Unlike some of their rivals, the Razorbacks have known their starting quarterback for 2017 ever since the 2016 season came to a close: Austin Allen.

Speaking at the team’s media day, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema made a point that Allen knows he isn’t competing with the other quarterbacks on Arkansas’ roster. His competition is with the other 13 starting signal-callers of the SEC to prove he’s the best quarterback in the conference.

Last season, Allen led the SEC in passing yards (3,430) and touchdowns (25) but also interceptions (15). Despite leading the league in two major passing categories, Allen was left off the end of the season All-SEC team. This year, he hasn’t received the same offseason hype as some of his division rivals such as Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham and Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald.

In the eyes of the media, Allen enters the season as the No. 3 quarterback in the SEC. Alabama QB Jalen Hurts, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year, was voted to the media’s preseason first-team All-SEC while Fitzgerald made the second and Allen the third. As dual-threat quarterbacks, Hurts and Fitzgerald’s stats aren’t comparable to Allen’s, but come December, the media will have to weigh passing-plus-running stats to pure passing numbers when they vote on another All-SEC team.

If Allen has a similar year to 2016 (with fewer interceptions), he’ll have a strong case to make the first team.