Tag: Jayden Daniels

LSU’s quarterback room could be one of the nation’s best this fall

The Tigers have three passers with Power Five experience and a talented true freshman.

The Tigers have quite the quarterback conundrum this offseason, but their problem is a good one to have.

It’s unclear which passer will emerge to win the job at this point between [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag]. But all have their strengths, and LSU fans should feel good about any one of those three being thrust into action.

We’re past the transfer portal deadline, so any further attrition at the position seems unlikely before the beginning of the season. With a group of three players that all have high-level playing experience — plus a true freshman who could be the future at the position in [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] — the Tigers have one of the most talented groups in the country.

In a recent quarterback room ranking from CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah, LSU was listed at No. 5 in the nation behind Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Georgia. Here’s what Jeyarajah said about the group.

The Tigers don’t have a proven starter after losing top passer Max Johnson to the transfer portal, but the collection of signal-callers currently in Baton Rouge ranks among the deepest in the nation. LSU added former Arizona State starter Jayden Daniels, who posted more than 3,000 yards of total offense in 2021, while Myles Brennan returns after missing most of the last two seasons with injuries. Down the pipe, Garrett Nussmeier and high four-star recruit Walker Howard have the tools to compete for playing time right away. New offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will have his selection of a dynamic, diverse group of passers in his first season. The ceiling depends on whether any of the four jump up and take the job.

After an inconclusive spring game, we’ll have to keep a careful eye on the competition once fall camp begins next month. In the meantime, LSU fans should be able to rest easy knowing coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] have a talented quartet of signal-callers to work with.

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Veteran LSU guard breaks down offensive line, quarterback competitions

Anthony Bradford provided some insight on the Tigers’ biggest question marks.

The Tigers have a lot of potential this fall, but they have more unanswered questions in June than fans may be used to.

With a new coaching staff under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and a number of crucial position battles that are still yet to be resolved, there will be a lot to watch for when fall camp begins later this summer.

One of the biggest question marks surrounds the offensive line, where the Tigers are tasked with replacing four of five starters from a year ago. Luckily, they return a number of veterans with at least some experience. One of those players is junior guard [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag].

Bradford played in six games last season, starting five at left tackle before an injury ended his season. He will likely slide back to his natural position on the inside this season, where he will face stiff competition if he wants to retain a starting spot.

Speaking to On3’s Bengal Tiger Podcast, Bradford elaborated on where he stands right now. He said he remains in the mix at right guard and that he doesn’t worry about competition from players like redshirt freshman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] and East Tennessee State graduate transfer [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag], who may be the favorites to start at guard this fall, stating that “iron sharpens iron.”

Bradford also offered his take on the quarterback situation, which doesn’t seem much closer to an answer after the spring game. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] is the technical incumbent, but he hasn’t played in a game in nearly two years. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], meanwhile, has three generally positive years of starting experience, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] lacks the experience but has impressed with his arm talent when he’s had the chance.

“I feel like the quarterback situation, everybody’s getting better together,” Bradford said. “They take a piece of the game for each other. I feel like this quarterback room is really special to me. I’m excited to see what they do when they compete in fall camp.”

That may not provide much insight into who will win the job, but it seems to reinforce the idea that LSU has three options with their own strengths who have the talent to start in the SEC.

While we aren’t all that far away from the 2022 team taking the field, we will have to wait a while longer to have answers to some of these questions, including what Bradford’s role will be on this team. Regardless, it sounds like Kelly has done a good job of getting buy-in from veterans like Bradford.

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LSU quarterback Walker Howard says he’s learning from team’s veterans

Howard spoke positively about his transition to college as an early enrollee.

Many of the national conversations surrounding this year’s LSU team have focused on the quarterback competition, and for good reason.

It’s one of the most intriguing battles in the entire country, pitting a veteran coming off an injury in [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] against a transfer with several years of Power Five experience in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who saw some action down the stretch last season, also had an impressive spring and figures to be a factor.

But the player seemingly left out of that conversation is the one that could have the highest ceiling of the bunch and likely represents the future at the position: true freshman [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag].

The former blue-chip prospect from Lafayette committed under the previous coaching staff, and it was a major early win for coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] to keep him in the transition class. Howard may be heading for a redshirt year, but he will likely be the starter in Baton Rouge sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, Howard said that he’s taking the opportunity to learn from the veterans in the quarterback room, according to On3’s Nikki Chavanelle.

“Every single day, every single rep, I learn something new,” Howard said. “That’s what’s awesome about having some older guys in front of you. You look at everything with a different perspective because I came in with not as much knowledge as these guys. I have to work harder than everybody else because they’ve been around, so that’s what I’m doing.”

Howard got to be a part of the action this spring after early enrolling, and he had positive things to say about the transition process overall.

“The transition has been awesome, I mean, at first, it was kind of rough at first,” Howard said. “I kind of hit a wall the first couple of practices but that’s what all the coaches told me, that I was going to hit a wall, it’s just all about how you bounce back. I feel like I’ve been really improving after every practice, that’s what it’s all about. The transition’s been awesome, I’ve loved every second of it.”

He also said that Kelly’s hands-on approach has made that transition easier.

“He’s very involved,” Howard said. “It makes me fired up to have a head coach so involved with me and the quarterbacks. He corrects me after every single thing I do. He’s just always trying to [help] me improve. I’m thankful for Coach Kelly always teaching me after every rep.”

Howard arrives with high expectations, though he likely won’t get the chance to live up to them this season barring significant injury. Still, it should be seen as a positive sign that Howard is taking the opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced quarterback rooms in college football.

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Top 70 players’ odds for the 2022 Heisman Trophy per Tipico Sportsbook

Where does your school’s star stand in terms of Heisman Trophy odds per Tipico Sportsbook? Take a look at the top 70 players here.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won the 2021 Heisman Trophy after passing for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns against just four interceptions in the regular season and the SEC championship game win over Georgia combined.

It was Young’s close to the regular season and that aforementioned SEC championship game win over the Bulldogs that helped him cinch college football’s highest honor.

In a 42-35 win over Arkansas on Nov. 20, 2021, Young completed 31-of-40 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns. Then, he directed a late comeback and subsequent four-overtime victory at Auburn where he finished with 317 passing yards and a pair of passing touchdowns against the Tigers.

Again, it was the 6-foot, 194 pound signal-caller’s performance in the Crimson Tide’s 41-24 SEC championship game triumph over Georgia that clinched it. Young completed 26-of-44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns and ran in another score to send Alabama to yet another College Football Playoff.

As a result, Alabama now has back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners. Young joined 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. The Crimson Tide’s all-time list of Heisman Trophy winners also expanded to four following Young’s win.

All of those Crimson Tide Heisman Trophy winners have come under Alabama head football coach Nick Saban. The others were Alabama running backs Mark Ingram in 2009 and Derrick Henry in 2015.

Only one player, Ohio State running back Archie Griffin, has ever won the award in back-to-back seasons. That will be the task for Alabama’s Young. As the odds from Tipico Sportsbook indicate, he’s one of the big favorites to do just that.

What does the full top 70 players’ odds to win the 2022 Heisman Trophy look like? Let’s examine the landscape as college football enters the summer below.

ESPN breaks down LSU’s quarterback competition after spring ball

Who will start under center for the Tigers this fall?

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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Breaking down each LSU quarterback’s best trait

Each of the quarterbacks in LSU’s competition has a different skill set. Here’s what all of them are best at.

Every quarterback is different.

With all the skills that go into playing the position, there are so many variables that determine who a quarterback is. How far can he throw it? Is he accurate? Can he run? Can he throw on the run?

Those are just a few of the physical traits and that’s before we even start talking about mental ability. How quickly can a quarterback diagnose a defense? How fast does he move through his progressions? Does he stare down his targets?

The combination of skills is endless. Every quarterback will have their own strengths and weaknesses.

LSU has four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster right now, each with very different skill sets. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] isn’t remotely the same player that [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has plenty of unique traits as well.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has made it clear that the offense will be tailored to whoever the starter is, but that doesn’t mean he prefers one skill set to another. Even if Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock did have a preference, they wouldn’t say it out loud at this point.

At the end of the day though, it may come down to just that. If they view Brennan, Daniels and Nussmeier in the same light, it could be Daniels’s ability to run that gets him the job. In Nussmeier’s case, it could be his ability to sling it.

Let’s dive right in.

What did we learn about LSU during the spring?

Here are the questions the Tigers answered during the spring and the ones that remain, per ESPN.

With the first spring practice under new coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] all wrapped up, we have a few months to reflect on what we’ve heard from practice and what we saw in the spring game before this team takes the field again in the fall.

The Tigers entered this offseason with a lot of questions after roster turnover forced them to be aggressive in the transfer portal. Some of its offseason acquisitions through the portal and recruiting are still yet to arrive on campus, but we are still starting to get a good idea of what this depth chart might look like in 2022.

ESPN’s Alex Scarborough and Chris Low broke down each SEC team’s spring practice, listing the things we learned during the spring and the questions that still need to be answered by the fall. Here’s what they said about Kelly’s squad.

What we learned this spring: Brian Kelly inherited a roster filled with holes, which is why he was so active in the transfer portal. But last month’s spring game was a reminder that LSU is not without talent. Defensive tackle Maason Smith is a star in the making, and freshman offensive lineman Will Campbell is as solid an anchor to build around as you’re going to find in the SEC. The running back room is well stocked with the return of John Emery Jr., and the receivers should fare well once Kayshon Boutte recovers from last year’s injury. The big question is at quarterback, but even then all of Kelly’s options — Myles Brennan, Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier — have experience and have shown they have the talent to compete at a high level.

What we need to learn by Week 1: It goes without saying that Kelly will have to quickly find his starting quarterback. Daniels is the most dynamic option given his ability as a runner, but Brennan is savvy and a good caretaker of the ball. Nussmeier, meanwhile, has a live arm but is unpredictable. Taking a step back, though, the overall roster still needs work between now and fall camp. There are a lot of positions that are too thin in terms of scholarship players, including cornerback, where Kelly focused a lot of his efforts by bringing in four transfers.

The quarterback battle is certain to dominate the discussion over the coming months, especially after inconclusive performances in the spring game. This is a battle that could be waged up until kick-off against Florida State in Week 1.

But there are certainly other questions, and while there aren’t many clear positions of weakness when it comes to the starters, there are several areas where the depth is a bit concerning, to say the least.

Kelly still has a lot to figure out heading into fall camp, but this is a talented roster with a higher ceiling than most Year 1 SEC coaches would normally have. The only question is how high that ceiling actually is.

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Plenty of reasons for optimism as LSU finishes up spring ball

Spring practice has now concluded, and LSU fans have plenty of reasons for spring optimism.

Spring practice is now over, and tt will be a while before things pick up again for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU.

It was an eventful spring with more buzz than usual. That’s what happens when a $95 million coach is making his first impressions leading a team with a handful of new players.

Not to mention the position battle at quarterback, the new-look secondary, and all the question marks on the offensive line. We had a lot to talk about this spring. So, now that’s it over and the dust has settled, how should Tigers fans be feeling?

We’re going to take some time to feel good about where LSU is at, some spring optimism if you will.

Spring practice served as a reminder that there is still plenty of talent on this team, some of which we didn’t even get to see over the last few weeks. The wide receiver group looks like a strength, and that was without [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who could be one of the best players in the country upon his return this fall.

These pass catchers are going to be fun to watch and be a major boost to whoever ends up throwing to them.

On defense, the front looks good, almost great. Defensive lines are critical to finding success in the SEC, and LSU has a handful of guys up front with NFL talent. They can pose a threat to even the best offensive lines in the SEC.

Linebacker looks like it’s the deepest it’s been in years with [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] taking steps forward along with returning veterans like [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag]. That doesn’t even account for [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], one of the highest-rated linebackers ever signed by LSU who will be arriving soon.

The secondary is still a huge question mark, but [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] look like they’re going to be reliable players that play a big part in the rebuild of that group.

The defense is in a much better spot than it was a year ago.

It won’t matter how good the defense is if the quarterback and offensive line aren’t figured out, but there are some reasons to start feeling good there.

There are talented options in the quarterback room, and each of them seems to be progressing while also earning the respect of the team. LSU doesn’t need a Heisman candidate under center next year, just someone who can run the offense. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] all seem capable at this point, and at least one of them should turn into an SEC level starter by the fall.

The offensive line is going to have its bad moments this year, but it finished spring with some consistency as [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] held down the left tackle position. If Campbell ends up starting there, he will have times where he looks like a true freshman, but at the same time, you can’t help but wonder if LSU has found their elite left tackle to anchor the line for a few years.

Spring practice served as a time for Kelly to implement his program, to right the ship. It seems like that is what happened. This looks like a program with a clear direction led by someone who knows where he’s going. LSU hasn’t had that for a couple of years, and it’s refreshing to see.

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Five remaining questions for LSU’s football team heading into fall camp

We have some more clarity as we emerge from the spring, but there’s a lot more to be learned as LSU heads into the summer.

LSU had its spring game on Saturday, marking the end of the first spring practice with coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] at the helm.

The quarterbacks have been the biggest discussion point all spring and that won’t change as we move toward the fall. There are also some areas where we have more clarity now, such as the offensive line and linebacker rooms.

In the secondary, it looks like [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], both Louisiana natives who transferred from Arkansas, are emerging as leaders.

However, there are plenty of questions that remain as Kelly has only been on the job for a few months. Much of spring practice was about solidifying the transition and installing the new playbooks.

On top of that, there could still be some players yet to come and go. After spring, players could have a better idea of their situation at a given school and elect to transfer. That could kick off a second round of transfers, and LSU still has a couple of roster spots left to use.

It’ll be a long time until we see LSU out on the field again, which means a lot can change before LSU takes the field against Florida State in New Orleans. Here are some remaining questions as it gears up for the break during the summer.

WATCH: Walker Howard scores first touchdown in Death Valley on a long pass

Howard concluded Saturday’s scrimmage with a deep touchdown pass on a wheel route, his first in a Tigers uniform.

It only took[autotag] Walker Howard[/autotag] a few quarters to throw the first touchdown pass of his career as a Bayou Bengal.

From the shotgun formation in the fourth quarter, Howard hit running back [autotag]Corren Norman[/autotag] on a wheel route over the left side for a 64-yard touchdown pass, the first of what will hopefully be many more to come for the young freshman from Lafayette, Louisiana.

It has been a fun day watching the new-look Tigers and their stable of quarterbacks embrace the competition. LSU has a four-man race at the position, and realistically all four of the guys have a shot at winning it.

They all made some good plays on Saturday and shown good command of the offense at times. We will see how it all shakes out in the fall, but for now, the future of LSU at the quarterback position looks very bright. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] can all get the job done.

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