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ESPN released its preseason SEC quarterback position rankings Monday.
Unsurprisingly, Ole Miss ranked first following Chad Kelly’s breakout transfer season in 2015. The junior led every statistical passing category in the conference including 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns on 298-of-458 passing. ESPN’s Greg Ostendorf penned that the gap between Kelly and the No. 2 quarterback in the SEC is “pretty wide” and noted his confidence as the “self-proclaimed best quarterback in the nation.”
Here’s a look at the full conference rankings:
- Ole Miss
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- LSU
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Kentucky
- Auburn
- Mississippi State
- Missouri
- Vanderbilt
- South Carolina
Not too many surprises. Like most lists, Kelly is followed by Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs at No. 2. Texas A&M’s Trevor Knight is also expected to have a big season with a loaded wide receiving corps.
LSU’s Brandon Harris will be crucial in whether the Tigers can contend for a national championship. Alabama is looking to replace its previous starting quarterback but is still expected to win regardless of who wins the job and Georgia needs to decide between Greyson Lambert and five-star freshman Jacob Eason.
The list reflects what many have predicted about the quarterback position in the SEC since the end of the 2015 season. We’ll see if preseason expectations are met in 2016.
Jason covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
