Let’s just agree to agree that Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm are the top 2 returning quarterbacks in the SEC.

And if you don’t agree with that, well apparently we haven’t been watching the same sport the past couple years.

With that in mind, let’s move beyond the SEC’s 1-2 punch at quarterback. That’s really where things start to get interesting. Trying to figure out who belongs on that podium with Fromm and Tagovailoa is by no means easy. If we’re sitting here today, I’d bet you’d probably hear at least half a dozen names mentioned for the No. 3 spot.

In my opinion, though, there are 3 quarterbacks who I think have a legitimate claim for the No. 3 spot among SEC starting quarterbacks.

Making the case for …

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

There was a lot to like with how Mond developed in Year 1 of the Jimbo Fisher era. No longer did he look like the jumpy freshman who was overwhelmed by the speed of the game. Mond showed up in some big-time games, and as a result, the Aggies had their best season in 5 years.

The 2017 version of Mond was completely different than the 2018 version, and the numbers prove it. He hit 3,500 yards from scrimmage and accounted for more than 30 touchdowns while only throwing 9 interceptions in 415 attempts.

And despite the fact that he still takes too many sacks (34), Mond still had positive rushing yards in every game this season. That speaks to his mobility, which he’s certainly not afraid to use when plays break down.

Given the coach he’s working with and the returning receivers he has to work with, Mond might be the most likely of this group to hold on to that No. 3 spot.

Joe Burrow, LSU

Whenever I write or talk about Burrow, I find myself resisting the urge to use the word “gritty” every sentence. Cliché jokes aside, Burrow’s impact on the game can’t always be measured in numbers. He does the little things it takes to win, like getting de-cleated and responding with a comeback win in a New Year’s 6 Bowl, or checking to a run play that leads to a long touchdown run.

Burrow’s toughness as a runner might be unmatched among returning SEC quarterbacks. We saw that against Texas A&M when he tried to will the Tigers to victory. The guy racked up 399 rushing yards (and 7 touchdowns) despite the fact that he was the most sacked quarterback in the SEC (35).

The accuracy and downfield ability limited LSU’s offense at times, though Burrow did still finish a 58 percent passer with nearly 3,000 passing yards. With a full offseason in Steve Ensminger’s offense, I expect Burrow’s numbers to improve. They have to if LSU is going to make a Playoff push.

But in terms of being a leader and commanding the huddle, I don’t know what more you could ask of him.

Kelly Bryant, Mizzou

As of right now, yes, Bryant is still a Mizzou quarterback. He’ll be treated as such.

Bryant and Drew Lock are vastly different passers. Lock’s strength with downfield throws is Bryant’s weakness while Lock’s weakness with accuracy in the intermediate passing game is Bryant’s strength (Lock did improve in the short passing game down the stretch):

If the Clemson transfer can’t stretch the field in Derek Dooley’s offense, it’ll be difficult for him to be considered an elite SEC quarterback. That limitation was ultimately why Dabo Swinney turned to a true freshman after the first month of the season.

Bryant will be an intriguing study because with the exception of Emanuel Hall, Mizzou returns virtually all of its stud playmakers on the outside. Well, that’s the case as of right now. Those stud playmakers could be what keeps Bryant at Mizzou following the news that the Tigers will face a 1-year bowl ban because of academic fraud.

As long as Bryant stays at Mizzou and the roster isn’t gutted from transfers, he has a fair shot of being the SEC’s No. 3 quarterback with or without a bowl game to prove it.

Why not these guys?

Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee

There were times last year when I thought Guarantano was among the top 4 quarterbacks in the SEC. I was ready to go all in on him as a passer. I haven’t necessarily cooled on the belief that he can become that, but as of right now, we’ve still really only seen flashes of him being elite.

Is Guarantano tough as nails? Absolutely. Has he been put in an extremely difficult spot throughout his career with the rotating cast of offensive coordinators and offensive linemen? No doubt. That’s exactly why I’ll usually give Guarantano the benefit of the doubt when he faces significant criticism.

But to be the third-best quarterback in the SEC, Guarantano needs to be more in the 3,500-yard, 30 touchdown range instead of the 1,900-yard, 12-touchdown range.

Feleipe Franks, Florida

Has Franks surpassed my expectations? I’d be lying if I said he hadn’t. I didn’t even think he’d be the season-long starter last year.

But with Dan Mullen, we saw Franks have a significantly better year than he had under Jim McElwain. Duh. Franks had the best passing season of any Florida quarterback since Tim Tebow.

If you want to just point to that as to why Franks is the No. 3 quarterback in the SEC, you’re more than welcome to. To me, though, his accuracy and decision-making still aren’t at an elite level. The degree of difficulty of the throws he makes on a consistent basis aren’t as high as others. It helps that he’s got a wizard of a play-caller in Mullen, who is at his best in the red zone.

Also, let’s not forget that if Franks lays an egg against Michigan, all the offseason talk is about how Emery Jones needs to be the guy. That didn’t happen, but it’s hard to get on board with the idea of Franks being one of the top few quarterbacks in the SEC when the consistency is still an issue.

This is a fair way to sum up Franks the past 2 years:

Jake Bentley, South Carolina

I’ve got a word that comes to mind whenever I think about Bentley. “Mediocre.”

Maybe that’s a little harsh, but we now have 2.5 years of data on Bentley. I’m just not convinced he’ll ever be that guy. In a year in which he was loaded with talented pass-catchers — I realize they had plenty of drops — Bentley still wasn’t an elite SEC quarterback. He threw an interception in all but 1 game against Power 5 opponents, and he took multiple sacks in each of his final 5 games.

It’s frustrating that despite the amount of reps he’s had, it often doesn’t look like the game has slowed down for him. And if your argument for why Bentley is one of the SEC’s best 3 quarterbacks has the word “Clemson” in it, I bet the word “Virginia” is conveniently absent.

Again, not to pick on Bentley because only he, Tagovailoa and Lock had 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes last year, but we’ve had more than enough time to figure him out. At no point of his career should you have stopped and said, “yep, he’s among the top 3 quarterbacks in the SEC.”

Now isn’t one of those times, either.