SEC Breakdown: SEC recruiting powers in pursuit of QBs
A few schools in the SEC are lucky enough to have already found their man at quarterback in the 2018 class, but there are also plenty of programs that are still searching -- and in some cases battling each other –- to land their man at the position. Using the final 2017 SEC recruiting rankings, we take a the top five teams in the conference and examine their 2018 quarterback recruiting situations.
ALABAMA
Quarterbacks offered: 14
Top available target: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
The situation: Signing Jalen Hurts in 2016 may have started a new era at Alabama at the quarterback position. Hurts is a dual-threat quarterback, and other than Blake Sims for a season, Nick Saban has not played a quarterback like that since taking over in Tuscaloosa. Thompson-Robinson is a top target for the Crimson Tide, and Alabama is on his list of favorites, but UCLA is considered the front-runner.
The quarterback that inks with Alabama may be one who still has yet to be offered. Look for numerous signal callers to be in camp early in the summer to be evaluated further by the staff. It would not come as a surprised to see some new offers go out to prospects at the position. They have already offered numerous dual-threat quarterbacks, and that could be the style they go hard after this cycle.
GEORGIA
Quarterbacks offered: 13
Top available target: Joe Milton
The situation: Georgia is in a tough spot at this position. Quarterback is arguably the biggest position of need this cycle with only two scholarship quarterbacks on campus for this season. They need to sign not one, but two signal-callers, and that is not going to be easy with two five-stars on campus that are only going to be a sophomore and freshman in 2017.
Georgia is definitely looking to change things up a bit and go after at least one dual-threat quarterback. The top available target is Joe Milton. He is a great athlete with a big arm and he could be a real change between the hedges. Florida is Georgia's biggest competition, and the Gators may have the edge, but Milton visited Athens twice in the last month. James Foster out of Alabama is another one to keep an eye on that is uncommitted. More quarterback offers will likely be dished out by Kirby Smart and his staff in the coming months.
LSU
Quarterbacks offered: 12
Top available target: Justin Rogers
The situation: The Tigers took their shot at several of the nation’s top signal-callers early on but appear to have focused on in-state target Rogers as the No. 1 priority. Rogers earned his LSU offer after camping last summer and has narrowed his list to six programs with TCU, North Carolina and Oregon serving as LSU’s biggest threats going forward. Rogers is set to announce in June and some believe the Tigers have been moving up his leaderboard in recent weeks. Even if the LSU lands Rogers, it could still pursue prospects like three-star Alabama quarterback Maurice Robinson.
FLORIDA
Quarterbacks offered: 9
Top available target: Joe Milton
The situation: The Gators made a run at several prospects who are now committed, including the nation’s No. 1 overall player, Trevor Lawrence. While the ship has sailed on that front, the Gators continue to heavily pursue Rivals100 Penn State commit Justin Fields. That also seems like a long shot, despite a recent visit to campus by Fields, leaving Milton as the prime target remaining. While still raw, Milton possesses the combination of size, athleticism and upside that hard to find in a high school prospect. When the Gators offered, it seemed like it would only be matter of time until he joined the class. Michigan and Georgia are also in the mix, but the Gators still appear to be the favorites.
TENNESSEE
Quarterbacks offered: 19
Top available target: Michael Penix, Jr.
The situation: The Vols have cast a pretty wide net when it comes to quarterback recruiting. Their board has been ever evolving, especially after missing on top early targets like Lawrence, Jones and Fields. Behind the scenes, the Vols are still chasing committed prospects, including Fields, Adrian Martinez (Cal) and Jarren Williams (Kentucky). In the end, Penix seems like a very realistic option. The Vols have done a nice job of laying the groundwork with him in recent months and at events this spring, his stock has continued to rise. Other uncommitted prospects to watch include Rogers and Texas four-star Jalen Mayden.
