Where Auburn lands in Athlon Sports preseason SEC QB rankings

Graham Mertz will be given the task of replacing first round pick Anthony Richardson in Gainesville. Athlon Sports points out that Mertz doesn’t possess the skills that Richardson does, but he started 32 games at Wisconsin. So as long as he meshes well with Billy Napier’s offensive scheme, Mertz should be fine in this spot.

Will former five-star Jake Garcia thrive in Columbia? He transfers to Missouri in an effort to challenge incumbent Brady Cook for the starting quarterback job. If Garcia were to beat out Cook for the QB1 role, it would be the fourth time in as many seasons that Eli Drinkwitz has trotted out a different starter to start the season. Cook should win this job, but Athlon Sports says that Missouri chances of having a new starter are “far from zero.”

Mike Wright has joined Mississippi State’s roster, which means that it is now the AJ Swann show in Nashville. As a true freshman, Swann passed for 1,274 yards and ten touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. Athlon Sports says that Swann “showcased arm talent not seen on the west end since Jay Cutler’s career.” Can Swann lead Vanderbilt to a bowl game in 2023?

After being spoiled by the likes of Bryce Young, Tua Tagoviloa, and Jalen Hurts over the last several seasons, the Crimson Tide will have a solid quarterback battle on their hands heading into 2023. The competition will be between Ty Simpson, Jalen Milroe, and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner. Out of those three, Buchner has the better stats. However, Athlon Sports is projecting that Simpson will win the job. Like Auburn’s situation, expect Alabama to be higher by the end of the season.

Athlon Sports gives the starting nod to Conner Weigman over Max Johnson at Texas A&M. The Aggies have high expectations yet again, and Weigman should help his team reach those predictions by spreading the wealth to Moose Muhammad, Evan Stewart, and Ainias Smith.

Georgia has plenty of options following the departure of Stetson Bennett. Between Gunner Stockton, Brock Vandagriff, and Carson Beck, it appears that Beck will take the reigns of the Bulldogs offense. The transition should be a smooth one, as Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers return to Georgia’s receiving corps. The Bulldogs also added Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett from the transfer portal, which will be beneficial to Beck as he looks to lead his team to its third-straight national championship.

Ole Miss has quality depth at the quarterback position. The Rebels added Walker Howard and Spencer Sanders from the transfer portal, but the job is Jaxson Dart’s to lose. Ole Miss will look to replace two of their key starters at receiver – Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath – but Quinshon Judkins returns to running back, which will be a great complement to Dart.

Hendon Hooker is out, and Joe Milton III is in. Milton led Tennessee to an Orange Bowl win last season, and will have plenty of weapons to throw to as the Vols look to knock off Georgia for the SEC East crown.

After the departure of Will Levis to the NFL, the Wildcats look to keep the business going with NC State transfer Devin Leary. Sure, Leary is talented enough to lead the offensive himself but having all five offensive linemen back, as well as having two experienced receivers to throw to has given the Wildcats high expectations.

After leading the Gamecocks to eight wins last season, Spencer Rattler returns alongside top receiver Juice Wells. The only issue that Rattler will look to navigate through is that the Gamecocks are looking to replace three starters on the offensive line.

Zach Arnett is jumping into his first full season as the head coach at Mississippi State, and will have a great QB to get him started in Will Rogers. Rogers has passed for 10,689 yards and 82 touchdowns in three seasons. His production will take a hit this season as Mississippi State will go to a more balanced approach on offense, but Rogers should thrive still as Jaden Walley, Tulu Griffin, and Jo’quayvious Marks return with him.

Jayden Daniels returns after leading LSU to an SEC west championship in 2022. He looks to get the Tigers back to Atlanta this season alongside seven fellow returning offensive starters.

The top spot goes to Arkansas quarterback, KJ Jefferson. Jefferson is one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the country, and will look to continue his success under new offensive coordinator, Dan Enos.