Ed Orgeron and LSU football went into spring practice with continuity in mind.
That continuity is a focus not on the underwhelming 5-5 season itself, but on the way the team finished out the season with back-to-back wins over Florida.
Orgeron said Tuesday that quarterback Max Johnson took the first-team reps in practice, but that he had known he would be doing so before practice began.
Quarterback TJ Finley, a true freshman last season, originally took the reins as the starter after Myles Brennan suffered an abdominal injury against Missouri in the third game of the season.
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We saw some appearances from Johnson in there, who was named the starter ahead of LSU’s upset victory over Florida and led LSU to a win over Ole Miss in the season finale.
That type of success has resonated with Orgeron, who says there’s “no favorite” in an open competition.
“There’s one quarterback that’s 2-0 on this campus,” Orgeron said.
On the year, Johnson completed 58.7% of his passes for eight touchdowns with one interception. He also showed the ability to evade pressure and some very useful mobility in 2020, picking up 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own on the ground.
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Orgeron says he’s pleased with Brennan’s performance this early on in spring practice, and that he looks “100% healthy” after recovering from an injury that didn’t require surgery.
He also praised Finley and true freshman Garrett Nussmeier, who was a four–star recruit and impressed Orgeron on Tuesday with his ability to scramble and make plays with his legs.
With 14 practices to go until LSU’s annual spring game on April 17, it will be interesting to see how things continue to shake out under the pressure of competition.
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