ALABAMA SENIOR QB BLAKE SIMS

Stats: 230-of-355, 64.8 percent, 3,250 passing yards, 26 passing TDs, 7 INTs, 10 sacks, 161.9 rating

Big-time game: His best performance to me was against the Florida Gators in the fourth game. Sims was 23-of-33 for 445 yards with four touchdowns and one pick. Florida had one of the best defenses in the SEC, especially its pass defense. He couldn’t miss that game and was letting it rain all over the field. One could argue that there may be a better game, but what he did to that Gator defense was pretty unbelievable.

Not his best effort: His worst game of 2014 was against Arkansas. He made a few boneheaded plays in that, but he also was clutch when he needed to be. Sims was 11-for-21 for 161 yards. He did have two touchdown passes, but it wasn’t his best effort. I specifically remember the quarterback sneak he attempted and it was almost catastrophic for the Crimson Tide. Luckily the defense bailed him out.

Improvements: I saw his confidence increase every game. He seems to be making better decisions as to where to go with the ball and when to tuck it and run. He looks like he’s in complete control and has a full grasp of Lane Kiffin’s offense.

Strengths: He has tremendous mental fortitude. Fans called for him to get benched a few times and he faced some pretty massive pressure throughout the season. He has a very strong arm, maybe the strongest in the SEC. His ability to run is overlooked and he has really impressed me with his decision-making.

Weakness: I can’t really think of anything on the field. I would say his weakness is that he isn’t the tallest quarterback out there and that will probably hurt his NFL prospects. Sometimes he did try and force a few throws, but for the most he part took care of the football.

Overall: Sims was my pick for first-team All-SEC this year. His stats are better and he was more clutch than any other quarterback. Sims really turned it on in the second half of the Iron Bowl and since then he’s been on absolute fire. His confidence has skyrocketed and he’s dealt with a lot of adversity. He’s had to shrug off stiff competition from Jacob Coker and the fans when they were calling for him to be benched.