There is a lot of uncertainty at the most important position in the SEC. At least half of the quarterback jobs are at least somewhat up for grabs heading into 2015, and how those battles are resolved will go a long way toward determining the success of the league.
We'll break down seven of those battles and predict who will come out on top.
Alabama
Edward Aschoff: This is Jake Coker's last chance to prove he’s up to playing at Bama, and with a year to sit and learn under his belt, he’ll be more prepared to tackle Lane Kiffin’s offense. He’ll go from unprepared to the man this spring. Honestly, we can’t take much from what he did in very limited duty last season, so we’re having to go off hype still -- which is true about all of Bama’s quarterbacks. However, he is the only QB with a collegiate pass attempt on the roster. We’ve heard about Coker’s arm talent, and he’ll finally show it off in 2015.
Alex Scarborough: There are no frontrunners. There are no favorites. Not this time, at least. Because if we learned anything from last year's QB battle, it's that nothing can be taken for granted. So rather than going all in on Jake Coker again, I'm taking the field. And it's not that Coker isn't talented enough, because he is. But I'm not sure he's got the "it" factor. I'm not sure he can read the field and sense the pressure well enough to thwart SEC defenses. Besides, there are a number of other contenders to choose from, three of whom were top QB prospects coming out of high school.
Florida
Edward Aschoff: This is one of the league’s most intriguing battles, and I’m going with Will Grier. The redshirt freshman had to get bigger and wiser than he was as a frosh but will be front and center this spring along with Treon Harris. All we know about Grier is he had a fantastic high school career, but there are some who think he’s more suited than Harris to run Jim McElwain’s offense. Grier has a big arm, is athletic enough to make plays with his feet, and will be the more polished passer and playmaker this spring.
Sam Khan Jr.: Having experience is beneficial. Treon Harris has that with nine games and six starts under his belt. Getting thrown into the fire midseason is tough for any backup quarterback, much less a true freshman in the SEC. The grit Harris showed while stepping in for Jeff Driskel was admirable. Yes, he was far from perfect, and the stat sheet wasn’t always pretty, but he showed promise. His dual-threat ability is useful for an offense trying to find its footing.
Georgia
Edward Aschoff: This one should be fun to watch for a team that could be a quarterback away from winning more than just the SEC East. Jacob Park was a big-time prospect last year, and with a year to sit and learn -- coupled with his athleticism -- I smell an upset. Brice Ramsey is talented and more experienced, but Park’s footwork and playmaking ability will give him a couple of advantages going forward. Park not only gives the Bulldogs another running option, but he has good poise both under center and in the shotgun and adds an impressive arm.
Chris Low: Mark Richt is on record as saying there will be an open competition at quarterback, and while the Bulldogs might not have their answer overnight, Brice Ramsey will separate himself as the clear No. 1. A redshirt sophomore, Ramsey has the edge in experience, having played in eight games last season. We've seen enough of Ramsey to know he has incredible arm strength and the confidence in that arm to use the entire field. He was up and down at times last season, but that's to be expected from a first-year backup. Ramsey fits the Dawgs' preferred mold of a pro-style passer and should be especially effective in the play-action game with defenses being so leery of Nick Chubb.
LSU
David Ching: Honestly, I have no idea who will win this competition. I was sure it would eventually be Brandon Harris last fall and was incorrect. Harris is the more intriguing player because we haven’t seen enough of him. Anthony Jennings started 12 of 13 games last season, so we have a better idea of his capabilities and shortcomings. He’s sharp, mature, and seems like the kind of guy you want in your huddle, but Jennings is not as talented as his competitor. LSU’s offense would be more dangerous with Harris under center -- assuming he proves he is mature enough for that responsibility.
Greg Ostendorf: LSU fans are hoping and praying Harris starts next season, but what has he proven? He had a couple good games early against Sam Houston State and New Mexico State last season, but when he got his chance to start an SEC game on the road, he was dreadful. Jennings isn’t spectacular. He probably never will be. But he’s played in big games, made big throws and knows this offense better than any other quarterback on the roster. Les Miles has a tendency to go with experience, and there's no reason that will change this fall.
Ole Miss
Greg Ostendorf: This is Chad Kelly’s job to lose. He followed a similar path as the recently departed Bo Wallace, coming over from East Mississippi Community College after running into trouble at his first stop. And just like Wallace, he has the talent to win the job from Day 1. The only thing standing in his way is him. If he can stay out of trouble, there’s no reason he won’t be starting come September. Kelly, the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, threw for 3,906 yards and 47 touchdowns last year.
Alex Scarborough: It's not that I don't trust Chad Kelly. I could bury that gut feeling if I had to. The problem is his coach seems to hold the same concern. Just take Hugh Freeze's comments on signing day: “I’m sure hoping and pray like heck that he doesn’t embarrass our team, our university and myself. But that is a possibility.” That, my friends, is the opposite of a ringing endorsement. Besides, I'm not sold on his ability. Sure, he lit up junior college, but that's not enough to make a career. He has a grand total of 17 career pass attempts at the FBS level. Give me DeVante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan. They might not have the hype, but they might have the substance.
South Carolina
David Ching: He’s hardly a lock, but Connor Mitch looks like the early favorite. The former ESPN 300 prospect was Dylan Thompson’s backup last season but threw just six passes. Steve Spurrier was adamant that Thompson had to stay healthy for the offense to be successful, so he was clearly not sold on his alternatives. That means Mitch will have to fight for this job, but he seems like the best option over competitors Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia and freshman Lorenzo Nunez, who won’t arrive until the summer.
Chris Low: Spurrier has never been predictable when it choosing his trigger man. That's why incoming freshman Lorenzo Nunez has a real chance to be the starter in 2015. He won't be on campus until this summer and needs to develop as a passer, but Spurrier loves Nunez's athletic ability and believes a quarterback who can run and extend the play is a huge advantage. The Gamecocks sold Nunez on being the next Connor Shaw. If Nunez can come in and learn the playbook pretty quickly, he'll be front and center in the South Carolina quarterback battle.
Vanderbilt
Edward Aschoff: It’s anyone’s guess who will come win this race, but I’m going with Johnny McCrary. He started the final five games of the season. Vandy won two of its last six games with McCrary playing. He led the team with 985 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns, but also threw eight interceptions. He was far from perfect and has a long way to go, but if he can develop as a passer, his ability to make plays with his legs will help give him an advantage.
Alex Scarborough: Ah, a rare QB race with no true favorite. It's sort of refreshing. But at the same time, it's troubling. Because at the end of the day, six quarterbacks took snaps for Vanderbilt in 2014 and none of them had anything remotely described as success. So with such dire circumstances, I'll do what I'd advise against nine times out of 10: Take the newbie. Give me Kyle Shurmur, the No. 7 pocket passer in the 2015 class. He looks the part, too, with ideal size and a strong arm. There will be some growing pains, of course, but for a program that's building for the future, why not let him learn on the job?