Tigers coach Brian Kelly introduced his offensive coaching staff on Thursday in a press conference, and one of the hottest topics of discussion was the quarterback position.
The battle for the starting spot there will certainly be interesting to watch. The early favorite has to be Myles Brennan, the sixth-year quarterback who briefly entered the transfer portal this offseason but ultimately chose to withdraw his name.
Brennan was seen as the heir apparent to Joe Burrow, and he began the 2020 season as the starter. However, his year was cut short with an injury, and he missed the entire 2021 season with a different injury. With him coming back, many see 2022 as his year.
But he won’t be without competition. The Tigers return redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier, who saw some action last season, and they also add five-star true freshman Walker Howard.
LSU’s offensive staff made it clear that it will be very much an open competition when spring practice begins on March 24, with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock outlining what the staff will be looking for from the quarterback room.
“The different defensive looks, the multiplicity of looks at this level, understanding protections. We ask our quarterback to know how to protect himself and change the protection if he needs to,” Denbrock said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Glen West. “Spring football is going to be a little bit of us figuring out exactly what we can be and what we can become throughout the process of building this offense.
“We haven’t had an opportunity to really be out on the field and work with these guys all that much yet, but it’s coming, which is good. So, we can really gauge where that’s at, and then through giving the quarterbacks the information they need to be successful, give them opportunities within the spring to kind of show who really fits into what we’re best at doing. And, let that competition play its way out and make sure that the best guy is out there giving us the best chance to win.”
Meanwhile, quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan said his focus is on building a relationship with each player and assessing where they’re at and what they need to improve upon.
“I think right now what I’m focused on is the relationships with each one. Making sure they know me and I know them,” Sloan said. “Because that’s where it’s gonna start, that’s gonna be the foundation for helping them develop on the field and off the field. Finding their strengths and weaknesses and making sure they understand that so we can have communication on what can make them the absolute best that they can be.”
Brennan could be considered the favorite given his experience, but based on these sentiments, it seems like the quarterback battle could go beyond spring and into fall camp.
Regardless, the Tigers have talent at the position and should have a much better idea where each player stands when the team can finally get on the field with the new staff when spring practice begins next month.
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