Way back in '99, most gurus were raving about Brock Berlin -- who was tough and bright and never lost a game at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La., before moving on to Florida. But the quarterbacking talent really worth watching, one SEC recruiting coordinator gushed to me, was a lanky, sugary-sweet kid from Mississippi named Jason Campbell, who went to Auburn.

His 6'5" frame still hadn't filled out yet, but Campbell had Randall Cunningham-like talent with an effortlessly strong arm and dazzling feet. Last season, Campbell lurked in the shadows while redshirting. Truth is, he didn't sparkle in spring ball when the Tigers QB job was left wide open. But this August, Campbell -- with a full year of OC Noel Mazzone's system in his head -- has been dynamic. Word out of the Plains is that he has even seized the starting job away from senior Daniel Cobb.