The Top 10 SEC Quarterbacks for 2021

Stoney Keeley looks ahead to the state of the quarterbacks in the SEC as we approach the 2021 season.

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If you can’t tell by now, we here at SoBros Network are fired the hell up for some SEC football. The college football season is only a little over two weeks away, and we’ve been previewing the best conference in college all summer long. Now, it’s time to shift gears a bit and look at the position that is most important – the quarterbacks. There’s some turnover in this year’s class, but that’s going to happen when Heisman finalists graduate to the NFL. It’s kind of wild how many SEC teams have major questions at the position heading into the year, and it made me have to predict who would win a quarterback competition in some spots. Nonetheless, this is one of the most fun preview pieces I do every summer – so, let’s just get right down to it.

The Top 10 SEC Quarterbacks for 2021

10. Ken Seals, Vanderbilt – You want some insanity? Here’s some for you – I’m sitting here in August, looking at all the turmoil and turnover that has gone on in the SEC East over the last couple of years, and I’m thinking that Vandy…yes….Vandy…is in a position for a quick rebuild and a surprising finish out of the basement in the SEC. Why? In large part because of their quarterback – Seals was solid as a true freshman, and he gets some talent at the skill positions to work with in 2021. If Clark Lea is able to quickly rebuild the culture there, the ‘Dores might surprise some people.

9. Will Levis, Kentucky – Based on what I’ve read so far this summer, I feel like I might be the only sports writer outside of Lexington to be so bullish on Levis. People think Joey Gatewood is going to be the guy in Kentucky, so yeah – this is a bit of a projection on my part. But, I love his experience on the move at Penn State, he has an absolute cannon of an arm, and the addition of Los Angeles Rams staffer Liam Coen as OC should give the Wildcats a spark in the passing game. I expect Levis to win the job and keep it.

8. Max Johnson, LSU – Tough break for Myles Brennan…again…but the Tigers will now turn to Johnson to steady the ship after Brennan suffered yet another injury. Thankfully for the folks out of Baton Rouge, Johnson is fully capable of doing so. Dude set the LSU freshman record with 435 passing yards against Ole Miss, and threw six touchdowns in his two starts in 2020. I’m not expecting that offense to experience much of a hitch switching to Johnson.

7. Bo Nix, Auburn – At one point, Bo Nix looked like he was going to be the best quarterback in the SEC, and a lock to go to the NFL. To his credit, when he’s good, he’s pretty damn good. But, man – he can disappear for stretches of a season. That inconsistency is what keeps him out of the top five in my book.

6. Haynes King, Texas A&M – The Aggies have a pretty tight quarterback competition of their own to have this summer between King and Zach Calzada, and that makes it pretty hard to call where the Aggies quarterback falls on this top 10 list. Both guys have backed up previous Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond, but King did it more recently. I think he’s just a shade more talented than Calzada, and he ultimately wins the job. Regardless, whoever it is is going to produce for what figures to be an electric Aggies offense.

5. Emory Jones, Florida – Dan Mullen is going to have to tweak the Gators offense a bit, since Kyle Trask isn’t going to be there to stand in the pocket and throw 500 passes a game anymore. But, Jones presents a more diverse skillset that makes it hard him hard to prepare for. He’s patiently waited for this opportunity, and has the talent to make the Gators explosive again.

4. Connor Bazelak, Missouri – Time to stop sleeping on Bazelak. This dude took over the job in 2020, and hasn’t turned it loose. There’s no question that he’s the starter for Mizzou going into the season, and for good reason. He’s big, has the ideal size you want in a quarterback, and he has tremendous arm talent. Bazelak went 5-1 in his first six starts.

3. Bryce Young, Alabama – There’s plenty of reason to be excited about the electric, dynamic presence that Bryce Young brings to the quarterback position in Tuscaloosa. But, there’s still a lot unknown about Young, as he just doesn’t have a large body of work in meaningful action so far. It’s hard to get a read on him, and any ranking you give him is just pure projection. While he may be the most talented quarterback on this list, he’s behind Daniels and Corral in the experience department. That said, there’s a reason this dude is among the Heisman favorites for 2021.

2. J.T. Daniels, Georgia – The quarterback position was a bit of an uncertainty for the Bulldogs in 2020, but once Daniels took over, the Bulldogs finished the season 4-0, and the offense looked like it’d had a shot in the arm. Heading into 2021, and those questions about the quarterback position have clearly been answered. Daniels is now considered a contender in the Heisman race.

1. Matt Corral, Ole Miss – I don’t even think this is as close a race as some are suggesting. Corral looks like he’s clearly the best quarterback in this conference. Dude is coming back to Ole Miss after a season during which he led the SEC in eight statistical categories. He averaged 333.7 passing yards per game, completed 70% of his passes, and threw 29 touchdowns. That Ole Miss offense was lethal with Corral at the helm, and figures to be yet again. You’re seeing Corral pop up on awards watch lists left and right, and he could be a first round NFL Draft pick for it. This one’s easy to me.

SEC 2021 SEASON PREVIEWS

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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