Who Should be Voted Preseason All-SEC at Quarterback? Might it be Alabama’s Mac Jones?
Every Thursday afternoon I join the Jay Barker Radio Show, with Lars Anderson and Trent Richardson, and before I wrote this article poised the following question this past week:
Who should be the preseason selection for All-SEC at quarterback?
We ended up teasing Barker because he listed about eight names (although he did pick one over everyone else), but the end result demonstrated the difficulty this year.
Each person gave a different answer.
Part of the reason why was because without there being a clear-choice there are numerous ways to try and answer the question.
Do you pick the most talented overall?
The most experienced?
The one in the best situation?
The one with the biggest chip on his shoulder?
The most overlooked?
The one most likely to improve?
The one who will have to carry his team the most?
Or the quarterback heading the best position group?
Do you vote on who you think is best now, or will be the best at the end of the season?
Each of those could mean a different person in 2020.
Alabama: Mac Jones, a redshirt junior, got a head start on running the offense last November and then during bowl practices. After throwing for 327 yards against Michigan, finished 97-of-141 (68.8 percent), for 1,503 yards to go with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 186.8 passer-rating was third in the league, and he was on pace to finish third nationally.
Arkansas: Feleipe Franks, a grad transfer from Florida, started every game in 2018 when he threw for 2,457 yards (58.4), with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, which added up to a 143.4 passer rating. Coming off a losing season, UF went 10-3. He was off to a good start, and 173.4 rating in 2019 before suffering a broken ankle. He’s going to struggle some at re-tooled Arkansas, but with wide receiver the Razorbacks’ best position they’re going to put up some numbers.
Auburn: As a freshman, Bo Nix showed flashes of why the Tigers were so high on adding him. He was 217-for-377 (57.6), 2,542 yards, with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 125.0 passer rating was 84th in the nation, but Nix ran for 313 yards and now has former Arkansas coach Chad Morris as the offensive coordinator. The key may be the new offensive line, which has some major question marks, but Auburn feels he has the potential to be as any good as any quarterback in the league.
Florida: Kyle Trask was one of the best stories in the SEC last season, as Florida finished 16th nationally in passing. He threw for 2,941 yards and 25 touchdowns, and had an impressive 156.1 passer rating. However, four senior receivers have moved on, and the rest of the league has had an offseason to study him after preparing for another quarterback last year.
Georgia: Bulldogs fans are thinking possible Heisman Trophy, but Jaime Newman’s numbers from last season will have to dramatically improve for him to be in the discussion. Granted, he was at Wake Forest before transferring, and Todd Monken’s wide-open offense seems tailored to his strengths, but it doesn’t change that he still had 11 interceptions and a 145.3 passer rating while playing in a weaker conference. The 6-4 Newman threw for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns, and ran for 572 yards and six more scores, but he threw for just 41 yards at Clemson and 71 at Syracuse. Also on the roster is former USC quarterback JT Daniels, who lost his starting job with the Trojans to Kedon Slovis after suffering a torn ACL.
Kentucky: Terry Wilson is back after missing most of last season with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. He threw for 1,889 yards and ran for 547 as a sophomore in 2018, but his career passer rating is still 134.0. He has a veteran offensive line in front of him this season, and last year the Wildcats showed they have no problem relying on it and the run game. Still, he’s in prime position to have a strong season.
LSU: The biggest thing going against redshirt junior Myles Brennan is that he isn’t Joe Burrow. LSU is committed to running a spread offense and he’s more of a drop-back quarterback who isn’t as elusive. Brennan does have a strong arm and some outstanding receivers, so he’s going to post some big numbers. For his career he’s 42-for-70 (60 percent), 600 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating is 132.9.
Ole Miss: John Rhys Plumlee added a lot in terms of the running attack, tallying 1,023 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, but completed just 52.7 percent of his passes as a true freshman. His passer rating was 108.4. Lane Kiffin will want a more balanced offense, but has made a career out of maximizing his offensive strengths.
Mississippi State: Stanford graduate transfer K.J. Costello is expected to take over after starting 25 games for the Cardinal from 2017-19. He completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 6,151 yards, with 49 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has a strong arm, but his career passer rating in the Pac-12 was 143.8. Garrett Shrader, who started four games as a true freshman last year, is his primary competition, but both will have to adapt to Mike Leach’s pass-happy approach.
Missouri: The guess here is that TCU transfer Shawn Robinson will win the starting job (junior Taylor Powell and redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak are the other options, the latter coming off an ACL injury). Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who completed 137 of 231 passes (59.3 percent) with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had a 124.7 passer rating while playing in the pass-friendly Big 12. The 389 rushing yards were nice, but hardly spectacular.
South Carolina: Ryan Hilinski had a rough first season (236-for-406, 58.1 percent, 2,357 yards, 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, 113.4 rating) while trying to play through elbow and knee injuries. New to the Gamecocks are offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and his former quarterback at Colorado State, Collin Hill, a graduate transfer who is coming off an ACL injury. Over three seasons he was 263-for-433 passing for 3,323 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 18 games (11 starts), for a 137.7 rating.
Tennessee: Fifth-year senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano hasn’t been consistent enough, but this will be his first time he’ll have the same play-caller for a second straight year. Jim Chaney will be looking for more performances like against Missouri, when Guarantano passed for 415 yards. Overall, he was 152-for-257 (59.1 percent) and 2,158 yards, with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, for a passer rating of 144.0.
Texas A&M: Yes, Kellen Mond is still with the Aggies, and has a chance to be a rare four-year starter at quarterback. He’s thrown for 7,379 career yards and had a strong fourth quarter to lead the win over Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl. However, he also regressed statistically last year except in completion percentage (up from 57.3 percent to 61.6). His passer rating dropped from 135.0 to 131.1. Is he capable of more?
Vanderbilt: New coordinator Todd Fitch wants the offense to play at a faster tempo and move the ball with short, quick passes. Early enrollee Ken Seals is the player to watch, but junior college transfers Jeremy Moussa and Danny Clark and freshman Mike Wright (who has a lot of speed) will also be vying for playing time.
With all that in mind, let’s go back to the list.
The most talented overall? Probably Costello.
The most experienced? Mond.
The one in the best situation? Jones.
The one with the biggest chip on his shoulder? Franks.
The most overlooked? Brennan (over Wilson).
The one most likely to improve? Nix.
The one who will have to carry his team the most? Trask.
The quarterback heading the best position group? Newman.
All of this brings us back to the original question, who should be named preseason All-SEC?
The thinking here goes as follows: Anyone who is a returning veteran, and working with the same coaches, and has already faced SEC competition, has an edge.
That leads us to one person, Jones.
Yes, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy stoked the flames a little when he talked about Jones and Newman last week. But look closely at what he said: "I would favor the situation Mac Jones is playing in, but if I’m going just strictly on talent, I would absolutely favor Jamie Newman.”
Even through he’ll be facing a quarterback competition with early enrollee Bryce Young, Jones is surrounded by the most talent in the league as Alabama returns seven offensive starters, including four offensive linemen. He has outstanding receivers with DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, a loaded backfield led by Najee Harris, and he's working again with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
You have to like his chances of keeping that passer rating, which is how the NCAA determines its passing champion, up near 180.0. You can't say that about anyone else.
As for which team has the best position group as a whole, including every quarterback on the roster, here are rankings (top half of the league only):
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Mississippi State
4. Florida
5. Auburn
6. LSU
7. Texas A&M
This is the fourth story in a series that will appear throughout June, previewing SEC position groups for the 2020 season.
