As a number of my supervisors relish in saying, “anyone can be replaced,” which is true at the cellular level – perhaps even at the molecular level, as a boulder bearing my size and density could probably write this column as effectively as me. However, this favored bon mot of the ruling class rarely applies to the most central position of football: quarterback.

You just can’t toss just anybody behind center. It’s just not done. You never see a head coach throw up his hands in a lopsided match and gamely assign the free safety to execute plays in the fourth quarter. You can put a left field on the mound, ask a guard to handle the tip off, but you’ll never see a tight end perform mop-up duty at QB.

On that note, several Sun Belt programs are busily attempting to fill an empty void between center and running back this year – many with rented mercenaries from across the football spectrum. Others teams are more stable, welcoming back a veterans and sleeping more soundly at night. We’re still two weeks outside of the season, and not all two-deeps are chiseled in stone, but let’s check in anyway.

Signal Callers of the Sun Belt West

Arkansas State, Jaylen Raynor, Sophomore

Red Wolves return the services of SBC Freshman of the Year and 2024 SBC Preseason All Second Team QB Jalen Raynor, who threw for 2,550 yards, 17 touchdowns (+5 rushing) and registered a solid ESPN QB Rating of 149.3. Raynor made the 2023 247Sports Midseason True Freshman All-American Team, was named to the On3 True-Freshman All-America Team, and participated in the Manning Passing Academy, where he drew strong reviews. A year wiser, Raynor is a 2024 Manning Award Watch Lister who projects to be among the better signal callers in the Sun Belt, which isn’t bad for a no-star prospect who had a mere handful of offers coming out of high school. Timmy McClain, an accomplished former starter out of USF and UCF, is in the locker room to keep Raynor on his toes.

Louisiana, Chandler Fields, Redshirt Senior

It had appeared that the Cajuns had their next great homegrown QB last year with freshman Zeon Chriss – except Chriss didn’t seem interested. He left a starting gig in Lafayette to compete against an incumbent starter in Houston. Chriss, however, only got the starting snaps because veterans Chandler Fields and Ben Wooldrige got injured early in the season. So far, it appears that the redshirt senior Fields has the inside edge over Wooldrige (who is also back). Fields was a three-star prospect when he signed with Louisiana in 2019. By 2022, he was in a dual-system with Wooldridge before becoming injured midway through the season. When Chriss was injured late last season against Arkansas State, Fields stepped up and tossed seven touchdowns against one pick in the season’s final three games – the last against ULM, tying a program record for completion percentage at 90% (18-of-20 passing) for 246 yards and two touchdowns.

South Alabama, Gio Lopez, Sophomore

The occasionally stellar and always reliable quarterback Carter Bradley has galloped into the Mobile sunset. In rides Gio Lopez, who appeared in only five games last year making just one start – at the 68 Ventures Bowl, where he earned MVP honors for leading the Jaguars to a 59-10 destruction of Eastern Michigan. Lopez was solid through the air that day (192 yards passing, 3 TDs), but he was dynamite on the ground, too, running for 88 yards and a fourth score. Lopez should get some pressure from Utah State transfer Bishop Davenport, but the 3-star prospect from Madison, Alabama looks like a burgeoning star in Mobile.

Southern Miss, Tate Rodemaker, Redshirt Junior

At 6’4 194-pounds, Florida State transfer Tate Rodemaker certainly looks the part of an elite quarterback. A three star prospect and transfer, Rodemaker started one game and appeared in nine for the Seminoles last year, chipping in five TDs. The Golden Eagles would probably like an upgrade over last year’s starter Billy Wiles, who transferred to Appalachian State after compiling 1,940 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven picks for Southern Miss. Rodemaker isn’t without competition, 3-star dual-threat prospect sophomore Ethan Crawford legs may be too valuable to keep on the sideline while Southern Miss continues to rebuild its offensive line and wide receivers room.

Texas State, Jordan McCloud, Redshirt Senior

Jordan McCloud was the 2023 Sun Belt Player of the Year…for James Madison. Hard to know just why he left the Dukes, but he lands in a nice situation at Texas State with guys like Joey Hobert and Kole Wilson to target. Looking directly at McCloud’s 2023 stat line is like staring at the sun –  3,657 passing yards, 35 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions. McCloud does have a challenger in the house – 3-star transfer RJ Martinez from Baylor, who at the moment looks more like insurance.

Troy, Goose Crowder, Junior

Will “Goose” Crowder was a highly-regarded, Class of ’21 3-star recruit with offers from Arkansas State, Boise State and Appalachian State before ultimately signing with West Virginia, where he made just 8 game-time pass attempts in two years. But he completed 100% of those, a reflection of his reputation as a fearless and accurate passer. Crowder arrived to Troy last season and was mostly assigned to place holding duties and backing up veteran Gunner Watson. At 6’2″ 214-pounds, Crowder will be asked to do what he does best behind a solid offensive line – throw darts. Providing some heat, sophomore Tucker Kilcrease, who bears a strikingly similar recruiting profile to Crowder (several SBC offers and West Virginia).

ULM, Hunter Herrring, Junior

Those who are vulnerable to overwhelming name recognition may have expected to see General Booty, the transfer from Oklahoma. As of this writing, the edge goes to Hunter Herring, a 3-star prospect who originally signed with Louisiana in 2021 before moving north to Monroe the following season. Listed as 6’5″ 225-pounds, Herring is a big guy who shouldn’t have trouble finding his receivers. Applying pressure on Herring is the before mentioned Booty and Armenta Aiden, a 6’3″ signal caller who followed new head coach Bryant Vincent to Monroe.

NEXT: The Sun Belt East

IMAGE: Sun Belt Media