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Four one-and-done starters under center led SEC programs in 2014, and for most of them, it was an up-and-down campaign.
Alabama’s Blake Sims and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott had the most prolific seasons of their counterparts, while Georgia’s Hutson Mason and South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson endured roller-coaster seasons in their only seasons as starters.
With the SEC’s football season complete, let’s take a deeper look at how these first-time starters performed.
Dak Prescott, Mississippi State: Prescott led the Bulldogs to their best season in school history behind a stellar junior season. The Haughton, La., native passed for 3,449 yards and threw 27 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. Prescott more than doubled his production from 2013, a season in which he split time with Tyler Russell. Prescott was the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs en route to a 10-3 mark and the school’s first ever No. 1 ranking. Prescott hasn’t announced his intentions for 2015, but is expected to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Blake Sims, Alabama: The running back-turned-quarterback realized his potential in his one year under offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Sims extended plays with his leg all season and came up with big plays in big moments for the Crimson Tide on the way to an SEC championship and an appearance in the national semifinal. Sims completed more than 64 percent of his passes for 3,487 yards. The senior had a touchdown to interception ratio of 28 to 10, but was turnover prone at some inopportune moments for Alabama in 2014.
Hutson Mason, Georgia: Mason never seemed much more than a game manager for the Bulldogs this season, but his numbers impress. The senior threw for 2,168 yards and completed 68 percent of his passes. Mason threw 21 touchdown passes to just four interceptions. Mason led Georgia to 10 wins behind one of the country’s top running games. He wasn’t flashy or explosive, but Mason rarely made costly mistakes and his grasp of the playbook kept the Bulldogs in positive situations.
Dylan Thompson, South Carolina: Thompson was inconsistent for the Gamecocks this season in Steve Spurrier’s pass-happy offense. The Boiling Springs, S.C., native passed for more than 3,500 yards but completed less than 60 percent of his passes. Thompson threw 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The offensive front for South Carolina struggled this season, leaving Thompson to be sacked 25 times.
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
