Spring Quarterback Battles
– Alabama | Auburn | LSU | Notre Dame | Ohio State

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The offensive line matters just as much as the quarterback fight coming out of spring football and going into the fall. The front five should be better than it was last season when it was depleted by injuries, but it wasn’t a positive that it allowed seven sacks in all and didn’t do much for the ground game.

The quarterback play, though, was under the biggest microscope as Tyronne Swoopes completed 17-of-31 passes for 158 yards with a rushing score, and Jerrod Heard completed 20-of-29 throws for 177 yards with a pick as he closed the gap even more.

Head coach Charlie Strong appears to be far more interested in going with the experience of Swoopes, even if he’s a bit erratic at times, but Heard has at the very least made the backup situation more of a plus.

Swoopes is the leader after going through the battles of last year during trying times, but he needs the running game to be even stronger, despite the loss of leading rusher Malcolm Brown, and the receivers have to be steadier and more explosive.

And the line has to give him time to work.

The pecking order as of the immediate moment: 1) Tyrone Swoopes, 2) Jerrod Heard