4. Kellen Mond
This one was quite a bit easier to give out. True sophomore Kellen Mond was impressive in the first start of the 2018 season. Was he perfect? No. Did he always make the right decision? No. Did he show growth and comfort since the 2017 season? Yes.
Last year, when he was unexpectedly thrown into the starting role after Nick Starkel was injured, we saw the raw talent of Mond. He made some throws that made you say wow and some that made you want to be throw a chair. This year, he is playing like a true quarterback. He has command of his offense as he makes reads, and trusts what he sees. He can be as good as anyone in the SEC in 2018.
Mond finished the game 17-of-25, passing for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown before being lifted from the game in the third quarter for Starkel — the other half of the “quarterback battle” that Jimbo Fisher claims is still going on. I don’t buy that one bit, though Mond’s performance against Clemson in the upcoming week will be the measuring stick of that competition.
As for now, Mond’s performance against Northwestern State and growth from the 2017 season to now earns him a Blitz Sticker from me.