Entering preseason camp, more than half the teams in the conference remain undecided on a starting quarterback.

Established returning starters are rare in the SEC this year. Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, Missouri’s Maty Mauk and Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs probably are the only names that qualify.

RELATED: Predicting all 14 opening-game starting QBs

Uncertainty at the most important position should make for a wild few weeks of fall camp.

South Carolina did not make this post because true freshman Lorenzo Nunez isn’t developed enough as a passer to challenge Connor Mitch. Although Mitch hasn’t earned the starting job yet, he should inherit that role almost by default. Auburn already has named Jeremy Johnson the starter, and he may become a Heisman Trophy candidate.

The other eight teams we’ve yet to mention all will feature fierce quarterback competitions. Here’s a primer on all eight.

ALABAMA: JAKE COKER VS. DAVID CORNWELL

Favorite: Jake Coker

Main Question: Can the veteran transfer finally earn the job?

The Crimson Tide is loaded with young, gifted, inexperienced quarterbacks. The consistent message from coach Nick Saban is that the team will play the best player. Last year’s decision to start Blake Sims ahead of Coker backs that assertion. Despite throwing just 59 college passes, though, Coker is the veteran of this group. Now that he’s entering his second year in Tuscaloosa, he should be much more comfortable within the offense and comfortable becoming a leader, which seemed to hold him back in 2014.

It’s probably best for Alabama’s team as well if the Tide waits one more year to turn over the offense to Cornwell or Blake Barnett.

FLORIDA: WILL GRIER VS. TREON HARRIS

Favorite: Will Grier

Main Question: Is Grier someone who can develop into a good four-year starter at Florida?

The competition the Gators are staging in Gainesville, Fla., represents an interesting philosophical choice, at least on paper. Due to the inexperienced offensive line, a major concern in 2015, Treon Harris represents the chance to counteract an inexperienced offensive line, a major concern for 2015. Harris can bail out the unit with his athleticism, and he started for half a season last year.

Coach Jim McElwain also insists that he doesn’t have an offense and relies on his personnel to dictate the style. Grier, though, is a much closer approximation for what we’ve seen from McElwain’s (pro-style) quarterbacks, historically. The team probably will be better off in 2016 if Grier gains experience and shows he’s capable of becoming a good starter.

GEORGIA: BRICE RAMSEY VS. GREYSON LAMBERT VS. FATON BAUTA

Favorite: Brice Ramsey

Main Question: Is Greyson Lambert more talented than most indications?

I maintain that everyone is overthinking the Georgia quarterback situation. Ramsey exited camp with most observers believing he held a slight lead ahead of Faton Bauta, who has done well to prove he’s more than just a running quarterback. Then UGA added Lambert to the competition. He started last year for Virginia, so that’s a potential advantage. But he threw interceptions at terrible times, part of the reason he exited camp with the Cavaliers as the second-string quarterback. Mistakes are expressly what Georgia wants to avoid in the passing game, as a strong ground attack and some safe throws to the tight end will do well most of the time.

Perhaps a change of scenery will do well for Lambert’s talent, and his experience will propel him to the job. But despite what David Pollack predicted, Ramsey probably must be unseated for anyone else to start.

KENTUCKY: PATRICK TOWLES VS. DREW BARKER

Favorite: Patrick Towles

Main Question: What do the coaches see in Drew Barker?

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. named Towles one of the five best underclassmen quarterbacks — not just in the SEC, but in the entire country. Towles is 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. He’s athletic as a former high school high jumper. And he’s familiar with the Air Raid offense after starting all of last season for UK. New coordinator Shannon Dawson only wants to speed up the team’s tempo, and the array of young skill players should start to blossom.

Why, then, have the coaches insisted it remains a close competition between Towles and the redshirt freshman Barker, who has shown some off-field immaturity? Clearly Barker is an intriguing candidate at quarterback. With just two healthy scholarship players at the position entering fall practice, UK has incentive to develop both of them and keep them both engaged. But from the outside, it seems like more than a pseudo-competition. If Barker keeps it close all the way through camp, it’s a good thing for the Wildcats.

LSU: ANTHONY JENNINGS VS. BRANDON HARRIS

Favorite: Anthony Jennings

Main Question: Will LSU choose the safe play (Jennings) or upside (Harris)?

Perhaps the most difficult high-profile competition to predict, it’s possible that no matter who starts for LSU, the team won’t be able to find a real answer at the position. Jennings is depicted as a better leader and someone with a better grasp of the offense, but he failed to complete 50 percent of his passes last year and doesn’t present much of a dual threat. Harris is depicted as a much better runner and as someone with a higher upside as a passer, but he looked lost and scared during his lone 2014 start against Auburn.

Jennings exited spring practice with a slight lead, as perceived by the media close to the LSU team. Then he faced a six-week suspension stemming from an arrest. The case since has been dropped, but it allowed Harris to get some 1-on-1 time with his receivers during informal players-only practices. But Jennings is back. The team would benefit if Harris can grow into his perceived potential, but he’s only got a few weeks to leverage his newfound confidence and comfort into the starting job.

OLE MISS: CHAD KELLY VS. RYAN BUCHANAN

Favorite: Chad Kelly

Main Question: Can Kelly put aside his ego, stay out of trouble and absorb the offense?

If ever a “win now” team existed, this year’s Rebels are it. After the departure of the Jekyll-and-Hyde senior Bo Wallace, Kelly seems like an appropriate risk/reward solution. Kelly, Buchanan and Ryan Kincade all performed poorly in the spring game. Unlike the other Mississippi school this year, Ole Miss doesn’t need an All-SEC quarterback for its offense to function. Laquon Treadwell, Cody Core, Evan Engram and others can make plenty of plays as pass-catchers. The Rebels just need someone who is going to get them the ball regularly and not screw up too much.

Coach Hugh Freeze and the team have absorbed a lot of public-relations risk adding and keeping Kelly on the roster if he’s going to stay on the bench. Buchanan should enter the fall with a slight advantage, and it’s up to Kelly to prove he’s the man for the job.

TEXAS A&M: KYLE ALLEN VS. KYLER MURRAY

Favorite: Kyle Allen

Main Question: How good is Kyler Murray, really?

Of all the quarterback competitions listed in this post, this one is the least likely to remain a competition in the final days before the season. Texas A&M needs a starter in place as soon as possible as it prepares for a very tough neutral-site opener against a ranked Arizona State team. Allen, who handled the outcome of last year’s quarterback competition like a child, has morphed into a confident, maturing leader.

The reason this remains a competition is also the reason it won’t be a competition: we haven’t seen Murray on an Aggies practice field. Murray is one of Texas’ best prep quarterbacks ever, and you can’t tell that type of talent he has no chance without even evaluating him. But even the best high school quarterbacks are hard-pressed to be an above-average SEC starter after just a few weeks on a college field.

VANDERBILT: JOHNNY MCCRARY VS. WADE FREEBECK

Favorite: Johnny McCrary

Main Question: Can Vanderbilt make a clear-cut designation of the starter before the season?

Due to injury and ineffectiveness, it seemed like Vandy made three-dozen quarterback changes during the first half of last season. Not that the team had any great option, but constant change prevented any one of the quarterbacks from settling into the job and getting comfortable with the players and his role.

As spring practice ended, it appeared that new coordinator Andy Ludwig already had squashed the chance of a repeat, with Patton Robinette the clear favorite to win the job. Then Robinette retired to pursue medical school. Now the team must reset the entire competition, without the best solution. It’s far from ideal. But it’s an opportunity for McCrary and Freebeck. Who will take advantage? And can the team make a clear decision and stick to it?