How good is this crop of SEC quarterbacks? Consider, the quarterback ranked last on this list owns a victory as a starter against Nick Saban’s Alabama.

And the No. 1 quarterback on my list? Well, he requires no introduction.

The SEC became the nation’s best conference because of its superiority at the line of scrimmage, punishing running backs and speed on the perimeter. Somewhere along the way, though, this conference began attracting the best quarterback talent, too.

That’s especially reflected this season.

Consider this list as a collection of tiers. The top five quarterbacks compromise the top tier, and each would rank highly on a national list of quarterbacks. The middle tier offers stability and parity, and the quarterbacks ranked Nos. 6 through 9 could be scrambled into a different order.

Five projected starters transferred to their new schools this past offseason. Some schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, have not named a starter. The quarterbacks listed reflect our best estimation of the team’s starter.

Here’s how I rank this impressive batch of SEC quarterbacks:

1. Arch Manning (Texas)

Manning is far from the most proven quarterback on this list, even if he’s got the most famous surname. This ranking is based on Manning’s potential for a lofty ceiling after he looked the part of budding star in two spot starts and backup opportunities last season. He should be ready to break out in Year 3 playing for Steve Sarkisian, one of the nation’s top quarterback developers. Manning’s arm is sharp, and his mobility and size are an X-factor, although he must improve his internal clock of knowing when to scramble when under duress.

2. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)

If you want to know what scouts mean when they say a quarterback has a “live arm,” watch Nussmeier sling a pass toward the sideline. He’s got zip. He needs to reduce his throws into impossible windows and stop telegraphing to the defense where he’s going with the ball. His 12 interceptions tied for the most in the SEC, but his 29 touchdown passes ranked just two off the conference lead. He’s an established veteran with a big arm, and he’s the SEC’s returning leader in passing yards. Plus, he’s surrounded by a talented receivers.

3. LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)

Sellers steadily improved throughout his redshirt freshman season, to the point that he threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns in a November triumph over Missouri. He’s an excellent runner, too. Ask Clemson about that. His quarterback efficiency rating in conference games leads all SEC returning quarterbacks. He’s accurate, but he needs to improve his processing time. Ball security is his other area for improvement after he fumbled 11 times. If he speeds up his decision-making, he should see those fumble numbers reduce.

4. DJ Lagway (Florida)

Lagway is a big play waiting to happen. He throws a good deep ball and averaged 10 yards per pass attempt as a true freshman. He should make more plays with his legs, too, after a hamstring injury slowed him last season. Injuries are a concern. A throwing shoulder injury limited his spring practice participation. By May, though, he was throwing three times per week. Along with his health, he needs to improve his midrange accuracy and reduce interceptions. He threw nine picks in 192 pass attempts last year, but he oozes upside.

5. John Mateer (Oklahoma)

Mateer produced awesome stat lines last season at Washington State. He passed for more than 3,100 yards and rushed for more than 800. He’s efficient, as well as tough, strong and incredibly athletic. He can throw on the move and from multiple arm angles. He’s got plenty of tools in his belt. Why not rank him higher? He’s unproven against SEC competition. Two of his worst passing performances last year came in his two games against Power Four competition.

6. Austin Simmons (Mississippi)

Rebels coach Lane Kiffin describes Simmons as a “really talented thrower” with “a high ceiling.’ You’d likely hear no argument from Kirby Smart. Simmons looked the part in a relief appearance against Georgia that resulted in a touchdown drive. He threw just 32 passes as a backup last season but looked good doing so. He played college baseball before opting to focus exclusively on football. On the mound, he fired fastballs that topped 90 mph. Is he ready to be the guy in a system that asks a lot of the quarterback? That’s the question he must answer.

7. Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)

Vanderbilt’s Tasmanian Devil of a quarterback runs on moxie, and he’s at his best when facing the state of Alabama. This cocksure sixth-year senior spurred Vanderbilt’s upsets of Alabama and Auburn, and he previously beat the Tigers while quarterbacking New Mexico State. Pavia values possession, throwing only four interceptions last year. He’s a good runner, but the hits he absorbed took a toll. Pavia passed for fewer than 190 yards in each of his final six games. He lacks top-end arm strength, but he has a nose for playmaking.

8. Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)

Would the real Reed please stand up? The Aggie ignited in September after giving the offensive keys to Reed but fizzled in November, as Reed threw six interceptions in his final five games. The quick-footed Reed showed an ability to extend plays and knife through defenses. He’ll need to improve his consistency from the pocket and polish his deep ball. Texas A&M returned a lot of production. As Reed goes (or doesn’t go), so will the Aggies.

9. Taylen Green (Arkansas)

Green is a mobile, hard-nosed runner with a strong arm. He can challenge defenses with downfield strikes. He became more accurate as the season progressed and flourished in an October upset of Tennessee, despite the Vols boasting one of the SEC’s top defenses. His next steps are to improve decision-making, navigating through his progressions and sharpening his midrange throws.

10. Gunner Stockton (Georgia)

The Bulldogs rallied around Stockton after he took the reins midway through the SEC Championship. It’s easy to picture him becoming Georgia’s heartbeat. He doesn’t match predecessor Carsen Beck’s arm talent, but he’s more mobile, and there’s a certain ‘Je ne sais quoi’ about him that appeals to his teammates. He flashed accuracy when his line protected him, and he’s skilled in play-action. Whether he’ll stretch defenses downfield remains a question.

11. Ty Simpson (Alabama)

Simpson hasn’t proven himself yet. A former five-star recruit, he’s entering Year 4 at Alabama and he’s thrown just 50 career passes, with a 58% completion clip. A natural pocket passer, he possesses some mobility, too, and improvisational skills. Coach Kalen DeBoer desires more consistency from Simpson, the quarterback who’s first in line to replace predecessor Jalen Milroe.

12. Blake Shapen (Mississippi State)

Shapen looked sharp as Mississippi State’s quarterback for four games last September before a shoulder injury shelved him for the rest of the season. He’s back for a sixth season, and the former Baylor quarterback grasps coach Jeff Lebby’s offense. Shapen’s return offers the Bulldogs reason for optimism, considering he completed 68.5% of his passes before the injury.

13. Jackson Arnold (Auburn)

Arnold struggled as Oklahoma’s starter, losing his job before regaining it and starting in the Sooners’ upset of Alabama. That result must give Auburn hope that the junior shouldn’t be written off after a rough season playing behind a porous Oklahoma offensive line. Arnold struggled to connect consistently on throws beyond about 10 yards. Arm strength and mobility are assets. Maybe, this former five-star recruit will regain his confidence at Auburn, where he’ll have a better offensive line and receivers.

14. Beau Pribula (Missouri)

In Pribula’s most extensive playing time as a Penn State backup, he showed a steady hand in relief of injured Drew Allar in a win against Wisconsin. He’s a quality pickup for Missouri, which needed to replace starter Brady Cook. Pribula hasn’t been named for the job, but he seems like he’d be the front-runner in a competition with Sam Horn, Missouri’s seldom-used backup. Pribula is an electrifying runner who pairs athleticism with toughness. His running ability provided Penn State with an effective wrinkle to its system. To become a starter, he must prove himself as a consistent pocket passer.

15. Joey Aguilar (Tennessee)

Aguilar showed a fearless streak while starting at Appalachian State. A best-case scenario for Tennessee is that he develops into something like what Pavia became for Vanderbilt. Aguilar can extend plays outside the pocket. Fearless can’t mean reckless, though. He led the nation in interceptions at App State. Aguilar previously transferred to UCLA, but he left for Tennessee on the backside of the Bruins plundering Nico Iamaleava from the Vols. Aguilar’s preseason checklist must include improving pocket poise, ball security and learning a new offense at warp speed.

16. Zach Calzada (Kentucky)

Calzada started in Texas A&M’s upset of Alabama, way back in 2021, and he now prepares for his seventh season with his fourth program. Calzada never developed enough midrange accuracy at Texas A&M, but he threw a good deep ball, and he’s coming off a monster season with Incarnate Word of the Championship Subdivision. He’s more intriguing than plenty of past Kentucky quarterbacks.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

In a little more than two weeks, the New York Mets went from comfortable division lead to the lowest of lows: A three-game sweep doled out by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Not even a players-only meeting could stop the carnage, as the Mets’ response after a Saturday night airing of grievances was a 12-1 loss at PNC Park that capped a three-game set in which Pittsburgh outscored the Mets 30-4.

Little wonder, then, that the Mets tumbled four places in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

It’s hard to call this a low point since it’s merely the end of June and the Mets are just 1 ½ games behind the similarly inconsistent Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Yet on June 12, they held a 5 ½-game lead and the confidence that injured pitchers such as Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea were coming back. Well, Montas gave up a half-dozen runs to the Pirates on Sunday and Manaea now has an elbow injury to add to his oblique recovery. And trusty fill-in Griffin Canning is now out for the year with an Achilles injury.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Detroit Tigers (-)

Tarik Skubal makes franchise history: 13 strikeouts and one hit over seven innings.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

Clayton Kershaw lined up for 3,000th strikeout at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

3. Houston Astros (+4)

They win the Tucker-Paredes-Smith Cup to cap a 25-10 stretch.

4. Chicago Cubs (-2)

Ryan Pressly gets some home cooking in Houston as Astros regale him with old Johnny Cash intro.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

Ranger Suarez is dealing, as they say.

6. New York Yankees (-)

Twelve runs of support a nice welcome back gift for Marcus Stroman.

7. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

Brandon Lowe’s career-best hitting streak reaches 16 games.

8. New York Mets (-4)

Perhaps Jesse Winker – on rehab assignment for oblique injury – can save the day.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

The Quinn Priester joyride continues with 11-strikeout performance.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (+3)

Sonny Gray throws first shutout since 2015 – both at Cleveland.

11. San Diego Padres (-)

Closer Robert Suarez has hit a bump in the road.

12. Toronto Blue Jays (-)

Dare to dream: A four-game sweep of Yankees could put them alone in first place.

13. San Francisco Giants (-5)

They drop a series at White Sox, and Justin Verlander still seeking first win as a Giant.

14. Cincinnati Reds (+1)

HVAC pitchman Spencer Steer keys ninth-inning rally to take Padres series. That’s pretty cool.

15. Seattle Mariners (-1)

Big Bummer: Cal Raleigh getting Barry Bonds treatment with four intentional walks over the weekend.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks (+2)

Kinda need to firmly clear .500 before trade activity picks up.

17. Boston Red Sox (-1)

Walker Buehler had an 11.07 ERA in five June starts.

18. Texas Rangers (-)

An absolutely magnetic connection to the .500 mark.

19. Cleveland Guardians (-2)

About time to toss them in the ‘deadline sellers’ bucket.

20. Minnesota Twins (-)

Royce Lewis once again set to return from injury.

21. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

Mike Trout starting to muscle up a bit.

22. Atlanta Braves (+1)

Jurickson Profar returns Wednesday from 80-game PED ban – and they could probably use him.

23. Kansas City Royals (-2)

Just 20-24 at home.

24. Miami Marlins (+2)

After sweeping Arizona, just a half-game behind Atlanta for third place.

25. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

Coby Mayo finally clubs first career home run – off a position player.

26. Washington Nationals (-1)

Fifth last-place finish in six years looking like a real possibility.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)

Rollicking sweep of Mets a fitting tribute to Dave Parker.

28. Athletics (-1)

After seeing Rays’ sweet temporary digs in Tampa, Yolo County will look even grimmer.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

Luis Robert back on the IL with hamstring injury.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

Now 19-65, but their manager will surely show some fire.

With hurricane damage banishing them from climate-controlled Tropicana Field to an insufferable outdoor waystation for one season, Tampa Bay has learned to endure the elements and relish the road and now, they’re getting a big dose of bags and buses, charters and lobby coffee.

In hopes of mitigating untenable outdoor summer conditions at George M. Steinbrenner Field – where the magnanimous New York Yankees are allowing them to crash this year as Tropicana Field undergoes repairs – Major League Baseball frontloaded the Rays’ schedule with home games, the better to play under April showers than July thunder.

And as the season careens into the second half, the Rays have a home/road schedule split that many would find untenable: Thirty-one games left at home, 47 on the road.

But there’s fewer pop-up showers that ruin batting practice on the road, only for stultifying tropical air to linger through gametime. There’s no wild gusts of wind that can turn an infield pop-up into a warning-track adventure or cause a slider to break in a manner the pitcher does not expect.

And most of all, there’s not that humidity, the kind that makes world-class athletes cower indoors for as long as possible, the better to save their electrolytes for game time.

“Now,” Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot tells USA TODAY Sports, “whoever spends the least amount of time on the field probably has the best chance of winning. You think about football and teams that have the most time of possession tend to win. We want to have the least amount of time of possession. Spend the least amount of time out there, get our guys out of the heat.

“Get off the field.”

And get out of town, typically with a win.

The Rays, nondescript at best and bedraggled at worst when the season began, have used this first half both to develop an identity and reestablish themselves as an American League power. At 47-37, they’re just 1 ½ games behind the Yankees in the AL East, with a firm clutch on the No. 1 wild card position.

A mashup of veterans and youth – a largely similar group produced an 80-82 mark last year – has coalesced behind an unlikely trio of young players, a stout and wildly healthy pitching staff and the vibes that come with making the best of a remarkably suboptimal situation.

“It was completely out of everybody’s control. You can’t decide if a roof gets torn off the Trop or not,” says second baseman Brandon Lowe, who along with slugger Yandy Diaz and closer Pete Fairbanks are the last remaining players from their 2020 World Series team. “As soon as it happened I was kind of like, ‘OK, whatever happens, we found a place to play. We’ll make it our own.’

“The circumstances didn’t bring us together. I think how close this group already was and how close we could be helped everybody make the transition and do it easier.”

And they’re likely ushering in another prosperous era for the Rays – at a very uncertain time.

Jonathan Aranda powers up

It’s not just Tropicana Field, which is being repaired by the city of St. Petersburg under terms of the Rays’ lease and should be operational in 2026. The much-maligned but pleasant dome will be the Rays’ home through at least 2028.

Yet the team backed out of a deal for a massive development and stadium project adjacent to the Trop after Hurricane Milton’s devastation delayed full approval of the deal. The franchise is now for sale, with Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski submitting a letter of intent to purchase the team, and Memphis hedge fund founder Trip Miller aiming to counteroffer.

A new buyer would inherit a team with a gaggle of emerging talent.

None are as unlikely as first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who had three shots to stick with the Rays from 2022-24 – and could not do it.

Aranda found more runway this spring, with a full winter to take advantage of last summer’s trade of infielder Isaac Paredes. And Aranda has made himself indispensable.

He leads the team with 3.1 WAR and ranks third in the AL in batting (.325) and OPS (.902), his name literally encroaching upon Aaron Judge in both categories.

Saturday, he crushed a 467-foot home run, third-longest in the club’s Statcast era, a clout that had his teammates clamoring for his addition to the AL’s All-Star squad next month in Atlanta.

Aranda? He’s still grateful for the opportunity to stay on the field, to see his name in Kevin Cash’s lineup every day.

“I feel very happy with the confidence the manager and other guys have given me,” Aranda tells USA TODAY Sports via club translator Eddie Rodriguez. “I’m a confident player and I’m a player that’s been waiting for my opportunity.

“Thank God this year, I was able to get this opportunity. I feel very strong and very confident about being here.”

It’s been a 10-year battle to stick, since the Rays signed him out of Tijuana in 2015. As Aranda methodically climbed the organizational ladder, finally reaching full-season Class A ball in 2019, his best friend from Tijuana, Alejandro Kirk, was zipping through the Toronto Blue Jays system, making his big league debut in 2020.

Aranda, 27, is six months older than Kirk and has known the burly catcher “since I’ve had a memory.” Now, he may join him in notching an All-Star appearance.

His skill set fits snugly into the Rays’ puzzle.

“It’s a unique situation,” says Aranda. “We have a little bit of everything: We have power hitters, we have contact hitters, basestealers. It marks the difference between us and 29 other teams.”

He’s not wrong. The Rays reached the season’s halfway mark as just the fourth team to hit at least 85 homers and steal at least 100 bases; one of the three clubs to precede them was Cincinnati’s 1977 Big Red Machine.

Junior Caminero breaks out

If there is a bona fide star in the Rays’ midst, it is Junior Caminero, whose widely expected breakout took a minute to get going this season. Caminero, 21, was slashing .240/.273/.432 through his first 32 games.

In the 28 games since? He’s produced 14 homers and an .892 OPS and had 20 homers by the halfway point, joining Eddie Mathews, Albert Pujols and Cody Bellinger as the lone 21-year-olds to pull that off.

The breakout is unfolding.

“I recognize that I have the talent to be here,” Caminero, a Dominican Republic native, says via Rodriguez. “I don’t put pressure on myself. I thank God and I thank Cashy for the opportunity. I’m not paying attention to anything else outside, if they’re going to send me down or anything like that.

“I know that I belong here.”

As he speaks, veteran outfielder Christopher Morel aims to rattle the young slugger, and Caminero turns and playfully smacks him in the chest. More often, Caminero is playing follow the leader with the Rays’ veteran core.

“The team is really united, regardless if you’re a veteran or not,” he says. “I can go to Yandy or B-Lowe or they can come to me and say something. I think that’s what’s carried us to this point we are now – that camaraderie, that unity we have.

“We go out there to perform and thank God we’re where we are right now.”

Says outfielder Josh Lowe: “Whether it’s Junior or Aranda, both of them getting their first full chance at the big leagues, it’s impressive. Junior got his teeth kicked in a little bit at the beginning of the season. It didn’t go as smoothly as he’d thought. And he turned it around.

“Man, he’s been incredible. He’s a treat when he’s in the box, a treat on the field. He’s a good person, a good player and man, he puts the work in behind the scenes. He’s an awesome kid and I’m happy to see all the success he’s had so far.”

Jake Mangum becomes indispensable

Diaz, Caminero, Aranda and Brandon Lowe have combined for 61 of the Rays’ 92 home runs. Yet it is the diversity of the Rays’ portfolio that would make them a particularly daunting playoff team.

They lead the major leagues in stolen bases with 108, and Chandler Simpson, perhaps the fastest man in the majors, is back in center field after a trip to the minors to work on his defense.

Yet it is left fielder Jake Mangum who has seized opportunity and not looked back.

Mangum has been slept on since he was patrolling the outfield at Mississippi State in the late 2010s. He was picked in the 30th and 32nd rounds by the Yankees and Mets in consecutive years, swallowed his pride and returned for a senior season in Starkville.

By 2019, the Mets saw fit to burn a fourth-round pick on Mangum but dealt him to Miami in December 2022; a year later, he was a player to be named in a five-team deal with the Rays.

This March, fate finally intervened: Josh Lowe strained an oblique during the opening week and Mangum, at 29 years old, made his major league debut.

He was easy to overlook; Mangum hit just 24 home runs in six minor league seasons. Yet he’s a contact machine, striking out just 9% of the time in college and 13% in his first 178 major league plate appearances.

Now, he’s slashing .316/.354/.392, playing elite defense in left field and is 10 for 11 in stolen-base attempts. They are skills that took a while to be appreciated, especially when “senior sign” and “longtime minor leaguer” are difficult tags to shake.

“Sure, did I want to leave college earlier? Yeah, absolutely,” says Mangum, son of former Chicago Bears defensive back John Mangum. “But there’s nothing about my game that jumps off the charts. I’m not like an elite speed guy. I’m a good runner, but I’m not some 80-grade runner.

“I just try to help any way I can, man.”

A trade to the Rays, and their come-as-you-are ethos, certainly helped.

“If I tailored my game to pro baseball and wouldn’t have made it, I would have lived with a lot of regret,” he says.

“So, I just said, let’s play my game and if I don’t make it, I’ll be able to sleep at night.”

Says Cash: “He has really added a dynamic to our lineup that’s been pretty spectacular, special. It’s not Chandler speed, but you see the urgency, what middle infielders have to do to get rid of the ball. His ability to put the bat on everything gets taxing for a pitching staff.”

‘We want to be here’

Now, the Rays attack the back nine of a season that, despite literal storm clouds, has been charmed in many ways.

Their phenomenal 27-6 start to the 2023 season was waylaid by a torrent of devastating arm injuries to the pitching staff; this year, they’ve used just six starting pitchers and their rotation ranks second in the majors in innings pitched and third in WHIP.

As for the conditions at home? Well, they made good use of offseason urges to hydrate, recover, and stay out of the heat.

 “Well, it’s been hot,” says Josh Lowe, dryly. “It’s no secret: Florida in the summertime is a beast. But if you look at our schedule, we’re at the halfway point and so 50-plus of those (second half) games are on the road. Not to say we’re not going to play games at home, but at least we know that most of our schedule hopefully comes in better weather than playing in Florida.”

Indeed, the Rays are six games into a stretch of 16 road dates in 19 games. From July 25 through Aug. 31, they’ll play 25 of 33 games on the road, including a 12-game trip to Anaheim, Seattle, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Those bay breezes should only accentuate the quality hang time the lads are anticipating.

“We had a goal this year to be a cohesive unit. Not just the pitchers hanging out, not just the hitters hanging out, but just everybody being inclusive,” says Pepiot. “I think that’s shown throughout the season.

“It’s felt like a very close clubhouse. We want to be here.”

Wherever “here” may be.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff is anticipating a significant suspension for violating the university’s honor code and is likely to leave the program, according to multiple reports on June 29.

The move stems from a civil lawsuit filed against Retzlaff in May, alleging that he sexually assaulted a woman at his home. The woman, who claims that Retzlaff ‘raped, strangled and bit’ her, is suing Retzlaff for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeking damages of at least $300,000.

Retzlaff’s lawyers denied the allegations in a response to the lawsuit filed on June 28, describing them as “ridiculous and bizarre.”

BYU, which is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has an honor code that states that students must “live a chaste and virtuous life,” which includes “abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman.”

The university has issued disciplinary measures against athletes before for premarital sex, most notably in March 2011, when standout forward Brandon Davies was dismissed from the university’s men’s basketball team, which was No. 3 in the country at the time.

In his first full season as the team’s starter, Retzlaff helped guide BYU to an 11-2 mark and a victory in the Alamo Bowl. The Cougars were ranked No. 14 in the final US LBM Coaches Poll. Retzlaff completed 57.9% of his passes for 2,947 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while also rushing for 417 yards and six touchdowns.

His return was a significant reason for high expectations that have the Cougars among the favorites in the Big 12 and considered significant contenders for the College Football Playoff.

He gained national attention beyond the field as a Jewish quarterback representing a school with an overwhelmingly LDS student population, earning him the nickname “BYJew” and a name, image and likeness deal with kosher food company Manischewitz.

Should Retzlaff leave, BYU has two other quarterbacks on its roster: McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet, who transferred into the school from Utah State and Western Michigan, respectively. Both were with the program last season but neither attempted a pass.

(This story was updated with new information)