The Tigers’ preparation for the upcoming football season is underway, though one crucial position remains unfilled — the quarterback.
Four candidates are currently vying for the position: Myles Brennan, Jayden Daniels, Garrett Nussmeier and Walker Howard. Coach Brian Kelly announced in a press conference that they will split the snaps until he gets a better idea of how they play, as he’s known to make decisions like these last minute.
Brennan may be the most well-known name on the roster, though he’s still got some unknown qualities as he’s only started three games. Brennan started in 2017, where he backed up Danny Etling for a year as a freshman. He lost a previous quarterback competition to Joe Burrow and was a backup for two years after.
Brennan was the clear starter for the 2020 season and began the season strong, but had to tap out after three games due to an injury. Before the next season began, he suffered another injury that caused him to miss the 2021 season as well. He was initially set to transfer out of LSU, but Kelly convinced him to come back.
He’s no stranger to quarterback competition but hasn’t seen much luck with the Tigers so far. Some consider Brennan to be the default choice for the job, though the other three candidates could prove to upset his chances.
The next candidate, Jayden Daniels, has the most experience in the quarterback position, despite being the newest to LSU.
A transfer from Arizona State, Daniels started 29 games for the Sun Devils. He has 6,025 pass yards for 32 touchdowns, along with 13 interceptions to go with 1,288 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
“He brings more than extending plays, actually,” Kelly said of Daniels at a press conference. “We think that there’s a lot that has not been tapped into with his ability to be a dual-threat quarterback, he’s got arm talent, he’s got a high IQ and he can run the football.”
Daniels was a four-star prospect in his recruiting class and clearly possesses potential untapped by the Sun Devils. He’s easily the top contender for the quarterback position against Brennan, but the two other young-gun candidates are highly talented as well.
Garrett Nussmeier is a redshirt freshman and a gunslinger who isn’t afraid to take risks. He got significant in-game experience last season, a loss to Arkansas, where he threw for 179 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Nussmeier brings extra excitement to the game, though he struggles to keep his performance polished. Any major improvements from last season during spring practice could land him the job and make him a prominent SEC player.
The last potential LSU quarterback is true freshman and early enrollee Walker Howard. Howard, a Lafayette native, comes as a highly-touted recruit, having jumped back and forth between being a four-star and five-star player. He played at St. Thomas More Catholic High School with LSU breakout star Jack Bech — where the two were best friends — and sustained two injuries, likely making him a redshirt candidate. However, his talent keeps him on the roster of potential quarterbacks and someone to certainly watch out for.
