Quarterback play in the SEC was a major topic of interest heading into this season following the departure of several noteworthy passers and dual-threat athletes at the position in 2013.

The conference lost a three-time national champion, a Heisman winner, an Eastern Division record-setter and an underrated runner who became South Carolina’s all-time winningest quarterback in program history.

Results at the midseason point have been mixed, so what’s left this season and do the replacements have NFL-caliber talent?

The short answer’s yes with Dak Prescott, a playmaker whose been compared to Tim Tebow in terms of starpower and run-pass ability, but he’s not an instant starter and will take years to develop as a threat from the pocket at the next level.

Other top players at the position in the league — Bo Wallace, Kenny Hill, Dylan Thompson — have a long way to go skill-wise with critical, but correctable, flaws. Wallace could be a mid to late-round pick in a weak draft for quarterbacks outside of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston (assuming those players declare), but the more likely scenario would be receiving a shot as an undrafted free agent. His delivery’s slow and he doesn’t have the ‘arm talent’ you look for in a pro prospect.

In danger of losing his starting job in its infancy post-Johnny Manziel, Hill’s another year away from even being draft eligible while Thompson, a fifth-year senior, has always been plagued by spotty mechanics that lead to varying throws nearly every pass.

Evaluating this year’s quarterbacks, most of which we hadn’t seen play all that much coming in, was a challenge in August, but we’re starting to see last season’s departures play a more sizable role than expected.

Examining ‘The Replacements’ at the QB position in the SEC this season

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
2013 Starter: A.J. McCarron
2014 Starter: Blake Sims
Impact: Following in McCarron’s footsteps wasn’t going to be the ideal situation for the fifth-year senior, but he also had to sidestep the added position battle pressure of Florida State transfer Jacob Coker. Sims has secured the job without looking over his shoulder as one of the SEC’s most efficient passers. He’s capable of making plays outside of the pocket, but he’s not a run-first quarterback like some dual-threats. Mobile passers often get the athlete-first, quarterback-second label, but Sims is the opposite. He’s been able to carry out Lane Kiffin’s plan with relative ease and that’s a good sign for the Crimson Tide nearing the home stretch.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Experience, decision-making, mobility; Size
Future NFL stock: Undrafted FA, 2015

GEORGIA BULLDOGS
2013 Starter: Aaron Murray
2014 Starter: Hutson Mason
Impact: The sample size is small, but Mason’s shown very little through the air that warrants a pro franchise taking a chance on the Marietta native in next year’s draft as a potential future starter. Unlike Murray who could carve up a secondary when given time, the Bulldogs have intentionally avoided the pressure of high-intensity situations with Mason and instead focused on a dominant ground attack. Coming out of Georgia, a program with a proven track record of developing quarterbacks over the last decade, helps Mason as well as his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He projects as a second or third-team passer at best at the next level.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Accuracy, size; Arm strength; confidence
Future NFL stock: Late-round pick to undrafted FA, 2015

LSU TIGERS
2013 Starter: Zach Mettenberger
2014 Starter: Anthony Jennings
Impact: The sophomore’s been faced with replacing the prototypical lumbering pocket passer in Cam Cameron’s now run-geared attack. Mettenberger opened new elements in the LSU offense while Jennings somewhat limits what the Tigers can do scheme-wise. Accuracy’s been an issue early on, but he has shown a knack for big plays (not necessarily on great throws, but jump balls). Like many LSU signal callers before Mettenberger, Jennings is more or less a placeholder under center who has been told not to screw it up. Avoiding turnovers is a great quality to have when your team’s built on defense and moving the chains on the ground.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Freelance ability; Inexperience, arm strength, accuracy
Future NFL stock: No

MISSOURI TIGERS
2013 Starter: James Franklin
2014 Starter: Maty Mauk
Impact: Mauk’s still in the developmental stage with another season or two to correct several issues before throwing his name in the NFL hat. He’s reluctant to throw the football if his first read’s covered and his tendency to escape the pocket when there’s pressure often leads to bad, careless decisions with the football. He’s a gifted player, but Mauk will need to tone down the freelancing a bit and play the position like it’s meant to be played to increase his draft stock.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Arm strength, mobility; Decision-making
Future NFL stock: Late-round pick, 2017

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
2013 Starter: Connor Shaw
2014 Starter: Dylan Thompson
Impact: The production’s comparable to Shaw’s numbers total offense wise with the top-scoring offense in school history through seven games (35.1), but efficiency’s been the biggest issue. Thompson’s mistake-prone under pressure whereas his predecessor was an excellent decision maker and knew how to avoid negative plays. There’s nothing Thompson does on tape that screams pro prospect and he appears to have peaked as a reliable backup in 2012. At 6-foot-3, 220, Thompson’s had ideal size, but there’s lingering issues with his delivery that would need to be fixed.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Leadership; Mechanics, confidence, mobility
Future NFL stock: No

TEXAS A&M AGGIES
2013 Starter: Johnny Manziel
2014 Starter: Kenny Hill
Impact: The sophomore’s fallen into the ‘system quarterback’ hole in recent weeks, average performance against teams considered amongst college football’s elite. He exploded onto the scene with 500 yards passing and three touchdowns in the season opener, but his outings have been much less spectacular since. Though passing numbers are comparable, Hill and Manziel are very different quarterbacks. His willingness to stay in the pocket translates to the next level, but he’s rarely ‘thrown’ receivers open — one of Manziel’s strengths. Hill has a skill set pro franchises covet, but it’s too early to properly evaluate a player with minimal career starts. He’s got upside though and that’s important.
Strengths/Weaknesses: Quick release, mobility, accuracy; System quarterback label, inexperience
Future NFL stock: Mid-round pick, 2016