By: Drayton Hogarth

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

While the Southeastern Conference has been the dominant football conference for years, now there is one question that is difficult to answer, “Where are all of the quarterbacks?”

Media and college football fans have been pontificating in recent seasons, why doesn’t the SEC have more viable field generals if it is the greatest conference in the country?

Well, Alabama’s Jalen Hurts, Jacob Eason at Georgia, Gamecock signal caller Jake Bentley, and Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson are all looking to change that perception as each of them now starts for their respective schools.

These true freshmen have come in and earned starting spots at four schools around the conference. Be it by outright winning the job from the beginning of the season or by taking over mid to late in the season, these young kids have come onto campus, honed their craft and have seized their opportunities to lead their teams both now and into the future.

Even though the conference has long had a history of both power offense with a defensive-minded foundation, the run of quarterbacks dates back well into the annals of time as Bart Starr, Joe Namath, and Fran Tarkenton are some of the historic NFL names that got their start in the SEC.

The tradition continued until the last four years or so. In particular, with the graduation of Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger after the 2013 season, the SEC had hit somewhat of a lull in top flight NFL caliber quarterbacks.

Well, good news football fans, or bad news if you are an SEC antagonist, the level of quarterback play in the SEC is about to hit a very high level; likely an all-time high.

When you talk SEC football, one may as well start with Alabama. And this topic is no different as Coach Nick Saban has entrusted his current team’s offense to the hands of a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in Jalen Hurts.

Hurts has stepped in for last season’s starter of the National Championship team, Jake Coker, and has seemingly brought an added dimension of the quarterback read option to the mix.

Hurts, along with a dynamic defense, has put Alabama right back at the forefront of the college football championship again this season.

Georgia Bulldog, Jacob Eason, has the eye of the NFL already. The huge 6’6” 240 pounder out of Lake Stephens, Washington, has the size and amazing arm strength that the NFL desires.

Statistically, Eason has been fairly steady. However, it is when the game is on the line that the young signal caller has elevated his game and seems to truly get dialed in with his receivers.

At South Carolina, Coach Will Muschamp gave young Jake Bentley the reigns after the Gamecocks struggled mightily for the first half of the season. Bentley has come in and pushed the Gamecocks to possible bowl eligibility by showing good poise and a willingness to hang tough and make plays. Bentley shows just enough mobility to keep defenses honest.

The latest true freshman to get the starting nod is Shea Patterson at Ole Miss. The Rebels have had a hugely disappointing season after entering with major championship aspirations.

Recently, leader and longtime starting quarterback Chad Kelly went down with a knee injury. Rebels coach Hugh Freeze went against the norm and pulled the redshirt off of Patterson, three quarters of the way through the season and despite a 4-5 record.

Patterson came in and actually led the Rebels to a major comeback over the Aggies of Texas A&M. Patterson would throw for over 350 yards in his debut, and would shine in the fourth quarter going 7/10 for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including a dramatic scramble and pass on one of those scores.

So everyone can relax and just sit back and enjoy (even more) these next three to four years of SEC football as the quarterback position is in very capable hands.