SEC QB Power Rankings After Week 4

As the SEC’s field generals begin to go head-to-head each week, the SEC QB Power Rankings are going to show a much clearer picture. While some quarterbacks are playing extremely well, others are struggling much worse than imagined. I am very excited to see next week’s slate of matchups, especially after Rogers vs. Rattler, Milroe vs. Dart, and Daniels vs. Jefferson this past weekend.

As a reminder, these rankings are compiled using a variety of criteria. Additionally, backup quarterbacks that step in for an established starter are not included in these power rankings (ex: Max Johnson, Texas A&M). Even if they happen to outperform AJ Swann and Payton Thorne by miles.

1. Jayden Daniels, LSU  2

20/29 passing, 320 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT, 85.4 QBR

10 rushes, 36 yards

vs. Arkansas- W 34-31

In the pre-season, I picked Jayden Daniels to be SEC Player of the Year. In the last few games, he’s sure played like it. His offensive line looks great and he has the best wide receiver group in the conference. LSU WR Malik Nabors is probably the single best wideout in the country aside from Marvin Harrison, Jr. at Ohio State. Daniels overcame an early interception, started slinging it just before the half, and didn’t turn back. The LSU offense really opened up once they started throwing the ball downfield and got their run game going against the Razorbacks. Overall, Daniels is looking more and more like a Heisman candidate each game.

2. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas  3

21/31 passing, 289 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 78.6 QBR

16 rushes, 48 yards

at LSU- L 34-31

KJ Jefferson is a remarkable quarterback. Despite his offensive line struggling to contain LSU’s lethal pass rush, KJ made plays time and time again. Even when false starts put the offense way behind the sticks, Jefferson found ways to move the ball and keep scoring against a solid LSU defense. Had Arkansas been able to pull out their last two gut-wrenchingly close losses, Jefferson would be in Heisman discussions. It’s been a while since the SEC has seen a quarterback that throws with the precision of KJ Jefferson along with the leadership, size, and strength he possesses. 

3. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina  1

18/20 passing, 288 yards, 3 TDs, 96.7 QBR

8 rushes, 43 yards

vs. Mississippi State- W 37-30

On a slow climb up the SEC QB Power Rankings since the beginning of the season, Rattler has impressed. Every game he carries this team on his back. He threw more touchdowns than he did incompletions against the Bulldogs on Saturday. Granted, Mississippi State probably has the 2nd-worst passing defense in the SEC. Even still, that’s flat out impressive on Rattler’s part. If he continues playing this way, South Carolina will win more games because of him.

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss2

20/35 passing, 244 yards, 1 INT, 67.7 QBR

12 rushes, 6 yards, 1 TD

at Alabama- L 24-10

Jaxson Dart played his worst game of the season. Against Alabama. In Tuscaloosa. That’s the simplest formula for a loss there is. The run game struggled terribly. Consequently, it made it nearly impossible for Dart to keep the offense chuggin’ along. It won’t get any easier next week against LSU, especially if Quinshon Judkins and the run game continue to have such a hard time.

5. Brady Cook, Missouri  4

18/25 passing, 341 yards, 2 TDs, 90.4 QBR

4 rushes, 17 yards

vs. Memphis- W 34-27

Skyrocketing up the SEC QB Power Rankings over the last few weeks: Brady Cook. This is a different Cook than who we saw last season for the Tigers. After almost having to sit this game out due to being pretty banged up, Brady Cook put on a show. Memphis had one of the highest defensive efficiency ratings in the nation prior to this game. While it’s early in the season, what Cook and the Mizzou offense was able to do was imposing. The entire conference will be watching closely when Mizzou matches up with LSU in a couple of weeks.

6. Carson Beck, Georgia  1

22/32 passing, 338 yards, 3 TDs, 83.9 QBR

4 rushes, 7 yards, 1 TD

vs. UAB- W 49-21

Each game, Beck looks more and more like he’s gaining confidence. That’s bad for the rest of the SEC. With all the elite weapons surrounding him, the development of a Carson Beck mojo could propel this Georgia offense to levels similar to last season. Having tight end Brock Bowers to throw to is always a huge bonus.

7. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M6

8/14 passing, 70 yards, 26.5 QBR

vs. Auburn- W 27-10

As much as I hate to penalize Weigman for being injured, the quarterbacks that leapfrogged him all played exceptionally. He will bounce back and play well, but hopefully not next week against the Razorbacks. Max Johnson stepped in and showed he is still a starting-caliber player. He’s probably a better quarterback than a few of the other guys on this list. Weigman didn’t look too impressive in the game against Auburn before he was injured, so he drops quite a few spots considering how well the 6 players now ahead of him performed.

8. Joe Milton III, Tennessee

18/31 passing, 209 yards, 2 TDs, 86.0 QBR

5 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TDs

vs. UTSA- W 45-14

UTSA stood no chance against a Tennessee squad trying to rinse the taste of the beating Florida put on them out of their mouths. Joe Milton III is only a sophomore. I believe he’s one of the better QBs in this conference. To earn a higher spot in the power rankings, he’s going to have to prove that he can do this against SEC competition.

9. Will Rogers, Mississippi State  4

30/48 passing, 487 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 54.1 QBR

at South Carolina- L 37-30

One of my favorite QBs not just in the SEC but in the nation: Will Rogers. The Bulldogs decided to let him throw it this week, and he had a monster game. While the performance from Rogers was much better than the last week against LSU, it just wasn’t enough to outlast Spencer Rattler’s Gamecocks. If this offense is finding a groove, it might become a significant problem for the SEC West.

10. Jalen Milroe, Alabama  4

17/21 passing, 225 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 64.0 QBR

16 rushes, 28 yards

vs. Ole Miss- W 24-10

Nick Saban’s USF experiment resulted in a clear-cut image of who the starter is at Alabama. Jalen Milroe has flashes of looking like an elite SEC QB. Other times, he looks like he doesn’t belong. His offensive line hasn’t been giving him any favors, either. Consistency is key, and Alabama hasn’t really had that on offense this season. In spite of that, Milroe and his squad played pretty well against Ole Miss. The Rebels’ defense is no pushover, and the Tide got it done. The real question comes down to whether or not they can keep it up in the coming weeks.

11. Graham Mertz, Florida1

20/23 passing, 259 yards, 1 TD, 53.7 QBR

vs. Charlotte- W 22-7

Florida may be the most bipolar squad in the conference this year. Graham Mertz didn’t play poorly, but he didn’t play great either. Against Charlotte, you’re hoping to be able to go sit on the bench at the beginning of the 4th quarter as a QB. Instead, Mertz was leading his offense out into a dog fight. With Charlotte. They couldn’t score a touchdown the entire second half. Something is wrong, but I don’t think Mertz is the main issue.

12. Devin Leary, Kentucky6

15/29 passing, 205 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 28.4 QBR

3 rushes, 12 yards

at Vanderbilt- W 45-28

Devin Leary is not who we thought he was. He’s an average SEC quarterback, but not much better. Kentucky is similar to Arkansas this season, but not at the QB spot. What hurts the Wildcats is constant mistakes and avoidable penalties. Leary and the offense have little chemistry, and if they don’t start playing as a unit…things could start to look real ugly over in Lexington. For now, they’re 4-0. If they want to keep adding wins, Leary has got to play a whole lot better than he did against Vandy.

13. AJ Swann, Vanderbilt1

16/40 passing, 189 yards, 3 INTs, 4.7 QBR

5 rushes, 11 yards

vs. Kentucky- L 45-28

This was one of the insufficient full-game showings the SEC has seen out of a quarterback in recent years. Vanderbilt is just not a great football team (surprise). Somehow AJ Swann isn’t the worst QB in the conference right now. I am a fan of this guy, but he just doesn’t have the skillset to put his team on his back and make plays regardless of his teammates; performance. In this conference, you need that ability as a QB (especially if you’re on this team).

14. Payton Thorne, Auburn3

6/12 passing, 44 yards, 18.9 QBR

at Texas A&M- L 27-10

It’s hard to do worse than AJ Swann’s performance on Saturday. That’s enough to get you placed at the bottom of the SEC QB Power Rankings. Payton Thorne pulled it off. With how he has been playing, he would be lucky to start anywhere else in the Power 5. The Tigers’ problems on offense aren’t just his fault. The offensive line is really bad. Next week, Auburn is going to need some serious help. Georgia could soundly beat them by 40 points (or worse). Fans are calling for Thorne to be benched permanently, and rightfully so. I think Robby Ashford deserves a legit shot at a few drives next week. Clearly it must at least be worth a shot.

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