Tag: walker howard

Breaking down the future of LSU’s quarterback room after Walker Howard’s departure

Here’s where the LSU QB room stands without Howard.

[autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] was billed as the future of LSU. Even before the coaching change, before the arrival of [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] or [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], Howard was the guy.

That story has taken a turn. On Wednesday, Howard entered the transfer portal.

An LSU quarterback entering the portal isn’t a surprise. Fans have speculated for months despite Kelly stating he thought the room would remain intact through the spring.

Howard was not expected to compete for the starting job in 2023. With Daniels and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] sticking around, Howard was at least a year away.

From that standpoint, the move makes sense. But if Howard remained a Tiger, it’s not hard to see a scenario where he cruised to the starting job in 2024 or 2025 if Nussmeier left early, whether through the portal or the draft.

LSU’s still in a good spot with Daniels and Nussmeier. Here’s where LSU’s QB room stands now and where it could go moving forward.

The quarterback Brian Kelly danced on is leaving LSU

You hate to see it.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] left Notre Dame for LSU he was ripped by anyone with ears outside of Louisiana for his sudden change of accent.

A week or so after that, he put his dance skills on display as he helped put the finishing touches on the recruitment of five-star quarterback, [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag].

Well, as it turns out, Kelly’s dance moves must not have been enough. Howard announced on Wednesday that he’s entering the transfer portal. The freshman saw action in two games this season at LSU, completing 2 of 4 passes for seven yards while rushing for 33. The announcement comes days after LSU starter Jayden Daniels announced he was returning for another year.

Walker was an LSU commitment before Kelly was named coach, but he went viral when he reaffirmed his commitment with a dancing head coach shortly after.

As of this posting, the Walker video has 4.2 million views on Twitter while the video of Kelly grinding on tight end Danny Lewis, Jr. has over 12.7 million views.

That’s 16.9 million views, but zero future downs from either player in an LSU uniforms. What a shame.

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BREAKING: True freshman Tigers quarterback Walker Howard enters transfer portal

The promising young passer is moving on after one season with the Tigers.

LSU’s quarterback room took a big hit in the long term on Wednesday as true freshman quarterback [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound passer from St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette was rated as a four-star recruit and top-50 player nationally coming out of high school by both 247Sports and On3. He spent his true freshman season third on the depth chart behind [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], taking a redshirt.

He appeared in two games in 2022, attempting four passes ā€” all of which came in the Citrus Bowl win over Purdue. He completed two of them for seven yards, and he totaled 33 rushing yards on six attempts on the year.

Howard committed to LSU in June 2020 and held firm through the coaching change last fall despite a late push from Florida. Despite not playing much in his first year on campus, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said after the bowl game that he expected all three scholarship quarterbacks to be with the team for the spring, including Howard.

Daniels and Nussmeier appear poised to duke it out for the starting job once more, though Kelly has reiterated that Daniels is the team’s starter. [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag], a four-star quarterback from Baton Rouge who signed with the Tigers in December, will likely take Howard’s spot on the depth chart. However, he won’t enroll until the summer and will not be with the team during spring practice.

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Instant Analysis: LSU dominates Purdue to win Citrus Bowl, earn 10th win

The Tigers ended the year on a high note by blowing out Purdue 63-7.

The Tigers cruised against a shorthanded Purdue team in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Monday afternoon, taking down the Boilermakers 63-7 in a game that was never in doubt from the opening kick.

With the victory, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] earned his 10th win in his debut season as LSU snapped a two-game losing streak and ended the year on a high note.

It was a dominant offensive game from the Tigers, who led 35-0 at halftime and finished with 594 total yards. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] got the start at quarterback, and he certainly didn’t look hobbled despite nursing an ankle injury suffered in the SEC Championship.

Daniels was pulled early in the second half, but he was efficient as ever, completing 12 of 17 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown while adding 67 yards on the ground. We also saw a healthy dose of [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who played intermittently in the first half and was handed the reigns in the third quarter before true freshman [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] took over in the fourth.

Nussmeier looked the part again, completing 11 of 15 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, though he threw an interception in the end zone. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] also completed two passes for 50 yards on a pair of trick plays, one of which went to Daniels for a touchdown on a Philly Special.

In addition to his contributions in the passing game, Nabers led the Tigers in receiving with 163 yards on nine catches, including a 75-yard touchdown on a jet sweep. [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] also found the end zone.

While the Tigers were great through the air, they also totaled more than 200 yards on the ground. [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag] got the start and took eight carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns, while [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] had 52 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Purdue struggled to do much of anything offensively in this one without quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who opted out. It played four signal callers, who went a combined 19 of 42 for 163 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

[autotag]Sai’vion Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Zavier Carter[/autotag] took advantage of their opportunities at the edge with each totaling a sack, while [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] also brought the quarterback down once. [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Quad Wilson[/autotag] all had interceptions, with Wilson taking one 99 yards to the house in the final minute.

LSU’s Year 1 under Kelly was filled with some very high highs and fairly low lows. But the Tigers took care of business on Monday as they put a bow on the 2022 season and will enter 2023 with a ton of momentum.

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Walker Howard believes he is the best quarterback on the roster, per Brian Kelly

Kelly said the freshman quarterback has no shortage of confidence.

[autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] was a four-star top-100 quarterback in the class of 2022 from St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was one of the most prized recruits of Brian Kelly’s first recruiting class at LSU.

Coming into his freshman year, he knew there was a lot he would have to compete for a starting spot. At that time, LSU had three other quarterbacks ahead of him on the roster: [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag].

Brennan then retired from football, and the job came down to Daniels or Nussmeier. Daniels won the job, but if you ask Howard, he thinks he is the best quarterback on the roster, according to Kelly.

ā€œIā€™d say every day that heā€™s with us, thereā€™s more knowledge,ā€Ā said Kelly.Ā ā€œIā€™m in the meetings with the quarterbacks, and heā€™s got great football knowledge. Heā€™s mentally strong, and he believes heā€™s better than every quarterback we have, which is awesome. I love that.

ā€œNow, I donā€™t mean that in any way other than he just has that kind of makeup, which is what you want. And he respects everybody in the room. But yeah, he continues to develop, and we have a good feeling about him.ā€

LSU hopes Howard represents the quarterback of the future.

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Jayden Daniels is among most important players for CFP race

The newest addition to LSU is among the most important players for the CFP.

ESPN posted an article profiling the ‘25 most important players in 2022’s College Football Playoff race‘ and Jayden Daniels, the quarterback transfer from Arizona State, was listed as the No. 25 player on the list.

It’s no secret that the LSU Tigers have had success with transfer quarterbacks in the past. We all remember how Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow led the Tigers to an undefeated season and a national championship in 2019. Those are the type of expectations some Tiger fans have for Daniels as he comes to LSU from Arizona State.

One of my biggest questions with this whole thing is that I don’t even know who will win the starting job. There are four quarterbacks vying for playing time (Daniels, Nussmeier, Howard, and Brennan). With Brian Kelly coming over from Notre Dame, I assume LSU will run more of a pro-style offense where they rely on the running game with Noah Cain a lot more than the passing game. It’s a whole new playbook that these guys have to try and master before the season starts.

Myles Brennan is the elder statesman of the group as he is entering his fifth season on the Bayou. I think Brennan would be a good option if the Tigers are looking for a game manager while everyone is transitioning to this new offense. We’ll see who gets the start against the Seminoles in week one.

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Here’s everything Mike Denbrock said at his press conference

LSU OC Mike Denbrock met with the media to discuss everything from the QB battle to the progression of the tight ends.

With fall camp in full swing, coaches are speaking to the media for the first time in a minute.

Earlier this week, LSU’s offensive coordinator took to the stand.

Mike Denbrock said the offense was starting to take shape and he’s happy with the direction the unit is going. He’s been pleased with the effort as well.

Denbrock spoke some about every position on the offense, from the QBs to the TEs.

Before arriving at LSU, Denbrock spent the last five years at Cincinnati. Under Denbrock, UC QB Desmond Ridder became an NFL draft pick.

Prior to Cincinnati, Denbrock spent seven years with Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. His relationship with Kelly goes back to the 80s when they both got their start at Grand Valley State.

Denbrock has done a lot of different things on offense in his career. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what his scheme will look like at LSU. Brian Kelly and Joe Sloan could also have some input in the design.

With that said, let’s take a look at what Denbrock said when he met with the media.

LSU quarterback target commits to Ohio State

A late push from the Buckeyes was enough to land Brock Glenn.

LSU’s search for a quarterback commit in the 2023 class will have to wait.

On Saturday, four-star Memphis quarterback [autotag]Brock Glenn[/autotag] committed to Ohio State over Florida State, Auburn, TCU and the Tigers. Despite making the final five, it wasn’t a surprise to see Glenn head elsewhere.

For a while, it seemed Glenn was destined to head to Tallahassee. After the Seminoles saw quarterback Chris Parson decommit, they received several predictions to land Glenn, who had long been connected to Auburn, where he is a legacy.

However, a late push from the Buckeyes made the difference, and the No. 335 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class will be heading to Columbus.

After missing out on quarterbacks [autotag]Arch Manning[/autotag], [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag], [autotag]Dante Moore[/autotag], it’s beginning to look like the Tigers may not land a passer this cycle.

LSU looks good for the near future at the quarterback position as it has a pair of veterans in [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] as well as younger players in [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag].

Despite the lack of a quarterback commit, the Tigers currently have 17 prospects in the 2023 class, which ranks 10th nationally.

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Here’s what LSU has to do to win the national title this season

ESPN’s Bill Connelly lays out a framework for how the Tigers could compete for a title in Year 1 under Kelly.

Let me preface this by saying there are a lot of caveats and what-ifs, but LSU is listed as a possible national title contender by ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

The Tigers enter the season with +7000 odds of winning the national championship this season, per Tipico Sportsbook, but anything is possible. For that dream to come to fruition, a few things have to happen for this Tigers team, which has a lot of talent in Year 1 under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] but just as many questions.

But Connelly sees a path to contention for LSU. Here are the five things he says need to happen for that to be the case.

If LSU can thrive through all of the changes…

LSU has a new head coach and a whole lot of new blood in the program. Other than the 15 high school recruits Brian Kelly signed, he brought in 15 transfers from other schools. It is not an easy task to bring all of that new talent and new ideas into one place and make them mesh together quickly. There’s a whole new playbook, new route concepts, new mantras, new goals, etc. Can LSU turn newness into greatness?

If a star quarterback emerges…

[autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] or [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag]? For LSU to win a national championship this season, one of these guys will have to do their best [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] impression. To win it all, you have to have a great signal caller. You’ve got to have someone that can lead your team through the tough situations that you face in the SEC. Who will be the guy for Kelly?

If the offense has more playmakers than [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag]…

LSU will need some new guys to step up and make plays other than Boutte. We all know Boutte is an incredible receiver, but he can’t do it by himself. [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], and a few other guys have got to help him in that department. One thing I love about Brian Kelly’s offenses is that he loves to use tight ends. That should help immensely.

If the new secondary is as good as it looks…

LSU landed five defensive backs from the transfer portal ([autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] and [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag]). Those guys along with the one returning starter from last year should make a pretty solid secondary. As I mentioned on No. 1 though, You are bringing in a lot of new guys that have to learn how to work together and learn a whole new playbook, so it could take some time.

If the run defense grows more consistent…

If you are gonna play in the SEC, you’ve gotta stop the run. Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M are all going to come out and wear you out by running the ball. You can’t give up over 200 yards a game on the ground and expect to win.

For LSU to win the title, there are a lot of what-ifs, but it is possible for it to at least be competitive this season and have a shot at winning the SEC. Many are overlooking the Tigers after two disappointing campaigns, but Kelly was brought in to turn things around quickly, and he may be able to do just that.

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LSU’s quarterbacks deemed a loser from Day 1 of SEC Media Days by Tennessean

Brian Kelly remained uncommitted about the starting quarterback.

LSU’s [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] got things started at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Monday, becoming the first coach to take to the podium in what was his first time participating in a media days event since he was at Cincinnati in 2009.

Kelly discussed a wide variety of topics and gave us some insight into his thought processes heading into fall camp, but it wasn’t the most illuminating press conference. One question Kelly didn’t provide much of an answer for is likely the one LSU fans are most interested in: Who will be this team’s starting quarterback?

The first-year Tigers coach offered praise for all four of the players competing ā€” [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] ā€” and praised the depth, though he said the spring was more about installing the offense than determining a starter.

Because of his non-committal answer, the quarterback group was labeled a “loser” from Day 1 by the Nashville Tennessean’s Derrian Carter.

Brian Kelly remained uncommitted about namingĀ LSU’s starter.

“We’re really going to have to set the offensive structure and its installation to the skill set of the particular players,” Kelly said. “No. 1, they’ve got to take care of the football. No. 2, they have to get the ball to playmakers. … No. 3, they’ve got to make plays.

“The ultimate decision-making on who that quarterback is, he’ll have to hit those three notes.”

While it could be potentially concerning that none of the quarterbacks managed to separate during the spring, each has their strengths, and it’s hard to believe LSU won’t be able to find success with one of them lining up under center.

It was highly unlikely Kelly was going to announce the starter on Monday, and the competition will almost certainly carry into fall camp and potentially even into the season. It’s important to identify your guy and move forward with him, but the Tigers still have time to figure that out before it becomes a cause for worry.

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