The SEC has gained respect around the nation because of its amazing athletes — usually on defense — that seem to shut teams down when they play out-of-conference games. With all the focus having shifted from the offense to the defense, there is still one thing that hasn't changed in the South, and that's the "elevated" status of their teams starting quarterback.

Yes, you did read that correctly, "elevated" status, also known as being given V.I.P. treatment, or having "rock star" status, is exactly how these young college men are viewed across their campus. The quarterback position has been, and always will be, a coveted position not only in the SEC but in the game of football. With that in mind, here is a list of some of the so-called, "rock stars" in the SEC.

Above "rock star" photo of Tim Tebow is courtesy of www.sportsburn.com

Upperclassmen

Darren McFadden - Arkansas Razorbacks

"But isn't Darren McFadden, the starting running back for Arkansas?" If that's the first thing that came to mind when you saw his name listed here, then you obviously didn't watch Arkansas play last year. Houston Nutts, "Wildcat" formation, allows McFadden to line up at quarterback, replacing him at running back with the speedy Felix Jones. This causes loads of confusion for the defense that now has two dangerous running backs on the field that could take it all the way. Despite all the off-the-field issues Houston Nutt has created in Arkansas, he really does know how to utilize these two amazing athletes. Nutt confuses defenses by sometimes lining Felix Jones up at the wide-receiver spot, with McFadden behind center. The defense has no idea what to expect when Jones begins to run back behind the line before the the start of the play.

Is McFadden going to hand the ball off to Jones? Is McFadden going to fake a hand off only to run it up the middle or off to the side of the field where Jones was just lined up? What if McFadden fakes the hand off and then throws the ball up in the air to Monk? The options to this simple play are endless because of how dangerous these two athletes are with their hands on the ball. Defenses can't help but to respect their abilities.

While a majority of the time this formation leads to a run, McFadden has proven he isn't afraid to throw the ball. With the horrible play last year from the other Razorback quarterbacks, one could actually say that McFadden is a better option at quarterback then anyone currently on the roster. If you think I'm the only one saying this, check out Mark Schlabach's article on ESPN.com: Seven College Football Secrets for 2007. Don't expect him to put up big numbers through the air, but don't think for one second defenses are excited to see him behind center.

Some statistics from last year to note: Completed seven of nine passes for three touchdowns and one interception. Led the SEC in rushing yards with 1647. Only one of two running backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the SEC. The other running back was Felix Jones ... of Arkansas.

Above photo is courtesy of lsuphootball.wordpress.com

Andre Woodson - Kentucky Wildcats

Everyone knows that college football is a team sport. But it's a team sport with its star athletes, and Andre Woodson is definitely one of them. Despite the fact that he has lived in the shadow of Brian Brohm of in-state rival Louisville, he has single-handily risen Kentucky out of the basement of the SEC. No one would be shocked if Woodson led his team to an upset over some of his conference rivals. None of these teams have the Wildcats circled as an easy win this year. For more on Andre Woodson, check out ESPN.com (I included a search for articles on the link), which has released a ton of articles on Woodson — most of which are in ESPN Insider. If your not a member, I highly recommend becoming one. For all you non-members, here is one from Pat Forde, Woodson's transformation sparks Kentucky's rise

Some statistics from last year to note: Led the SEC in passing yards with 3,515. Led the SEC in times sacked with 36. Led the SEC in passing touchdowns with 31. Was tied for 11th place with seven interceptions.

Above photo is courtesy of heismanpundit.com

Eric Ainge - Tennessee Volunteers

You almost have to feel sorry for this guy. Nothing has gone his way after he won the starting job for Tennessee. He hasn't been able to pull it off when it mattered the most, and now has lost his top three receivers from last year. It simply just doesn't look as if Ainge is going to be able to get things together in time to not be considered a total bust by the Volunteer faithful. To make matters worse, he broke a finger on his throwing arm this week before the Cal game, preventing him from getting some much-needed practice time with his inexperienced receiving core. A loss against Florida at Tennessee late in the season would be disastrous for his legacy.

Some statistics from last year to note: Ainge was third in the SEC in passing yards with 2,989. He was tied for sixth with nine interceptions and fourth with 19 passing touchdowns. The leading wide receiver in the SEC was Robert Meachem of Tennessee. He is now playing for the New Orleans Saints. Tennessee also had two other wide receivers with the top 20 in receiving yards. Both were seniors last year and are no longer playing for the Volunteers.

Above photo is courtesy of sundaymorningqb.blogspot.com

The Unknowns

Matt Flynn - Louisiana State University

"The Tigers would have been better off last year with Matt Flynn at Quarterback then JaMarcus Russell." That's exactly what I said at the beginning of last year, and I will stick to that now despite the fact that JaMarcus went No. 1 in the draft.

Only time will prove me right as people witness firsthand how poorly JaMarcus Russells' game management and overall decision-making skills are. Yes, JaMarcus Russell is an amazing athlete who can throw the ball down the field with a flick of his arm. But so can Daunte Culpepper, and he hasn't led a team anywhere. If you watched LSU closely last year, you would attribute LSU's loss against Florida to the factors listed above. Sure, LSU had some pretty absurd turnovers that weren't necessarily his fault, but the Tigers had the win in sight. JaMarcus didn't manage the time on the clock well in the fourth quarter and didn't give his team a chance to win against Florida. Against a good defense that understands that he's constantly itching for the 60-yard pass, he will throw as many interceptions as he will touchdowns. Personally, I find him to be a bigger, slower, dumber version of Daunter Culpepper.

On the other hand, Flynn has received nothing but compliments from his coaches for his ability to lead and his poise in the pocket. The one glimpse we had of this was during the Peach Bowl against a very good University of Miami team. Not many backups have the ability to keep their cool in their first game — let alone their first bowl game. Yet, Flynn was able to find it in himself to come in for an injured JaMarcus Russell and lead the Tigers to a very impressive victory. For some video on the game, click here.

He is also considered to be a much more mobile quarterback then JaMarcus and doesn't simply rely on arm strength to beat his opponents. This will be extremely important because of the departures of LSUs' all-time receiving touchdown leader Dwayne Bowe and speedy Craig Davis. This has left LSU with a young and inexperienced receiving core. I expect Flynn to impress and lead the Tigers to an undefeated season. The fact that he has an outstanding defense that will be able to pick up the slack in the event of an off-day doesn't hurt either. If you don't believe me, then you didn't watch the LSU game last night. Flynn constantly ran the ball on the Bulldogs, proving that he isn't afraid to take a hit.

Some statistics from last year to note: Flynn has seen very limited action over the past three years, yet his passing percentage has gone up each year. He had a better complete year in 2005 when he saw the most time. He threw for seven touchdowns and one interception, however. He had a subpar completion percentage of 56.3 percent .That went up to 60 percent in 2006.

Above photo is courtesy of Chuck Cook / Times-Picayune and NOLA.com

Blake Mitchell - South Carolina Gamecocks

Having Steve Spurrier as your head coach is enough pressure to drive any quarterback to insanity. It also has the possibility to drive them to excellence, and Mitchell could be on the verge of either. Last year, he split time with Syvelle Newton because of to his inconsistent play and getting suspended for the first game of the year isn't a good start. It doesn't appear that Mitchell is going to use the opportunity to play under one of the best college offensive geniuses ever to the fullest. Spurrier appears to be confident that this will be the year the Gamecocks make a bunch of noise in the East. I'm not sure Mitchell is on the same page, having been suspended for something as dumb as skipping class.

Some statistics from last year to note: Split time with Syvelle Newton last year. Eighth in the SEC in passing yards with 1,789. Ninth in the SEC with 10 passing touchdowns. Thirteenth in the SEC with six interceptions.

Above photo is courtesy of www.lxasc.com / Juan Blas

Young Guns

Tim Tebow - Florida Gators and Matthew Stafford - Georgia Bulldogs

These two had extremely different years last year. Stafford was thrown under the gun and gained a lot of experience because of it. He fought a position-battle and won. He is now "the man" at Georgia and is ready to prove that he was the right choice. Despite his poor numbers last year, he was a highly recruited quarterback out of high school, and it's difficult to judge a quarterback during his rookie year. Stafford wasn't the only rookie starting last year. Almost half the team were underclassman. Expect Stafford to make strides this year as he builds off an extremely good second-half last year with some of his other young guns.

Despite what all the "experts" around the country have been saying, Tim Tebow is an efficient passer.

When you have a solid, senior quarterback in Chris Leak, there is no reason to bring in a true freshman into the game to make a tough pass. Every Florida fan would have rioted if Tebow would have been put in the game to throw the ball. With that in mind, one can understand that Urban Meyers offense isn't set up for a Chris Leak type of quarterback. He just isn't tough enough to handle the hits that quarterbacks will need to take in his type of offense.

Tebow was recruited by the University of Florida, not as a running quarterback, but as a quarterback that could move out of the pocket and gun the ball down the field once his receivers made enough separation. His high-school numbers prove that he is a good passer, and he will prove that this year.

You don't get recruited out of the state of Florida if you can't throw the ball. He will go through some speed bumps in his first year as the No. 1 guy behind the gun, but what quarterback doesn't? Expect these two to have an instant classic in the Georgia-Florida game (previously known as the World's Largest Cocktail Party). It will be great to see them compete for the next two years.

Above photos are courtesy of www.chrisstorms.com, www.msnbc.msn.com, www.lindysports.com,