A football team can never have too many quarterbacks — quality quarterbacks, for that matter. Ask the 2008 LSU squad. After incoming starter Ryan Perrilloux was dismissed from the team in May 2008, LSU was left with three quarterbacks, none of which had any significant experience.Next in line was Andrew Hatch. The current Harvard student fell to the injury plague in the Auburn game after suffering a concussion, giving way to two freshmen to finish out the season. Although Hatch did return, he made no significant impact. LSU has the same situation this season in terms of quantity. Jordan Jefferson is the apparent starter, while hot recruit Russell Shepard and sophomore Jarrett Lee are vying for the backup job. But another talented offensive orchestrator is waiting in the wings. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, freshman Chris Garrett is imposing. He has the physique of a Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco or even former Tiger Matt Flynn, who stood 6-foot-2 inches and weighed 224 pounds.Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton was quick to note the progress Garrett has made since enrolling at LSU in January 2009. “Chris Garrett has done very well,” Crowton said. “He throws the ball well. He’s a young guy, big and strong at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. We’re very pleased with how he’s doing. He’s got a chance to really develop.”Crowton couldn’t resist mentioning Shepard in the same breath, a statement that lends to the Russell/Flynn comparisons. “He’s competing along with Russell Shepard,” Crowton said. “They’re young players trying to learn. I think they’re competing well. The future is bright for both of those young men.”Garrett might have a Flynn-esque career as well. Standing in front of Garrett are the three aforementioned quarterbacks.Jefferson flashed some jaw dropping upside in his only two starts, a loss to Arkansas and a thrashing of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. He figures to be the starter, with Lee and Shepard a toss up for the backup spot.Lee has all the physical tools to succeed, but his mental prowess is a question mark. Lee threw 16 picks last season, seven of which were returned for touchdowns, but the sophomore does have a significant amount of experience to his credit.Shepard is unproven. He has yet to take a snap under the lights in Death Valley, but his athletic ability earned him the top spot in the esteemed ESPNU 150 during his recruitment.No decision has been made on the second spot on the depth chart, but Garrett has made no appearance in any conversation. Flynn, much like Garrett, was overshadowed for four years by former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick and current Oakland Raider JaMarcus Russell. After Russell bolted Baton Rouge following his junior season, Flynn was left the starting job for his senior season.How did he do? The Tigers won the 2007 national championship with Flynn at the helm.Garrett isn’t looking that far ahead yet. The Tupelo, Miss., native said he is practicing as if playing time in 2009 is realistic. “The way I look at it, yeah,” Garrett said. “If you’re out there competing, you always have a shot to play. As you saw last year, Jordan Jefferson was I believe third string, and he ended up starting by the end of the season. I’m just going to go out there and prepare, just in case my name is called.”Interestingly enough, Garrett has ties to an SEC school other than LSU. Garrett committed to then-Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom his junior year at Tupelo High School. A couple of trips changed Garrett’s mind.Before he signed with the Tigers, Garrett knew the obstacles that awaited him at his new school. “I knew before I signed the letter of intent that Russell [Shepard] was coming here,” Garrett said. “We have great quarterbacks here. I’m just going to work hard, be patient and hopefully get my shot one day.”If Garrett follows the script Flynn wrote in 2007, his future will be bright indeed. As talented as Russell was, the only appearance he had in a BCS championship game was on the sideline as a redshirt freshman in 2003. Garrett said practice is going well so far, spotlight or not.”I’m just now getting the playbook around,” Garrett said. “It’s starting to get fun. Once you start learning the plays, you’re just playing football, you’re not out there thinking. It’s getting pretty fun out there.”But practice may not yield immediate playing time, and Garrett did admit a redshirt could be on the horizon. “Oh, it’s definitely a possibility,” Garrett said. “But I’m going to work like it’s not and like I’m going to play this year.”————Contact Chris Branch at [email protected]