O'Gara: My post-spring SEC QB rankings entering 2024

Quote7. Nico, Tennessee
One thing I like — After handing Iowa's decorated defense its worst defensive day of the 2023 season, the former No. 2 overall recruit is entering his first season as QB1 for Josh Heupel, who had 5 of his 6 starting quarterbacks as a head coach produce at least 32 total touchdowns.

O'Gara: My post-spring SEC QB rankings entering 2024

Quote16. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
One thing I like — Pavia led New Mexico State to more victories against SEC competition (Auburn) than Vandy did in 2023.

15. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
One thing I like — Besides the fact that he rocks rec specs like my all-time favorite athlete (former Chicago Bull Horace Grant), I like that he had such a good start to his career that he's locked in as South Carolina's QB1 having never thrown a pass

14. Blake Shapen, State
One thing I like — The Baylor transfer is Mississippi State's best deep-ball passer since Dak Prescott

13. Payton Thorne, Auburn
One thing I like — He has an overhauled receiver room that includes 5-star freshman Cam Coleman, Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith (1,721 career yards, 11 TDs)

12. Taylen Green, Arkansas
One thing I like — He's a true 6-6, dual-threat quarterback who'll get to learn under Bobby Petrino, who most recently led the Texas A&M offense to a double-digit scoring improvement even though injuries forced 3 different quarterbacks to start multiple games.

11. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky
One thing I like — Vandagriff is a former 5-star recruit who spent 3 years behind Stetson IV and Beck

10. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma
One thing I like — Arnold is a year removed from being the 2022-23 Gatorade National Player of the Year

9. Graham Mertz, Florida
One thing I like — You thought I'd say completion percentage, didn't you?

8. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
One thing I like — He's a gunslinging quarterback who didn't necessarily get forced into bad habits by starting early

7. Nico, Tennessee
One thing I like — After handing Iowa's decorated defense its worst defensive day of the 2023 season, the former No. 2 overall recruit is entering his first season as QB1 for Josh Heupel, who had 5 of his 6 starting quarterbacks as a head coach produce at least 32 total touchdowns.

6. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
One thing I like — In 8 games as a starter, he has a 16-2 TD-INT ratio and in the games that he started and finished, he had a QB rating of at least 158.2 in 5 of 7 opportunities. Mind you, half of that was as a true freshman with Jimbo

5. Brady Cook, Mizzou
One thing I like — The only Power 5 quarterbacks who had more 40-yard completions than Cook were 4 guys who were drafted in the top 12 and Dillon Gabriel

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
One thing I like — After he had a stark difference in production against quality competition in 2022, Dart came back and improved immensely against FBS teams with a winning record. In those games in 2023, he was No. 8 in QB rating

3. Milroe, Alabama
One thing I like — No returning player finished higher in the 2023 Heisman Trophy voting than Milroe, who produced 28 touchdowns (18 passing, 10 rushing) and only had 4 interceptions in the 11 post-benching games

2. Quinn Ewers, Texas
One thing I like — After leading Texas to its first Big 12 title since 2009, Ewers will be a preseason Heisman favorite because of his breakout season, but more important, he'll be a Year 3 starter in a Steve Sarkisian offense that returns 4 starting offensive linemen.

1. Beck, Georgia
One thing I like — In a season in which top 2 targets Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey both missed significant chunks of the year, Beck was 8th in QB rating. Even better? Against teams that finished in the AP Poll, Jayden Daniels was the only signal-caller with multiple contests who had a better QB rating than Beck.

Quote from: Kevin McPherson on Yesterday at 08:21:09 pmJust updated OP with ...

* DJ Wagner has arrived for wknd visit

* Revamped portal list from contacted to heavily involved with / should be considering, includes source info on Kasean Pryor and reports on Coleman Hawkins

QuoteNotably, the two finalists for the 2023 Joe Moore Award don't make the cut this season, as Washington and Michigan lost the bulk of their depth charts to the NFL and transfer portal.

Still, many of the top contenders for the 2024 national title feature really strong OL rooms, while several programs looking to crack the CFP also have solid units.



1. LSU
The Tigers have a pair of potential 2025 Top 10 picks at offensive tackle this fall, as Will Campbell and Emery Jones enter their junior seasons with two years of starting experience.

2. Texas
Longhorns left tackle Kelvin Banks is in contention with Will Campbell for the best OT in college football this fall. Along with Banks, Texas brings back three other starters up front including former 5-star DJ Campbell and fifth-year senior center Jake Majors.

3. Georgia
The Bulldogs arguably should've won the Joe Moore Award back in 2022, and Stacy Searels has his unit positioned to contend for the prestigious award a couple years later thanks to a gluttony of experience yet depth

4. Alabama
The Crimson Tide's offensive line gradually went from a weakness to the strength of the offense in 2023

7. Missouri
The Tigers lost a pair of NFL players off the left side of their OL, but they return three other starters and landed one of the best tackles in transfer portal in former Oklahoma blue-chip recruit Cayden Green. Mizzou also brought in JUCO lineman Jayven Richardson, a 6-7 tackle who was coveted

9. Tennessee
Josh Heupel's offensive system does some of the heavy lifting for Tennessee's OL, but the Vols still feature a veteran unit with highly-coveted young transfer. Cooper Mays, Javontez Spraggins and John Campbell Jr. (who is flipping from left to right tackle) have a combined 95 career starts and are all back. Tennessee then added former 5-star Lance Heard from LSU, who is set to protect Nico's blindside

10. Ole Miss
The Rebels' high-scoring attack will be propelled by a veteran offensive line featuring a mixture of returning starters (guard Jeremy James, tackle Micah Pettus and center Caleb Warren have a combined 111 starts), some quality internal options (Jayden Williams and Victor Curne) and four transfers including two from Washington's Joe Moore Award winning OL in 2023.

Quote from: Hogo Piglitz on May 07, 2024, 02:34:01 pmhttps://twitter.com/On3sports/status/1787920101762646355?t=iGEb6154FwhNaVaIJCkK_w&s=19

28 year old former MLB Monte Harrison

Killin it!!

Quote from: Axle on Today at 05:32:26 amDo you think Coach D is stupid or had a severe brain fart?  Maybe she flipped a coin in deciding who to hit. She had her reasons and I'm not going to judge her. Maybe you're just a better coach than she. That would explain your criticism.

Quote from: Hog66 on May 09, 2024, 12:32:02 pmOffensively he's a 4 IMO. my main point is that Aidoo even at a forward size is the only offensive 5 we have. If Hawkins comes he'll know that he's not going to be the primary 5. But he also probably should realize there will be times when Aidoo is out that he will be the primary 5, especially offensively.

You're right about Z's limitations on defense. Hopefully he'll improve. He got muscled around inside some playing the 5 defensively.