ESPN College Football

In conjunction with the 100-day countdown to the start of the 2013 college football season, ESPN's Stats & Info group has put together 100 numbers to know.

Not surprisingly, there are more than a few that might be of interest to SEC fans:

1. (Preseason No. 1): Who will be this year's AP Preseason No. 1? Whoever it is must overcome recent history. Only two teams in the BCS era have won the national title after being ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, 1999 Florida State and 2004 USC.

6. (Bear Bryant's national titles): No coach in the poll era (since 1936) has won more national championships than Alabama's Bear Bryant's six. In fact, no other coach has more than four. Nick Saban will go for his fifth this season.

7. (Jadeveon Clowney): Jersey number of South Carolina's freakish defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney, the top NFL prospect in college football and a serious threat to become the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997.

8. (SEC dominance continues?): Conference goes for its eighth straight BCS title.

9. (Nine-game SEC schedule?): Much has been made of the Big Ten announcing a nine-game conference schedule as part of its expansion. Though the SEC remains steadfast in its adherence to an eight-game conference slate, many people (including Nick Saban) have shown preference for adding a game as well.

20. (Aaron Murray touchdown passes needed): Aaron Murray needs 20 more touchdown passes to surpass Danny Wuerffel's SEC career record.

21. (Johnny Manziel rushing touchdowns): Heisman winner Johnny Manziel rushed for 21 touchdowns last season, second most by a quarterback in the FBS. Collin Klein had 23.

28. (Ole Miss recruits): Players signed by Ole Miss in its 2013 class. The Rebels landed two of the top five players in the ESPN 150 rankings, including the No. 1 overall recruit, DE Robert Nkemdiche.

38. (George Rogers' jersey number): South Carolina RB George Rogers wore No. 38 while amassing 1,894 yards and 14 scores en route to winning the 1980 Heisman Trophy.

55. (Alabama ESPN 150 recruits): The Tide have signed 55 players ranked in the ESPN 150 over the past five seasons, most of any school.

59. (Billy Cannon wins Heisman): LSU HB Billy Cannon won the Heisman Trophy in 1959 and led the Bayou Bengals to the Sugar Bowl. He remains the only Heisman winner in LSU history.

60. (Bowl appearances for Alabama): The Crimson Tide have appeared in 60 bowl games, the most in FBS history. Bama is 34-22-3 with one vacated victory in those games and has won four straight.

63. (SEC players drafted): The SEC has big holes to fill after a record 63 players were drafted in the 2013 NFL draft. No other conference had more than 31 players drafted.

66. (The Head Ball Coach as player): Steve Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy in 1966. He'70. (Percentage of Texas A&M's offense accounted by Johnny Manziel): Johnny Football accounted for more than 70 percent of Texas A&M's total offense en route to shattering the SEC record for total offense offense in a season.ll try to coach Jadeveon Clowney to the award and become the 12th head man to coach multiple Heisman winners.

82. (Bear's finale): Bear Bryant's legendary career came to a close in 1982 when he announced his retirement. His final game was a 21-15 win over Illinois in the Liberty Bowl, his 323rd career win. A month later, Bryant died of a massive heart attack.

85. (Bo knows): In 1985, Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and was named the SEC Player of the Year. In that year, he also batted .401 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs.

89. (Scary punt return): On Halloween night in 1959, with top-ranked LSU trailing third-ranked Ole Miss 3-0, LSU's Billy Cannon returned a punt 89 yards to give the Tigers a 7-3 win. It was perhaps the most famous punt return in NCAA history. Cannon would go on to win the Heisman Trophy that season.

92. (SEC changes college football landscape): In 1992, the SEC became the first conference to showcase a championship game. The first game was Dec. 5, 1992, when Alabama used a late Antonio Langham interception return to seal a 28-21 win over Florida and go on to win the national championship a few weeks later.

98. (The BCS is born): 1998 was the first season for the BCS, which will conclude in 2013. Tennessee won the first BCS national title in 1998.

Florida is the class of SEC athletics ... again.

For the 23rd time, the Gators have walked away with the SEC All-Sports Trophy as presented by the Halifax Media Group.

Florida won eight SEC championships this past year. Georgia was second, and Texas A&M was third in its first year in the league.

Florida won SEC titles in men's basketball, women's cross country, gymnastics, soccer, softball, men's swimming and diving, women's tennis and volleyball.

In the men's competition, Florida was also first followed by Alabama in second and Georgia in third.

It was the 13th time that Florida had swept all three titles. The Gators are the only school ever to sweep.

Here's a look at the overall standings:

1. Florida .7230
2. Georgia .6372
3. Texas A&M .6284
4. Tennessee .5491
5. Arkansas .5448
6. LSU .5225
7. Alabama .5023
8. South Carolina .4794
9. Kentucky .4730
10. Vanderbilt .4354
11. Missouri .4234
12. Auburn .3916
13. Ole Miss .3516
14. Mississippi State .3359

If the 2013 Rimington Trophy watch list is any indication, the SEC will be stout up the middle next season on the offensive line.

The Rimington Trophy is awarded each year to the top center in college football, and nine of the 44 players on the preseason watch list are from the SEC -- which is the most in the country.

Alabama's Barrett Jones won the award last season.

Here's a look at the nine SEC centers on the 2013 list:

• David Andrews, Georgia
• Evan Boehm, Missouri
• Dillon Day, Mississippi State
• Reese Dismukes, Auburn
• Jonotthan Harrison, Florida
• Ryan Kelly, Alabama
• James Stone, Tennessee
• Travis Swanson, Arkansas
• Evan Swindall, Ole Miss

DawgNation
From Kipp Adams: D’Andre Walker racked up 105 tackles in his junior season. Then the offers started pouring in.

From Radi Nabulsi : Speedy 2014 CB Kendarious Webster added an offer from in-state Georgia.

GatorNation
From Derek Tyson : Four-star WR Moral Stephens is wide open with the big programs coming after him.

GeauxTigerNation
From Gary Laney : Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic, the alma mater of Warrick Dunn and Travis Minor, are known for churning out running backs. The tradition continues in the 2014 class with 2015 RB Derrius Guice, who already has an offer from LSU.

GigEmNation
From Sam Khan Jr. : Class of 2014 kicker Aaron Medley talks about being offered by Texas A&M.

TideNation
From Alex Scarborough: Starting with Logan Thomas and Johnny Manziel in the opening few weeks, the Tide face a litany of elite offensive players.

From Greg Ostendorf : ESPN 150 athlete Ronnie Clark talks about where he might play at the next level and his spring visits.

Our Tuesday stroll around the league:

• Butch Jones has the Big Orange Caravan rolling and recruiting along, writes John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Former Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner signs on with Pat Dye Jr.
• Derrick Thomas' College Hall of Fame snub inspires "boycott" from former Alabama great Cornelius Bennett.
• Other schools are still chasing Tennessee running back commitment Treyvon Paulk.
• LSU's Les Miles hasn't given up on getting the SEC schedule changed.
• LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis is glad to be able to give back, writes Scott Rabalais of the Baton Rouge Advocate.
• Georgia still wants to see more from sophomore offensive tackle John Theus.
• A Q&A with former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, now the head coach at Western Kentucky.
• Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell will transfer to North Carolina State.

We’re 100 days away from the start of the college football season.

Let’s get out our checklist and see what needs to be done before the 2013 season kicks off and the SEC tries to make it eight in a row.

Tide envy: Alabama is no stranger to being the hunted. That’s just the way it is when you win three of the last four national championships. But it seems like everybody is gunning for Nick Saban and the Tide these days. The truth is that everybody outside of the Tide Nation is tired of seeing Alabama win all the time. Saban’s too zeroed in on what’s right in front of him to be distracted. We’ll find out if the same can be said about his players. Leadership on this team will be important. Saban said after the spring game that some players on the team were too comfortable. That needs to change if Alabama is going to hoist that crystal football for the third consecutive year.

Johnny Football’s encore: Speaking of being a target, think some defenses in the SEC are stoked about getting another shot at Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel? He made more than a few defenses look silly last season and only got better as the season progressed. Sure, it was everybody’s first look at Manziel, and there will be more of a scouting report on him in 2013. But as Manziel said this spring, the Aggies will have a few new tricks up their sleeve as well, and he’ll benefit from having been through the league once. It will be interesting to see how much more he can grow as a quarterback.

Getting defensive at Georgia: It’s been well documented how much the Bulldogs lost on defense. Seven of their starters from a year ago were selected in April’s NFL draft. That’s a serious talent drain for any program, but defensive coordinator Todd Grantham isn’t fretting. He likes the young talent in the program and likes what he saw from those guys this spring. Freshman safety Tray Matthews is going to be a star, and sophomore outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins is poised to be the dynamic finisher off the edge that Jarvis Jones was the last two seasons. The key will be growing up in a hurry. The Bulldogs open the season at Clemson and also get South Carolina and LSU in the month of September.

Resolving Jeremy Hill's status: There was a time when LSU appeared to be loaded at running back, especially with the way Terrence Magee performed this spring. But Hill was the centerpiece of that backfield with his blend of size and speed. He had a pair of long touchdown runs against both South Carolina and Texas A&M last season that were the difference in those games. He remains indefinitely suspended from the team following his arrest on simple battery charges and recently had his probation restructured to include a curfew. It’s unclear when and if he will return because of his legal problems.

Taking that next step: Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are both riding high after big seasons a year ago. The Commodores won nine games for the first time in nearly a century, and the Rebels won a bowl game in Hugh Freeze’s first season. The question now: Can they build on their success from a year ago? We’ll start to get answers right away. They open the season against each other in a Thursday night game (Aug. 29) in Nashville.

DawgNation
From David Ching: Georgia had success in 2012 relying on its freshman running backs, but just because they are now sophomores doesn’t mean the Bulldogs won’t put newcomers Brendan Douglas and A.J. Turman to good use.

From Radi Nabulsi : ESPN 150 DT Dante Sawyer, who is down to Alabama and Georgia, is putting his self-imposed decision date on the shelf.

From Kipp Adams : With basketball season over, David Sharpe, the top prospect in Florida is hitting the road. He spent part of his weekend in Athens visiting UGA.

GatorNation
From Michael DiRocco : Kicking off the Gator Breakdown look at UF’s roster with Quinton Dunbar. He is the Gators’ leading receiver, but the position has been so overwhelming, Dunbar will have to be better in 2013.

GeauxTigerNation
From Gary Laney : Louisiana high school spring games featured noteworthy performances from Brandon Harris and eighth-grader Dylan Moses.

GigEmNation
From Sam Khan Jr. : Recapping the inaugural Crosby Cougar 7-on-7 tournament in Crosby, Texas.

TideNation
From TideNation staff : The TideNation Question of the Week looks at recent comments referring to Nick Saban as the devil and whether this really has any effect on his reputation.

From Alex Scarborough: Ranking the Tide’s FBS opponents from top to bottom.

From Greg Ostendorf : ESPN 150 RB Racean Thomas talks about his recent offers and visits from Alabama and Auburn.

A check of what's shaking in and around the SEC:

• Outgoing Georgia president Michael Adams leaves a big imprint on Georgia athletics, writes Marc Weiszer of The Athens Banner-Herald.
• The son of former Auburn assistant coach Trooper Taylor has a handful of SEC offers.
• Butch Jones stays on the go in rebuilding Tennessee's football team.
• Vanderbilt has plenty of space for linemen in the 2014 class.
• LSU goes on a spending spree in facility upgrades.
• Top linebacker prospect Christian Miller backs off his commitment to Florida and reopens his recruitment.
• Auburn receiver Jaylon Denson has a breakout spring for the Tigers.
• Missouri is poised for an SEC rebound in 2013.
• Can Texas A&M win 11 games again in its second season in the SEC?

Playing off the immortal words of Lynyrd Skynyrd, what song (game) is it you want to hear (see)?

We threw out a few dream possibilities involving SEC teams a week ago in our SportsNation poll. These were potential nonconference matchups.

With more than 11,200 votes cast, the winner was Alabama vs. Oregon. That was certainly the game I wanted to see last season in the BCS National Championship Game. I think it's the game most college football fans wanted to see -- the classic high-octane, speed-of-light offense versus a suffocating defense that's been in the top 5 nationally in most major statistical categories for five years running.

The Alabama-Oregon matchup received 31 percent of the vote. A close second was Texas vs. Texas A&M, which received 28 percent of the vote. Surely, the Longhorns and Aggies will play again at some point. I guess we'll have to wait until Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds decides the time is right since Texas "gets to decide" when the two old rivals will meet again.

The way Kevin Sumlin has it going in College Station, Dodds might want to wait a long while.

Coming in third place in our poll was Florida vs. Ohio State, which got 18 percent of the vote. We could dub it the Urban Meyer Bowl.

Fourth place in the voting was South Carolina vs. USC (15 percent), while fifth place was LSU vs. Notre Dame (8 percent).

What are some other dream nonconference matchups?

A few that come to mind: Alabama vs. USC, South Carolina vs. Oklahoma (Steve Spurrier vs. Bob Stoops), Georgia vs. Florida State, LSU vs. Michigan, Texas A&M vs. Oregon, Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech, Florida vs. Texas and Arkansas vs. Wisconsin (the Bret Bielema Bowl).

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is rolling out his early top five rankings at each position this week.

Here are the positions he's looked at so far:

• Wide receivers and defensive ends
• Running backs and safeties
• Quarterbacks
• Cornerbacks

Now we're looking at the top tight ends and linebackers to keep an eye on during the 2013 season. First, we'll check out the tight ends and then look at linebackers a little later.

No SEC players made Kiper's top five, but Georgia's Arthur Lynch is in his "Next up" list. Lynch was third in the SEC among tight ends in receiving yards last year, hauling in 24 catches for 431 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia has a handful of receiving targets to use this year, and Lynch will continue to be one for quarterback Aaron Murray.

Other draft-eligible tight ends I'll be keeping an eye on this fall:

• Rory Anderson, South Carolina: The coaches are really excited about what sophomore Jerell Adams could do this fall, but Anderson is a reliable target, especially in the red zone. Five of his 14 catches went for touchdowns.
• Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State: He missed five games last year, but will enter the fall as one of Tyler Russell's top receiving targets. He has the talent and athleticism to be one of the best at his position.
• Austin Tate, Arkansas: He did well filling in for Chris Gragg at times last year. He isn't the mismatch problem that Gragg was, but he's a big body who can make players here and there and should be targeted a lot by the Hogs' young quarterback.
• C.J. Uzomah, Auburn: He will enter the fall as Auburn's top returning pass-catcher and has the ability to extend the field with his speed. Uzomah is someone a young quarterback could really use as a reliable safety net.

ATHENS, Ga. -- After losing their security blanket at safety, Todd Grantham and Scott Lakatos had to weigh their options at the position for the first time in a long while.

Bacarri Rambo and Shawn Williams started 80 percent of Georgia’s games (66 of a possible 82 starts) at the two safety positions since defensive coordinator Grantham and defensive backs coach Lakatos arrived on campus in 2010. So this spring might have felt like a throwback to the coaches’ first few months in Athens when they had to evaluate which young players were mentally and physically prepared to guard the back line of the Bulldogs’ defense.

“I want to see what they can do and how they can learn it and what they can handle because the days of just lining up and playing are gone,” Grantham said. “You’ve got to be able to affect the game with lost-yardage plays and pressures and things like that and your safeties have got to be really involved in that kind of stuff. So we’ve just got to continue to work and see what they can handle and then we’ll develop our game plans as we move forward from that.”

The good news for Georgia’s coaches is that two players with the athleticism to do those things -- Josh Harvey-Clemons and Tray Matthews -- pushed into the lead for starting positions this spring. The bad news is that Harvey-Clemons, a sophomore, and Matthews, a true freshman who enrolled in January, have never started a college game and have a long way to go before they develop the knowledge and experience base that Williams and Rambo possessed.

Grantham said at Wednesday’s UGA Day meeting in Atlanta that he is not particularly concerned about their inexperience, however, because of the way they performed during spring practice. Harvey-Clemons was the Bulldogs’ defensive MVP of the spring and Matthews’ big hits generated major buzz among the coaches and players.

“Tray’s a guy that he’s a good tackler in space, he’s got good ball skills, he’s physical,” Grantham said. “He actually knocked two guys out in three scrimmages. The only problem is one of them was a defensive guy.”

Nonetheless, safety is one of the most detail-oriented positions on the defense, so young safeties have to do a lot more than drop a receiver with a bone-crushing hit before Lakatos’ uneasiness about playing them in important situations subsides.

“[I watch] when they can get lined up, number one, and communicate with the rest of the team depending on the situation,” Lakatos said. “And when the offense starts moving people around, are they going to be able to handle the adjustments that we have to make? And once a guy can prove he can do that, then that’s when you start to feel a little more comfortable.”

In a matter of weeks, Georgia’s list of options at safety will grow once signees Shaquille Fluker, Kennar Johnson and Paris Bostick enroll in Athens for summer classes. Asked to name a few defensive newcomers that he’s excited to evaluate in preseason practice, Grantham named Fluker and Johnson before anyone else because he believes the junior college transfers “can have an immediate impact.”

“I think all of them have some upside and a skill set that they can help us,” Grantham said, also mentioning Shaq Wiggins and Brendan Langley as new cornerbacks who he will be excited to observe. “So I really look forward to all of them, but particularly the defensive back kind of guys.”

The reason for the intrigue is obvious since five of the Bulldogs’ eight defensive back signees are not yet on campus, and there is plenty of playing time available thanks to the departures of Williams, Rambo, Branden Smith and Sanders Commings.

Newcomers and young players will almost certainly fill a large portion of that void -- if they can prove to Grantham and Lakatos during preseason practice that they know where to be and have the ability to make the proper play once they arrive.

“We need to get roles established as soon as possible so we can get ready for the season. But a lot of that depends on how guys progress,” Lakatos said. “The more situations that we can create out there through practice and scrimmages and those type of things, the better we’ll have an idea of where they stand once the other guys get here, the May and June graduates.

“Then we’ll kind of put them in and see how they handle all the stuff without the benefit of spring practice. But we’re certainly going to give them opportunities and give them a lot of work when we start practicing in the summer and see where we go after 29 practices.”

GigEmNation
From Sam Khan Jr. : In this week's recruiting notebook, a quarterback narrows his list down and includes Texas A&M, plus more notes.

More from Khan : Three-star running back James White talks about why he signed with the Aggies.

DawgNation
Ask the Scouts : Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill look at some of the evaluations for Georgia’s top targets as well as answer a few questions about the Bulldogs' class.

GatorNation
From Derek Tyson : We open the GatorNation mailbag to look at Florida’s buck DE recruiting board and where the Gators stand with some of the OL targets.

TideNation
From Alex Scarborough : Not every person on Alabama’s No. 1-ranked, 26-member 2012 recruiting class contributed last season. Those who did, like T.J. Yeldon and Deion Belue, certainly made their presence felt.

GeauxTigerNation
From Gary Laney : This week's LSU mailbag answers questions on LSU strategy when it comes to recruiting quarterbacks and wide receivers.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is rolling out his early top five rankings at each position this week.

Here are the positions he's looked at so far:

• Wide receivers and defensive ends
• Running backs and safeties
• Quarterbacks

Now it's time to take a look at Kiper's top five cornerback prospects heading into the 2013 season. The SEC is full of talented defensive backs, and the corner spot is pretty deep this year. Kiper has Florida's Loucheiz Purifoy No. 2 on his list. Teammate Marcus Roberson made his "Next up" list, along with Vanderbilt's Andre Hal.

Purifoy is still a little raw, but he has great cover ability and is one of the more physical corners around. He also has tremendous speed and athleticism, which is why the coaches have put him on the return team and want to use him on offense as well. He still has to work on technique here and there and can get a little too aggressive, but the coaches think he has All-American skill.

Helping Purifoy out this fall will be Roberson, who has made an impact at the position since his freshman season. Roberson already has the technique down and has been great in one-on-one situations. He isn't as physical as Purifoy, and needs to improve in that area, but he could be more than just an All-SEC performer this season.

Hal really turned into an impressive cover corner last season. He grabbed two interceptions and defended 16 passes last fall. He also earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press. He also has a ton of athleticism and was the Commodores' top kick returner in 2011.

Other draft-eligible cornerbacks I'll be keeping an eye on this fall:

• Deion Belue, Alabama: He was thought to be the Crimson Tide's best corner before last season. He might not be as gifted in coverage as Dee Milliner was, but he'll certainly hold his own this fall.
• Deshazor Everett, Texas A&M: He was best known for his goal-line interception that sealed the Aggies' upset win over No. 1 Alabama, but Everett generated some good buzz during spring practice. He was a little overshadowed last season, but has a chance to be a star this fall.
• E.J. Gaines, Missouri: He was one of the top cover men in the Big 12 in 2011 and then didn't miss much of a beat during his first season in the SEC, defending 12 passes. He isn't the biggest corner, but he isn't afraid to match up with bigger receivers.
• Charles Sawyer, Ole Miss: He moved from safety to corner and really excelled at his new position. He's the quarterback of the Rebels' defensive backfield and has the speed to cover a lot of ground.
• Damian Swann, Georgia: The resident "old" man of the Bulldogs' secondary, Swann proved his worth by keeping his starting job when Sanders Commings returned from suspension last season. He's doing a lot more teaching than learning this year.

DawgNation
From Kipp Adams : 2014 safety Cortez McDowell was prepared to make a decision this summer but is now willing to wait, especially if it means more involvement from Georgia.

GatorNation
From Michael DiRocco : After signing the No. 2 recruiting class in 2013, Florida has a number of freshmen champing at the bit to play. But which will make the biggest impact?

GeauxTigerNation
From Gary Laney : Breaking down LSU's Class of 2013 recruits and where they could fit in with the Tigers this fall.

Also from Laney : Four-star QB prospect Brandon Harris (Bossier City, La./Parkway) provides an update on his recruitment, including the news that he plans to unveil his top six schools on Thursday.

GigEmNation
From Sam Khan Jr. : Texas A&M DT signee Jordan Points talks about why he chose the Aggies and more.

TideNation
From Bob Przybylo : ESPN 150 QB David Cornwell has seen his recruiting run at warp speed. As he prepares for summer camps at Alabama and elsewhere, there’s no slowing down now.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is rolling out his early top five rankings at each position this week.

Here's what he's looked at so far:

• Wide receivers and defensive ends
• Running backs and safeties

Now, we're taking a look at Kiper's top quarterback and cornerback draft prospects. We'll start with the quarterbacks and look at the corners later today.

Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel ranks third on Kiper's list, while Alabama's AJ McCarron comes in at No. 5. Ole Miss' Bo Wallace made Kiper's "Next up" list, while Georgia's Aaron Murray made his "More I like" list.

Manziel is getting all sorts of draft attention after his record-breaking, Heisman-winning season. He's the most talked about quarterback in the country and while he doesn't have an elite arm, he's extremely athletic and slippery. He's looking to develop more into a passer, but his ability to improv will continue to help him when his arm can't.

McCarron is someone who could have left for the NFL this year, but decided to stay in school. He makes great decisions with the ball (he threw 30 touchdowns to three interceptions last season) and certainly knows how to win. He has two national championship rings and is going for his third straight. He hasn't been asked to do a lot at Alabama, but he's put up some pretty good numbers and is easily the most talented quarterback Saban has had at Alabama.

Wallace has a tremendous amount of athleticism, but he had a lot of decision-making issues last year. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, but threw 22 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. Fixing his turnover issue is the biggest thing Wallace has to work on this fall. He has good arm strength and can get out of trouble situations with his feet.

Then you have Murray, who isn't getting a lot of draft love. He flirted with heading to the NFL, but also decided to stay in school. Murray's height (listed at 6-1) has hurt his draft status, but he has a solid arm, moves around well with his feet and has really improved his decision making. He had the stigma of not coming up in big games, but showed improvements in 2012 with his second-half effort in the Dawgs' win against Florida and with the way he played against Alabama in the SEC championship game. He'll probably end the 2013 season with a handful of SEC/Georgia records and should become the first SEC quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in four straight seasons.

Other draft-eligible quarterbacks I'm keeping an eye on this fall:

• Jeff Driskel, Florida: He wasn't great last year, but there's no denying Driskel has talent. He's more comfortable with the playbook, and he has a lot more confidence. He must have more command and develop better chemistry with his receivers this fall.
• James Franklin, Missouri: He spent most of last season battling injuries, but finally isn't dealing with excruciating shoulder pain. His confidence was up this spring and that will go a long way this fall.
• Zach Mettenberger, LSU: He really came along in November and has all of his receiving targets back. People at LSU feel like he's much more comfortable with Cam Cameron's guidance.
• Tyler Russell, Mississippi State: He's had an up-and-down career with the Bulldogs, but when he was on last year he was extremely efficient. He lost all of his receivers from last year and can't press like he did late last season.
• Connor Shaw, South Carolina: It's hard to find a tougher quarterback out there. Shaw has dealt with a lot of injuries, but when he's been on the field, he's had a lot of success. Here's a chance for him to really improve his draft stock.