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Who will start for SEC teams playing musical quarterbacks?
By John Brasier
Published:
At least one SEC team will have a quarterback change for the upcoming bowl season. Another few should have backups getting playing time.
At Texas A&M, the top 2 QBs Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray aren transferring and won’t be in uniform.
At Auburn, no clear starter has emerged between Jeremy Johnson and Sean White.
At Georgia, interim coach Bryan McClendon can choose between Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey and Faton Batua, none of whom was able to emerge as a clear-cut choice.
Florida will go with Treon Harris because the Gators don’t have another realistic option with Vanderbilt transfer Josh Grady as backup. Same with LSU, though starter Brandon Harris hasn’t been entirely ineffective and 2014 starter Anthony Jenkins has languished on the bench after an offseason arrest.
The starters who will continue as they have all or most of the season: Jake Coker will go for Alabama in the Cotton Bowl; Chad Kelly for Ole Miss in the Sugar; Dak Prescott for Mississippi State in the Belk; Brandon Allen for Arkansas in the Liberty; Brandon Allen for LSU; and Joshua Dobbs for Tennessee.
Here’s a look at the SEC teams with unstable QB situations:
Texas A&M: With five-star recruits Allen and Murray gone, the starting role falls to Jake Hubenak, who played some when Allen faltered at midseason. Hubenak, a junior-college star after walking on at Oklahoma State, should be serviceable with Christian Kirk and Speedy Noil to throw to and Tra Carson to handle the ground duties.
Hubenak was 12-for-27 for 92 yards and a TD in his limited playing time. What happens if something happens to Hubenak? Then the Aggies would be down to their No. 4 quarterback, either holder Conner McQueen one of a few players with no game experience.
Auburn: White has been listed as starter despite Johnson starting the last four games while White has been sidelined with a knee injury and another undisclosed injury. White has taken part in practices for the Birmingham Bowl, and his condition has been praised by WR Jonathan Wallace.
But coach Gus Malzahn canceled his Friday news conference and White hasn’t been made available to media since October 31. White was 75 for 130 for 1,064 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in five starting assignments. Johnson, the much-heralded season-opening starter, went 94 for 156 for 1,042 yards with nine TDs and seven interceptions in seven starts. White’s health may be a big factor in Malzahn’s decision.
Georgia: The Bulldogs seemed to have found a quarterback when Lambert went 24-for-25 in a victory over South Carolina. But he has been ineffective most of the season against SEC competition. Bauta proved no better against Florida. Ramsey, the highest-rated recruit of the bunch, struggled as well.
Lambert’s stats look good — 64.4 completion percentage, 1,844 yards, 11 TDs and 2 interceptions. But he did much of his damage against poor competition. Though Lambert has been named the starter for the TaxSlayer Bowl, Ramsey is expected to get playing time.
