Quarterback was a major question last offseason for LSU, but heading into coach Brian Kelly’s second season in Baton Rouge, it looks like a strength.
[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is back after starting every game in 2022, and he’s been dubbed the starter by Kelly as the incumbent. However, he’ll be pushed by [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who opted to return and compete rather than enter the transfer portal after promising performances in the SEC Championship against Georgia and Citrus Bowl against Purdue.
Speaking to the press, Kelly updated the progress each has made this spring and the current status of the competition as the team is gearing up for the spring game in just over a week.
Per On3:
“You know, both of them have a list of things that they want to work on,” Kelly said. “Jayden’s been pushing the ball down the field trying to really work on quick identification and one-on-one matchups down the field.
“Garrett is just you know, disciplined in progression reads, so each one of them has some things that (quarterbacks coach) Joe Sloan has laid out for them and in terms of what they want them to work on specifically, and that’s kind of how we’ve scripted them as well. And they’ve done a really good job of working on those things.”
Daniels was efficient last season, tossing for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions with a 68.6% completion percentage. On the ground, he added 885 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
He really shined in wins over Alabama and Florida, and he’s considered one of the top quarterbacks in the country entering the season. However, Nussmeier is a player that would be starting at many schools this season.
He threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia in what was mostly garbage time, but it was still an impressive performance. Kelly previously stated that Nussmeier would get first-team reps in spring.
Barring something surprising, Daniels will take the first snap of the year against Florida State in Orlando. But Nussmeier remains a factor, and he’s apparently made progress this spring.
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