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Playing quarterback in the SEC is no easy task, trust me. Playing as a true freshman is damn near impossible.
Experience is paramount in this league and we rarely see a freshman starter. The playbook is way more complicated than your average high school one and the speed is light years different.
I’m going to take a look at the three quarterbacks that I see getting some playing time as true freshman.
Lorenzo Nunez, South Carolina: The four-star recruit could see some action in 2015. He’s got the height, at 6-foot-3, but could probably put on a little weight. The 18-year-old is a solid 190, but he could afford to add 15-to-20 pounds to take the hits. Nunez is a dual-threat kid who ran a similar offense in high school. Columbia, S.C., will feature a pretty large quarterback battle this spring, so we’ll see who comes out of there alive. I know that coach Steve Spurrier sometimes likes to wait ’til just before kickoff to announce a starter (hate that), but we very well could see Nunez play as a true freshman.
Drew Lock, Missouri: The 6-foot-4, 205-pound kid out of Missouri decided to stay in his home state. He’s a pro-style quarterback, but he can run when needed. I don’t necessarily think he’s going to start Week 1 over Maty Mauk, but I do think this kid will see some game action as a freshman. Whether it’s because Mauk gets injured or in mop-up duty, I believe Lock will see some valuable playing time in 2015.
Blake Barnett, Alabama: The 6-foot-5, 200-pound, five-star recruit out of California has all the tools. He’s a big guy, although he can gain some weight as well. He has big arm. He’s a typical pocket passer like we’ve gotten accustomed to with Alabama quarterbacks. Barnett graduated high school early and is already enrolled at Alabama, so he’s gotten a jump on Kiffin’s playbook and is getting familiar with his teammates. That’s crucial, as I did the same thing at South Carolina. I’m not sure Blake will start over Coker or one of the the other veteran guys Week 1 of next year, but he’ll definitely be competing in spring and the summer for the job. I do see him playing this upcoming year, though, because Alabama will probably be up big on a team and insert the young guys to let them gain experience.
The Man. The Myth. The Legend.
