Ranking SEC quarterback situations best to worst

At this point, plenty of SEC teams are not sure who will be their starting quarterback. Ranking the QB situations:

1. MISSISSIPPI STATE

Dak Prescott was downright Tebow-esque last year, throwing for 3,449 yards and rushing for 986. He accounted for 41 touchdowns combined and looked like a better passer this spring. He’s also got tons of weapons at wide receiver this year, led by De’Runnya Wilson.

2. AUBURN

Jeremy Johnson is high on this list for a new starter, but he sure looks the part. The junior completed 28-of-37 passes for 436 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in relief of Nick Marshall last year. A former four-star recruit, he threw for 243 yards in the first half against Arkansas last year.

3. TEXAS A&M

Kyle Allen took over for Gamecock Slayer Kenny Hill midway through the season and thrived. He accounted for five touchdowns in the bowl game and has an impressive wide receiving corps returning. Allen, a former five-star, could lose some snaps to the next five-star, Kyler Murray.

4. TENNESSEE

Joshua Dobbs is an aerospace engineering and can recite from memory the first 48 digits of Pi. He’s also a heck of a football player. He’s not yet a polished passer, but he’s the type of player who can throw from 2,000 and run for 1,000 in a season without breaking a sweat.

5. ARKANSAS

Brandon Allen has the benefit of not being the focal point of the offense. That will always be the offensive line and bruising backs in Bret Beilema’s offense. Allen was a disaster as a sophomore but is heading into his redshirt senior season after throwing 20 touchdowns versus five interceptions last year.

6. MISSOURI

Maty Mauk is going to be one of those guys who people think played nine years at a school. It already feels like the prep passing sensation has been around forever, but he’s only a junior. Mauk’s career completion percentage is 52.8 percent.

7. KENTUCKY

Patrick Towles will have to hold off one-time Gamecock commitment Drew Barker. Towles, a senior, started all 12 games and threw for 2,718 yards last year but finished slow, opening the door for Wildcats coach Mark Stoops to throw Barker, a redshirt freshman, into an even race for the starting job.

8. SOUTH CAROLINA

Connor Mitch still has to hold off Perry Orth and Michael Scarnecchia, but he has the size (6-3) and pedigree (12,078 high school passing yards) to suggest he can win the job. Mitch has only thrown six career passes but showed much greater confidence this spring that at any point in his collegiate career.

9. GEORGIA

Brice Ramsey looked like the heir apparent to Huston Mason, but then the Bulldogs went searching for a free agent quarterback this summer. Ramsey, who has played in eight games at Georgia, still has the best shot to win the job, but confidence is not high at the moment in the 6-3 sophomore.

10. ALABAMA

Jacob Coker was supposed to be the next national champion quarterback at Alabama when he transferred from Florida State last year. Instead, he couldn’t beat out Blake Sims for the job. Sims is gone, and Coker once again is considered the frontrunner for the job, but four youngsters will push him.

11. OLE MISS

Chad Kelly has bounced back from a short stint at Clemson thanks to a standout season at East Mississippi Junior College. Now we will see if Jim Kelly’s nephew is more ready for the big time than he was with the Tigers. Kelly will have to beat out Ryan Buchanan but his running ability could put him over the top.

12. FLORIDA

Will Grier appeared to take a slight lead over returning starter Treon Harris this spring. Grier, a 6-2 redshirt freshman, was PARADE’s national player of the year two years ago. Whoever wins the job for the Gators will be playing behind the conference’s worst offensive line so it might not matter.

13. VANDERBILT

Johnny McCrary probably comes out the biggest winner after Patton Robinette’s decision to retire from football. Robinette left spring practice as the presumed starter, but quit football a week later to focus on medical school. McCrary, a 6-4 sophomore who started the final five games last year, is a former all-state prep player in Georgia.

14. LSU

Brandon Harris is the only man standing in Baton Rouge at the moment after Anthony Jennings’ arrest and indefinite suspension earlier this month. Harris was considered one of the top dual-threat high school quarterbacks in the country two years ago but struggled as a true freshman sharing time with Jennings.