Who will play quarterback at Alabama this fall ? It'll be a hot topic for the next three months. Who will that quarterback square off against as a weekly counterpart? The answer to that question has a lot more clarity, and some very good ones will test a Crimson Tide defense looking to rebound from an inconsistent year in 2022.
Ranking the opposing quarterbacks on Alabama's 2023 schedule :
1) KJ Jefferson , Arkansas :There simply isn't a better dual-threat QB in the Southeastern Conference. Jefferson enjoyed his best season last year with a 24-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and another nine touchdowns on the ground. That said, Alabama held Jefferson to season lows in completion rate (54%), passing yards (155) and QB rating (122.2) last year. He'll have to hurt the Crimson Tide a lot worse than that to snap the Razorbacks' 16-year losing streak against Alabama.
2) Jayden Daniels , LSU :Coach Brian Kelly's transfer from Arizona State improved steadily last year and, by season's end, he was an integral part of LSU's berth in the SEC title game. He's the only quarterback on Alabama's 2023 schedule with a win over the Crimson Tide after leading a 32-31 overtime win in Baton Rouge last year.
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3) Devin Leary , Kentucky :There's a big 'if' in Lexington for the coming football season, and it's not Leary; it's pass protection. Less should be expected of the transfer from N.C. State if his pockets fall apart the way Will Levis' did a year ago. Given time to throw, however, Leary can lead an improved UK offense. USA TODAY Network SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer ranks him as the top QB transfer in the league, and his track record with the Wolfpack backs that up.
4) Will Rogers , Mississippi State:He's back. Again. Rogers holds the SEC record for career completions (1,159) with an entire season of eligibility remaining. He's got a new system to learn under new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, one that will be a major departure from the Air Raid attack Rogers helmed under late former coach Mike Leach.
5) Quinn Ewers , Texas :When last Alabama fans saw Ewers, he was headed for the tunnel with a shoulder injury in the first half of Alabama's 20-19 win in Austin. Up to that point, he'd given Alabama's defense fits (9-for-12, 134 yards) before missing a month recovering from a hit by Alabama's Dallas Turner . He capped the year by torching Washington for 369 yards in an Alamo Bowl loss. For the second year in a row, he'll be a tough early test (Sept. 9) for the UA secondary.
6) Joe Milton, Tennessee :Milton possesses a rifle of an arm, a quick release, and a huge frame at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds. His three-touchdown performance to beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl was the ideal springboard to establish himself as the Vols' 2023 starter. Although it will be his sixth college season, he's made just nine career starts, five of which came at Michigan in 2020.
7) Connor Weigman, Texas A&M:Check back a month into the season, and Weigman could rate higher than this. His ball zips with as much velocity as anyone listed here, and in an extended late-season opportunity as a freshman last year, he threw for eight TD's without an interception. He might even be good enough to make the awkward pairing of Jimbo Fisher and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino look, well, less awkward.
8) Payton Thorne , Auburn:Hugh Freeze might not call this race until fall camp ends, but we'll call it here and now. Thorne brings far more experience to the AU quarterback room than any other candidate. He counts Michigan, Wisconsin , Penn State , Pitt and Miami among his wins as a starter.
9) Jaxson Dart , Ole Miss :Dart's name goes here in soft pencil, even as a returning starter. Coach Lane Kiffin hit the transfer portal to get Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders , who comes with four years of starting experience, for a reason. If Dart falters, the hook could come quick.
10) Gerry Bohanon , South Florida :The former Baylor quarterback figures to be back in a starting role after a midseason shoulder injury knocked him out for the Bulls' season last year. He threw six picks over four games before he threw his first TD pass, but then reeled off six TD passes without an interception. He's a dangerous runner (102 yards vs. Florida, 117 vs. Cincinnati ).
11) Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee State:The third-year sophomore is the best bet to take over for departed starter Chase Cunningham. He's short on experience, but won the Bahamas Bowl MVP two years ago in a win over Toledo.
12) Chase Artopoeus, Chattanooga :The Mocs could turn to the transfer from UCLA , or Huntsville native Luke Schomburg.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23 and the Talkin' Tide podcast. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football: Ranking opposing quarterbacks on 2023 schedule
