From B+ to D, here's how I grade SEC football transfer quarterbacks | Toppmeyer
The quarterback carousel twirled inside the SEC this offseason. As many as five or more teams from the nation’s supreme football conference may start a quarterback who played elsewhere last fall.
That includes College Football Playoff hopeful Alabama. If Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner wins the job, he’ll become the first transfer quarterback to start for Nick Saban since Jake Coker in 2015.
Here’s a report card for six notable transfer quarterback acquisitions within the SEC.
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Devin Leary, Kentucky
Grade: B+
Previous school: North Carolina State
Leary follows in Will Levis’ wake to keep the transfer quarterback express rolling into Mark Stoops’ program. Levis received bountiful NFL draft hype entering last season, but Leary’s 2021 production at North Carolina State outranks anything Levis achieved. A pectoral injury cut Leary’s 2022 season short, but he said this spring he’s “in great shape” following surgery and that his arm “feels really, really good.” If that’s the case, expect him to be really, really good for UK. He threw 35 touchdowns with five interceptions two years ago. Leary possesses the ability to be the best quarterback of the Stoops era, but UK must fortify its offensive line.
Payton Thorne, Auburn
Grade: C+
Previous school: Michigan State
Hugh Freeze seized a quarterback with two years of starting experience during the spring transfer window. That's good news after Auburn whiffed on adding a transfer quarterback in the winter. The downside is Thorne threw 21 interceptions the past two seasons. Assemble talent around Thorne, and he looks good. See 2021, when Michigan State went 11-2. Put too much on his shoulders, and he’ll struggle. See ’22, when Sparty regressed to 5-7. Thorne upgrades AU’s quarterback situation as compared to the Bryan Harsin era.
Tyler Buchner, Alabama
Grade: C
Previous school: Notre Dame
Saban decided he needed another option after evaluating Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson throughout the spring. Insert a former top-100 recruit who played for offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and knows his system. A dual threat, Buchner was responsible for five touchdowns in Notre Dame’s bowl win over South Carolina. That’s the bullish outlook. But, we can't ignore that Buchner transferred because he was going to be Notre Dame’s backup, and he’s thrown eight interceptions on 118 career attempts. Ball insecurity won’t jive with Saban. It’s one of the reasons Alabama shopped for a transfer in the first place. Buchner’s arrival should not erase Milroe’s opportunity to start.
Spencer Sanders, Ole Miss
Grade: C
Previous school: Oklahoma State
This grade would be better if I knew Sanders would be 100% healthy. Sanders, a fifth-year senior, went 46-6 in four seasons as Oklahoma State’s starter. You won’t find many college quarterbacks who have taken as many snaps as him. He’s the kind of dual-threat talent who can thrive in Lane Kiffin’s offense. Sanders is a tough cookie, but he’s coming off a career-worst season that was impeded by a shoulder injury. The injury affected Sanders throughout the spring, making it “very challenging” on him, Kiffin said, but he played well in the spring game. Jaxson Dart retains the pole position for the starting job. Ole Miss also added LSU transfer Walker Howard. He's not graded here because he's viewed more as a quarterback of the future than of the now.
Graham Mertz, Florida
Grade: D
Previous school: Wisconsin
The Gators’ quarterback situation would be more deflating without Mertz. That’s indictment on Florida's precarious standing at the position rather than an endorsement of the former Badger, who completed 58.4% of his passes the past two seasons. Mertz failed to reach 100 yards passing in three games last season. In 2021, he endured a five-game stretch without reaching 115 yards passing in any game. The Gators were stuck in neutral in their spring game. The Fun ‘N’ Gun has left Gainesville, and that could result in coach Billy Napier feeling under the gun.
Jake Garcia, Missouri
Grade: D
Previous school: Miami
Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in April that incumbent Brady Cook remains the favorite to start. That’s understandable when you consider Garcia transferred after a redshirt freshman season that saw him complete 15 of 31 passes for 125 yards in a slugfest against Virginia. The competition grows tougher in the SEC. Garcia signed with the Hurricanes as a blue-chip prospect, but that recruiting ranking has lost its luster.
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: From Alabama football to Ole Miss, grading SEC's transfer quarterbacks
