Most high school coaches want the ball to be in the hands of the best player on the team as often as possible.
Accordingly, the best athlete on a high school football team is usually the quarterback (unless the best athlete is 6-foot-4, 300 pounds).
Gazing across the LSU football team, fans may be surprised at the amount of former high school quarterbacks gracing the starting lineup.
“It’s just part of high school football,” said junior cornerback Corey Webster, who played quarterback for St. James High School. “You just put the ball in the hands of your best athlete.”
Just as in high school ball, there is only one football in a college game, and the Tigers try to spread it around as best as they can. LSU starts seven players who played quarterback in high school and gets large contributions from three more.
“We have a lot of options on offense,” said running back Joseph Addai, a former starting quarterback for Sharpstown High in Houston. “We have all these former quarterbacks, all these athletes, and put together, we’re a very good team.”
Along the starting offense, Addai, Michael Clayton, Devery Henderson, Skyler Green and of course Matt Mauck were quarterbacks in high school. On defense, both cornerbacks, Webster and Ronnie Prude, played under center as a prep. Marcus Randall, Shryone Carey and LaRon Landry also played quarterback in high school.
“It’s all about athleticism,” Clayton said. “We come from the same roots. We’re all athletes, and we make the best of what we can when we have the ball in our hands.”
Offensive guard Stephen Peterman, a high school tight end, can attest to the athletic ability of the playmakers on the LSU squad.
“All those guys are doing great,” Peterman said. “I don’t get to see what they do on the field during the game, but when we watch film, the things they do, you’re just like, ‘Wow, how did that just happen?'”
Clayton said it is all about being a playmaker.
“It’s the mentality you have as a playmaker,” he said. “It has to be to make the big play. And so far, we are fortunate to make these big plays happen.”
Clayton has made a habit of producing big plays for the Tigers this season. The junior wideout leads the Southeastern Conference with 130.5 yards receiving per game and has scored three touchdowns.
Henderson won an ESPY for his ability to make big plays and has added two more touchdowns this season.
Green returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown against Arizona, and Carey has been putting the Tigers in excellent field position all season with his return ability.
“We have a lot of guys who can make huge plays for us,” Peterman said. “It opens up the offense for us. No team can put eight in the box because we’ll throw all over them, and they can’t sit back because we’ll run it. It makes it easier offensively to do what we want.”