cunningham is back to lead that defense, along with veteran defensive backs Torren McGaster and Oren Burks.
The 'Dores will win three of their four out-of-conference games and win three conference games (South Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri) to finish 6-6 and make a lower-tier bowl.
Write that down (in pencil, so it can be erased).
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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