Getting to 2,500 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in a season isn’t an easy achievement. In fact, over the last 10 seasons, only eight SEC quarterbacks have pulled off this feat, including two last season (Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurts).

In a single season there have never been more than two SEC quarterbacks to reach the 2,500-500 level. However, in 2017 there is a chance of seeing anywhere from three to six different players in the conference reaching this single-season milestone.

Here is a look at which SEC quarterbacks have the best chance of reaching 2,500 passing yards and 500 rushing yards this season.

LOCKS
Jalen Hurts – Alabama

As mentioned earlier, Jalen Hurts was able to reach these numbers as a true freshman in 2016, finishing with 2,780 yards through the air, and 954 more on the ground. While critics might contend he played in 15 games last season, it’s worth noting Hurts had reached both levels by the time Alabama was entering the College Football Playoff.

With a year’s experience and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll coming in, expect even bigger numbers for Hurts in his sophomore campaign.

Nick Fitzgerald – Mississippi State

Nick Fitzgerald just missed joining the 2,500-500 club, falling just 77 passing yards short. As he enters his junior season, many eyes will be on the player some predict will be the best quarterback in the SEC in 2017.

While gaining 500 yards on the ground doesn’t appear to be a problem for Fitzgerald – he finished 2nd in the SEC in rushing last season with 1,375 yards, he will need to improve his passing game to reach the 2,500-yard mark. Consider that to reach 2,500 passing yards over the course of a full 13-game season (12 regular season games and a bowl game), a player must average 193 passing yards a game. Last season, Fitzgerald was held under that total in seven games, including three of his final four games.

However, he did throw for 300 yards in a game three times in 2016, and we’re banking on the fact that numbers will improve to the point that perhaps 3,000-1,000 isn’t out of the question.

Shea Patterson – Ole Miss

This may appear like a reach to put in the “lock” column, considering Patterson appeared in just three games last season. But the numbers the freshman put up in those three games were impressive to say the least.

Eight hundred eighty yards passing (293 YPG) and 169 yards rushing (56 YPG) project over a 12-game regular season to 3,516 passing yards and 672 rushing yards. And while throwing for 3,500 yards and rushing for nearly 700 yards may be unrealistic for a player with just three games of experience, it doesn’t seem to outrageous to expect him to join the 2,500-500 club in 2017.

POSSIBILITIES
Stephen Johnson – Kentucky

Stephen Johnson was close to reaching both 2,500 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in 2016. He finished with 2,037 yards through the air and 327 yards on the ground in 12 games (he did not play in the Wildcats season opener).

It’s not a stretch to think that Johnson could be a part of the 2,500-500 group in 2017. Four times last season Johnson rushed for 50 yards in a game (also had a 49-yard rushing game) and it he can improve on his 54.7% completions percentage, reaching 2,500 should be reachable.

Jarrett Stidham – Auburn

Putting Stidham in the “lock” category would be a stretch, considering his lack of playing time. But the numbers he put up while on the field at Baylor were impressive enough to make Stidham a strong possibility to reach both numbers in 2017.

In three starts for Baylor back in 2015, Stidham averaged 318 yards and had a completion percentage for the season of 68.8%. Whether Stidham can reach 500 yards on the ground this season will be the big question.

Stidham only rushed for 44 yards total in those three starts in 2015. However, coming out of high school Stidham was regarded as one of the top dual-threat quarterback recruits in the nation. And, considering that Nick Marshall reached the 2,500-500 mark back in 2014 under head coach Gus Malzahn, it’s likely Stidham will be expected to produce similar rushing numbers for the Tigers in 2017.

Malik Zaire – Florida

Tim Tebow set the standard for the modern-day dual-threat quarterback 10 years ago. Malik Zaire has a chance to be the best dual-threat QB at Florida since Tebow.

Like Stidham, a lack of game experience makes predicting Zaire’s number for 2017 hard to read. But going by what fans have seen to this point, there are good reasons to expect Zaire to reach the 2,500-500 mark.

Zaire has been very good in the past. Back in 2014, he was the MVP of the 2014 Music City Bowl against LSU, after rushing for 96 yards (with 96 passing yards) and a TD in the win over the Tigers. And as the starter for the Fighting Irish, he threw for 313 yards against Texas in Week 1 and rushed for 87 yards against Virginia in Week 2.

But an injury sidelined Zaire for the rest of the 2015 season, opening the door for DeShone Kizer to take over, and Kizer remained the starting quarterback in 2015 and 2016.

Zaire’s numbers in a brief sample make him a perfect candidate to reach 2,500 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. The sample is just too small to put him in the “lock” category.

WILL REACH ONE MARK, MAYBE THE OTHER
Drew Lock – Missouri

Considering he finished second in the SEC in passing yards last season with 3,399, expecting Drew Lock to reach the 2,500-yard mark in passing for this season would hardly be considered a reach.

But will Lock get to 500 rushing yards in 2017? That is hard to see at this point.

Lock has rushed for better than 40 yards in a game just once in his career (63 vs Middle Tennessee last season). But there have been signs that Lock is capable of being at least an average running quarterback.

Back as a freshman in 2015, Lock rushed for 39 yards against Vanderbilt and seven times in his career he’s had seven or more rushing attempts. And in offensive coordinator Josh Heupel’s system, a dual-threat quarterback is ideal.

Last season a threat of injury probably limited what Missouri wanted to do on the ground with Drew Lock. But if the gloves come off for him in 2017, 500 rushing yards to go along with his passing total isn’t the worst prediction of all time.

WILL REACH ONE MARK ONLY
Danny Etling – LSU

Never a dual-threat quarterback, Danny Etling has surpassed 30 rushing yards in a game once, and that came back in 2014 when he was at Purdue (53 yards vs Central Michigan). This, plus recovering from offseason back surgery, makes reach 500 yards on the ground highly unlikely for the senior.

However, reaching 2,500 yards through the air should be doable for Etling. After all, back in 2016 he threw for 2,123 yards and did not start until Week 3. So assuming he is healthy when next season begins, at one of the marks is a realistic goal for Etling.

Austin Allen – Arkansas

The SEC’s leader in passing yards should not have any trouble reaching the 2,500-yard mark in 2017. However, Allen has never rushed for more than 15 yards in a game and the Razorbacks’ inability to protest their QB (he was sacked an SEC-leading 28 times last season) will only reduce his rushing totals (yards lost on sacks count against a player’s rushing yards total).

Jake Bentley – South Carolina

Gamecock fans are naturally excited to see what quarterback Jake Bentley can do as a sophomore, after such an impressive second half of the season in 2016. Bentley averaged 202.9 pass YPG over the final seven games of the season, and that average would be more than enough to reach 2,500 yards this season.

But it may be too much to expect Bentley to reach the 500-yard mark in rushing. Last season, Bentley finished with 50 carries for -15 rushing yards (thanks again, sacks). South Carolina fans will not care about Bentley’s legs, as long as his arm continues to shine.

Kyle Shurmur – Vanderbilt

It’s fair to say that Kyle Shurmur’s performance last season for the Commodores was a bit of a surprise. After all, Shurmur nearly reached the 2,500-yard mark in passing, finishing with 2,409 yards. And what Vanderbilt fan will forget his 416 yards through the air in the win over Tennessee last season?

But while Shurmur should be well within reach of getting to 2,500 yards passing, reaching 500 yards probably isn’t realistic. Only Austin Allen was sacked more times in the SEC than Shurmur (27). If Vanderbilt cannot protect its quarterback any better in 2017, Shurmur’s rushing total may end up closer to -500 yards.