If you know anything about this year’s LSU team, you’re probably aware of the ongoing quarterback competition that appears to have three players vying for the starting job: [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag].
The former two bring a lot more experience to the table, while Nussmeier is a redshirt freshman former blue-chip recruit who has shown flashes despite limited opportunities.
That battle went unresolved during the spring and will likely spill over into fall camp, perhaps even into the season. That fact makes it a little difficult to include an LSU passer in any potential SEC quarterback power rankings, but that didn’t stop 247Sports’ Brad Crawford from trying his hand.
Crawford projects Brennan, a veteran whose last two seasons were marred with separate year-ending injuries, to win the job. As the de facto incumbent, many consider him the favorite to start the season opener against Florida State in New Orleans.
The projection isn’t particularly optimistic for Brennan, however, and Crawford ranks him just 11th among the league’s passers.
2021 statistics: 79-of-131, 1,112 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions
2022 outlook: The odds-on favorite to start for the Tigers is Myles Brennan or Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels, but ask anyone closely-tied to LSU football and they’ll all tell you the same thing this summer — keep an eye on Garrett Nussmeier, who has continued to impress Brian Kelly and the offensive coaches this offseason. Remember, this ranking consists of projected starting quarterbacks, and by the end of the season, it would not be a surprise to see Nussmeier as LSU’s best option at the position.
Note: Brennan’s 2020 stats are mistakenly listed by Crawford as his 2021 stats. Brennan suffered a non-football injury prior to the start of last season and didn’t appear in any games.
Even Crawford entertains the possibility that Brennan isn’t starting by the end of the season, but after no one seized the reigns in spring, penciling him in as the projected Day 1 starter makes sense.
Still, Brennan has shown impressive flashes and was off to a nice start in 2020 before an injury ended his campaign. Other passers on Crawford’s list may be more established, but whoever wins the job in Baton Rouge has the potential to end up much higher on this list.
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