It feels like just yesterday that Tiger fans were scratching their heads over LSU’s quarterback situation.
About a year ago, the depth chart was thin.
Now, with the position flush with young talent, the identity of the quarterbacks is still in question.
“I think that judging from how [offensive coordinator Steve] Kragthorpe has started his recruiting so far … he does like the traditional pocket passer,” said Shea Dixon, managing editor of TigerSportsDigest.com. “But he has a couple offers out to kids who are much like Randall, guys who can also run. I think they’ll take the approach of trying to just get the best players available and bring them into Baton Rouge and go from there.”
Several recruiting experts pinpointed the early exposure of previous Tiger quarterbacks as the source of LSU’s problems in recent years, and they also think LSU’s current quarterback situation is setting up the Tigers for a brighter future.
The 2011 recruiting season added three scholarship quarterbacks to LSU’s arsenal. Along with the headliner, four-star junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger, the Tigers picked up three-star pocket passer Stephen Rivers and four-star dual-threat quarterback Jerrard Randall.
“Rivers is a guy that has a great future, and he’s a guy that’s going to benefit from the fact that he’s not going to have to play as a freshman,” said Derek Ponamsky, recruiting analyst and publisher of BayouBengalsInsider.com. “He’ll probably have two more years to develop with Zach Mettenberger ahead of him. They’ll give [Randall] a shot at quarterback, but I think he’ll be similar to Russell Shepard.”
Amid a plethora of big-armed pocket passers in recent years, the select few scramblers the Tigers have recruited — like Shepard and Randall — bring up questions regarding the mold of LSU quarterbacks.
Contrasting styles of play between Jefferson and Lee have both seen its successes the past two seasons.
“I think if you’re going to run play action you need somebody who can move … but you don’t need Michael Vick,” Ponamsky said. “You need somebody who understands that being quick is not necessarily fast.”
Dixon said despite Kragthorpe’s traditional pro-style offense, the recruiting front has shown signs of a possible change.
LSU has extended offers to five quarterbacks listed in the Rivals Top 250 watch list for 2012 — two pocket passers and three scramblers.
Dixon also said some names to look out for include several out-of-state prospects, including arguably the nation’s top quarterback prospect, Zeke Pike, who visited Baton Rouge two weekends ago.
“Things went pretty smoothly [with Pike]. I think Kragthorpe is going to add a good element to the team. … I think they’re hoping to go national and land quarterbacks,” Dixon said. “From there kids will certainly start talking about LSU being one of those offensive firepowers again much like they talk about the defense being.”
 
 
 
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