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Dak Prescott may be the most valuable player in the SEC. Where would Mississippi State be without him? Not 7-3 and in the mix for a Florida bowl game.
But is he the best quarterback in the conference? Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly and Arkansas’ Brandon Allen have put together impressive seasons. All three have made a tremendous impact on their teams.
Yet, Prescott is the clear choice as the SEC’s top quarterback.
Just check the resumes:
Dak Prescott: The versatile senior has great stats — 18 touchdown passes and only two interceptions, for starters. He’s completed 64.7 percent of his throws for 2,651 yards and run for a team-leading 432 yards and seven TDs.
The Mississippi State quarterback has either rushed or passed for more than 70 percent of the Bulldogs’ offensive yardage and 25 of their 37 TDs.
Chad Kelly: Of the three, Kelly led his team to the most impressive victory — a 43-37 victory at Alabama.
The Ole Miss quarterback leads the SEC in completion percentage (65.7 percent) passing yards (3,224) and TDs (23) without a dominant running game as support. But he’s thrown 12 interceptions and benefits from having standout receiver Laquon Treadwell as a target.
Brandon Allen: The SEC’s highest-rated passer (163.18) with the highest average per pass attempt (9.2 yards) and 22 TDs and only six interceptions. He’s thrown for 2,617 yards, completing 64.4 percent of his passes.
The Arkansas quarterback doesn’t have big-play receivers to help him. He benefits from a huge offensive line and a strong running game led by Alex Collins. But his passing threat gives Collins more room to run, too.
NFL Draft Scout ranks Prescott as the No. 7 quarterback in the Draft and projects him as a third-round pick. Allen, also a senior, didn’t rank among the top 25. Kelly, a junior in eligibility, is expected to run return to Ole Miss.
This isn’t a banner year for SEC quarterbacks. None of the three quarterbacks projected to go in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft Scout are from the SEC.
Former Florida starter Jeff Driskel, who transferred to Louisiana Tech, was No. 14 and Alabama’s Jacob Coker was No. 21.
