When the SEC saw its five best quarterbacks depart for the NFL in one fell swoop after the 2013 season, many wondered who would step up to fill the void left by those star signal callers.

The answer turned out to be Dak Prescott, who threw for more than 3,400 yards and ran for another 986 all while leading Mississippi State to its highest win total since World War II. He finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting (receiving more votes than any other MSU star ever) and was named the All-SEC first team quarterback by the media as well as the league’s coaches.

Now that players like Blake Sims, Nick Marshall, Bo Wallace and others are exiting the conference, it appears Prescott’s stranglehold on the title of the SEC’s best quarterback has grown even tighter. This all begs the question: Is there a quarterback in the SEC capable of out-performing Prescott this fall?

Here are four candidates who may threaten Prescott for first-team All-SEC honors by the end of the 2015 season:

THE PLAYMAKER

Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee: Other than Prescott, one could argue that no quarterback had a greater individual impact on his team last season than Dobbs, who only started the final five of UT’s 13 games last season. The Vols were 3-5 without Dobbs but went 4-1 with Dobbs under center, resulting in the program’s first bowl appearance since 2010 and its first bowl victory since 2007. Dobbs’ legs helped compensate for one of the SEC’s worst offensive lines, and his high football IQ allowed the dynamic dual-threat talent to maximize his abilities with both his arms and his legs depending on the situation. The Vols return most of their playmakers on offense from a year ago, and they continue to bring in talent at a level only matched by the nation’s elite programs. Tennessee is young, but it is talented and explosive in an SEC East lacking a dominant team. If Dobbs picks up where he left off last season, he could be this year’s Prescott: A dual-threat talent with flashes of excellence who erupts in his first full season as a starter. What better player to contend for Prescott’s honor than the one following the same path?

THE VETERANS

Brandon Allen, Arkansas: Allen has two full seasons of starting experience under his belt, and he’ll enter this season with more career starts to his name than any other signal caller in the SEC. Granted, he’s been a game manager in a run-heavy offense for much of that time, but that experience could be vital in 2015, especially considering the talent Arkansas returns around Allen and the protection the Hogs’ offensive line is expected to provide. Teams are going to sell out to stop the Razorbacks’ rushing attack, led by the largest offensive line in organized football and a pair of 1,000-yard rushers from a year ago. The experience Allen gained the last two seasons should allow him to pick on defenses overcompensating to stop the run, and that balance on the Hogs’ offense could lead to a nice run through the daunting SEC West. Allen may not be the SEC’s most talented signal caller, but experience goes a long way.

Maty Mauk, Missouri: If you thought Allen was a longshot, Mauk is an even longer shot to earn top honors among SEC quarterbacks at season’s end. He’s the SEC’s third-most experienced starter with 18 career starts under his belt (trailing only Allen and Prescott), and he’s played on back to back SEC East title teams, starting every game for last year’s division champs. Mauk’s numbers are shaky, as is his accuracy, and his propensity to leave the pocket prematurely has caused Missouri’s offense more problems than any opposing pass rush. Nevertheless, Mauk has shown he has a strong arm, and by now he should be adjusted to the speed of the game at the SEC level. His job won’t be made any easier this fall after Missouri lost its top three wideouts from a year ago, but if the rising junior can’t step up and become the leader of the Tigers, it could indicate he’s already hit his ceiling.

THE NEWCOMER

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn: Johnson is almost nothing like Nick Marshall, Auburn’s starting quarterback the last two years, but he’s already considered one of the SEC’s top talents at the position. He has a large frame and a strong arm, and he can make virtually every throw on the field at the college level, which should work in perfect harmony with Auburn’s collection of explosive receivers on the outside. Johnson has a go-to threat like no other team in the conference in senior D’haquille Williams, and he has the benefit of a spread rushing attack that produced the SEC’s last two single-season rushing leaders. All the tools are there for Johnson to make an immediate rise to stardom in the league, and although he only has one start to his name he could be the biggest threat to Prescott’s throne along with Dobbs.