SEC quarterbacks 2024 ranked: Why Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava is No. 2 after one start | Adams
The SEC has become a quarterback-rich conference in recent years. That has been apparent in both the Heisman Trophy voting and the NFL draft.
LSU quarterbacks have won two of the past five Heisman Trophies. Joe Burrow won it in 2019 after leading the Tigers to an unbeaten season and national championship. Jayden Daniels won it this past season even though LSU lost three games.
The 2023 draft was another testament to how impressive SEC quarterbacking has become. Alabama’s Bryce Young was the No. 1 overall pick. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was the fourth player picked. Other SEC quarterbacks drafted: Kentucky’s Will Levis, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett.
As good as SEC quarterbacking has been, it could be even better in 2024. That doesn't mean it's assured of producing another Heisman winner or No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But the depth of talent at the position has never been better.
Here’s how I rank SEC’s starting quarterbacks for 2024:
1. Carson Beck: Georgia’s quarterback is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and once he leaves Athens a probable high first-round draft pick .
He moves well in the pocket and can run for first downs when a play breaks down. He’s also poised under pressure, and there are some NFL quarterbacks who can’t match his accuracy.
Something else I like about Beck: As a first-time starter, he kept getting better as the season went along. With all the talent around him in 2024, he should be one of the Heisman favorites.
2. Nico Iamaleava: How can I rank Tennessee’s 6-foot-6 quarterback ahead of so many proven players at the position?
Answer: Because I watched his first college start against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. Those effortless, cross-the-field throws and his running instincts can’t be ignored. He’s a natural who should be an immediate star as a redshirt freshman.
3. Jalen Milroe: The Alabama quarterback can create enough offense on his own to beat some teams. His speed and power make him one of the SEC’s greatest open-field running threats regardless of position.
He’s not yet a polished passer. But neither was former Longhorns quarterback Vince Young, who won a Heisman Trophy and led them to the 2005 national championship.
4. Quinn Ewers: Texas’ returning starter made the right decision not leaving for the NFL draft. He’s a talented passer – and mobile as well – which makes him a good fit for coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense. But he can get better.
5. Jaxson Dart: His talent was apparent when he won a starting job at Ole Miss after transferring from Southern California before the 2022 season. But he showed marked improvement in 2022 by cutting down on his mistakes. With Ole Miss’ talented receiving corps, he could have his best season in 2024.
6. Brady Cook: He was one of the big reasons Missouri went 11-2 this past season. He can beat a defense running or throwing and has an elite go-to receiver in Luther Burden. His success can be attributed to toughness as much as talent.
7. Jackson Arnold: The transfer of star quarterback Dillon Gabriel might devastate most offenses. But Oklahoma is confident in Arnold, who made his first start in a loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl. He threw three interceptions but passed for 361 yards.
8. Garrett Nussmeier: He waited for two years behind Jayden Daniels before becoming LSU’s starter. He might not run like Daniels (what quarterback can?), but no one questions his throwing ability.
9. Graham Mertz: The Wisconsin transfer was better than billed and proved to be one of the nation’s most accurate passers in his first season at Florida.
The big question: Can the Gators give him enough help?
10. Connor Weigman: The Texas A&M quarterback showed promise in his second season before he incurred a foot injury in a victory over Auburn in late September. He didn’t play again in 2023.
11. Brock Vandagriff: He's the third consecutive transfer quarterback to sign with Kentucky. First came Levis, then Devin Leary and now Vandagriff, a former Georgia quarterback. The Wildcats should hope he’s more like Levis than Leary.
12. Blake Shapen: New Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby runs a quarterback-friendly offense, which helps explain why Baylor quarterback Shapen joined the Bulldogs. He passed for 2,188 yards in eight games last season.
13. Payton Thorne: The Michigan State transfer returns as Auburn's starting quarterback after completing 62.6 % of his passes and rushing for 520 yards last season.
14. Taylen Green: Arkansas lost one quarterback (KJ Jefferson) to the transfer portal but gained another in the Boise State transfer. Like Jefferson, Green will give them a running threat.
But he completed only 57.1 percent of his passes and had almost as many interceptions (nine) as touchdown passes (11).
15. Nate Johnson: Three Vanderbilt quarterbacks transferred after the 2023 season, which makes me wonder if the former Utah dual-threat quarterback had a clue what lay ahead when he joined the Commodores. His running ability should serve him well behind Vanderbilt’s offensive line.
The Commodores also signed another dual-threat quarterback in New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia, who's capable of beating out Johnson. Pavia completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,973 yards last season and has totaled 1,431 yards rushing the past two seasons.
ADAMS: Will Josh Heupel's QB luck with Tennessee football go beyond Nico Iamaleava?
16. LaNorris Sellers: I’m not saying South Carolina is desperate to find a replacement for Spencer Rattler, but it signed former Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford as a transfer.
Sellers, who was highly recruited as a dual-threat quarterback in the 2023 class, might be a better bet to start.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SEC quarterback rankings: Carson Beck No. 1, Nico Iamaleavea No. 2
