College Football: Top 50 players for 2017

Austin Allen might have a death wish. That’s what it looked like every time he took a snap behind that wretched Arkansas offensive line in 2016. The Razorbacks allowed 35 sacks. Only 21 FBS programs had a more porous offensive line than that. For the first time under head coach Bret Bielema, Arkansas allowed more sacks on offense than they recorded on defense (25). That just doesn’t seem to jive with the hard-nosed football that Hogs’ teams of the past have been known for.

Despite almost losing his head on every offensive play, Allen’s poise as a passer was near perfect. The younger brother of former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen, Austin did something that his older brother never did: he lead the SEC in passing last , racking  up 3,430 yards through the air. His 25 touchdowns were second in the conference behind Joshua Dobbs, but Allen did all his throwing while being chased for his life.

For what it’s worth, all five projected starters on the offensive line for the Razorbacks have at least two years in the system. They are led by starting center and All-SEC selection Frank Ragnow. He made it be known at SEC Media Days that a repeat performance of last year is flat-out not acceptable.

The 2017 crop of SEC quarterbacks is already shaping up to be significantly better than the year prior. Jarrett Stidham joins the conference and guys like Jake Bentley and Jacob Eason have one more year of experience. Allen, provided he stays healthy, will lead them all through the air. He’s got an elite arm, above-average accuracy and is hands down the toughest quarterback in the SEC.