Myles Brennan – Page 16 – Syndication Server

LSU football’s two main areas of concern against Mississippi State

As LSU opens their season against Mississippi State on Saturday, the offensive and defensive lines draw concern.

The 2020 college football season for the defending national champion LSU Tigers kicks off in two days.

On Saturday, the Tigers welcome the Mississippi State Bulldogs to Baton Rouge for the first game of the conference-only season.

LSU lost 14 players from last year’s team to the 2020 NFL draft, which leaves a few questions in the air when it comes to production at each position.

Let’s take a look at two main areas of concern heading into Saturday’s season-opening game for the Tigers.

Offensive Line

As much of a lingering question that the quarterback position could be with Myles Brennan leading the way replacing Joe Burrow, the Tigers’ offensive line lost three starters from last season.

With the official depth chart for the first game being released last week, the Tigers will start three players that have experience on the line in Dare Rosenthal at offensive tackle, Chasen Hines at right guard and Austin Deculus at right tackle.

Offensive guard Ed Ingram also has starting experience and will be a key factor in protecting Brennan and opening holes in the running game.

The Tigers’ starting center will be Harvard transfer Liam Shanahan, who is a player that the coaching staff has been giving high praise for.

The main reason for the concern is due to the fact that the team lost nearly all of their starters from last season on the line. Protecting Brennan is focal point number one for this unit.

If they can transition into a solid unit early in the season, things will look good for them from a protection and production standpoint for the season.

However, the front seven has to give Brennan enough time in the pocket to complete passes and escape pressure. We will find out on Saturday how well the unit is clicking during the game.

Going up against a team with a new head coach, coupled with a new quarterback in Brennan, could give the offensive line a struggle during the game.

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LSU opens as the heavy favorite over Mississippi State

LSU is expected to open the season undefeated after Saturday’s matchup with Mississippi State.

The LSU Tigers come off one of the most dominant seasons in college football history heading into 2020, and the team hardly looks the same.

The Tigers lost a great deal of talent to the 2020 NFL Draft, as well as some members of the coaching staff to opportunities presented after the national championship victory.

LSU is expected to start the season off 1-0, with BetMGM listing the Tigers as a heavy favorite over the Mississippi State Bulldogs by a point spread of (-18.5).

Much of the Tigers’ success is going to hinge on how well Myles Brennan can handle taking the reins for Joe Burrow at the quarterback position, and how well Bo Pelini’s 4-3 defensive scheme works this year.

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Mississippi State also looks different than the team LSU recorded a 36-13 win over last year.

The Bulldogs return star running back Kylin Hill, much of their offensive line and now have Stanford transfer quarterback K.J. Costello to work with in Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.

LSU currently leads the all-time series with a record of 75-35-3, which includes 18 victories in the last 20 meetings.

It will be interesting to see how things shake out after the Tigers and Bulldogs kick off at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday in Tiger Stadium.

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USA TODAY predicts best, worst scenarios for LSU football

USA TODAY predicted the best and worst outcomes for the season for LSU football.

The LSU Tigers enter the 2020 college football season with a host of last year’s talent missing, but some exciting names who have the potential to step up this season.

USA TODAY writers recently projected the best and worst outcomes for several teams this year, including LSU.

The network’s Glenn Guilbeau cited a 9-1 record as the best-case scenario for the Tigers this year, as going through Alabama is never easy.

“The Tigers have too many personnel losses to return to the national championship game: quarterback Joe Burrow, pass game coordinator Joe Brady and top wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson,” he wrote. “But they can still reach the playoffs without winning the SEC. The only regular-season loss will likely come to Alabama.”

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Things could obviously go much worse for LSU, though, given the amount of turnover.

Much of the outcome is going to depend upon quarterback play.

“If new quarterback Myles Brennan struggles or hovers around mediocrity, the Tigers could be forced to rely too much on the running game and their defense, which would mean losses to Alabama, Auburn and Florida,” he wrote. New hire Bo Pelini will be coordinating his first defense since 2007, and his defenses at Nebraska and Youngstown State as a head coach were often average to very bad.”

It will be interesting to see which note the Tigers start off the season on when they take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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LSU’s Ed Orgeron extremely confident in projected starting QB Myles Brennan

One player Orgeron discussed at length recently was starting quarterback Myles Brennan.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron met with the media after Tuesday’s practice and discussed a number of topics from COVID-19 to several of his players, per Billy Embody of 247Sports.

One player Orgeron discussed at length was starting quarterback Myles Brennan.

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound junior is entering his fourth season in Baton Rouge, but first as the starting quarterback. Brennan has the unenviable task of replacing Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow under center for the Tigers.

Orgeron seems to feel Brennan is ready for this opportunity, and that sitting behind Burrow was beneficial for his development.

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“I think that Myles waited his turn, he’s matured, he’s different from when he showed up. Now, he was a very talented young man when he showed up. He’s gained his weight, 218 pounds. He’s very confident. I think he played the role of the second-team quarterback very well. It was Joe’s team, everybody knew it so he just kind of stood in the background.”

Now, Orgeron sees a completely different Brennan. One who is confident and ready to take the reins.

“He’s leading,” Orgeron said. “Everybody believes in Myles. He’s very vocal out there. He’s a totally different kid. He knows the offense, has a very strong arm.”

While the Tigers are replacing most of their offensive line from a year ago, Brennan has a talented group of wide receivers, led by JaMarr Chase and Terrace Marshall, and five-star freshman tight end Arik Gilbert, among other weapons.

Count Orgeron among those who have no doubts about Brennan’s ability to lead LSU this fall.

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The Athletic predicts LSU would have beaten Texas

The Athletic gave a prediction for the canceled Texas-LSU matchup, saying the Tigers would have beaten the Longhorns by double digits.

COVID-19 has taken away a lot in the sports world, especially in college football. The Big Ten and Pac-12 canceled their seasons, instead opting for a spring season beginning in January.

The ACC, Big 12, and SEC currently have plans in place to play a season. Nonconference matchups are still an option for ACC and Big 12 teams, while the SEC will be playing a 10 game, conference only schedule.

However, if the ACC and Big 12 teams want to play nonconference games, they must be at their home stadium. This left schools with no choice but to play smaller schools that had flexibility on their schedule.

Because of this, marquee matchups such as Alabama–USC, Texas-LSU, and Tennessee–Oklahoma were not only canceled but will possibly never be played.

From the perspective of Texas, losing the return trip to LSU is nearly catastrophic. While the Longhorns lost to the eventual national champions in 2019, the game itself was Texas’ most entertaining of the season.

Add in the electric atmosphere of Death Valley and the Sept. 12 matchup was staged to be the most exciting game of the college football season. Watching Sam Ehlinger lead the Longhorns into Baton Rouge in a marquee nonconference game would have shown where Texas stands on a national level.

This will leave people wondering what could have been from both teams.

Could Texas have declared themselves to be “back” and strive towards a national championship with a win?

Or would have LSU doubled up the Longhorns and proved they deserve to be taken seriously for a back-to-back championship run?

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic gave a prediction, saying LSU would have not only beaten Texas but done it by double digits.

I was at the game last year in Austin, when we first found out that this was not your grandfather’s LSU offense. Joe Burrow stole the show, but Sam Ehlinger wasn’t too shabby himself (461 yards, 5 TDs). I would have expected a better showing from LSU’s defense this time around, while Myles Brennan and Ja’Marr Chase showed that the Tigers, while not as otherworldly as in 2019, can still do some damage. LSU 28, Texas 17

Replacing Heisman trophy winner Joe Burrow is not going to be easy for head coach Ed Orgeron. Myles Brennan is going to take over and having the receiving combination of Ja’Marr Chase and Terrance Marshall is going to help.

However, Texas’ defense is going to improve from last season’s horror show. Chris Ash would improve the pass rush and the Longhorns’ secondary would have an easier time in coverage without Justin Jefferson terrorizing them.

Tom Herman’s squad may not have come out with a victory but another touchdown margin game seems more likely than all 11 point victory for LSU. Especially with Texas only scoring 17 points in Mandel’s prediction.

For a few years, a ‘what if’ question will arise when talking about the trip to Baton Rouge. With no rescheduling of the game insight, we may never find out.

Who knows, Texas could have used that win and started a national championship run. Just as LSU did last season.

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2020 bowl projections: Where does LSU football stand?

Looking into where the LSU Tigers stand in the 2020 bowl projections ahead of an unprecedented season.

The official beginning of the 2020 college football season is expected to begin Sept. 10 when the Miami Hurricanes host UAB on a Thursday night.

College football was originally expected to begin on the final weekend of August before the COVID-19 pandemic altered the entire landscape of college sports.

Now that we are expected to have football in the ACC, SEC and Big 12, as well as the AAC and Sun Belt, it is never too early to begin looking at bowl projections.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports recently penned a column on how a 2020 postseason could look.

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So, where did the defending national champion LSU Tigers land? In the Peach Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels of the ACC.

Crawford had Alabama vs. Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl in one College Football Playoff semifinal and Clemson vs. Florida in the Sugar Bowl for the other. He projects another Alabama/Clemson matchup in the national championship game.

Georgia is playing Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.

LSU is replacing a multitude of starters on both sides of the ball this season. However, the Tigers return some elite talent such as Derek Stingley and JaMarr Chase combined with back-to-back top-five recruiting classes.

The Tigers should be expected to go as far as new quarterback Myles Brennan’s right arm will take them in 2020.

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LSU QB Myles Brennan praises freshman TE Arik Gilbert

What can Arik Gilbert accomplish for the Tigers on his freshman season of college football?

LSU football has a lot of holes to fill with the departure of 14 players to the 2020 NFL Draft alone, but names like freshman tight end Arik Gilbert are set to step up early and make a name for themselves.

And Gilbert is already drawing plenty of positive attention before even taking the field in a college football game.

Quarterback Myles Brennan, who also faces a tough task this year in taking the spot of Joe Burrow, was one of many who praised the pass-catcher.

“Having him out there is crazy, I mean he runs like a receiver but he has the body type of a tight end,” Brennan said. “I don’t think he’s missed a single pass since the start of camp. He’s an outstanding athlete and we are very, very, very grateful to have him on the roster.”

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Gilbert, out of Marietta High School, didn’t become the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for no reason.

He helped propel his team to its first Class 7A state championship since 1967 on his senior season, reeling in 105 passes for 1,860 yards and 15 touchdowns.

That type of production quickly caught the eye of the staff at LSU, and he’s easily one of the team’s most exciting recruits in recent history.

It will be interesting to see just what Gilbert can do when the Tigers take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sept. 26 in Tiger Stadium.

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PFF ranks Myles Brennan the No. 42 QB in college football for 2020

LSU will have a new face under center this season in quarterback Myles Brennan.

While his playing time has been limited, that will all change in just over a month. As the Tigers are preparing for their 2020 conference-only schedule, Brennan is getting ready to suit up as the starting quarterback for the first time in his LSU career.

Pro Football Focus ranked all 130 FBS quarterbacks, and Brennan came in at No. 42.

Ahead of Brennan on the list were Georgia QB Jamie Newman (No.3 overall), Texas A&M QB Kellon Mond (No. 16 overall), Mississippi State QB K.J. Costello (No. 18 overall), Alabama QB Mac Jones (No. 24 overall), Ole Miss QB John Rhys Plumlee (No. 29 overall) and Tennessee QB Jarrett Guarantano (No. 36 overall).

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Sure, Brennan has yet to play a full 60-minute game as the Tigers’ quarterback. But should he be ranked behind so many other SEC signal-callers?

The one factor that likely tied into putting Brennan as the seventh-best SEC quarterback on this list would be his lack of game experience. However, that will change on September 26 when he takes the first snap for the Tigers.

Brennan could prove a lot of people wrong in their first impressions about him when he took the field in game action as a backup a few seasons ago. Plus, the Tigers team two or three years ago had different coordinators.

The style of offense that LSU will run this year will provide the junior plenty of opportunities to rise to the top of the charts.

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There are other great quarterbacks in the conference, sure. But Brennan is primed and ready to show the SEC and the college football world why he has been so patient and waited two extra years when Joe Burrow announced his transfer to LSU back in 2018.

It will be interesting to see how Brennan fairs this season and if he finishes better than the seventh-best quarterback in the SEC for the 2020 season.

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LSU QB Myles Brennan named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list

The Unitas Award is given annually to the top fourth-year junior or senior quarterback in college football.

LSU quarterback Myles Brennan has a tall task ahead of him in 2020.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound redshirt junior from Long Beach, Miss., is replacing the most productive quarterback of all-time in Joe Burrow.

Burrow not only broke numerous national passing records but also won the Heisman Trophy and led LSU to a national championship.

Brennan, who was Burrow’s backup in 2019, finally gets his chance to lead LSU’s offense.

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Head coach Ed Orgeron and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger believe in Brennan and he’s also starting to get some national attention, too. On Wednesday, Brennan was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list.

The Unitas Award is given annually to the top fourth-year junior or senior quarterback in college football.

Brennan arrived in Baton Rouge back in 2017. He appeared in six games, completing 14 of 24 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He redshirted in 2018 when Burrow transferred to the Tigers from Ohio State.

In 2019, Brennan was Burrow’s primary backup, appearing in 10 games. He completed 24 of 40 passes for 353 yards and a touchdown. He played one series in LSU’s triumph over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

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The Unitas Award was established in 1987 and Burrow became the first winner from LSU in 2019.

Could Brennan make it a repeat for the Tigers?

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LSU QB Myles Brennan discusses unusual, but effective quarantine workouts

Myles Brennan has his hands full in 2020, but is taking the necessary steps to prepare.

New LSU quarterback Myles Brennan has his hands full in 2020.

Not only does he have to replace the most successful quarterback in school history in Joe Burrow, but he must do it with several new starters all around him.

Fortunately for Brennan, he has players like Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall to ease his transition.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brennan hasn’t gotten to work with his teammates in a way that would be ideal this offseason.

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So, as he detailed in an interview with LSUSports.net’s Emily Villere Dixon, that’s led to some unusual workouts through the spring and summer.

“I was at home pretty much the whole quarantine,” Brennan said. “We would Zoom every morning at 8 and then I would go work out and then I would come home and my parents set up an obstacle course, but it was really just — we have a bunch of trees on our property — so they had targets spray-painted onto the trees.”

So, how did Brennan add strength during these workouts?

“It was crazy because before I actually found a place to work out at, I was just walking around the property with a chainsaw one day and cutting down trees, I could use it and bench it and put it on my back and squat it,” Brennan added. “I was trying to make the best of what I had.”

While it’s certainly not the normal offseason for a new starting quarterback, it appears to have worked out well for LSU’s new signal-caller.

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