An SEC East team hasn’t won a conference championship since Florida beat Alabama in 2008. For that streak to end this December, contenders will have to game plan against a myriad quarterbacks who could be considered some of the best in college football.

Here are the 10 best non-conference gunslingers that East division teams will face in 2016:

10. Skyler Howard, West Virginia: Skyler Howard’s 2015 numbers aren’t necessarily indicative of his talent, but they do show his need to cut down on interceptions and raise his completion percentage entering his senior season. Against Power 5 competition (11 games), Howard went 184-for-352 (52.3 percent) with 2,523 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 picks.

He did, however, look strong in his final six starts, where he led the Mountaineers to a 5-1 record. The highlight was a 532-yard, five-touchdown performance in a win against Arizona State in the Cactus Bowl.

West Virginia will open vs. Missouri Week 1.

9. Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech took a gigantic step backward in 2015 with a 3-9 record following its appearance in the 2014 ACC Championship Game, and Thomas’ performance was part of the issue.

Nov 28, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Justin Thomas (5) runs away from pressure from Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Leonard Floyd (84) during the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As a sophomore in 2014, Thomas finished with a QBR of 83.8 and rushed for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Those numbers were basically cut in half as a junior. We can expect bigger and better things from the third-year starter this time around, now that the Yellow Jackets have more experience on offense and an improved offensive line (probably).

Georgia Tech will host Vanderbilt on Sept. 17 and then caps the regular season at rival Georgia on Nov. 26.

8. Jerod Evans/Brenden Motley/Josh Jackson, Virginia Tech: Yes, we’re two weeks from the first Saturday of college football and yes, Virginia Tech is still sorting out a three-man race under center with no real evidence for a final decision by Week 1. Phil Steele predicts it will be Jerod Evans — a 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior JUCO transfer who ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat for the class of 2016.

New coach Justin Fuente wants to burn the tape on the Hokies’ prehistoric offense that has ranked no better than No. 6 in the ACC over the past five years, and Evans would provide that jumpstart. With Trinity Valley Community College in 2015, he completed over 62 percent of his passes for 3,164 yards, 38 touchdowns and just three interceptions, adding an additional 414 yards and four more scores on the ground. This was in eight games. An all-around athlete with ideal experience, Evans is a dangerous threat.

Virginia Tech plays Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway for a Week 2 showdown that is expected to shatter the NCAA attendance record.

7. Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State: Appalachian State has an opportunity to run away with the Sun Belt title this season, and it’s mostly because of junior quarterback Taylor Lamb, who enters his third year as the starter. Lamb set a single-season school record with 31 touchdown passes last season and added another six with his feet.

There’s a reason Lamb was just added to the 2016 preseason Manning Award watch list, which is handed out to the nation’s best quarterback. With six returning starters on offense (15 overall), Appalachian State’s No. 23-ranked scoring offense (36.7 per game) from a year ago could soar to new heights this fall, as Lamb has a chance to put up stunning numbers.

SEC East favorite Tennessee will face Appalachian State in Neyland Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1.

6. Deondre Francois, Florida State: Senior quarterback Sean Maguire is out for the next four (or so) weeks with a broken foot, meaning redshirt freshman Deondre Francois will likely start when FSU and Ole Miss clash on opening weekend. While Maguire has the experience, many claim Francois provides the Seminoles with the most upside.

Apr 9, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois (12) drops back to pass during the Florida State spring game at the Citrus Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound IMG Academy product was a highly coveted four-star prospect who served as the No. 3-ranked pro style quarterback from the 2015 recruiting class. But don’t let the term “pro style” fool you — Francois is a talented athlete, reportedly running a 4.60-second 40, who can extend plays. That is an ability that Maguire simply does not posses.

“I don’t think the lights will be too bright,” Francois told ESPN. “I believe in my preparation, and everything Coach Fisher has taught me is to stay humble and continue to trust the process,” he said. “If I prepare well and I continue to do everything I need to do and everything he tells me to do, I feel like I’ll be fine.”

Florida State, which earned the No. 4 spot in the Coaches Top 25 poll earlier this month, will play the Rebels (No. 12) in Orlando on Labor Day.

5. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina: After three years of waiting in the wings (two behind QB Marquise Williams) and learning coach Larry Fedora’s complex spread offense behind the scenes, it’s now redshirt junior Mitch Trubisky’s time to shine.

A former four-star prospect (No. 6 dual-threat in nation), Trubisky completed 40-of-47 (85.1 percent) of his passes for for 555 yards and five touchdowns in nine appearances as a backup last season, albeit most of those stats came in a 41-14 win over Delaware.

He also found the end zone three times via the ground. It will be difficult to replicate an ACC-leading 40.7 points per game, but arguably the best offensive line in the nation will help Trubisky settle in as a first-year starter, and UNC will once again have a dynamic scoring unit.

“Quise threw a great long ball,” Fedora said earlier this month. “Mitch is more accurate in the intermediate and short passes.”

Top target Ryan Switzer told reporters at the ACC Media Days that “Mitch has got a very rare and unique arm talent — very strong and can fit the ball into places a lot of quarterbacks can’t.”

First-year Georgia coach Kirby Smart will put his defense to the test against Trubisky and company in the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3.

4. Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee: As a redshirt freshman, Brent Stockstill — the son of MTSU coach Rick — exploded for 4,005 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions, finishing fourth (No. 20 nationally) among Group of 5 quarterbacks in QBR with a 76.3 rating.

Against Alabama, Illinois, and Vanderbilt, Stockstill produced 790 yards passing with four TDs and just one pick, hitting over 60 percent of his targets.

With seven returning starters on offense and Tony Franklin (who coached Jared Goff at Cal) now calling plays, don’t be surprised to see Stockstill’s name leading the country in passing by season’s end. The Blue Raiders aren’t a New Year’s Six contender, but they will have a say in the C-USA race and could lead the conference in scoring.

Middle Tennessee is set to visit Vanderbilt on Sept. 10 and Missouri on Oct. 22.

3. Nick Mullens, Southern Miss: Despite losing coach Todd Monken to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Southern Miss and senior quarterback Nick Mullens are primed for another breakout campaign.

Dec 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles quarterback Nick Mullens (9) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Mullens emerged as one of the FBS’ best passers in 2015, which is a big reason the Golden Eagles went from 3-9 (1-7 C-USA) to 9-5 (7-1) in one of the strongest turnarounds in years.

His 4,476 yards ranked sixth in the country, and his 38 touchdowns tied for fourth. His passer efficiency rating of 155.15 was good for 14th, which stood ahead of names like Cody Kessler (USC), Dak Prescott (Mississippi State), DeShone Kizer (Notre Dame), Greg Ward, Jr. (Houston), and many others.

What stands out most, however, was his performances against Power 5 competition — he completed over 65.8 percent of his attempts for 1,089 yards (363.0 per game) with five touchdowns and two interceptions against Mississippi State, Nebraska and Washington.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops will attempt to avoid a very possible upset in the opener against Southern Miss on Sept. 3. LSU will host the Eagles on Oct. 15.

2. Lamar Jackson, Louisville: I witnessed firsthand what Lamar Jackson is capable of doing when covering the Music City Bowl last December when he absolutely shredded Texas A&M’s defense for 453 yards of total offense (227 passing, 226 rushing) and four touchdowns.

It was the first time he had a significant amount of time to prepare as the team’s starting quarterback, and the Cardinals won 27-21.

Jackson finished the season with 2,800 yards of offense and 23 scores with sporadic playing time. Oh, and he was a true freshman.

https://twitter.com/SBNationCFB/status/682396852767985664

With the nation’s most returning starters — 10 on offense, eight on defense — Louisville is an interesting team to watch. If Jackson can improve his short and intermediate passing accuracy (and with Bobby Petrino as coach, it would be a fair assumption to say that he has this offseason), the Cardinals could threaten Clemson and Florida State in the ACC Atlantic.

Louisville will host rival Kentucky in the regular season finale on Nov. 26. (Note: the Wildcats haven’t won the Governor’s Cup since 2010.)

1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson: This one’s easy, as Watson was clearly the NCAA’s best quarterback in 2015 and looks to retain his throne with some extra hardware in 2016.

As a sophomore, Watson completed an ACC-best (5th nationally) 67.8 percent of his pass attempts for 4,104 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,105 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming the first player in FBS history to throw for 4,000-plus and eclipse the 1,000-yard marker on the ground.

He led Clemson to an undefeated regular season, an ACC championship win and a spot in the national championship game against Alabama, in which he delivered one of the most spectacular performances for a losing team we’ve ever seen, finishing with 478 total yards and four TDs against an elite Crimson Tide defense.

With eight starters back on offense, including one of the most explosive wide receiver units in the country, Watson could be even better this fall. He’s in the mix to be the first quarterback selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Tigers will have a legitimate shot to repeat as conference champs and play for another national title.

Watson and the Tigers open the season Sept. 3 at Auburn. South Carolina will receive the daunting task of defending Watson in the regular season finale on Nov. 26 in front of a Death Valley home crowd.