SEC Football-Evaluating The Top 5 QB's in the Conference

The most dominant conference in college football will have to say goodbye to some of the best quarterbacks in college football history. AJ McCarron and Connor Shaw both completed their college careers as the winningest quarterbacks in their school’s history. Aaron Murray finished as the SEC’s all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns leader. Not to mention this guy named Johnny Manziel that broke a couple of records before he left for the NFL.

It is hard to recall a time when so many great quarterbacks all played at the same time in the same conference. Even with the departure of these players, the SEC is still loaded (of course) with some of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Those that have returned will find themselves not only competing to take their team to the SEC Championship, but also try to become one of the 4 teams selected in the new playoff system. Of course, some of these quarterbacks are just trying to make a bowl game.

The season may still be two months away, but that just allows more time to study the top players in the country. Here is a close look at the top 5 returning quarterbacks in the SEC:

5. Maty Mauk- Missouri

Missouri’s hopes of making it to the SEC Championship were all but lost when starting quarterback James Franklin injured his shoulder after a 6-0 start.  Freshman Maty Mauk stepped in without missing a beat and led the Tigers to a 36-17 victory over Florida. In the four games Mauk started, he threw 10 touchdown passes to just two interceptions. He also picked up vital yards on the ground including 114 rushing yards against Tennessee.

Mauk has great arm strength and accuracy that will be even better this season. The dismissal of Missouri’s best wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham gives Mauk fewer experienced targets to throw to. He can pick up extra yards by running the ball, but he needs to become more patient in the pocket and give his receivers time to get open. If his patience improves it will make him even better and he still has at least two more years. Mauk’s return is a huge for a team that lost a lot of talent from last season. The more experience he gains, the better he will be. Mauk may become the best quarterback at Missouri since Chase Daniel.

4. Dylan Thompson- South Carolina

Dylan Thompson finally gets an opportunity to be the starting quarterback for South Carolina. Thompson arguably has the most experience of any second string quarterback in the conference. Do not be mistaken; the loss of Connor Shaw is a huge blow. It should reassure Gamecock fans that Thompson started in a win over UCF, which was the Knights only loss. He also led South Carolina to a victory over Michigan in the Outback Bowl two years ago.

He shares many traits with that of Connor Shaw. Both can scramble out of the pocket to pick up extra yards and both players are not afraid to take a hit. Thompson needs to work on his accuracy, which was subpar even in his best performances. He still has not proven he handle the pressure of being in big time situations. The good news is he will be working with a very experienced offensive line to protect him as well as a solid running back in Mike Davis to take some of the pressure off. If his accuracy improves, it will be like Connor Shaw never left.

3. Dak Prescott- Mississippi State

One of the best returning quarterbacks in the SEC hails from a school that is consistently in the bottom half of the SEC West. Dak Prescott did not put up amazing numbers last season. He did; however, finish strong and now many people are calling him a “dark horse” Heisman contender. One of those strong finishes includes a win over in-state rival Ole Miss in the annual Egg Bowl. He also had strong showings in close losses to Auburn and Texas A&M.

One thing Prescott must work on is his consistency. While he did lead some nice comeback attempts in big games, he struggled on his accuracy. He finished last season with 10 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. His running ability is there according to his 13 rushing touchdowns in only 11 games. The Bulldogs return a solid group of receivers in Jameon Lewis and Robert Johnson for Prescott to throw to this season, and if his passing improves, he will thrive in Dan Mullen’s offense. Prescott is the best quarterback in the Mullen era at Mississippi State so expectations will be higher than usual.

2. Bo Wallace- Ole Miss

The most experienced returning quarterback in the SEC is Bo Wallace. Wallace is the SEC’s leading returning passer and is getting better and better in Hugh Freeze’s offense. He struggled at times last season, but his 346 passing yards in an upset win over a tough LSU defense solidifies what he is capable of doing on a week to week basis. He may still have a little makeup work to do after his poor performance against rival Mississippi State where he threw a season high 3 interceptions.

Wallace has the experience and the talent needed to strive in this offense. Both his accuracy and arm strength have steadily improved so there is no problem in that category. The problem this year will be the lack of experience around him. The Rebels only return one starter from last year’s offensive line. Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is gone, but Laquon Treadwell returns so he should not struggle finding open receivers. Even with minimal experience, Ole Miss is in good position to make a push in the West. Bo Wallace’s talent and leadership will play a huge role in determining how far the Rebels will go this season.

1. Nick Marshall- Auburn

Auburn shocked the nation by running the table and making it all the way to the BCS National Championship. A huge part of that success (besides Gus Malzahn) was Nick Marshall. Marshall got better and better each week in Malzahn’s potent hurry-up offense. He is known primarily for his running abilities and he is the active leader in rushing yards amongst SEC quarterbacks with 1,068 yards, but his passing game will be the focus of this season.

It has been reported that Marshall has improved both his arm strength and accuracy. This is a scary thought for his future competitors. Malzahn’s offense is hard enough to stop, but it will be especially difficult to defend against a great all-around quarterback like Marshall. If reports are true, it should give him more passing opportunites (Marshall had 4 games where he passed less than 100 yards). Even more good news for the Tigers is the return of four starters from last year’s offensive line and his favorite receiver Sammie Coates. If Marshall can stay healthy, he will be a serious Heisman contender.