Early look: SEC teams’ top starting QB contenders
A post-spring practice look at who’ll be starting at quarterback for SEC teams in the fall:
Alabama
Junior Cooper Bateman is expected to be the starter, but the Tide haven’t ruled out redshirt freshman Blake Barnett or athletic true freshman Jalen Hurts.
Auburn
John Franklin III, a transfer from FSU by way of junior college, is an intriguing choice because of his athleticism, but Sean White and Jeremy Johnson are in the mix.
Arkansas
Austin Allen, the younger brother of previous starter Brandon Allen, was the heir apparent and won the job in spring practice.
LSU
Brandon Harris returns as the solid starter, looking to build on a season in which he threw for 2,165 yards while completing 54 percent of his passes.
Ole Miss
Chad Kelly returns after a standout first season in Oxford. The former Clemson quarterback will have to get it done this year without WR Laquon Treadwell.
Mississippi St.
The race to replace Dak Prescott remains open. Four players battled for the job in the spring, and Nick Fitzgerald and Nick Tiano emerged slightly.
Texas A&M
Trevor Knight transferred from Oklahoma after starting 15 games for the Sooners. He sat out the 2015 season and beat out Jake Hubanek in the spring.
Florida
The Gators haven’t announced a starter, but Luke Del Rio, an Oregon State transfer who is the son of Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, is the favorite.
Georgia
Early enrollee freshman Jacob Eason, a 5-star recruit, made a splash in the spring game, but Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey still are in it.
Kentucky
Former USC recruiting target Drew Barker won the job in spring practice after returning starter Patrick Towles transferred to Boston College.
Missouri
Sophomore Drew Lock is the returning starter, but first-year coach Barry Odom hasn’t ruled out the athletic Marvin Zanders, also a sophomore.
South Carolina
Freshman Brandon McIlwain and senior Perry Orth exited spring as co-starters, but Connor Mitch and Lorenzo Nunez will get a shot in fall camp.
Tennessee
Senior Josh Dobbs is the only proven quarterback in the division. Dobbs, an aerospace engineering major, threw for 2,291 yards and rushed for 671 last year.
Vanderbilt
Kyle Shurmur is expected to start the season opener against South Carolina. Whoever starts will be the sixth QB to take the season’s first snap in the past six years.
This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Early look: SEC teams’ top starting QB contenders."