SEC quarterback battles: The latest intel

With LSU and Ole Miss wrapping up spring practice with their final scrimmages this weekend, it’s a good time to reassess the myriad of quarterback battles taking place across the SEC. 

While Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas and others have defined QB1s entering summer workouts, close to half the conference looks (unofficially at least) undecided at the most important position on the team. 

Florida’s Anthony Richardson is the lone SEC quarterback who ended any competition talk with a strong spring. 

So here’s the latest buzz surrounding the QB battles at Auburn to Vanderbilt:

Auburn – TJ Finley vs. Zach Calzada vs. Robby Ashford 

The Auburn Buzz: While TJ Finley and Robby Ashford battled it out this spring, the whispers behind the scenes continue to suggest Zach Calzada, who was limited to 7-on-7 work as he recovers from a shoulder injury, remains the frontrunner to win the job.

To be clear though, nothing has been decided yet. Bryan Harsin made it known that he plans to whittle down the competition to two following the first fall scrimmage. Notably, Ashford had a strong A-Day even playing behind a shaky Tigers’ offensive line and could be an X-factor in the race due to his athleticism.

Meanwhile, Finley is what he is at this point: A strong-armed quarterback who lacks mobility and accuracy. He does have the best command of Harsin’s offense, but time will tell if that’s enough to overcome the rest of his weaknesses. 

Florida – Anthony Richardson vs. Jack Miller

The Florida Buzz: This one’s a wrap. Anthony Richardson had the leg-up entering the spring, but first-year head coach Billy Napier gave Jack Miller, a transfer from Ohio State, a chance to win the job. Although Napier didn’t outright name Richardson his starter at the end of spring practice, he didn’t have to, as AR-15’s performance in the Orange & Blue Game did the talking for him.

“Pretty easy (calling plays) when 15’s back there throwing it around,” Napier said after Richardson led three touchdown scoring drives in the scrimmage.

Richardson operated a new offense smoothly, particularly playing with pace, tempo and accuracy off boot-legs and rollouts. Conversely, Miller really struggled against UF’s second-string defense. 

LSU – Jayden Daniels vs. Myles Brennan vs. Garrett Nussmeier

The LSU Buzz: The Tigers will hold their spring scrimmage next weekend, and the early word out of Baton Rouge is unlike the delicious gumbo, LSU’s three-way quarterback competition has been “healthy.” Jayden Daniels was a three-year starter at Arizona State, but regressed after a dynamic freshman season. Still, he fits the mold of what Brian Kelly and new OC Mike Denbrock, formally at Cincinnati, prefer as a slippery dual-threat talent.

Myles Brennan has the exact opposite skill-set, a pure pocket passer with a big arm. He was steady as LSU’s starter in 2020, and has reportedly had a nice spring overcoming multiple major injuries. Then there’s Garrett Nussmeier, who got a taste of action last fall and is truly in the mix.

Early enrollee Walker Howard, a five-star freshman, is also on campus taking snaps but is clearly behind the others in the competition. If history is any indication, then Brian Kelly figures to play more than one quarterback next season, with Daniels and Brennan or Nussmeier potentially sharing snaps. 

Missouri – Brady Cook vs. Tyler Macon 

The Missouri Buzz: The Tigers wrapped up their camp before half the programs in the SEC even put on pads this spring, but they still enter the summer with uncertainty at quarterback. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz tried to convince J.T. Daniels to transfer to Columbia, but the former Georgia quarterback opted to head to West Virginia instead. Brady Cook was fine against Army in the Armed Forces Bowl last season, but neither he nor Tyler Macon, who has just 17 career attempts, did enough this spring to win the job.

Blue-chip freshman Sam Horn will enter the equation come the fall, and Drinkwitz candidly admitted he still plans to grab another quarterback out of the transfer portal.  “I can’t wait to continue to watch this battle unfold. I can’t wait to add other guys to it and look forward to Sam (Horn) getting in here this summer,” Drinkwitz said towards the end of Missouri’s spring practices. “We’re going to continue to add competition to this quarterback battle, because we need it more to win in this league.”

Ole Miss – Luke Altmyer vs. Jaxson Dart

The Ole Miss Buzz: The battle to replace Matt Corral remains ongoing in Oxford, with Luke Altmyer refusing to immediately cede the job to Jaxson Dart, who transferred from USC. Although many penciled in Dart to become Lane Kiffin’s latest trigger-man, the race has been deemed a “dead heat” this spring.

Like LSU, the Rebels have yet to hold their final scrimmage, which will take place Saturday afternoon. Both quarterbacks have struggled with turnovers at times this spring, but a slew of injuries at receiver and offensive line have made Kiffin’s evaluation job much more difficult.

Altmyer backed up Corral all last season and has a better grasp on the playbook, but The Portal King was aggressive in recruiting Dart to Oxford. Based on pure upside, Dart has the early lean but this battle won’t be decided until the fall when all the pieces around the quarterbacks return to full health. 

Texas A&M – Haynes King vs. Max Johnson vs. Conner Weigman 

The Texas A&M Buzz: I’ve dubbed Texas A&M’s quarterback competition the most interesting battle in the country this offseason, and that intrigue continues as we head into the summer.

All three players struggled at times during a Maroon & White scrimmage that featured 20 mph winds. Haynes King is the incumbent, but he hasn’t taken a leap in regards to footwork, mechanics or decision-making. Max Johnson is a steady veteran who has wins at Florida and over Texas A&M, but doesn’t offer Jimbo Fisher the ceiling of King or Conner Weigman, a five-star freshman who did display a real command of Fisher’s complicated offense throughout the spring.

The early lean here is Johnson gets the nod with a strong offseason, but I expect Fisher to play multiple quarterbacks the first two weeks and settle on “a guy” heading into a big showdown with Miami in Week 3. 

Vanderbilt – Ken Seals vs. Mike Wright vs. AJ Swann

The Vanderbilt Buzz: With Ken Seals limited early in camp, AJ Swann, an early enrollee freshman, has pushed Mike Wright during the spring and was one of the stars of Vandy’s open scrimmages. Wright was the top performer in the Black & Gold game, though.

Clark Lea is in no rush to make a QB decision, especially until Seals returns to full-strength, but with Vanderbilt desperately needing to upgrade at the position — the ‘Dores ranked No. 114 in passing yards and No. 126 in yards per attempt in 2021 — Swann has a chance to unseat both vets. The transfer portal bears watching with the ‘Dores, too, as two more freshmen quarterbacks will join the roster this summer.