It wouldn't be an all-encompassing SEC Quarterbacks Package without everybody's favorite: Rankings. And, for the first time in a while, you can rank the SEC's starting quarterbacks and have some intrigue and debate surround it. There's plenty of solid candidates, so much so that a former bona fide five-star recruit finds himself in the bottom half of my preseason rankings. Without further ado, let's dive into it. In the case of a QB battle, I went with the player who I expect to be the "guy" for the majority of the fall.

14. Nick Starkel, Texas A&M – Even if he doesn't win the starting job for UCLA, Starkel likely becomes the trigger man at some point this fall for the Aggies. He's got some limitations relative to the other guys on this list but he's also got real intangibles, energy and leadership skills. Kevin Sumlin has put up bigger numbers with less.

13. Quinten Dormady, Tennessee – Dormady is largely an unknown but he's also somebody that I ranked as a four-star coming out of high school. He's plenty talented and reviews from spring practice have been positive. He could rise as high as ninth on this list by the end of his junior season. Anything above that would be a surprise — and great news for Tennessee.

12. Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt – Shurmur is probably looking at dead last on this list until things started clicking late last season. He threw for 250-plus yards in his last three regular season games including a 416-yard effort against Tennessee. He's the son of an NFL coach so the mental side was going to come. After a rough freshman season, things look like they're starting to click for Shurmur as he enters his junior season.

11. Stephen Johnson, Kentucky – Johnson found a way to win in the SEC at Kentucky and there's something to be said for that. Coming on in relief, Johnson holds a 5-4 record as a starter and though his completion percentage is only at 54 percent, he's enough of a threat with his legs (327 yards, 3 TDs) that he can keep defenses honest.

10. Danny Etling, LSU – Last year Etling took the starting job from Brandon Harris one game into the season. While he was underwhelming, he was also the best LSU had. Underwhelming was good enough for a 7-3 run, but it's not good enough to beat Alabama. He'll need to take a step forward under Matt Canada for LSU to take the next step. His ceiling is probably limited to No. 10 in the conference, give or take a spot or two.

9. Malik Zaire, Florida – Zaire is bringing hype to Gainesville, but with only 800 career passing yards and two total starts, he's hardly the surefire solution that Florida has been looking for at quarterback. It is likely that Zaire will bring stability to the position under Jim McElwain but I don't expect him to shift the win total drastically one way or the other for the Gators.

8. Jacob Eason, Georgia – Eason probably has the most unique arm in the SEC and he gave Georgia's offense a vertical dimension last year that it had been lacking. The best thing he's got going for him is Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. With those two returning to the backfield, we could see Eason get the room to grow into that five-star high school rating.

7. Drew Lock, Missouri – The leap from Lock's freshman season to sophomore season was massive. Another step forward could put him near the top of this list. He's part of an offense that returns 10 starters including all of its offensive line so there's a real chance that Lock commands one of the SEC's most explosive offenses.

6. Austin Allen, Arkansas – In last year's SEC, I might have ranked Austin Allen as high as third in the quarterback pecking order. He's a tough, gunslinger type that was run ragged last fall but gave Arkansas a chance offensively in every game. He's down to No. 6 in these rankings because he doesn't have the same ceiling as some of the other young arms in the conference but he's someone that anybody can win with.

5. Jake Bentley, South Carolina – The fortunes of South Carolina last season turned on the decision to give Jake Bentley the starting job. Everything changed for the Gamecocks when he took the wheel, flipping a 2-4 start into a 4-2 regular season finish. There are some special intangibles that Bentley shows on the field. He's got great composure, unique confidence and he's athletic to boot. Though he sits at No. 5 in the rankings, he has the kind of upside to be the best quarterback in the conference.

4. Shea Patterson, Ole Miss – Imagine sitting on the sidelines all year, expecting to redshirt, then being thrust into the starting job with a bowl on the line in Week 11. That's what happened to Patterson last season and he thrived in his first start, beating Texas A&M with 338 yards passing. Though Ole Miss lost its last two, Patterson wasn't the problem. The former No. 1 quarterback in the country has a Manziel-esque skillset and will be one of the most exciting players in college football.

3. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn – This is the best quarterback Gus Malzahn has coached since Cam Newton. A transfer from Baylor, Stidham may be the only thing that can keep Alabama from another SEC West title. I ranked him as the top quarterback in the country when he was coming out of high school, over the likes of Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold. I believe in his skillset. He's already proven it translates. As a true freshman in relief at Baylor, he threw for more than 400 yards in his first start against Kansas State and he looked sharp in Auburn's Spring Game.

2. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State – It's hard to argue that anybody in the SEC has a higher ceiling than Fitzgerald. He's 6-foot-5, he's got a huge arm, he's the SEC's third leading returner in rushing yards and he's on a steep trajectory as a passer after a triple option high school career. Entering his fourth fall in Starkville, Fitzgerald won't sneak up on anybody this season and he will be one of the nation's workhorse offensive centerpieces. I can't wait to watch him put the Bulldogs, who I have high expectations for, on his back.

1. Jalen Hurts, Alabama – I'm surprised to find myself putting Jalen Hurts in this spot. As a true freshman, last year's SEC Offensive Player of the Year was very limited as a passer and had the nation's best supporting cast around him to erase his mistakes. But (and I had to tell myself this while ranking these guys): let's not lose sight of the magnitude of his accomplishments. Hurts was thrown into the fire in Week 1 against USC and didn't flinch. He completed 62 percent of his passes, rushed for almost 1,000 yards and led his team to the national title game. More importantly, Hurts has shown every indication of a quarterback that will continue to develop and improve. He has already flashed maturation as a passer in Alabama's spring game. No need to overthink this. Hurts remains on top.