More than half of the teams in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference will have new starting quarterbacks this fall.
Many of the changes were expected. Some were needed. All of them will be overly dissected before preseason practices begin in August.
Five of the league’s 16 teams lost entrenched starters who were either selected in last week’s NFL draft or signed a free-agent contract with a league team: Alabama (Jalen Milroe), Auburn (Payton Thorne), Missouri (Brady Cook), Ole Miss (Jaxson Dart) and Texas (Quinn Ewers). Those typical progressions, though, were hardly the norm elsewhere.
Georgia’s Carson Beck transferred to Miami. Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava bailed on a $2.4 million name, image and likeness deal and ended up at UCLA. Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold landed at Auburn. Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff gave up football after getting benched.
“A new day and age in football,” said current Florida backup quarterback Harrison Bailey, who previously played at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville. “I’m glad I’m getting out of it.”
The burgeoning NCAA transfer portal — with the lure of more money or a better opportunity elsewhere, really — and immediate eligibility rules continue to create roster turnover in college football, and no school appears safe from the chaos.
Not even the SEC, which has every head coach returning for the first time since 2019 and for just the second time since 2005.
Despite all the different faces taking the snaps, 10 SEC programs are poised to start the season with some level of continuity at the all-important position of quarterback.
THE HOLDOVERS
Taylen Green (Arkansas), DJ Lagway (Florida), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) and Blake Shapen (Mississippi State) have significant experience in their current systems. Sellers, though, has a new offensive coordinator, with former Alabama coach Mike Shula on board with the Gamecocks.
Green could make a jump in his second year under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Lagway and Sellers, athletic big men with above-average arms, look like budding stars who could carry improving teams to the College Football Playoff.
Nussmeier is entering his third year in coach Brian Kelly’s system. Shapen, a sixth-year senior, is healthy again. Reed flashed potential early last season before losing four of his final starts as a freshman. Pavia was a bright spot for the Commodores, finishing with 20 touchdown passes and four interceptions, and is getting to make a surprise encore after a court ruling allowed him another season of eligibility.
THE NOT-SO-NEWCOMERS
Georgia’s Gunner Stockton came up big in last December’s SEC championship game against Texas, with the Bulldogs beating the Longhorns in overtime, and should benefit from sitting behind Beck the past two seasons.
Ole Miss is confident Austin Simmons will step in for Dart and keep the Rebels rolling.
And the Longhorns have been waiting two years for Arch Manning to take the spotlight.
“I hope he’s got a really hard decision to make around January 21,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told the Houston Touchdown Club this week in reference to Manning, a redshirt sophomore who made two starts last season when Ewers was injured. “That means we played a long time. That means he played a really good season. And that means he’s trying to figure out do I want one more year in the burnt orange or is it time to go to the NFL?
“I hope it’s a really hard decision. I hope it’s not a no-brainer to come back to school.”
EVERYONE ELSE
The six remaining schools — Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee — have varying degrees of uncertainty about their quarterbacks after spring practices wrapped up.
Alabama is turning to Ty Simpson. Auburn is expected to go with transfer Jackson Arnold. Kentucky is taking a chance with transfer Zach Calzada, who is entering his seventh collegiate season.
Missouri appears content with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who signed a $1.5 million NIL deal. Oklahoma believes its new duo from Washington State — quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle — will pay immediate dividends.
Tennessee might have the most to figure out. The Volunteers ended up with UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar in a pseudo trade, but Aguilar still has to beat out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and early enrollee George MacIntyre for the job.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of the traditions, the fans, and the legacy of winning at Tennessee,” Aguilar wrote on social media. “I’m ready to get to work, compete at the highest level and building something special with my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to get to Rocky Top!”