Spring practice is in the books, but we still don’t have much better of an idea of who will be lining up under center for the Tigers this fall.
There are three primary contenders: [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] — a veteran who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons — [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — a transfer who was a three-year starter at Arizona State — and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], a redshirt freshman who impressed in the spring game.
Though Nussmeier’s performance was arguably the best of the three, that alone is not enough to win the job, especially considering he lacks experience when compared to the other two.
We’ll have to wait until fall camp to get any official announcement, but ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg tried his hand at predicting each of the top ongoing quarterback battles, and LSU’s cracked the list.
Brian Kelly’s first quarterback competition as LSU coach is among the most fascinating in the country. He inherits a room with a 23-year-old former starter who needs to get healthy in Brennan, as well as a transfer with multiple years of starting experience in Daniels. But Nussmeier generated most of the buzz this spring, impressing the new coaches with his skills and ability to execute a different scheme. Despite being a top-65 national recruit in 2021, Nussmeier has been overlooked at times, especially when Daniels transferred in from Arizona State and Brennan opted to return for a sixth and final season. LSU also added Walker Howard, ESPN’s No. 42 overall recruit in the 2022 class, who likely won’t factor into this year’s QB race.
Daniels, who started 29 games for Arizona State, didn’t transfer to LSU to sit out. He must absorb the new offense and make some mechanical tweaks to try and recapture the form he displayed in 2019, when he passed for nearly 3,000 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions, immediately entering the NFL draft radar. Brennan, who had a solid start in 2020 before injuries derailed that season and the next, could be the safest option for Kelly. Nussmeier’s excellent spring could change the equation, though, especially if he builds on his performance early in camp.
Week 1 starter prediction: Daniels. He must hold off Nussmeier, which could be difficult, but with the right adjustments in footwork and throwing motion, the ASU transfer should get the first shot for LSU. Kelly and his staff likely will want to see what they can get from Daniels before changing course at QB.
Daniels’ performance in the spring game was a bit underwhelming, but it’s understandable considering when he arrived. He likely still needed to learn more of the playbook at that point, and we should have a much better idea where he stands during fall camp.
He certainly didn’t transfer to LSU with the intention of sitting on the bench, and though Brennan and Nussmeier still have a very good shot, it makes sense to see Daniels as the current leader in the clubhouse despite an underwhelming first outing in the purple and gold.
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