LSU football had a group of unknowns on its scouting team in 2015 led by scouting team head coach Ed Orgeron.
The team included transfer quarterback Danny Etling, as well as freshman receiver Derrick Dillon and sophomore receiver DJ Chark.
Two years later Etling is the starting quarterback with Chark and Dillon serving as starters on the receiving depth chart.
After LSU’s 27-0 victory against BYU on Saturday, Etling jokingly admitted the team looks eerily similar to the scout team just two short years ago.
“It was basically just the 2015 scouting team out there today,” Etling said. “Derrick was down on the scout team with me and DJ, and I have a great rapport with him.”
Etling opened his senior campaign with an impressive 14-of-17 passing for 171 yards including completing two passes to Dillon for 21 yards.
“[Dillon is] someone who has really worked hard,” Etling said. “The past two years I’ve seen the growth he’s made. He’s earned all of his playing time.”
Orgeron spoke on Etling’s competitive attitude last week before the BYU game and moving up the ranks of coaching at the LSU program.
“[Etling] was competitive on the scouting team when I coached him,” Orgeron said. “I was competitive when I was the scouting team head coach. We’re both working our way up and that’s what I like about it.”
Chark went for 77 yards on four receptions against BYU on Saturday, including a 52 yard bomb that set up a Tiger score.
Chark said that many people don’t know that senior Russell Gage, who is also a starting receiver for the Tigers, was on the scouting team in 2015 as a defensive back.
“Russell was a defensive back,” Chark said. “For the bowl game in Texas he played scout team receiver, so now we have three scout team receivers and a scout team quarterback.”
Chark thinks the scout team can help build confidence in players, who can build a resume off of making plays during scout team drills.
In his freshman season, Chark recalled one week on the scout team playing the role of former Alabama receiver Amari Cooper.
“That was my favorite week of scout team,” Chark said. “I was allowed to do an Amari Cooper-like release and all those deep passes. [With] scout team you’re going against the number one defense. It helps you really get the feel of college football.”
LSU senior wide receiver D.J. Chark (7) and senior wide receiver Russell Gage (83) get pumped in the end-zone before LSU's 27-0 win against BYU on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
