A lot can happen in the next few years.

Players improve, transfer, get hurt, get in trouble or dare I say, regress. Predicting when a player is going to start is an educated guess at best, especially when it comes to quarterbacks.

But with a fresh new batch of SEC signal-callers ready to compete for starting jobs, I thought now would be an interesting time to look at their path to starting and what exactly it would take for them to get there.

So again, this is an educated guess at when or whether each SEC quarterback signee will start at their respective school:

Alabama, Taulia Tagovailoa — 2020

Yeah, I’m envisioning a scenario in which Tua Tagovailoa passes the torch to his brother. The younger Tagovailoa has benefited from playing against some tough competition the past couple years. He’ll have to compete with Mac Jones and Paul Tyson, but I think the system Alabama wants to run will be perfect for Tagovailoa to continue the growing family legacy in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama, Paul Tyson — Never

That’s not a knock on Tyson. I’d bet on him becoming a starter for a Power 5 team somewhere. I’m just not sure it’ll be at Alabama, where he committed 2 weeks before the aforementioned Tagovailoa. It’s going to be a fascinating quarterback battle unlike any we’ve ever seen at Alabama and maybe anywhere considering the bloodlines associated with it. But Tyson, with his cannon of an arm and size, will find a home at the next level.

Arkansas, KJ Jefferson — 2020

Here’s my thinking: I know Arkansas fans have been thinking about the Connor Noland era for a long time. I get that someone who sticks with the program like that only makes him even more popular. But he wasn’t originally a Chad Morris recruit. I think Noland starts in 2019 and the idea of slipping in his own guy, Jefferson, becomes more appealing for the Arkansas coach in 2020.

Auburn, Bo Nix — 2019

Rarely, do I think that true freshmen have the chance to start as true freshmen. But Gus Malzahn is going to be in win-now mode. I don’t think the physically talented Joey Gatewood will be ready, and I’m not sold on Malik Willis being the guy for an entire season. So why not turn to Nix, and show administration his rarely used ability to have a homegrown quarterback on The Plains?

Florida, Jalon Jones — Never

Wait, didn’t Dan Mullen just come out and praise Jones? Indeed he did. Mullen called him a “fun player,” and that he likes his size and discipline. But in case you forgot, Emory Jones will be a redshirt freshman in 2019. That’s with Feleipe Franks entering his junior season. There’s a crowded field ahead of Jalon Jones, and there might not be a path to starting for several years. It wouldn’t surprise me if Emory Jones flourished and Jalon Jones transferred for a new opportunity.

Georgia, Dwan Mathis — 2020

Mathis flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Georgia for a reason. And I’m not saying it was entirely because Justin Fields leaving essentially opened up a spot for Jake Fromm’s understudy, but I definitely think that was part of it. In a perfect world, Fromm improves even more as a junior and leaves for NFL riches. That’ll open the door for Mathis, who could be one of the first SEC quarterbacks from this class to see the field.

Kentucky, Nik Scalzo — Never

Let me repeat that I hate saying someone will never start. That’s not a knock on Scalzo, who is already facing an uphill battle coming off a torn ACL. But Terry Wilson is a redshirt sophomore. I’m not saying Wilson has undoubtedly earned the right to be the starter for the rest of his career, but I question how long a quarterback from this class would want to wait it out when the starter has 2 years of eligibility lift.

Kentucky, Amani Gilmore — Never

Um, see “Scalzo, Nik.”

LSU, Peter Parrish — 2021

Parrish comes in as a 4-star recruit who was part of a dominant high school team that blew out Taulia Tagovailoa’s squad to win an Alabama state title. He’ll benefit from the fact that LSU didn’t sign a quarterback in last year’s class, and it watched the likes of Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan leave Baton Rouge. So maybe it’s Myles Brennan who replaces Joe Burrow in 2020 and Parrish is ready to take over in his third season.

Mississippi State, Garrett Shrader — 2022

I realize that’s a long time, but I think we’ve got 2 years of Keytaon Thompson as Joe Moorhead’s starter. The battle that’ll be interesting is the one with Shrader and Jalen Mayden in 2021. Even if Shrader has to wait until 2022, he’ll still be a redshirt junior potentially. It’ll be interesting to see how long Moorhead waits to start someone who he recruited from the start, which neither Mayden nor Thompson were.

Missouri, Connor Bazelak — 2022

What a pipeline that’s developing at Mizzou. Suddenly dudes are lining up to play in Derek Dooley’s offense in Columbia. Kelly Bryant will be the guy to replace Drew Lock for 1 year in 2019, and then recently signed Shawn Robinson, who will have 2 seasons of eligibility beginning in 2020. That means Bazelak probably won’t have a clear path to starting until 2022, when he’s likely a redshirt junior. That’ll give him a chance to develop as an all-around passer and put some weight on.

Ole Miss, Grant Tisdale — Never

Hold up. Isn’t Tisdale that former Ohio State commit? Yep. And he’s plenty talented. There’s a reason he was so coveted as one of the top players out of Texas. So why will he never play? Well, Matt Corral has 4 years of eligibility left. In the limited dose that we saw from him, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was a 4-year starter and Tisdale tested the waters to see where else he could play. Then again, if Corral keeps throwing punches like he did in the Egg Bowl, Tisdale will step in thanks to an injury/suspension.

Ole Miss, Kinkead Dent — Never

Dent will be a great scout team guy to have, and as someone who is a diehard Ole Miss fan, he could add good depth for years to come. I wouldn’t bet on him being a guy who’s going to leave the program if he doesn’t play. That’s the good news. The bad news for Dent is that like with Tisdale, Corral is the guy in Oxford. But hey, Dent will be a member of the all-name team.

South Carolina, Ryan Hilinski — 2020

Jake Bentley’s replacement is Hilinski. At least if you read anything on the incoming freshman, that’s what I’d suggest. That’s not a knock a Dakereon Joyner, who excited people with his arrival, but Hilinski is the quarterback of the future in Columbia. The thought of the blue-chip recruit operating in Bryan McClendon’s system is an attractive prospect for years to come.

Tennessee, Brian Maurer — 2021

Well, it’s hard to suggest that anyone will be the starter of the future for the Vols when we still don’t know who the offensive coordinator is going to be. Apparently that’s overrated, according to Jeremy Pruitt. But Maurer will have a chance to replace Jarrett Guarantano when his eligibility runs out. The quarterback depth chart is thin right now after Will McBride transferred. What a prime opportunity for Maurer to step in and start as a redshirt freshman.

Texas A&M, Zach Calzada — 2022

Calzada is a bit of project, but the raw tools are there. What a perfect player to sit and wait in Jimbo Fisher’s system. After all, Kellen Mond has 2 more years of eligibility. There figures to be an opening in 2021, but keep in mind that the coveted James Foster is ready and waiting for when Mond graduates (assuming Nick Starkel either transfers or doesn’t start). I’ll be fascinated to see what Calzada, who was the subject of a recruiting war between A&M and Georgia, ends up doing in College Station.

Vanderbilt, Jamil Muhammad — Never

The quarterback position looks pretty open in Nashville right now after the graduation of Kyle Shurmur, though I like the odds of Ball State grad transfer Riley Neal taking that job in 2019. After that, we’ll see if the previously suspended Deuce Wallace takes the job, or if that goes to another Vanderbilt underclassman. I’ll say that Muhammad doesn’t develop into the starter of the future. Even though he’s listed as an athlete, he’ll be there to add depth at quarterback, though I’m just not sure if that job will ever belong to him.

Cover photo of Tualia Tagovailoa credit: @AlabamaFTBL