Al.com takes a look at the quarterback situation after the first seven SEC spring games are in the book. I’m not sure there are many defensive coordinators getting the shakes over this:
AUBURN – Jarrett Stidham was on the money but keep in mind it was first team vs. second team, etc. Still, he showed he’s more physically gifted than returning starter Sean White, who has battled and played through tough injuries. Hard to see anyone but Stidham taking the first snaps this fall and a bigger question may be who is the backup?
FLORIDA – It’s possible that 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks could be the starter as Luke Del Rio is injured. Franks looks the part and apparently has made big strides over the last year.
OLE MISS – It’s the Shea Patterson show for good now, as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2016 class started late last season but is poised for a big jump now. Even if he wears No. 20, and you rarely see quarterbacks wearing numbers higher than 19 and it looks unnatural.
MISSISSIPPI STATE – Nick Fitzgerald threw four interceptions in the spring game, but should still be among the upper echelon of SEC quarterbacks. It just depends on what’s around him since he’s no Dak but he’s not shabby either.
TEXAS A&M – Veteran Jake Hubenak is trying to hold off true freshman Kellen Mond and another youngster in Nick Starkel. This just doesn’t seem like a good situation for the Aggies going into the fall.
SOUTH CAROLINA – Jake Bentley is established and is the guy, as the more-hyped freshman quarterback in last year’s class is transferring in Brandon McElwain. Look for Bentley to ascend into being one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks this season.
VANDERBILT – Kyle Shurmur might be the most underrated quarterback in the league going into the fall as he threw for nearly 2,500 yards last season.
Lots of hopes and dreams there, although I tend to think Bentley and Patterson have bright futures. But Fitzgerald’s “threw four interceptions in the spring game, but should still be among the upper echelon of SEC quarterbacks” and Shurmur’s “the most underrated quarterback in the league” tells you a lot about where the conference is right now, too.
On the bright side, it doesn’t make me feel too down about Georgia’s quarterback situation.
Get The Picture 
Sorry, I can’t make any judgements until those all-important spring game QBRs are posted.
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We shouldn’t feel like the Lone Ranger with our QB situation. Questions abound throughout the SEC and we have as good a chance as any of having a solid QB. It was good to hear that Fitzgerald threw 4 INTs. Let’s hope for a repeat when we play them. It will be interesting watch all of this unfold by the fall. Let the predictions begin.
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Assuming Stidham is even a shadow of expectations, most SEC teams should have QB play that is better than both 2015/16 seasons, and the two programs who will be “worse” have decent solutions on tough comps. SEC offenses should look better in 2017.
a lot better
Auburn
UGA
Kentucky
South Carolina
Somewhere between a little and a lot better
Florida
Bama
Vandy
LSU (not because of the QB but because of the coaching)
About the same
Arkansas
Miss St.
Mizzou (Lock is an INT machine)
A&M
Worse
Ole Miss (but off a very high standard)
UT (Dobbs was better than folks realize)
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Auburn and Florida could both have very good QBs especially by the time the UGA rolls around.
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Not sold on Auburn – Jeremy Johnson was supposed to be $Cam 2.0. The world has caught up to Malzahn’s offense. In other words, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Florida scares me … Franks was highly recruited, and Gopher had UF rolling until Will Grier’s PED suspension. If he gets a QB, they will be a tough out.
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It seems strange indeed that the schools in the SEC seem to be having so much trouble recruiting and producing top quarterback talent. I don’t think you can say that it’s because we’re a running back league, either, as so many of our schools have gone to the spread, hurry up offense.
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SEC defenses make it so hard on QBs in the conference to put up big numbers. Why play in the SEC when you can go to the Big XII, PAC 12 or ACC and put up bigger numbers? Also, no one right now really is playing the OBS’s style of Fun and Gun in the league anymore.
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LSU, better coaching? Because of Orgeron over the Mad-Hatter? Or the coordinators?
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Stidham at Auburn looked like the real deal. He has the arm and the accuracy on long passes and that is what Auburn has lacked. I know it was against the second string D but he will be a tough QB if his WR’s are any good.
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Should be taken with a large grain of salt as it came from an Auburn fan. They believe this QB they got is the real deal, and can barely keep their pants on when talking about him. Of all of Baylor’s failings, fielding a good football team was not one of them. Playing the barn makes me a little nervous when they’ve got a playmaker under center. Hopefully just their preseason happy talk.
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