Want evidence the game has changed?

Since its inception in 1933, just 3 SEC quarterbacks have thrown for 4,000 yards in a season. Two of them, Johnny Manziel and Chad Kelly, did so this decade.

Two more, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Ta’amu, nearly did so last season.

A record 6 SEC QBs topped 3,000 yards passing in 2018. Tagovailoa (3,966) and Ta’amu (3,918) led the way.

[table “” not found /]

Tagovailoa is back, along with several other gunslingers ready to take aim at the 3,000-yard mark.

How many will reach that mark in 2019? Let’s take a look the top candidates.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

2018 yards: 3,966

Skinny: No need to complicate the uncomplicated. Had Nick Saban wanted/allowed him to, Tagovailoa could have broken the SEC single-season marks for yards in a season (Tim Couch, 4,275 in 1998) and TD passes in a season (Drew Lock, 44, 2017). Both marks are in serious jeopardy in 2019.

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

2018 yards: 3,107

Skinny: Jameis Winston nearly had back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons under Jimbo Fisher at FSU. Mond might approach those numbers in 2019. Only 2 SEC teams threw the ball more last season than A&M, and that was in Year 1 under Fisher and with a game-breaking running back in Trayveon Williams. Fisher reloaded at WR in the 2019 recruiting class. A&M’s offense will be the second most entertaining in the SEC.

Jake Fromm, Georgia

2018 yards: 2,749

Skinny: Fromm has been a model of consistency since replacing Jacob Eason in the 2017 opener. After throwing for 2,615 yards as a freshman, he notched 2,749 as a sophomore. Kirby Smart still hasn’t turned the offense over to Fromm. He might not in 2019, either, but it’s a very safe bet that Fromm will set a career-high in attempts. His 306 attempts last season ranked 10th in the league. Four SEC QBs had at least 100 more attempts.

Joe Burrow, LSU

2018 yards: 2,894

Skinny: LSU is retooling again at running back. That’s not necessary a sign of trouble, but more of intrigue in terms of how the Tigers will try to reach their customary 2,500 yards on the ground. There are fewer questions surrounding Burrow and the returning receivers. LSU fans have been craving an aerial assault worthy of challenging Alabama. This 2019 version might be their best bet. It will be an upset if Burrow doesn’t become the 4th QB in program history to top 3,000 yards. Rohan Davey holds the mark to beat: 3,347 in 2001.

Feleipe Franks, Florida

2018 yards: 2,457

Skinny: Franks might lead the SEC in NFL throws and “what were you thinking?” throws. In both regards, he has a little bit of Drew Lock in him. Nobody is predicting that Franks is going to throw for nearly 4,000 yards, which Lock did as a junior, but their strengths and sophomore numbers are eerily similar.

[table “” not found /]

Lock took off as a junior, throwing an SEC-record 44 TD passes. Nobody is expecting that out of Franks. But nobody in the SEC can stretch the field like Franks can, either. He and Dan Mullen are on the same page. Franks has an NFL arm and NFL aspirations. This season will determine whether he has an NFL grasp of the offense.

Kelly Bryant, Missouri

*2017 yards: 2,802

Skinny: Bryant lost his job early in 2018, but still averaged a career-high 8.5 yards per attempt before deciding to shut it down and save himself for 2019. Missouri won’t throw it as much with Bryant as it did with Lock, but the Tigers still will want to take advantage of their outside weapons. Tight ends are a new QB’s best friend, and Bryant has one of the nation’s best in Albert Okwuegbunam. Bryant didn’t choose Missouri simply to hand off to Larry Rountree.

Jake Bentley, South Carolina

2018 yards: 3,171

Skinny: Bentley is the wild-card in this group because I can see this going one of two ways, and I’m not convinced it won’t be the latter: Either he finally solves his turnover blues or Will Muschamp finally pulls the plug. He can’t have a third consecutive double-digit INT season. For better or worse, Muschamp has hitched his wagon to Bentley, but Muschamp is far enough into his South Carolina tenure that the natives won’t take kindly to a 6-6 kind of season with a veteran QB. Bentley was a fun story as a freshman, and he’s had some good moments. But the most precious thing an offense has is the ball, and he needs to embrace that. Ryan Hilinski enrolled early. Bentley’s leash will be short. If the Gamecocks struggle early — and the first-half schedule is loaded — Muschamp will be tempted to turn to Hilinski and sell the notion of he’s building for 2020.