2013 Southern Conference Football: Ranking The League’s Signal Callers

Furman Sophomore Quarterback Reese Hannon

GREENVILLE, S.C.–At this time last year, Reese Hannon probably wasn’t thinking too much about be the leader of the Paladin offense, as he was finishing up his final year of high school at Greer High School.

Hannon saw things change just two games into the season, when Dakota Derrick went down with an injury, forcing Hannon into the Paladin lineup as a true freshman. Then, Hannon dipped his pen in some ink, and began to write his own story as the Paladins’ signal-caller in the 2013 campaign.

At the end of the night, the Paladins were 0-2, with a 47-45 loss to Coastal Carolina. The loss stung, many Paladin fans knew a star had been born. All Hannon did was complete 22-of-35 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns in rainy conditions for much of the afternoon.

Hannon did so well in his first four starts, that he got the attention of the nation, as he was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List. Hannon’s cool poise would show through in his first-ever start for the Paladins, which came against a Top 10 ranked Clemson team a week after the loss to the Chanticleers, and it was Hannon that would not be rattled by the better than 80,000 on-hand waiting for him to be eaten up by the Clemson defense all afternoon.

However, for those salivating Clemson fans waiting to see the young freshman crumble under pressure, the Greer, S.C., native was on-point for the Paladins with the first drive of the afternoon, helping the Paladins matriculate 63 yards deep into to Tiger territory off the opening kickoff of the day before the Paladins would eventually turn the football over for the Tigers as a result of an INT off a fake field goal. Hannon would finish his second game in a Paladin uniform by completing 19-of-29 passes for 235 yards, with a TD and an INT in the 41-7 loss.

Hannon would go on to one of the most impressive true freshman campaigns in Furman football history, completing the campaign connecting on 160-0f-260 -passes for 1,896 yards, with seven TDs and seven INTs.

Hannon — whose cousin, Justin Hill, helped the Paladins to a Southern Conference title in 1999 and a pair of playoff appearances under center — now attempts to build on that solid career start in 2012. Hannon completed 61.5 percent of his passes last season, and he will enter the season as one of the SoCon’s top signal-callers in what should an excellent season for quarterbacks in the Southern Conference.

Ranking The SoCon’s Quarterbacks For 2013:

1. Jamal Londry-Jackson (Appalachian State)– It is certainly hard to bet against Jamal-Londry Jackson as the top quarterback in the Southern Conference for the 2013 season. After all, the senior from Atlanta completed 268-of-406 passes for 3,278 yds, with 21 touchdowns and 8 interceptions last fall.

Additionally, Jackson also added 328 rush yards and six touchdowns, and his performance down the stretch not only helped the Mountaineers solidify their place in the postseason, it also was enough to see the Mountaineers claim a 12th and final Southern Conference crown. The Mountaineers also might have the top quarterback in FCS football in 2013, in rising senior signal-caller Jamal Londry-Jackson. Jackson’s 2012 season was the second-best season in school history in terms of passing yardage, as his 3,278 passing yards were second to only Armanti Edwards’ 3,291 passing yards in 2009. Jackson was at the center of what proved to be the second-best offensive output by a Mountaineer football team in school history, bested only by the ’07 team in that category. Jackson, who enters his senior season with 5,436-career passing yards and 6,160 yards of total offense already ranks fourth and fifth on those respective lists in school history, and with a season similar to 2012, Londry-Jackson has a chance to second on both career charts.

2. Jacob Huesman (Chattanooga)– One of the reasons Chattanooga figures to be in the mix for Southern Conference championship in a major way is quarterback Jacob Huesman. Like Hannon, Huesman was a candidate for the Jerry Rice Award last season. Huesman completed his true freshman season connecting on 167-of-256 passes for 1,712 yards, with 14 TDs and only six INTs. His 904 yards rushing were a school-record by a quarterback, while he also added seven rushing scores. All told, the true freshman completed the season with 2,616 yards of total offense and 21 TD responsibilities. Huesman helped lead a Chattanooga offense that seemingly improved as the season progressed, but still has room for improvement, as the Mocs ranked just eighth in the nine-team Southern Conference in total offense (349.8 YPG) last season.

3. Andy Summerlin (Samford)– Granted an extra year of eligibility as the result of winning his appeal with the NCAA as a result of injury, Andy Summerlin returns for his senior season looking to build off what was a strong first season in Birmingham for the Memphis transfer. Summerlin finished the season as the SoCon’s third leading passer, and he is more of the prototypical passer, coming off a season in which he completed 244-of-365 passes for 2,269 yards, with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led the Bulldogs to their best Southern Conference mark since joining the league in ’08.

4. Reese Hannon (Furman)–It was a strong first season for the true freshman from Greer, S.C., where he posted one of the most efficient seasons under center at Furman in school history, connecting on 61.5-percent of his throws a season ago. Hannon is not an immobile quarterback, but certainly favors being a pocket passer more than a running threat. In just nine complete games under center last fall, Hannon connected on 160-0f-260 -passes for 1,896 yards, with seven TDs and seven INTs.

5. Jerick McKinnon (Georgia Southern)–Georgia Southern quarterback Jerick McKinnon is certainly explosive in the Eagles’ triple option offense, and things finally seemed to come together towards the latter half of the 2013 season for McKinnon. He put together one of the greatest performances in the history of Georgia Southern football last season in the playoffs against Central Arkansas, completing that contest with 316 rushing yards and a pair of TDs, while passing for 79 yards and another score in the 24-16 second round win.

As a rushing threat under center last season, McKinnon did plenty of damage with 1,817 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also finished the season completing 20-of-49 passes for 579 yards, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

6. Ben Dupree/Aaron Miller (The Citadel)–Veteran quarterbacks Ben Dupree and Aaron Miller, who both return for the 2013 season, were both instrumental in leading the Bulldogs’ offense in 2012. Dupree finished the season as the team’s second-leading rusher with 839 yards, while also connecting on 25-of-42 passes for 387 yards. Miller had a little bit better passing numbers than Dupree last season, as he connected on 34-of-69 passes for 513 yards with one TD and three INTs. Miller also finished the season 262 rushing yards and five rushing scores.

Western Carolina Sophomore Quarterback Troy Mitchell

7. Troy Mitchell (Western Carolina)–The quarterback that will likely experience a sensational sophomore season in Mark Speir’s spread offense is Troy Mitchell, who might be the best athlete lining up at quarterback among any of the nine league institutions this fall. Sharing time with Eddie Sullivan directing the Catamount offense last season, Mitchell connected on 85-of-142 passes for 862 pass yards, with four TDs and four INTs. Mitchell also showed he could be a dual threat, finishing with 433 yards and four rushing scores. Mitchell might be most talented quarterback in Cullowhee since the legendary Lonnie Galloway (1988-92).

8. Mike Quinn (Elon)–Mike Quinn is one of four players competing to replace Thomas Wilson under center this fall, and Quinn leads the quartet with the Phoenix three-fourths of the way through spring drills. If Quinn is the starter, he will have a tough act to follow, as the Phoenix have had some of the league’s top passers in the SoCon over the past seven years, going all the way back to Wes Pope in 2006.

9. Michael Weimer/James Lawson (Wofford)–Wofford’s 2012 starter Brian Kass had one year of eligibility remaining, but decided to forego his final year of eligibility, leaving the Terrier in the hands of Michael Weimer and James Lawson, who are both entering their sophomore campaigns, as the Old Gold and Black hasn’t been this young under center since 2005, when Josh Collier and Ben Widmyer shared the signal-calling duties for Wofford.  Both Weimer and Lawson saw limited duty last season, with Weimer completing 9-of-12 passes for 76 yards, while rushing for 256 yards rushing and a pair of  TDs. Lawson connected on 20-of-31 passing for 233 yards. while rushing for 65 yards and a score.

*–The 2013 football season sees one of the strongest corps’ of quarterbacks returning to the fold in quite sometime, and only Elon and Wofford must replace starters heading into the season. Of the seven starters returning, four are seniors this fall, while three are sophomores. The three talents that came in the league as freshmen last season, in Huesman, Hannon and Mitchell, is one of the stronger quarterback classes in quite awhile. All three have a chance to finish their respective careers among their program’s all-time greats.