Hit or Miss: Highest-ranked QBs ever at each SEC school
With some recent big quarterback commitments like Quinn Ewers to Texas and Gunner Stockton to South Carolina I thought it would be interesting to take a look at each program's highest-ranked quarterback signee (or in a couple cases, a future signee as they're still just commitments) in Rivals history and give a take on whether we HIT or MISSED on the prospect's ranking. We continue today with the SEC.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
*****
HIT OR MISS: Highest-ranked QB signees ever for Big Ten programs
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
ALABAMA - Bryce Young (2020)
Overview: It’s hard to believe that Young is Alabama's highest-ranked QB in the Nick Saban era, but No. 2 is obviously hard to beat. He’s a dynamic dual-threat who could see playing time this season as a true freshman.
Judgement: TBD. Stealing him away from USC and the West Coast is huge especially with Clemson landing D.J. Uiagalelei from Cali as well. Alabama and Clemson could be playing for a national title for the foreseeable future.
ARKANSAS - Mitch Mustain (2006)
Overview: Mustain was an elite QB in high school coached by Gus Malzahn. He saw the field well and had a great release. He was winning at Arkansas as a freshman but didn’t like his role in the offense and transferred to USC where he did little. This was a bad decision.
Judgement: MISS. It would have been nice to see what he could have done at Arkansas but his career was a massive disappointment.
AUBURN - Cam Newton (2010)
Overview: Newton transferred from Florida to Blinn CC and played one year at Auburn where he won a Heisman Trophy, a national title and became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He was amazing and it’s been a long time since we’ve seen someone close.
Judgement: HIT. I still say he had the best single season of any SEC quarterback ever in 2010 with his 2,800 yards passing, 1,400 yards rushing and 50 total touchdowns without a ton of help.
FLORIDA - Tim Tebow (2006)
Overview: Tebow was a freak athlete coming out of high school and one of the most accomplished athletes I’ve covered. His throwing motion wasn’t great but he was amazing running the ball and had surprising accuracy. Two national titles and a Heisman speak to his success.
Judgement: HIT. He goes down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history.
GEORGIA - Justin Fields (2018)
Overview: Fields was just behind Trevor Lawrence in our 2018 rankings and was a dominant dual threat in high school. After limited play as a freshman at Georgia he broke out last season at Ohio State with 41 passing touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
Judgement: HIT. He’s No. 2 on my NFL Draft big board for 2021 behind Lawrence and has proven he’s a special talent.
KENTUCKY - Drew Barker (2014)
Overview: Barker was a huge in-state keep for Kentucky as one of the most prolific passers in state history. However his college career was disappointing as he showed signs of that talent here and there but a back injury in 2016 really finished him.
Judgement: MISS. He finished with only five touchdowns in his Kentucky career and much more was expected.
LSU - Russell Shepard (2009)
Overview: Shepard should have been an athlete in hindsight because he was a much better runner than a passer despite putting up some impressive numbers in high school. He transitioned to running back and then wide receiver at LSU and carved out an NFL career, but never made it as a QB.
Judgement: MISS. He was a shot in the dark for us as a potential quarterback but we’d look better if we had him at athlete.
MISSISSIPPI STATE - Keytaon Thompson (2017)
Overview: Thompson was a kid with good size and mobility and a strong arm but he was raw from an accuracy standpoint. He showed flashes at Mississippi State but transferred to Virginia after he lost the starting job twice. The jury is still out.
Judgement: MISS. So far he hasn’t come close to living up to his potential with only 846 yards rushing and 672 yards passing.
MISSOURI - Blaine Gabbert (2008)
Overview: Gabbert was a huge QB with a big arm and solid mobility out of high school who lived up to his five-star status with a solid career and a first-round grade in the NFL. He played three seasons and passed for 40 touchdowns and only 18 picks.
Judgement: HIT. Gabbert had a very solid career at Missouri and became a first-round draft pick, so he certainly lived up to the hype.
OLE MISS - Shea Patterson (2016)
Overview: Patterson was one of our highest-ranked QBs ever because he could move, throw on the run and made plays when it counted. But his college career was just average at Ole Miss and then after his transfer to Michigan. However this is a kid who threw for 8,800 yards and 68 touchdowns in his career, so it’s puzzling he wasn’t at least drafted.
Judgement: MISS. Despite a productive career it was much less than expected and he never lived up to ranking.
SOUTH CAROLINA - Gunner Stockton (2022)
Overview: Stockton is still in high school and has a long way to go before college but the promise is there and the hype will be amazing. He’s mobile and a physical runner and he has a strong arm.
Judgement: TBD. Getting him this early will help recruiting efforts in 2021, 2022 and beyond.
TENNESSEE - Harrison Bailey (2020)
Overview: Bailey was a prospect who was on the recruiting radar in middle school and got better every season. He finished as a five-star because of his physical skills and added mobility but it’s his smarts that really stand out.
Judgement: TBD. Bailey will be the man soon enough for the Vols and is a big recruiting boost to efforts in the meantime.
TEXAS A&M - Kyle Allen (2014)
Overview: Allen was very accurate and polished coming out of high school and had great command of the offense. He left Texas A&M a bit early and never lived up to the hype at Houston, but he became a starter in the NFL and is still there.
Judgement: MISS. We expected more from him overall than 37 touchdowns and 18 picks in his college career.
VANDERBILT - Jonathan McCrary (2013)
Overview: McCrary was a skinny kid with a whip arm and a ton of upside who never panned out without a ton of talent around him at Vanderbilt. He passed for 2,518 yards and 17 scores but also threw 20 picks and transferred to Mercer before ultimately giving up football.
Judgement: MISS. McCrary started 14-straight games at Vandy but was so up and down he never came close to the potential we saw.