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Published May 17, 2023
Evaluating Tennessee SEC opponents' quarterbacks
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Noah Taylor  •  VolReport
Managing Editor
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@ByNoahTaylor

The SEC is littered with new quarterbacks in 2023, including Tennessee.

Hendon Hooker is in the NFL after two record-breaking seasons leading the Vols' offense and Joe Milton III returns as the unquestioned leader of the group.

Several of Tennessee's opponents are in similar situations after the departure of successful signal callers that they're tasked with replacing while other teams are set at the position.

Here is a look at the projected quarterbacks of the conference teams the Vols will face this season.

FLORIDA

Anthony Richardson had an up and down season at Florida in 2022.

Though undeniably physically gifted, Richardson struggled with consistency. He gave Tennessee fits and led the Gators to an upset of Utah in Week 1 but looked pedestrian in other outings.

After going fourth overall in the NFL Draft, Florida added to the position from the transfer portal, bringing in Graham Mertz from Wisconsin to compliment Jack Miller, a former Ohio State transfer himself.

For the time being, it's uncertain which player will head up Florida's offense and both quarterbacks left much to be desired in the Gators' spring game last month. Miller is entering his second season with the program.

Miller missed much of last season with a thumb injury but went 13-of-22 passing for 180 yards in his lone start in a 30-3 loss to Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Mertz brings plenty of experience having appeared in 34 games over the last four seasons but struggled in his last two years at Wisconsin.

Florida head coach Billy Napier alluded to bringing another quarterback from the portal after the spring but with the window closed and not a lot of options available, it seems Mertz and Miller are the two that will be competing for the starting job.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Spencer Rattler improved over the second half of the 2022 season, including an impressive showing versus Tennessee in the second to last game of the regular season.

Rattler passed for 438 yards and six touchdowns in the Gamecocks' 63-38 win and followed it up by tossing for another 360 yards and two scores in an upset of Clemson the following week.

In his first season since transferring from Oklahoma, Rattler totaled 3,026 yards and 18 touchdowns with 13 of those coming in South Carolina's last five games. It will be interesting to see if can build off of that finish after throwing 12 interceptions last season.

Behind him is redshirt junior Luke Doty and highly touted freshman LaNorris Sellers. Doty has appeared in 15 games over the last three seasons at South Carolina, including three games last season where he combined for 146 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The 6-foot-3, 232-pound Sellers was a four-star prospect in the 2023 signing class that the Gamecocks are expecting to be their future leader at quarterback, so he has a chance to see the field some this season.

TEXAS A&M

Texas A&M struggled on offense last season.

The Aggies ranked 93rd nationally in total offense and 86th in passing offense behind an unstable quarterbacks room that included Haynes King, Max Johnson and Conner Weigman.

King transferred to Georgia Tech but Johnson and Weigman return. Johnson, who initially transferred to Texas A&M from LSU, started three games and appeared in four, throwing for 517 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury against Mississippi State in the fourth game of the season.

Weigman was a four-star in the 2022 class and flashed a lot of potential in a tough situation, having to play a big role in five games. He led the Aggies to a 38-23 upset of LSU at the end of the season where he went 12-of-18 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

He finished the season with 896 yards and eight scores and has a chance to be the Aggies starter in 2023. Weigman will also have a new offensive coordinator to play for in embattled former Arkansas and Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino who was hired by Jimbo Fisher this offseason to turnaround Texas A&M's offense.



ALABAMA

Alabama enters the offseason with a surprising amount of uncertainty at quarterback.

The Crimson Tide lost 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young, who went as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft following a stellar collegiate career, leaving behind a void to fill.

During spring practices, the room included Jalen Milroe and former five-star Ty Simpson with both competing for the starting job. Milroe played in eight games last season and even started one against Texas A&M with Young out with an injury.

He passed for nearly 300 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for another 263 yards and a score.

Simpson's contributions were limited, appearing in just four games while retaining his redshirt, but he joined the program as a highly touted recruit in the 2022 class.

Nick Saban added another quarterback from the transfer portal after spring in Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame after he accounted for 651 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions as a sophomore. He reunites with first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who was also previously at Notre Dame.

KENTUCKY

Will Levis joined the list of former SEC quarterbacks that were taken in the draft after two seasons at Kentucky.

Mark Stoops and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Liam Coen who is set to begin his second stint with the Wildcats this season made a splash in the transfer portal by adding Devin Leary from NC State.

Leary played four seasons with the Wolfpack and started 26 games. He accounted for 1,265 passing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 and was regarded as one of the best quarterbacks available in the portal.

Despite having his senior season at NC State cut short with an ACL tear, Leary participated in spring practices at Kentucky and is expected to be the starter, though the room also includes sophomore Kaiya Sheron who played sparingly last season with 187 passing yards and two touchdowns and former 2022 four-star and redshirt freshman Destin Wade.

MISSOURI

Brady Cook started all 13 games as a sophomore for Missouri last season.

He passed for 2,724 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 585 yards. Cook missed spring practices after undergoing shoulder surgery in December though he should be available by the 2023 season.

Freshman Sam Horn was a former four-star prospect in the 2022 class and is back after a redshirt season in which he appeared in just one game.

Former Miami quarterback Jake Garcia joined the team from the transfer portal earlier this offseason and totaled 803 passing yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions with the Hurricanes as a redshirt freshman last season.

GEORGIA

Stetson Bennett led Georgia to back-to-back national championships as a former walk on but now heads for the NFL.

Carson Beck was highly touted recruit in the 2020 class and is entering his third season with the program after redshirting in 2020.

Beck playing time to this point has been limited. He passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns last season but has a good shot to be the Bulldogs' starting signal caller this season.

He'll be competing with former 2021 five-star Brock Vandagriff who is now a redshirt sophomore and appeared in two games last season. Gunnar Stockton was four-star prospect in the 2022 class that redshirted last season but will also vie for playing time but Beck seemed like the leader of the group exiting spring practice.

He went 15-of-22 passing for 231 yards and one touchdown in Georgia's spring game in April.

VANDERBILT

Vanderbilt made a late push toward bowl eligibility late season with wins over Kentucky and Florida but fell short at five wins.

At least part of that turnaround in Clark Lea's second season as head coach can be credited to quarterback A.J. Swann who tossed for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games.

Swann impressed as a freshman, earning the start over veteran quarterback Mike Wright in six games and provides the Commodores' offense with some optimism going into his sophomore season.

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