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SEC QB Controversy Thermometer

Started by jbcarol, October 31, 2010, 02:56:59 pm

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jbcarol

SDS Mailbag: Best non-NY6 bowl matchup, Beck vs.  Jayden Daniels' draft stock



Assuming both QBs return to school, who would you rather have as your QB1 in 2024 – Beck or Milroe?

QuoteBeck is more of your pure pocket QB, while Milroe is a guy who can extend plays and make unexpected things happen (just watch this year's Iron Bowl again if you need a reminder).

If you have a team with a steady offensive line and a talented group of receivers, I think you'd go with Beck. He's more of a distributor who can keep everyone happy and keep the ball moving.

However, if you need your quarterback to be a superstar in order to keep your offense humming along, Milroe is the guy for you. He makes more highlight-reel plays than Beck, but doesn't have the same pure passing acumen.

I'd go with Beck, personally.

If they both return to school (which Milroe has already said he'll do) and both remain healthy in 2024, I expect to see both of them in New York City...
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Hugh Freeze plans on sticking with Payton Thorne as Auburn's top QB next year

By Matt Cohen




QuoteIt's the "cool thing" to chase a big-name quarterback in the transfer portal, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. With every name that announced their intention to move, Freeze said people would text him saying to "throw the bag" at him — meaning to find a way to give a big pool of money to a transferring player.

That's not Freeze's plan. He likes what he's got already. So the plan for 2024 appears to be sticking with Payton Thorne.

"I believe in Payton," Freeze said during a Saturday press conference ahead of Auburn's first bowl practice. "I believe in Holden (Geriner). I believe in Hank (Brown) and I believe the kid (2024 QB commit Walker White) we've got coming. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. That's my belief."

Thorne won a quarterback battle against Robby Ashford during fall camp, but maintained a quarterback rotation with Ashford going into the first half of the season.

On Friday, news broke that Ashford plans to enter the transfer portal. Freeze confirmed the report Saturday, and said he wishes Ashford the best.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

 

jbcarol

Hayes: Revisiting (and updating) my preseason SEC QB rankings
Matt Hayes | 5 minutes ago




QuoteIf you thought my preseason ranking of Graham Mertz as the worst quarterback in the SEC was bad, think about this: I had Tyler Buchner as the Alabama quarterback —

1. Jayden Daniels, LSU (preseason rank: 1)
This wasn't exactly a no-brainer. It wasn't that long ago that LSU coach Brian Kelly had to tell Daniels that he needed to make tough throws. He needed to throw into tight windows and trust his receivers.

Daniels' speed and athleticism in the run game led to all of those wow moments, but his work in the passing game was most impressive

2. Milroe, Alabama (preseason rank: unranked)
Just a phenomenal response from getting benched after the Texas loss (why he was benched is still a mystery).

Years from now, long after Tide coach Nick Saban retires as the greatest to ever coach a football game on any level, he'll admit that benching Milroe was one of the worst decisions he ever made. (Don't hold your breath.)

3. Beck, Georgia (preseason rank: 4)
Once the 2nd half of the season arrived, it was clear who was Georgia's most consistent threat on offense.

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (preseason rank: 3)
Had 3,362 total yards (377 rushing) and 27 TDs (7 rushing), but more important, he didn't struggle down the stretch

5. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (preseason rank: 8)
This rank should probably be higher. The Gamecocks had 12 offensive linemen sustain injuries, and Rattler was harassed all season (41 sacks). And he lost his best receiver (Juice Wells) in Week 3.

But there's no denying his talent

6. Brady Cook, Missouri (preseason rank: 13)
His numbers were up across the board, with the biggest and most pertinent: average yards per attempt.

That statistic is measured by NFL scouts with increments of tenths, and Cook went from 7.2 yards per attempt in 2022 to 9.1 in 2023. The ball went downfield, and the offense became as dangerous as any in the SEC.

7. Graham Mertz, Florida (preseason rank: 14)
The ball didn't go downfield until late in the season, and when it did, receivers were making plays and chunk plays were available.

Prior to that, it was a steady diet of high percentage dink and dunk throws that weren't exactly threatening defenses. Mertz went from completing nearly 80% of his passes, to completing 65% in the last 5 games and the offense finally developing.

8. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (preseason rank: 5)
Only a season-ending foot injury in Week 4 prevented Weigman from a breakout season — and might have cost coach Jimbo

9. Joe Milton III, Tennessee (preseason rank: 7)
It didn't look anything like Hendon Hooker, or Dillon Gabriel or McKenzie Milton or even Drew Lock.

The offense under coach Josh Heupel — so prolific at Tennessee in his first 2 seasons and before that at UCF (and at Missouri as OC) —

10. Will Rogers, Mississippi State (preseason rank: 2)
Rogers just didn't fit with new OC Kevin Barbay, then dealt with nagging injuries and had a disappointing season. His completion percentage dropped from a career average of 70% to 59.9.

He moves to Washington for 2024, where coach Kalen DeBoer and OC/QB coach Ryan Grubb will try to do what they did in rebuilding Michael Penix Jr.

11. AJ Swann, Vanderbilt (preseason rank: 12)
A bizarre season. Played well early, then struggled in a loss to Kentucky and was benched. Then he may or may not have been injured (depending on whom you talk to).

Bottom line: Swann has way too much talent to be wasting away as a backup at Vanderbilt

12. Devin Leary, Kentucky (preseason rank: 6)
A strange season all around. Kentucky had elite skill players around Leary, but the offensive line was shaky and Leary missed his share of throws.

13. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas (preseason rank: 9)
Every measurable throwing statistic was down in 2023, in part, because of a misfit with new OC Dan Enos, who was fired late in the season.

Jefferson can still be a dangerous dual threat in the right offense, and his career numbers show that (TD/INT ratio of 67/18; with 21 rushing TDs).

14. Payton Thorne, Auburn (preseason rank: 10)
By the end of the season, he had become a legit factor in the run game. Which is interesting, considering he was a pocket passer at Michigan State — and averaged 1.6 yards per carry.

He averaged 4.2 yards per carry for Auburn and was a serviceable thrower.

Auburn will bring in multiple quarterbacks from the portal and high school recruiting to compete with Thorne. (See Whyte, Walker)
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jbcarol

Chris Wright: Ranking every College Football Playoff QB in the 4-team error



QuoteThirty quarterbacks have led their team to the College Football Playoff.

Eight of them won a national title —

23. Jake Fromm Georgia
How much higher would Fromm be on this list if not for 2nd-and-26? Top 15? Top 10?

22. Jake Coker, Alabama
Coker did just enough in the passing game to allow Derrick Henry to do everything else.

Give Coker credit for guiding the Tide to the 2015 national championship.

21. Blake Sims, Alabama
You're not going to believe this, but Alabama used to be a running football team.

19. Milroe, Alabama
Are we projecting a bit?

10. Mac Jones, Alabama
Was he a 1-year wonder? Of course, but what a year it was: 4,500 passing yards, 41 TD passes ...

9. Bryce Young, Alabama
The only quarterback in Alabama history to lift the Heisman Trophy, Young was the starter on the 2021 Tide team that lost to Georgia in the national title game.

Young has a ring, though. He was a backup to Mac Jones

8. Justin Fields, Georgia/Ohio State
You'd be hard-pressed to find another QB with tougher luck than Fields.

6. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Forget Playoff history. Tagovailoa is responsible for the greatest walk-off moment in college football history. His "2nd-and-26" TD strike

5. Jalen Hurts, Alabama/Oklahoma
Hurts reached the Playoff all 4 years. He started in 3 of those years —

3. Stetson, Georgia
Game manager? Please, people.

1. Joe Burrow, LSU
Other quarterbacks made more Playoff appearances.

Nobody in college football history dominated a season — or a Playoff —
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jbcarol

The Wait is over, Vols fans ... it's Nico Time. Now comes the hard part:

By Mark Nagi




QuoteWhen Nico committed to Tennessee in March 2022, it was perhaps the most telling sign in the brief Josh Heupel era that the Vols might be ready to become more than an SEC afterthought.

Iamaleava (EE-uh-Molly-awva) was a coveted 5-star QB wanted by everybody, including the SEC's elite in Georgia and Alabama. But he chose Tennessee. (Of course, how much of a factor that reported millions of dollars in NIL cash played is another discussion entirely.)

Vols fans have been waiting for the day when Iamaleava takes the reins of Heupel's offense. Tennessee has produced so many high quality QBs over the years, notably Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning (Hendon Hooker) and Josh Dobbs. Expectations were sky high that Iamaleava would be remembered just as fondly when his Tennessee career was over —

Iamaleava spent his freshman season as 6th-year QB Joe Milton's backup. The Vols finished the regular season 8-4, and Milton put up some good numbers. But none of that stopped UT fans from wanting to see what Iamaleava could do.

Iamaleava play in a mop-up role in 4 games...

Well, that's about to change.

Reminder: NCAA Will Not Count Bowl Games Toward Redshirt Status.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Jackson Arnold reveals lessons learned from 1st career start vs. Arizona in Alamo Bowl
Grant Bricker | 6 minutes ago


QuoteJackson Arnold was far from perfect in his 1st career start, but one thing he learned from the loss was to fight through adversity.

Arnold had 361 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in the 38-24 loss in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona. There was a lot to learn from the start and Arnold stressed the importance of perseverance:

"I'd say just to battle through adversity," said Arnold. "Our team chaplain this morning, that was the main focus was battling through adversity because it's going to strike at some point, and it did tonight. Obviously, there's things that went bad tonight, but just learn to keep my head up and keep playing through it no matter what is something I take away from the night."

The Oklahoma quarterback is a former 5-star prospect in the 2023 class out of Denton, Texas Guyer.

He had SEC offers from Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, and Tennessee before ultimately picking the Sooners.

Now he will play against some of them.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Freeze says Auburn doesn't measure up after Music City Bowl loss; QB job is 'wide open'
Keith Farner | 28 minutes ago


QuoteFreeze took responsibility for the disappointing loss in the Music City Bowl to Maryland, as Auburn enters the offseason on a low point.

Freeze said the effort didn't measure up and added, "that starts with me."

Freeze also said that he didn't get involved in the offensive game plan until just ahead of the game, and that it was ineffective. Freeze previously spent time on recruiting and evaluating the program.

As for the QB competition entering next year, Freeze said, "it's wide open. I'm constantly evaluating players, staff, everything. If we see that my evaluation has been wrong and we need to change gears... the quarterback position will be an interesting one in spring practice."

Auburn played 3 quarterbacks in the game. Starter Payton Thorne was 13-for-27 passing for 84 yards with 1 touchdown and a big pick.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

O'Gara: Just-in-time SEC questions for 2024



Quote7. Will DJ Lagway get a chance to be the guy in a pivotal year for Billy Napier?
The Gatorade Player of the Year is being billed as the potential savior for Napier, who faces an all-important Year 3 against what some are dubbing the most difficult schedule in college football history. No big deal, right? Lagway doesn't figure to beat Graham Mertz for the starting job, but how short is the leash for Florida's incumbent starter?

The expectation is that Lagway will have an immediate role in the offense. Florida is no stranger to getting a young, talented quarterback some early reps. Tim Tebow, Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson all fit into that camp. The question is if Lagway will get a chance to take over the offense, and if he does, what will the implications be? Could his promise help fend off Napier hot-seat discussions? Or will he never get a chance to be the guy and potentially save his coach's job?
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Hayes: Billy Napier knows 2024 is win or walk. He's sprinting into an offseason of change



QuoteOne by one, the moves are telling the story. Billy Napier is all-in on the 2024 season. ...

He signed a 3rd quarterback from the transfer portal.

He tried to hire Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.

And the offseason of change is just beginning in Gainesville, where Napier's first 2 seasons as coach at Florida have translated to an 11-14 record.

There's little doubt that 2024 is win or walk for Napier, and if you don't think he knows this, look at offseason moves.

— Florida returns rejuvenated QB Graham Mertz and signed DJ Lagway, the nation's No. 2-rated quarterback (according to the 247Sport composite). So why did Napier add Yale QB Aidan Warner?

Because he can't afford to be without another option at the most important position on the field — should Mertz and/or Lagway miss games because of injury. Warner, who chose Florida over Miami, was a 3-star recruit in 2023 who redshirted.

To be fair to Napier, the Florida offense got better in the 2nd half of last season when Mertz began to take more chances with 2nd- and 3rd-level throws and was weened off the safe, dink and dunk throws that dominated the first half of the season.

But the rest of the Florida team continued its dysfunctional ways in Year 2, the fundamental issues ranging from pre-snap penalties, to poor tackling and leverage, to special teams implosions. The same operational issues that should've been cleaned up in the early stages of Year 1.

It's those issues that have cost games, including a last-second fire drill special teams field goal attempt that led to a penalty that affected a missed field goal — one that would've won the Arkansas game
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Brian Kelly identifies Jayden Daniels traits in Garrett Nussmeier

by:
Kaiden Smith


QBU :hmmm:



QuoteDaniels has since declared for the NFL Draft, also sitting out of LSU's bowl game, which allowed Tigers fans to get a sneak peek at what the quarterback position will look like in The Bayou next season with Garrett Nussmeier under center.

Nussmeier delivered, leading LSU to a 35-31 victory over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl behind some impressive play. Which led to Tigers head coach Brian Kelly being asked after the game if Nussmeier shares any traits with Daniels.

"Certainly, again I don't think you win a game on athleticism," Kelly said. "You have to have the things necessary to overcome a deficit, overcome being a first-time starter. You can't just get by on arm talent. You've got to be a guy that's confident in your ability, has a great process that he trusts."

Athletically, it's hard to find many quarterbacks that stack up athletically with Jayden Daniels, who rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season to go along with his 3,812 passing yards and 40 touchdowns through the air.

Nussmeier had zero rush attempts versus the Badgers in the bowl game, but threw for an impressive 395 yards and three scores.

"So he's got a lot of the same traits that Jayden does, obviously he doesn't run and has the escapability, you didn't see any of that today where Jayden created a lot of yards for us there. But Nuss can do it in other ways and I think he's gonna continue to do that for us," Kelly concluded.

Daniels won the QB1 job and embarked on a historic season

Will Nussmeier's patience with the LSU program pay off :hmmm:
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Alabama 5-star QB Julian Sayin becomes the latest big name to enter portal

By Nick Alvarez




QuoteAlabama football has suffered another blow to its 2024 roster in the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. Julian Sayin, a quarterback and crown jewel of Saban's final recruiting class, has opted to enter the transfer portal.

His decision comes less than 24 hours after the Crimson Tide secured a commitment from former Washington quarterback Austin Mack. Both California-based throwers were two of the top prospects in their respective class. Mack didn't play his freshman year, retaining his redshirt and four years of eligibility. He was a four-star
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

 

jbcarol

O'Gara: A just-in-time ranking of SEC QBs heading into 2024



QuoteThe quarterback position in the SEC is deep. Five guys will enter the year worthy of preseason All-SEC love, another 5 guys are first-time starters that could end up there and then there's the rest. To be clear, this is based on who these players are right now.

16. Taylen Green, Arkansas
One thing I like — How many guys on this list were QB1 in a bowl game in which they scored 4 touchdowns and averaged 15 yards/pass attempt for an offense that put up 44 points? Just 1.

15. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
One thing I like — Like, besides the fact that the dude rocks rec specs just like my all-time favorite athlete Horace Grant?

14. Payton Thorne, Auburn
One thing I like — He's getting a full offseason of reps in the Hugh Freeze offense

13. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
One thing I like — All I've gotta do is circle back to that $1.7 million afternoon on The Plains and say "31-10."

12. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State
One thing I like — I hate defaulting to career stats because they often don't tell the full story, so instead of just mentioning that Shapen had 5,574 career passing yards in 2-plus seasons as Baylor's starter...

11. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky
One thing I like — We don't have any evidence to suggest that Vandagriff isn't worthy of the 5-star billing that he got in the 2021 class.

10. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma
One thing I like — After starting 3-for-8 with 2 interceptions in his first career start in the bowl game, Arnold's rest-of-game numbers were much better. He finished his night by going 23-for-37 for 353 yards with 2 scores

9. Graham Mertz, Florida
One thing I like — Here's the list of returning Power 5 quarterbacks who completed 70% of their passes while throwing for at least 20 touchdown passes:

Carson Beck, Georgia
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Graham Mertz, Florida

8. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
One thing I like — In his 7 full games as a starter in his career (excluding 2023 Auburn), Weigman lived up to the 5-star billing with a 16-2 TD-INT ratio.

7. Nico, Tennessee
One thing I like — Before the Citrus Bowl, the last quarterback to lead a 35-point effort against Iowa was CJ Stroud in 2022.

6. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
One thing I like — I'll always say that when TCU was in the midst of the 65-7 beatdown against Georgia, it should've been allowed to bring Nussmeier in at halftime

5. Brady Cook, Mizzou
One thing I like — Here's the list of the returning Power 5 quarterbacks who threw for 3,000 yards, 20 touchdown passes and ran for at least 5 scores:

Brady Cook, Mizzou
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Dillion Gabriel, Oregon
Cam Ward, Miami (FL)

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
One thing I like — A year ago, I wasn't sold on Dart because of the dropoff against FBS teams with a winning record (he had a 7-7 TD-INT ratio with a 126.7 QB rating and he averaged 7.3 yards/attempt). In those games in 2023, he was No. 8 in the country in QB rating (160.8) with a 12-3 TD-INT ratio

3. Milroe, Alabama
One thing I like — Contrary to the belief that he couldn't throw the football — Michael Penix Jr. also struggled against Michigan and he was the best pure passer in America — Milroe finished with a quarterback rating of 172.2

2. Quinn Ewers, Texas
One thing I like — It's lazy to just say that Ewers led Texas to its best season since Colt McCoy's 2009 national runner-up squad, so I'll instead point to how the trimmed-down version of Ewers had 15 touchdown passes in road/neutral-site games

1. Beck, Georgia
One thing I like — I'm showing great restraint to just settle on 1 thing I like here because I've been leading the Beck bandwagon for a while. I gave Stetson the No. 3 spot on my Heisman Trophy ballot because of how dominant he was against teams that finished ranked in the AP Top 25 (teams that actually ended up being good). His successor, Beck, then posted a QB rating of 174.8 in those games, which was second among players with multiple games vs. AP Top 25 finishers ...
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Shane Beamer addresses status of South Carolina's quarterback room

by:
Dan Morrison




QuoteGoing into the 2024 season South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer will be faced with the difficult task of replacing Spencer Rattler at the quarterback position. That's particularly true given that there appears to be a fairly open competition for the job going into the offseason.

"We've increased the competition," Shane Beamer said. "When I look, and we haven't been out, we haven't practiced, but just looking at everything from an overhead view right now, hell, I feel like every position on our team, we are better than what we were when we played Clemson in the last game. When you just look at talent level, the depth, and the experience. You name it."

The Gamecocks currently have five quarterbacks listed on their depth chart. That includes Luke Doty, who plays multiple positions, and Robby Ashford. A transfer from Auburn, Ashford is going to bring plenty of experience to the quarterback room. Davis Beville also came to South Carolina as a transfer. Those two transfers appear to be the keys to South Carolina's quarterback competition.

"The quarterback position is the one that you could say okay, that's not necessarily the case because of inexperience and just not a lot of depth. That was a major problem when we started in January. It's gotten better here in the last couple of weeks, being able to bring in Davis and Robby both as well to increase the competition. I said that the last time I was in here, you've got all these quarterbacks or anybody that want to be guaranteed starting jobs and we weren't willing to do that because two core values in this program are trust and competition, and if I tell somebody something that's not true, I violated one of our core values and if I tell somebody that they're guaranteed a starting job, then I violated the core values of competition," Beamer said.

"So, that's what that is. We got two guys in here that were promised the opportunity to come in and compete. They're both guys that have started at the quarterback position in Power Five games. Two good young men who will make that room better."

Dante Reno, a three-star recruit in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Rankings, also joined the team this offseason. Redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers rounds out the quarterbacks currently on the roster. However, there is still time to add quarterbacks through the Transfer Portal and within the high school class.

"So, we've increased the competition. We've increased the depth. Every team has, in college football, a target number of guys that you want to have on scholarship at each position, and if you say Luke Doty is a receiver primarily right now, we started the month of January with two, LaNorris and Dante Reno. We knew we got to increase the depth in here because most teams want to have at least four, sometimes five, quarterbacks on scholarship," Beamer said.

"So, those two guys make us better and [I'm] eager to get going with them more once we're able to get off the road recruiting."

Shane Beamer explains why he added James Coley to coaching staff
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Milroe addresses pressure of being Alabama's quarterback

by:
Kaiden Smith




Not as much pressure as those not playing behind a 4.5 average star OL and those having to play against Bama's defense in games.

QuoteMilroe recently completed his first season as Alabama's starting quarterback, a title that may come with more pressure and expectations than any other job for a player in the college football landscape.

After a slow start to the season Milroe got comfortable in the role and excelled, but even through the highs and lows of being the Crimson Tide signal caller he's never lost sight of the significance of the role he plays in.

"You're held to a high standard being a quarterback at Alabama," Milroe said. "I wear it with pride, you know? That is something that always don't forget is that, you know, I have a lot of pride wearing the A because it means a lot in the resources behind wearing the A, it sets you up for your next 40 after college."

Milroe clearly has a big picture perspective on the position he's in, following in the footsteps of other Crimson Tide greats who've excelled on and off the field and helped lead Alabama to championship success.

"And so, that is something that was important for me through the recruiting process to now be able to be the starting quarterback at the University of Alabama's a true blessing. And I'm so proud of that. And that don't go unnoticed, you know?" Milroe asked rhetorically. "And that's something I try to harp on the guys in the locker room that realize where you're at. And don't take it for granted, you know, because we're blessed to be in the situation we're in right now."

Milroe made the most of his situation last season for Alabama, earning the starting quarterback job coming out of fall camp that seemingly became an open competition following some underwhelming play at the position through the first three weeks of the season.

He was named the starter again to open SEC play and never looked back...

Helped lead Bama to the SEC championship and Michigan by default to the National Championship.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Bama QB Dylan Lonergan not expected to play baseball this spring: 'We'll see'

By Nick Alvarez |




QuotePitchers, fielders and catchers were expected to report to Sewell-Thomas on Friday afternoon as Alabama baseball started its first preseason practice under new head coach Rob Vaughn. Yet, there was one name missing at "The Joe."

Dylan Lonergan, the first-year Crimson Tide quarterback, isn't likely to be a part of the baseball program this spring after enrolling in Tuscaloosa last year as a dual-sport athlete, Vaughn confirmed.

The news isn't surprising, especially when Vaughn referred to one of the craziest months in UA football history as changes "across the street" at the Mal M. Moore.

"We'd love to have him a part of what we're doing. He's a talented kid, no doubt. But he's going to focus on what's in front of him," Vaughn said. "That's a testament to who he is and what he's really earned over the last six or seven months over at that football field across the street. Time will tell how that shakes out.

"What that means for him moving forward long-term? That's going to be up to Dylan a lot."

Lonergan, who settled for the Tide's third-string quarterback this fall behind Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, appeared in one game on the gridiron. He completed two passes in a blowout against Chattanooga while rushing for 5 yards. Lonergan had earned praise from Nick Saban and Tommy Rees.

As a prospect, Lonergan sought a school that would allow him to play both sports. Per his high school coaches at Brookwood (Georgia) High, Saban himself was a proponent of letting Lonergan do both, telling them as much in the recruiting process. Lonergan, a first and third baseman who registered 93 mph off the mound, was rated a @Blue-Chip  recruit (four stars or better) in both sports.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Ainslie: Who's going to be Auburn's play caller, QB in 2024? Hugh Freeze says it's 'too early' to tell



QuoteAfter one season of being Auburn's offensive coordinator and play caller, head coach Hugh Freeze relieved Philip Montgomery of his duties on Jan. 5, opening up the door for Freeze to bring in a new offensive coordinator and play caller for the 2024 season.

Freeze found that in former Ole Miss associate head coach and wide receivers coach Derrick Nix, who was officially hired as Auburn's offensive coordinator and running backs coach on Jan. 17.

The addition of Nix comes after he and Freeze worked together at Ole Miss from 2012-16 — Freeze as head coach and Nix as running backs coach.

"It's just a comfort level to have D-Nix and Kent (Austin) in that room knowing that the verbiage and terminology and everything will be things that I understand clearly and can add value to when I need to," Freeze said, also mentioning Kent Austin, who was elevated to Auburn's quarterbacks coach on the same day Nix was hired. Austin previously worked alongside Freeze at Liberty.

However, with the recent staff shuffle and Auburn not returning it's main play caller from the 2023 season, there are questions as to who will call plays for the Tigers in 2024. And there have been conflicting reports.

On Jan. 9, ESPN's Chris Low reported that Freeze was expected to be Auburn's play caller in 2024 — something he's done at each of his previous head coaching stops.

Meanwhile, Nix's previous contract at Ole Miss had a specific provision that freed him from paying his $625,000 buy-out, should he take a job that granted him primary play-calling duties.

So which is it? Who will be Auburn's play caller in 2024?

"I think it's too early," Freeze said Wednesday. "You constantly have confidence in D-Nix in that room. But just knowing that it's in the verbiage that I completely understand or I can suggest things or adjustments... I will know how to help more."

Freeze went on to gush about Nix, calling him "one of the best recruiters, best men, best football coaches that I've been around."

Meanwhile, regardless of who's calling plays for the Tigers, questions remains as to who will be taking snaps for Auburn.

And with a second transfer window approaching, Freeze was asked again if he planned on adding a transfer quarterback.

"I really like our room," Freeze said. "I wanted to try to build with high school kids like Hank (Brown) and Walker (White) and us try to develop those guys along with, obviously, the experience Payton (Thorne) brings. I kinda wanna see that through."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

O'Gara: L'Arch Manning's Year 2 being in the back burner will be wild yet beneficial



QuoteThere's not a more famous backup in college football than No. 16 in burnt orange.

he Manning family has been on the front burner for a good chunk of the last half-century. Combine that with Arch's No. 1 overall ranking as a Class of 2023 recruit and you've got this current situation. That is, a simmering fire that'll erupt the second someone dumps gasoline on it. Or rather, the second that Ewers is unavailable.

History suggests that could be a possibility. Ewers has missed multiple games in each of his past 3 seasons as a starter. That includes his senior season of high school in 2020 when he missed 6 games with a sports hernia.

The good news for Ewers is that we're past the point of thinking he's in any sort of battle with Manning. You know, like some assumed would be the case when Manning committed ... even though Ewers was also the No. 1 overall recruit in his class 2 years earlier. Some will assume that a No. 1 overall recruit being a backup in Year 2 will mean that he's a bust and conveniently leave out that he's waiting behind a preseason Heisman favorite, but hey, I digress.

Even if Ewers stays healthy, Manning is going to get more reps in 2023.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

O'Gara: Why the forgotten Weigman has All-SEC upside in 2024



QuoteYou can split returning SEC quarterbacks into groups.

There are the 5 guys fresh off New Year's 6 bowl berths (Beck, Milroe, Quinn Ewers, Jackson Dart and Brady Cook). There are talented quarterbacks-in-waiting who will be first-time starters barring injury (Garrett Nussmeier, Jackson Arnold, LaNorris Sellers and Nico Iamaleava). There are the returning starters who flashed potential but ultimately weren't world-beaters after transferring from Big Ten schools (Graham Mertz and Payton Thorne).

And of course, there are transfers at Mississippi State (Blake Shapen), Vandy (Diego Pavia/Nate Johnson), Kentucky (Brock Vandagriff), Arkansas (Taylen Green).

Then there's Conner Weigman.

Weigman doesn't fit into a box with this batch of SEC quarterbacks. He returns on a path that's 1-of-1 among that group. That's without digging into the fact that the coach who recruited/developed him was just handed a $77 million buyout to do anything but stay and coach at A&M.

You can all but guarantee that a guy without more than 4 starts in a season won't be a preseason All-SEC guy, and because of those aforementioned talented new starters, he's going to be on the back burner. That's reality. That's fine.

But a lack of preseason All-SEC love doesn't mean that Weigman is lacking All-SEC upside.

Yes, he has to stay healthy. A&M has to get better with pass protection, plus he needs to develop a rapport with his new pass-catchers. Jabre Barber came over from Troy after a 999-yard season and Cyrus Allen should become a go-to target after a prolific season at Louisiana Tech. Did the latter half of that sentence underwhelm you?
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

Blue-Chip


jbcarol

Evaluating Auburn's quarterback situation entering 2024

by:
Chandler Vessels




QuoteAt least for now, Auburn appears ready to roll into the 2024 season with Payton Thorne as its starting quarterback. The Tigers did not add a quarterback through the transfer portal this past cycle and have a pair of freshman behind Thorne in Hank Brown and Walker White.

Auburn ranked last in the SEC this past season with 162.2 passing yards per game and finished with a 6-7 record with Thorne, who transferred from Michigan State. The quarterback threw for under 100 yards five times in 2023 and cracked 200 yards only twice, one of which came against FBS competition.

Still, coach Hugh Freeze believes Thorne has what it takes...

"I do think that Auburn is not gonna overspend for a quarterback when they have somebody they feel can take that next step in a second year," Dukes said. "But I also feel like after spring, if there is a quarterback they feel like can run and pass and has the capability to lead a locker room and deal with the pressure of coming into a job with a presumed starter, then I think you could see Auburn make a move."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

From Carson to Nico

Ranking SEC quarterbacks shows blast from past | Toppmeyer


Ranking 2024 SEC quarterbacks
Order is subject to change, but my top-10 list of projected SEC starting quarterbacks for next season features:

Beck, Georgia
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Milroe, Alabama
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Nico, Tennessee
Brady Cook, Missouri
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma
Conner Weigman, A&M
Graham Mertz, Florida

That list features seven sign-and-develop quarterbacks playing for the school that signed them out of high school. Even the three transfers (Ewers, Dart and Mertz) don't qualify as rent-a-players. Ewers and Dart are approaching their third season as the starters at Texas and Ole Miss, respectively, and Mertz enters Year 2 at Florida.

Why sign-and-develop quarterbacks are enjoying a renaissance in SEC
What to make of this?

For starters, within the SEC, some quarterbacks remain willing to delay gratification if it means becoming the starter at an A-list program.

Beck and Nussmeier are prime examples. They're talented quarterbacks who would've started earlier in their careers if they had transferred. Instead, they spent years as backups. Beck became Georgia's starter last season and emerged as one of the nation's quarterbacks. Nussmeier positioned himself to be Jayden Daniels' successor at LSU, so long as he can fend off Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann.

Nussmeier wouldn't be the first in-house option willing and able to beat out a transfer. Cook, Missouri's sign-and-develop quarterback, fended off one Power Five transfer in 2022 and another last season while becoming a standout.

Milroe falls into this category, too. Many assumed Tyler Buchner would become Alabama's starter after he followed offensive coordinator Tommy Rees from Notre Dame to Tuscaloosa. Alabama's shiny new toy turned out to be ...

NIL plays a role, too. While the possibility of richer NIL deals lures some players into the portal, it also can work in reverse. Rather than earmarking NIL dollars to buy a portal quarterback and risk not knowing which players will hit the transfer market, some SEC schools are more focused on investing in quarterback prospects.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Ainslie's Spring football in Auburn: Notes and quotes on the Tigers' quarterback room ahead of spring camp



QuoteThe second spring camp of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn is just around the corner as it's set to get underway Tuesday.

The Tigers will then proceed to hold 13 spring practices in preparation of Auburn's spring game — also known as A-Day — which is set to be played on April 6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

A dive into Auburn's quarterback room.

Who did the Tigers lose in the quarterback room?
In a decision that shocked few, former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford made the decision to enter his name into the transfer portal on Dec. 15.

He has since gone on to land at South Carolina.

Who are the Tigers returning to the quarterback room?
With Ashford being the lone departure from the offseason, the Tigers are set to return fifth-year senior Payton Thorne, sophomore Holden Geriner and redshirt freshman Hank Brown.

Thorne enters spring camp as Auburn's incumbent starter, who passed for 1,755 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 61% passing last season.

And as Thorne enters his second season on The Plains, Freeze anticipates the rising fifth-year senior to improve.

Who did the Tigers add to the quarterback room?
Auburn's only addition to its quarterback room comes by way of 4-star signee Walker White, who signed his letter of intent with Auburn after being committed for 10 months and never wavering.

The arrival of White adds an intriguing piece to the Tigers' "wide open" quarterback race as Freeze has long been high on White's potential.

"Walker White, I think, is going to be a star," Freeze said during his national signing day press conference on Dec. 20. "I think he's got all the attributes of what a quarterback should like. I think he's a true Auburn man. Obviously don't know how quick he will adjust to this game, but I think he's got all the skill sets to do that."

In his senior season at Little Rock Christian Academy in Little Rock, Ark., White piloted the Warriors to a 10-3 record.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

 

jbcarol

DeBoer finally addresses Alabama's quarterback situation

Milroe took first team snaps

by:
Barkley Truax




QuoteAlabama wrapped up its first spring practice of the 2024 offseason. Led into this new era by Kalen DeBoer, some have questioned whether last year's starter Milroe will be his guy.

With former five-star recruit Ty Simpson remaining on the roster for 2024, is it time for the younger blue-chipper to take the reins? Or is Milroe set to repeat as the Tide's QB1? DeBoer wouldn't answer outright:

"You want competition, right? The competition is always going to be there and yeah, someone had to take the first reps today with the ones," DeBoer said on Monday. "We lined up, and we refer to them as (ones). And Jalen (Milroe) did. He's putting everything into it along with the other guys that took those first reps. But I fully expect those guys that are really hungry to be pushing those guys that are ahead of them to be their best. That's what you want in a football program."

Milroe was the final QB1 of the Nick Saban era, and saw him finish the year with 2,718 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was also a significant threat on the ground, finishing the season with 468 rushing yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.

With Milroe under center, the Crimson Tide finished 12-2 during the 2023 college football campaign. He led Alabama to an SEC Championship victory over Georgia, which helped push the Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff where they eventually fell to eventual national champions Michigan.

Meanwhile, Simpson hasn't been given the same opportunities.

DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa will kick off on Saturday, August 31 against Western.

Sept. 28, starts their SEC schedule at home against Georgia in a rematch last season's SEC championship game.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Shane Beamer breaks down what'll take to win starting QB job, LaNorris Sellers non-contact status

by:
Griffin McVeigh




QuoteSouth Carolina is no longer in its Spencer Rattler era, with Shane Beamer having a quarterback battle on his hands. A couple of names stand out, with Auburn transfer Robby Ashford and second-year player LaNorris Sellers are thought to be at the front. Ashford already has some SEC experience, while Sellers has had hype surrounding his name since arriving on campus.

On3's J.D. PicKell asked Beamer what it would take to win the South Carolina QB competition:

"The leadership and the intangibles you want at the position and somebody that can lead our football team," Beamer said. "And then, for me, it's really just being able to protect the football and make good decisions. All three seasons that I've been here at South Carolina, we've been first or second in takeaways defensively.

"So, we've done a great job creating turnovers on the defensive side of the ball. We need to do an even better job, offensively, protecting the ball... So, just a guy that will make great decisions and lead our offense and give us a chance to win football games."

LaNorris Sellers still full contact during practice despite QB battle
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Pittman weighs in on Arkansas' QB competition, other key position battles during spring practice
by:
Chandler Vessels




QuoteThe starting quarterback position is up for grabs at Arkansas with spring practice set to kick off Thursday. The Razorbacks lost KJ Jefferson, who started each of the past three seasons, to the transfer portal, and coach Sam Pittman is giving everyone a chance to compete.

Arkansas added Boise State transfer Taylen Green, who is expected to battle with Jacolby Criswell and redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton. Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday, Pittman seemed to indicate that each player will get the chance:

"We'll have an open battle for (quarterback)," Pittman said. "Obviously, I think everybody knows we went into the portal and got Taylen Green, who we're very happy he's on our football team. Obviously with competition, everybody gets better out of it. For one thing, we've extended 7-on-7. We've got some quarterbacks that we need to see. We've got some receivers, Jordan Anthony's a new receiver. We've got some new safeties and corners, so we've extended 7-on-7 period up to eight minutes each day."

Green brings the most starting experience of the bunch. He started each of the past two seasons at Boise State, winning the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2022. Standing 6-foot-6 and 221 pounds, he also brings a dual-threat ability similar to what Jefferson displayed...

Criswell transferred from North Carolina ahead of the 2023 season and played four games. His best game came at the end of the year against Missouri as he finished 12-of-20 for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Singleton come in a little bit behind both Green and Criswell due to having the least experience. He ranked as the No. 372 overall prospect and No. 23 quarterback in the 2023 cycle.

Pittman hopes to find an answer on who the Arkansas starting quarterback will be by the time spring practice is over, and it will certainly be an exciting race:

"We've got to evaluate these quarterbacks," Pittman said. "We've got to do it early because I would like to know who the starting quarterback is coming out of spring ball. I think we can, but the only way you can do that is to give the kids more reps to get them more opportunity to compete. So that's one of the ways that we're gonna get that evaluated."
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Brock Vandagriff finally had to leave Georgia become QB1

'Southern Will Levis' ready for takeoff
Connor O'Gara | 




QuoteLEXINGTON, Ky. — Before he sinks into a conference room chair for a sit-down interview on the second floor of Kentucky's football facility, Brock Vandagriff excuses himself to run downstairs and grab a protein shake. It's not his first or his last such beverage. If the blue UK long-sleeve dry-fit shirt and black Nike joggers weren't a giveaway, one might assume the red-bearded signal-caller was taking a break from chopping wood.

The protein shake came after finishing some winter conditioning, wherein Vandagriff had something on his mind when he saw his training metrics tracked by Catapult. Or rather, Vandagriff had someone on his mind.

"What did Levis hit?" he asked the UK staff.

"Levis," of course, is former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. The 2-year UK starter is now QB1 for the Tennessee Titans after taking over midseason of his rookie year. In many ways, Vandagriff is trying to follow in Levis' footsteps. In 2021, Levis led UK to its best offense in 14 years en route to the program's second winning record in SEC play since the Jimmy Carter administration.

Like Levis, who transferred from Penn State, Vandagriff's career was stuck in neutral behind older, more established quarterbacks for 3 years...

After Vandagriff returns to the conference room, protein shake at the ready, he's eventually asked about the similarities he shares with the former UK quarterback. While Vandagriff doesn't have any imminent plans for eating banana peels or mixing mayo into his coffee — duck hunting and small-mouth bass have his off-field attention — he doesn't shy away from the on-field comp to Levis. When he's asked about the nickname "Southern Will Levis," Vandagriff smiles and lets out a "heck yeah."

It's not that Vandagriff wants to be Levis; it's that he wants to be inspired by Levis...
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jbcarol

First and 10: Why Brady Cook, Mizzou could be the SEC's biggest Playoff surprise
Matt Hayes |



QuoteBuilding around Beck
The main pitch from Georgia to Beck when he was debating returning to Athens or leaving for the NFL, was Georgia's ability to improve the offense around him.

Georgia added dynamic Florida RB Trevor Etienne and 3 WRs with big-play potential: Colbie Young (Miami), London Humphreys (Vanderbilt) and Michael Jackson III (USC).

But the most important transfer in the passing game may be Stanford TE Benjamin Yurosek. Georgia is loaded at the position with junior Oscar Delp and underclassmen Pearce Spurlin and Lawson Luckie —
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Evaluating the ceiling for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier

Year 1 as QB1 :hmmm:

by:
Sam Gillenwater




QuoteGarrett Nussmeier is finally getting his shot as the starter at LSU in his fourth year with the program. It has been a long time coming for him as a Tiger and, according to On3's Andy Staples, is something that everyone in Baton Rouge should be excited for.

Staples spoke about Nussmeier's ceiling as LSU's QB1 during a mailbag episode of his show on Thursday:

"Listen, in this era of college football? The fact that this man has hung out as long as he has at LSU and ascended to the starting job tells you they are highly confident in Garrett Nussmeier," said Staples.

In his last outing this past fall, Nussmeier made his first start in place of Daniels in a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin. He threw for 395 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception on 68.9% completion against the Badgers during the 35-31 victory in Tampa.

Now, with him likely to be the full-time starting quarterback, the expectation for Nussmeier is to have the Tigers in contention. That just comes with the job
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Ainslie: Freeze gives update on Auburn's spring QB race


QuoteThose living in the Auburn area would agree with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze when he says there's been some real windy days on The Plains as of late.

With that, of course, comes "tough situations to throw in," Freeze said Tuesday afternoon during his second press conference of spring camp.

However, Freeze's biggest takeaway from Auburn's quarterback room isn't rooted in accuracy issues or anything else that might be affected by wind:

"We've had a couple of practices where the wind was like tough, tough, tough situations to throw in," Freeze said. "But, I think we've got to improve just our decision-making has not been exactly what I want it to be just yet."

The Tigers' room of quarterbacks is a mixed bag in terms of experience.

Payton Thorne, Auburn's incumbent starter, is entering his fifth season of college football.

After him, it drops off considerably.

Sophomore Holden Geriner is next in line in terms of seniority, followed by redshirt freshman Hank Brown and then of course true freshman Walker White.

"Payton's have been pretty good," Freeze said of Thorne's decision-making. "The other three are, you know, there is new to a lot of them. They're getting thrown into the fire against a lot of different looks that our defense is presenting."

Freeze's comments were supported during the media's viewing opportunity during Tuesday's practice.

While all four quarterbacks took reps in individual, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, Thorne appeared to be most comfortable — which, of course, should be the case.

"Payton is still the most consistent probably and should be," Freeze said of Thorne. "He's had the most reps and the most understanding of what defenses can do to you."

Taking snaps from the 35-yard line on the positive side of the field, Thorne found true freshman Cam Coleman and junior Camden Brown for touchdowns. Brown's touchdown was an acrobatic one as he beat out sophomore Kayin Lee for a 50-50 ball in the endzone.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, it's easy to see that White is still trying to grasp a lot of what's being thrown at him.

During Tuesday's practice, you could sense a bit of hesitancy from the early enrollee when going through pass plays. There were a few overthrows from White, but he also tossed a few good balls — one being to sixth-year tight end Luke Deal across the middle
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jbcarol

2024 Elite 11 Finals: Complete quarterback roster

by:
Keegan Pope



Quote2024 Elite 11 Finals roster is taking shape. After the initial Elite 11 Regional this weekend, invitations to the prestigious mid-June event have started going out.

There are few higher honors for high school quarterbacks than being invited to the Elite 11 Finals. The event, which will celebrate its 25th year in 2024, brings together the country's elite signal-callers for three days of competition and training in Los Angeles.

Elite 11 alumni include Carson Palmer, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, and more recently Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and more. Last year's Elite 11 Finals featured more than a dozen of the top 20 quarterbacks.

Elite 11 Finals Roster
4-star QB Husan Longstreet
School: Corona (Calif.) Centennial
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 60
Status: Uncommitted

4-star QB K.J. Lacey
School: Saraland (Ala.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 73
Status: Committed to Texas

4-star QB Keelon Russell
School: Duncanville (Texas)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 111
Status: Committed to SMU

4-star QB Kevin Sperry
School: Midwest City (Okla.) Guyer
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 234
Status: Committed to Oklahoma

This roster will be updated as more invites are announced.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Beamer addresses South Carolina's competition within quarterback room

by:
Thomas Goldkamp



QuoteSouth Carolina is one of a handful of SEC teams that will have to break in a new starting quarterback this fall following the departure of the talented Spencer Rattler for the NFL Draft.

There are a bevy of options, including a pair of transfers.

"I think first of all there's just great competition in that room because you've got a bunch of guys that are all competing and they all believe they can be and should be the quarterback here at South Carolina," coach Shane Beamer said. "So there's great competition, first of all, which I love. Then I think there's just an experience and a maturity aspect with those guys."

Some of the more experienced players are Auburn transfer Robby Ashford and Oklahoma transfer Davis Beville. They're two additions from a large transfer class this offseason.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net