The Quarterback Conundrum in the SEC

by Brendan Paschal 

Normally after Week 3 teams have settled down and you know what to expect for the rest of the season. The quarterback battles have been decided, the offense starts to catch a rhythm, and there should be no more surprises. However, that has not proved to be the case this year in the SEC. There is a quarterback conundrum in the SEC.

Week 3 brought more concerns and question marks for a lot of teams in the SEC. South Carolina, Kentucky, and now Florida have lost their returning starter from 2018 to season ending injuries. Right when Arkansas and Mississippi State fans thought they had their guy they get benched.

There are only four schools in the SEC where 2019 should be a year of elite quarterback play. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Missouri all have phenomenal quarterbacks. I’m sure we will focus more on how good these guys are throughout the season, but this is not what this article is going to focus on. Furthermore, there are several of starting quarterbacks who have solidified their starting role such as Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. In other words, if your team is not mentioned below consider it a good thing.

The Quarterback Conundrum in the SEC

Frankless Florida

Feleipe Franks broke his leg late in the third quarter against Kentucky. Down 21-10 backup and true freshman, Kyle Trask, took over. Trask proceeded to lead the Gators back into the game and eventually win it. He looked poised and made some great plays. He might be a better quarterback than Franks, who did not look good against competent defenses. Against Miami Franks threw two interceptions and lost the ball on a fumble, and then threw interception and added another fumble against Kentucky. Dan Mullen is known for being a quarterback guru, but Franks did not look much improved from last season. With five touchdowns compared to his five turnovers Franks was struggling. You never want to see a player go down with an injury, and I hope he will make a strong comeback. Yet, the Gators might be better off with a true freshman in the pocket.

Trask was thrusted into the game, however, and didn’t have time to let any nerves creep up on him. The true test will be next week against a struggling Tennessee team to see if Trask has what it takes. The Vols have a lot to prove in this game, so it will be interesting if Florida lets them hang in this game. Furthermore, look to see if Mullen will trust Trask with the ball or if he calls a lot automatic run plays.

Kentucky’s Issue

The Cats also played with their backup quarterback after Terry Wilson went down last week. Simply put, the Troy transfer did not look good. To Sawyer Smith’s defense, this Florida defense is outstanding, but throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in a single game is underwhelming to say the least. Kentucky’s situation might be the biggest quarterback conundrum in the SEC.

South Carolina’s Answer

Ryan Hilinski should be nicknamed “The Answer.” Because he is the answer to a lot of Gamecock fan’s questions. Losing Jake Bentley after week 1 made a lot of South Carolina fans nervous. Sure, Bentley had his ups and downs, but when Bentley was at his best he was electrifying. Thrusting a true freshman into this kind of schedule was never ideal, but to Hilinski’s credit, this kid is a fantastic. He makes the right reads, puts the right touch on the ball, and has quality pocket presence. Hilinski is the answer for the future of this program. Will he make freshman mistakes against the best defenses in the country? Of course he will, but just remember Hilinski and Kellen Mond at Texas A&M are the only two quarterbacks who have to face Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia in the regular season.

The Mississippi State Mistake

Joe Moorhead brought in a guy he initially recruited while at Penn State. The PSU transfer Tommy Stevens takes the start job, only to get benched after a horrific performance against Kansas State. Freshman Garrett Shrader took over with a less than impressive performance, but nonetheless still better than Stevens. After the game Moorhead didn’t seem to push the blame on Stevens, but simply said he stiffened up after halftime and couldn’t make the same throws like he did in the first half. It’ll be interesting to see who Moorhead decides to start against Kentucky.

The Arkansas Seesaw

After getting replaced in the second half against Ole Miss Ben Hicks didn’t attempt a single pass in their week 3 blow out of Colorado State. On the other hand, Nick Starkel threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. It looks safe to say Starkel is the man for the Razorbacks, but don’t be surprised if Chad Morris is quick to replace if things go awry.