Is it September yet?

The Big Ten and the ACC are trending up, while the SEC, well, isn’t. Most of that has to do with the lack of elite coaches within the conference, but it also has to do with average quarterback play, too.

Not since 2013 can we really look back and say the conference was strong at the position. A.J. McCarron, Aaron Murray, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw and Zach Mettenberger, to name a few, all had offenses moving up and down the field, making folks question whether “SEC defense” was a myth.

RELATED: SEC Network ranks top 5 returning QB starters for 2017

But there’s a good crop of young signal callers who could help the conference become elite again. Really, just four jobs are up for grabs, but being named a Game 1 starter doesn’t mean they’ll even make it through the season as the guy.

We predict the Game 1 starting quarterbacks for every SEC team in 2017:

Weathered veterans

Austin Allen (Sr.), Arkansas
Danny Etling (Sr.), LSU
Stephen Johnson (Sr.), Kentucky
Kyle Shurmur (Jr.), Vanderbilt
Drew Lock (Jr.), Missouri

Austin Allen is lucky he lasted the entire season at Arkansas. He was battered because of porous offensive line play. Nonetheless, Allen proved his toughness, and he really did impress folks around the SEC. He threw for a league-high 3,430 yards with 25 touchdowns and 15 INTs. When he has time, he can be dangerous.

Danny Etling might not excite LSU fans, but he’s the best option for the now. The future is bright with incoming talent at the position, but 2017 could be Etling’s year and a big year for the offense. He threw for 2,123 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 INTs last year. We’ll see which way Matt Canada elects to go, but Etling should be the Game 1 starter.

Stephen Johnson was one of the SEC’s biggest surprises last season, and he was a huge reason the Cats made a bowl game. Johnson threw for more than 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 327 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Mark Stoops couldn’t go with any other Week 1 starter.

Rising junior Kyle Shurmur is now a seasoned vet and leader for the Dores’ offense. He threw for 2,409 yards, 9 touchdowns and 10 INTs last season, and while those numbers should improve, the offensive line has to improve. I expect Shurmur to have a nice season.

Like Jacob Eason, Drew Lock has a bright future. He has a Howitzer for an arm, and now, he has a lot of experience to go with his talent. He finished second in the SEC with 3,399 yards. To make Lock better, Missouri’s middle-of-the-pack running game needs to improve. Fewer drops would help, too.

A talented young group

Jalen Hurts (So.), Alabama
Jacob Eason (So.), Georgia
Nick Fitzgerald (Jr.), Mississippi State
Shea Patterson (So.), Ole Miss
Jake Bentley (So.), South Carolina

Jalen Hurts’ downfield passing game has to develop next season, and it should. But the poise and play-making ability he flashed during his freshman season was special. And we’re not calling for anyone to beat out Hurts, either. This is his offense, and this is his team. He’s only going to get better.

Jacob Eason arguably has the most upside of any player in the conference. The big-armed pocket passer should make tremendous strides during his sophomore season. Eason threw for 2,430 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 INTs, and those numbers should improve. Just knowing how to approach a game and what to expect will help Eason mature.

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy labeled Nick Fitzgerald as the conference’s top returning signal caller. Do you think he’s right? It’s hard to prove he’s not. Fitzgerald threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 21 touchdowns, while adding 1,375 electrifying yards rushing and an impressive 16 rushing touchdowns. Put Fitzgerald on an elite team and your impression would change.

While Jacob Eason might have the most upside, Shea Patterson might eventually become the best overall player at the position. A little Johnny Manziel, backyard ball lives in Patterson, and he will be fun to watch in Ole Miss’ spread attack. Patterson needs a running game with a pulse to help make the offense flow.

It’s hard to describe how much Jake Bentley meant to South Carolina this past season. The Gamecocks were facing a major rebuilding situation, and he’s the hope that helped propel them to a bowl game. Bentley finished completing nearly 66 percent of his passes, over 1,400 yards and nine passing touchdowns. This kid is special.

Two new guys

Jarrett Stidham (So.), Auburn
Jarrett Guarantano (R-Fr.), Tennessee

Folks, get ready for the Jarrett Stidham show on The Plains. He’s going to win the job. The Baylor transfer, along with new OC Chip Lindsey, should help the Tigers’ offense make strides. As a true freshman at Baylor in 2015, the 6-3, 210-pound signal caller completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,265 yards, 12 touchdowns and two INTs.

I’ve spoken with a couple folks inside the Tennessee program who say redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano is the guy who will follow Joshua Dobbs. However, Butch Jones might not name Guarantano the starter in fear of backup Quinten Dormady transferring before the season starts. While it’s fair to question Tennessee’s ceiling under Jones, if Guarantano shows up and plays like expected, the Vols will win many games during his career.

It’s a tossup

Feleipe Franks, (R-Fr.), Florida
Jake Hubenak (Sr.), Texas A&M

What is Florida going to do at quarterback? That’s perhaps the biggest unknown of the entire conference. Luke Del Rio returns for his final year, along with redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. It’s time Jim McElwain turns the keys to the offense over to a player with some upside. Franks is the rawest of the three, but he could have the highest ceiling. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if Del Rio or Trask was named the starter for Game 1. Times are, uh, interesting at quarterback (still!) in Gainesville. What a beautiful mess.

Much like Florida, Texas A&M is in a precarious position at quarterback. I look for senior Jake Hubenak to get the Game 1 start. That’s not to say he will finish the season as the starter though; he’s a quality backup who may not be the answer long term for Kevin Sumlin. I look for dual-threat signee Kellen Mond to push Hubenak for the job.