Managing a quarterback room in 2022 resembles something more similar to a political art than coaching football.
Only one quarterback can play, and usually, there’s more than one that wants to. This has resulted in a quarterback carousel across the country.
Over the last couple of years, LSU has had a few guys decide to ride that carousel. Most notably, Max Johnson is now at Texas A&M. During the last offseason, TJ Finely transferred to Auburn.
Myles Brennan was in line to ride but opted to return to LSU after Johnson’s transfer and speaking with Kelly.
LSU, for now, is in good shape here. Brennan is a sixth-year player with plenty of arm talent. He waited for this opportunity, and he waited again.
When Joe Burrow came in 2018, many assumed Brennan would transfer. Some viewed it as a sign that LSU did not believe in Brennan and if he wasn’t ready then, he’d never be.In his three starts in 2020, he looked good in what turned out to be a bad situation. He was shaky in that loss to Mississippi State. He looked like one would expect a quarterback to make when making his first career start. As Brennan got his feet under him and started to settle in, he looked like an SEC quarterback.
Behind Brennan, sit Garrett Nussmeier and Walker Howard, two blue-chip recruits.
Eventually, either Nussmeier or Howard will eventually transfer. They’re both talented and after Brennan leaves, one of them will have to win the job.
If It’s Nussmeier, it’s plausible that Howard could stick around and wait it out, but it’s rare to see someone as highly recruited as Howard do that.
Nussmeier got a little time last year and showed his willingness to be a gunslinger, but outside of that, didn’t show much as LSU remained with Johnson under center.
Quarterbacks are almost impossible to predict. There’s never a sure thing. There have been too many five stars never to be heard of again after signing day. Each year, just look at all the QB’s in the portal that never panned out.
Nobody knows how Nussmeier’s or Howard’s careers will turn out. They could be first-round picks or they could finish their careers in the Sun Belt.
It’ll be interesting to see how hard LSU goes after a quarterback in the 2023 class. Obviously, everyone in college football would like Arch Manning on their team, but if LSU misses out on Manning, do they see it as necessary to get someone else?
One would also think LSU having Howard and Nussmeier is something Manning or any other 2023 signal-caller has to take into account. He’d enter his freshman year as the third-string QB, as opposed to some other spots, where he could have a much easier path to the field.
Last Word
LSU’s QB room is in good shape with a lot of talent, but it remains a possibility to turn volatile in 2023, or sooner if Brennan struggles this fall. There’s plenty of talent here, but it needs to be developed. LSU is one injury away from having less than three scholarship quarterbacks, again.
[listicle id=47166]