Goodman: The SEC has a quarterback problem this spring

This is an opinion column.

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Hugh Freeze wants to keep expectations low at Auburn, and so in that the Tigers’ new coach succeeded on Saturday in Auburn’s A-Day exhibition.

His predecessor, who wasn’t a very smart guy in the ways of SEC football, told Auburn fans to “just watch.” Oof. Freeze’s philosophy in his team’s first A-Day seemed to be “please just don’t watch,” and the weather even gave him some cover, too. Freeze said he wanted his quarterbacks to air it all out, but, shucks, it rained.

The three guys at quarterback for Auburn — none of which are anywhere close to being as good as, say, Bo Nix — combined for five total completions on 12 total attempts. Maybe next time, Auburn fans, and with a different quarterback who’s not even on campus yet.

What’s the big takeaway from A-Day? It all felt like a net positive despite the weather and despite the quarterbacks and despite no one even really knowing what was going on with the running clock and confusing format. A-Day was played in a cold rain, and I’m not sure how they kept score, and it ended in a tie between Team Offense and Team Defense, 24-24, but none of that mattered in the end because any spring practice on the Plains is a massive victory with former coach Bryan Harsin gone-oft-back to wherever it is he now calls home.

Idaho? Mexico? Hasta luego.

I’ll take the potential for double pneumonia and five completed passes over Harsin every time. At least with Freeze Auburn now has a shot.

Freeze doesn’t know if his starting quarterback for this fall is even on campus yet, but look around the SEC before calling Auburn a hopeless rebuilding project for the 2023 season. Do any teams in the SEC have surefire, SEC/national championship quarterbacks? Jayden Daniels of LSU? Don’t tell that to Texas A&M.

It’s too early to make any predictions, but the SEC has a quarterback problem this spring and that’s great news for a coach like Freeze. He has a pretty good track record of doing more with less at that position. I asked Freeze if he was open to bringing in another quarterback to compete Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley and Holden Geriner. Affirmative.

“The transfer portal opens soon,” Freeze said, and we are open to any position that would help us improve our team as long as they fit within the culture, and that includes the quarterback room.” Freeze said.

Love Freeze at Auburn or not, but he’s a smart guy who specializes in quarterbacks. Don’t you find it pretty interesting that a smart coach who specializes in quarterbacks hasn’t brought one single quarterback to Auburn despite the new transfer rules and Auburn’s enormous and always-growing war chest of an associated NIL collective? Affirmative.

In this modern game, what do teams need out of a quarterback to win the league?

“Well, I think you’ve got to have somebody who can make the throws in tight coverage, and you’ve got to have receivers who can get open in them, too,” Freeze said. “I think we’re looking for some of that consistency in both spots. There are going to be some games where they just stop the run, and you’re going to have to make some throws to win the game, and we’re not proven in the room that we have that any of those have done that.

“I’m not saying they can’t. I’m not down on them. I think we can win games with these guys, but should a guy become available that is a dynamic guy that we think is already a proven commodity of doing that, I think we would at least have to look at that.”

Someone like Oregon’s Bo Nix, in other words, just to name a good quarterback who might still be familiar to Auburn fans.

Auburn doesn’t know who’s going to play quarterback this fall, but the Tigers are not alone in worrying about the current projected depth chart. Name a quarterback returning to the SEC for this spring who is better than, just throwing out a random name again, Bo Nix. Short answer: There aren’t any. Long answer: Enjoy the spring while it lasts.

KENTUCKY

Spring game: No spring game this year (stadium renovation).

The QB room in a word: Searching. Will Levis is gone to the NFL Draft, and so the Wildcats picked up N.C. State transfer Devin Leary. Leary is no sure thing, although he was excellent in 2021 (35 TD passes/five interceptions). He was injured last season (torn pectoral) and only appeared in six games.

MIZZOU

Spring game: Played indoors due to weather on March 18.

The QB room in a word: Healing. Projected starter Brady Cook (13 games in 2022) missed the spring after having surgery on his throwing shoulder, so it’s wait-and-see time for Mizzou. Cook led Mizzou to the victory against Arkansas, so he’s not without potential if he returns healthy. The other options are Sam Horn (a better baseball prospect) and Jake Garcia (Miami transfer).

AUBURN

Spring game: Played on Saturday.

The QB room in a word: Learning. It’ll come down to whether or not new coach Hugh Freeze thinks the current quarterbacks can develop enough to win in the SEC. Robby Ashford (12 games in 2022) flashed signs of his potential last season in the Iron Bowl, but his skills as a passer (49.2 percent ) need to improve. TJ Finley (four games in 2022) had one touchdown pass to four interceptions.

VANDERBILT

Spring game: Played on Saturday.

The QB room in a word: Deserted. AJ Swann is the projected starter after Mike Wright transferred to Mississippi State. It was Wright who led the ‘Dores to late-season victories against Kentucky and Florida. Swann was injured down the stretch in 2022, and finished with 10 touchdown passes to two interceptions. His one victory as a starter was against Northern Illinois (four touchdown passes).

FLORIDA

Spring game: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 13 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Midwest. Graham Mertz (Kansas native) is the new senior transfer from Wisconsin. Jack Miller III is a year removed from transferring down from Ohio State. Redshirt freshman Max Brown is from Tulsa. Who will replace Anthony Richardson? Looks like it’s Mertz’s job to lose. He left the Badgers with two years of eligibility when Luke Fickell (formerly of Cincinnati) was named the new coach. Good luck, Billy Napier, in your first quarterback decision at never-satisfied Florida.

ARKANSAS

Spring game: noon, Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Solid. By many, KJ Jefferson is considered the best returning quarterback in the SEC. OK, fine, but what does that even mean at this point? Jefferson won seven games in 2022. Best SEC win: Ole Miss. Worst SEC loss: Missouri. He accounted for 33 touchdowns in 2022, which is most of any returning quarterback including Jayden Daniels of LSU (29). Even with Arkansas there are plenty of questions, though. The Hogs only won seven games in 2022. Oh, and Dan Enos was hired as offensive coordinator after Kendal Briles left for the same position at TCU.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Spring game: noon, Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Transitioning. Will Rogers is back, but Mike Wright also transferred in from Mississippi State. It’s Rogers’ team, and he’ll lead the Bulldogs’ offense in the transition between Mike Leach’s signature Air Raid attack and the spread offense implemented by new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay (Appalachian State, 2022).

TENNESSEE

Spring game: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Patient. How much remains unknown in the SEC this spring? I’m willing to consider career backup Joe Milton III one of the best quarterbacks in the league until further notice. Milton III first featured at quarterback for Michigan in the 2018 season. He’s now the projected starter after outgoing quarterback Hendon Hooker helped coach Josh Heupel bring Tennessee back from obscurity. Milton was great in the Orange Bowl (three touchdown passes) against Clemson. Five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava (Long Beach, California) is the big name after being one of the first quarterbacks out of high school to sign a lucrative NIL deal.

OLE MISS

Spring game: 2 p.m., Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Transient. Lane Kiffin remains the transfer king, but we’re not sure that’s a good thing after how Ole Miss finished 2022 (five losses in six games). The spring quarterback battle is between returning starter Jaxson Dart, transfer Spencer Sanders of Oklahoma State and transfer Will Howard of LSU. Dart was a four-year starter for the Pokes, but averaged 10 interceptions per season. Dart (20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions in 2022) began his career at USC.

GEORGIA

Spring game: 3 p.m., Saturday, April 15 (ESPN2)

The QB room in a word: Expectations. Replacing Stetson Bennett II shouldn’t be too hard. That’s the general fan consensus out of Athens, at least. Reality tells a different story. Carson Beck was the leader entering spring after backing up Bennett. Redshirt sophomore Brock Vandagriff, who grew up an Auburn fan, has been around for two national championships at this point. Gunner Stockton is the new five-star in his first spring. Good luck.

TEXAS A&M

Spring game: 3 p.m., Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Extra. Look, Haynes King was supposed to be everything for Texas A&M last season, and he was a bust. Now he’s at Georgia Tech. Jimbo Fisher brought in Bobby Petrino to be the offensive coordinator, but then said recently that all offenses are basically the same. Texas A&M is so … extra. Conner Weigman? He’s supposed to be the next Haynes King, or something like that. Forever backup Max Johnson will be on standby.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Spring game: 6 p.m., Saturday, April 15 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Prolific. Just not in the way South Carolina would like. Returning starter Spencer Rattler had 18 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions for South Carolina. That’s the most interceptions of any returning starter in the SEC. Tanner Bailey of Gordo High School redshirted in 2022 and he’s worth watching.

LSU

Spring game: 1 p.m., Saturday, April 22 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Proven. Jayden Daniels has the best preseason odds among SEC quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy, but it’s not like he’s a favorite to win the award. There are seven other quarterbacks from outside the SEC ahead of him. Daniels passed for 17 touchdowns last season to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns and one receiving. His most important stat of all? He only threw three interceptions.

ALABAMA

Spring game: 2 p.m., Saturday, April 22 (ESPN+)

The QB room in a word: Pressure. Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson are battling it out to be the next quarterback to follow these names: Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young. Milroe played well on the road against Arkansas as an emergency backup and then threw three touchdowns to one interception in the victory against Texas A&M. It appears like he can handle the pressure, which is a major part of the job. Simpson remains an unknown.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama”, a book about togetherness, hope and rum. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.