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SEC West’s best dual-threat QBs (then and now)
In recent years, the SEC has featured a number of great passers and, as always, a ton of great rushers. But it’s always an added bonus when the man under center fits both categories.
Don’t believe it? Ask fans of Texas A&M (Johnny Manziel), Florida (Tim Tebow) or Auburn (Cam Newton).
So it’s time for a quick look back at the top three dual-threat QBs of each SEC West school (the list tends to favor modern QBs, because before, say, the 1970s, there wasn’t much passing period in college football) — and to look at the current roster and project whether any of the modern guys will join the list of legends.
Alabama
Blake Sims (2011-14) Sims bided his time for three seasons as a backup before leading the Tide to the College Football Playoff in 2014. He passed for almost 3,500 yards and 28 scores in 2014 and added 350 yards rushing and 7 TDs on the ground. Sims ended up second in the SEC in total TDs in his one year at the helm.
Richard Todd (1973-75) Led the Tide to three straight 11-1 seasons with his running and passing skills as he ran for 1,254 yards and 16 touchdowns. Not a prolific passer, but along with 1,642 passing yards, he did manage 16 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions, which was a great ratio for the era.
Walter Lewis (1980-83) An old-school Bama QB who passed for 4,257 yards and 29 scores, and rushed for another 1,442 yards and 13 TDs. Finished ninth in the 1983 Heisman voting.
Current prospect: Redshirt freshman Jalen Hurts was the star of Alabama’s spring game, and if he gets the call in the fall, will be a true dual threat. Bama’s other possible QBs tend to be pocket passers.
Arkansas
Matt Jones (2001-04) A superb athlete, Jones threw for almost 6,000 yards and 53 scores at Arkansas, and added 2,535 yards and 24 TDs on the ground with an astounding 6.6 yards per carry. After running the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at the NFL Combine, the 6-foot-6 Jones was a first-round NFL draft pick as a wide receiver.
Quinn Grovey (1987-90) Grovey was a dual-threat QB who led the Hogs to a couple of Cotton Bowl appearances and 10-win seasons. Grovey passed for nearly 4,500 yards and 29 TDs, adding another 1,780 rushing yards and 21 more TDs on the ground.
Ron Calcagni (1975-78) Calcagni led Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz-coached Arkansas teams to 10-win seasons in the late 1970s. He wasn’t a brilliant passer, barely completing half his passes for almost 2,500 yards and 17 scores, but in 1978, he led the Southwest Conference in rushing touchdowns.
Current prospect: Junior Austin Allen figures to start and is a pocket passer, but sophomore Rafe Peavey has dual-threat skills and could step up if Allen falters or is injured.
Auburn
Cam Newton (2010) In one season, he won the Heisman and led Auburn to a national title. And Newton did it however he pleased, passing for over 2,800 yards and 30 scores, and running for almost 1,500 more yards and 20 more touchdowns. He even caught a touchdown for good measure. Newton is basically the prototype for 21st century dual-threat QBs, and defending him was a nightmare nobody could handle.
Pat Sullivan (1969-71) Sullivan is on the edge of the time criteria for this list, but in many ways, he’s something of the original gangster in the category of dual-threat QBs. Sullivan passed for over 6,500 yards at Auburn and managed 54 touchdown passes. While Sullivan is best remembered for his aerial bombardments, he did run for 18 scores as well. The 1971 Heisman winner is one of the league’s first and best dual-threat QBs.
Nick Marshall (2013-14) A JUCO transfer, Marshall led Auburn to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. In two seasons, he threw for 4,500 yards and ran for almost 2,000 more. He accounted for 57 total touchdowns in his Auburn career and made the beginning of the Gus Malzahn era an electric time.
Current prospect: JUCO transfer and potential starter John Franklin III will fit into the Marshall/Newton prototype. Senior Jeremy Johnson was supposed to be a dual-threat star but flamed out as a passer in 2015.
LSU
Herb Tyler (1995-98) Most LSU fans have very few good memories from the Gerry DiNardo years, but Tyler and his dual-threat skills are one exception. Tyler passed for almost 6,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, and rushed for 23 more scores. He is still 16th in career SEC passer rating standings.
Jordan Jefferson (2008-11) An electric player who showed all the tools to be a star but ultimately had a frustrating career, Jefferson’s numbers still show his skills. He passed for almost 5,000 yards and 34 touchdowns, and added over 1,000 rushing yards and 12 more scores on the ground. His teams went from eight to nine to 11 to 13 wins in his four seasons. If Jefferson’s career was a bit disappointing, that should give some insight into how spectacular it could have been.
Matt Flynn (2004-07) Flynn wasn’t the most imposing player ever, but after sitting the bench for three years, he stepped in and led LSU to a national title in 2007. He threw for almost 2,500 yards and 21 scores that season, and added a couple hundred rushing yards and four more touchdowns on the ground. He wasn’t the most memorable or the most exciting, but he won the games that his team had to win.
Current prospect: Brandon Harris was up and down as a passer in 2015 but did add 226 yards and 4 TDs on the ground. If he can keep defenses honest with the passing game, it will open up the ground game even more for him in 2016.
Ole Miss
Archie Manning (1968-70) Like Pat Sullivan from Auburn, Manning is at the edge of our time constraints, but he in many ways helped bring the idea of modern QB play into the SEC. In three seasons, Manning passed for almost 5,000 yards and 31 touchdowns, and he ran for another 25 scores. More than the numbers can tell, Manning was an exciting and innovating improviser, something like the Johnny Football of his day.
Bo Wallace (2012-14) A gunslinger dual-threat QB, Wallace could play his way into —or out of — almost any game. In three seasons at Ole Miss, he threw for over 9,500 yards and 62 scores (as well as 41 interceptions). Wallace ran for almost 1,000 more yards and added 19 touchdowns on the ground. His exciting play made the beginning of the Hugh Freeze era something that the rest of the SEC was afraid to look away from.
Chad Kelly (2015-) Kelly has already earned his place on this list by passing for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns and running for another 500 yards and 10 TDs in 2015. Ole Miss enjoyed its first 10-win campaign since 2003 in Kelly’s first year. In his second? A division title could mean a Heisman Trophy.
Current prospect: Since Kelly is already on Ole Miss’ list, you can figure that he’s a threat in 2016. With a division title, he might even eclipse Archie as Ole Miss’ top dual-threat QB.
Mississippi State
Dak Prescott (2012-15) Prescott and Dan Mullen’s offense was a perfect football marriage. A three-year starter, Dak passed for over 9,000 yards and 70 scores, and rushed for 2,500 more yards and 41 more touchdowns. Prescott even caught 3 TDs. He ranks fourth in the history of the SEC in touchdowns and also led MSU to one of only two 10-win seasons the team has had since 1940.
Chris Relf (2008-11) Relf led State to the first two bowl games of the Dan Mullen era in his two years as a starter. He passed for over 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns and racked up over 1,500 yards and nine more scores on the ground.
Don Smith (1983-86) Smith passed for over 5,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in the mid 1980s (although he was a career 46 percent passer). He also ran for almost 2,000 more yards and 21 scores in the ground. He was a second-round NFL draft pick as a running back.
Current prospect: There is a wealth of options at QB for the Bulldogs, and virtually all of them are dual-threat passers. Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald and junior Damian Williams have both shown passing and running skills in mop-up duty behind Prescott. Whoever ends up taking snaps will run and throw.
Texas A&M
Johnny Manziel (2012-13) It gets lost in the shuffle of all the other stuff, but one of the best dual-threat QBs ever was Jonathan Paul Manziel. Before eligibility concerns and substance abuse allegations and money sign flashing and the other extraneous garbage, man, was this guy a football player. He racked up almost 8,000 yards passing and 63 TDs through the air in two seasons, and he added over 2,000 more yards rushing and 30 scores on the ground. He won a Heisman Trophy and is second all-time in QB rating in the SEC. Johnny Football, it was real while it lasted. Get well soon!
Reggie McNeal (2002-05) The Aggies had a fair share of dual-threat guys back in their pre-SEC days, too. McNeal passed for almost 7,000 yards and 44 TDs, and rushed for almost 2,000 more yards and 15 more scores. The Dennis Franchione years at A&M were otherwise pretty disappointing, but it wasn’t McNeal’s fault.
Stephen McGee (2005-08) As was just noted, Coach Fran wasted some superb offensive performances, as McGee’s seasons are another exhibit in that case. McGee passed for over 5,000 yards and 28 TDs, and rushed for 1,750 yards and 11 more TDs. McGee missed most of his senior year due to injuries but still was a memorable dual-threat QB.
Current prospect: Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight not only threw for 3,400 yards in three seasons, he also ran for over 800 as well. Last year, freshman Kyler Murray showed dual-threat skills (686 yards passing, 335 yards rushing), but he transferred out.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
