SEC Breakdown: The 2018 QB recruiting landscape

RELATED: Big Ten Breakdown: Class of 2017 prospects on the rise

No position is recruited more aggressively by college football teams than quarterback, and the SEC has made it a priority to get quarterbacks committed earlier than most conferences. Right now, five schools in the conference have 2018 quarterback commits, and the rest of the conference is battling over a few big names. So what are the options?

We look at each team's options and take a look at how we think things will shake out.

2018 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Pro-style QBs | Dual-threat QBs

Number of offers: 6

Top target: Trevor Lawrence

Breakdown: Lawrence will be the top target for a number of schools, as he’s the best quarterback in the class and the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect. Should the Tide miss on Lawrence as expected, there is no shortage of options, including a number of committed players. In-state prospect Jack West is committed to Stanford while Notre Dame’s shaky season may give Phil Jurkovec, a current Irish commit, plenty about which to think. Lawrence will likely choose Clemson or Georgia, but it’s hard to count Alabama out of anything.

Number of offers: 3

Top target: Connor Noland (commit)

Breakdown: Arkansas already has an in-state quarterback in the fold, as Noland chose the Razorbacks in July. Noland will play both football and baseball at Arkansas. It’s likely that the Razorbacks would take a second quarterback in the class, however, and would love to land Rivals100 prospect Justin Rogers out of Louisiana. That would be more of a luxury than a necessity, however, as the Razorbacks are pleased with Noland.

Number of offers: 2

Top target: Joey Gatewood (commit)

Breakdown: Auburn landed its top target ages ago, as Gatewood joined the class as a sophomore. The Tigers have also offered in-state product Jack West, but are unlikely to land him as long as Gatewood is in the fold. Gatewood seems solidly committed but will almost undoubtedly take visits in the year ahead.

Number of offers: 6

Top target: Artur Sitkowski

Breakdown: Lawrence is still in play here as well but is a bit of a long shot. With that in mind, the Gators have zeroed in on Sitkowski, who has already visited this fall. Another name to keep in mind is the Las Vegas-based Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is acting as a solid third option. Florida has playing time to sell, which could help. It could also explain why the Gators have offered six quarterbacks.

Number of offers: 2

Top target: Lawrence

Breakdown: The Bulldogs have been focused on Lawrence since Kirby Smart and his staff arrived in Athens, and are still in a great position with the nation’s No. 1 overall player. The one thing that could cost them is their play on the field this fall, which has been less than stellar as of late. Five-star Ohio State commit Emory Jones also holds an offer from Georgia, but seems to be locked in with the Buckeyes.

Number of offers: 7

Top target: Jarren Williams (Commit)

Breakdown: The Wildcats cast a wide net in the class of 2018 and landed Williams very early. Despite some interest from other programs he seems very locked in, and Kentucky fans are hoping he stays that way, especially after 2017 commit Mac Jones was poached by Alabama. With two commits in the 2017 class, it’s still unknown whether the Wildcats will take two more in the class of 2018.

Number of offers: 7

Top target: Zadock Dinkelman (commit)

Breakdown: Another early commitment, Dinkelman was a bit of a surprise when he pulled the trigger for the Tigers earlier this year. Since then, LSU has offered several other quarterbacks, including in-state prospect Justin Rogers and four-star Jack Tuttle. This weekend, Lawrence will be in town, so it’s clear LSU isn’t done recruiting at the position.

Number of offers: 10

Top target: Justin Rogers

Breakdown: Mississippi State has taken the shotgun approach to quarterback recruiting. With 10 offers already floating around, it is bound to hit somewhere. Landing Lawrence is a pipe-dream for the Bulldogs but they have a serious shot with other highly ranked players. The Bulldogs have had success with Louisiana quarterbacks before (see Dak Prescott) and Rivals100 quarterback Justin Rogers is considering Mississippi State, as is Texas-based option Jalen Mayden. It will be interesting to see how far down the offer list Dan Mullen and company have to go as National Signing Day 2018 nears.

Number of offers: 12

Top target: Jack Tuttle

Breakdown: Missouri has offered Lawrence as well, but don’t seem to be pushing for his commitment because it likely sees it as a fruitless effort. The Tigers are, however, in play for Tuttle, who has visited campus. Mizzou’s current season probably isn’t helping matters, so just how serious Tuttle is about the Tigers remains to be seen. If MU misses out on Tuttle, there are no shortage of backup options.

Number of offers: 11

Top target: Rogers

Breakdown: Having all but waived the white flag on Lawrence, Rogers is the next-highest-ranked quarterback with an Ole Miss offer. The Rebels have a solid shot of landing the Louisiana-based prospect, but a looming NCAA investigation could shake things up. Georgia-based quarterback Justin Fields is also a nice option for Ole Miss.

Number of offers: 9

Top target: Dakereon Joyner

Breakdown: The Gamecocks are approaching double-digit offers but they make no bones about Joyner being the priority at the position in the 2018 class. The versatile athlete plays quarterback for his high school team, but is being recruited by several programs as an athlete. With freshman Jake Bentley established as the long-term answer at the position, South Carolina could bring in Joyner and give him time to develop.

Number of offers: 7

Top target: Justin Fields

Breakdown: The Vols made runs at both Lawrence and Jones, but have focused on Fields as a priority as the fall has moved along. Fields has received several new offers, but Tennessee’s loyalty may pay dividends when it comes time for him to make a decision. If Fields ends up elsewhere, state of Florida prospect Michael Penix, Jr. could become the next man on Tennessee’s list.

Number of offers: 6

Top target: Cade Fortin (commit)

Breakdown: The Aggies surprised many when they took an early commitment from Fortin, who is still developing as a passer. But with him already on board, it gives the Aggies a chance to take a more measured approach when looking at adding a second name to the class. Of the other quarterbacks the Aggies have offered, all but Lawrence is currently committed.

Number of offers: 7

Top target: Tuttle

Breakdown: The Commodores already missed out on the likes of West and Fortin but are hoping to pull a major upset when it comes to Tuttle. It’s likely an uphill battle so the school is also looking at Allan Walters out of New Jersey and Adrian Martinez out of California. The Commodores' offensive struggles haven’t helped their prospects, but with several offers out they will still likely land a quality player at the position.