LSU football currently has a ridiculous amount of quarterback talent on the roster.
That’s a blessing and a curse.
While the Tigers have four quality options on the roster that could start this season, it seems inevitable that at least one of LSU’s talented quarterbacks will transfer — possibly as soon as this summer.
Is it a certainty that one of the Tigers’ quarterbacks will leave Baton Rouge?
No, not at all. We never know what’s going through a quarterback’s head, the relationships beyond football that have been developed, and the overall desires of a player.
But still, it seems likely that LSU loses a quarterback at some point (especially with 2022 five-star quarterback Walker Howard already committed to the Tigers).
Here’s how we rank the four current quarterbacks on LSU’s roster, from least likely to transfer to most likely.
4. Myles Brennan — Redshirt Senior
It’s hard for me to imagine Myles Brennan not playing for LSU. Brennan may be from Mississippi, but he has deep connections to Louisiana. Of course, that’s not enough to keep a player from transferring (Joe Burrow left his Ohio connections behind for Baton Rouge in 2018), but it’s still worth noting.
I know Ed Orgeron says the Tigers’ quarterback battle is currently wide open. And I think he’s being truthful — I doubt Coach O knows right now who will start under center for LSU this fall.
But ultimately, I think it ends up being Brennan. He has the experience. And he played incredibly well to start the 2020 season.
The only way I could see Brennan transferring is if Orgeron told him after spring that he won’t be the starter. Then Brennan could look around for a program in desperate need of a quarterback this fall (which would help Brennan’s NFL draft stock).
However, I seriously doubt that ends up being the case. No way Coach O tells Brennan he won’t be the starter after spring.
3. Garrett Nussmeier — True Freshman
Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t played a snap in a game for the Tigers, yet he’s already impressing the coaching staff.
“I think you’re really going to like Garrett Nussmeier,” said Orgeron earlier this week to reporters (via 247Sports). “He’s very talented.”
I doubt Nussmeier is going to win the quarterback battle this fall (though he’s certainly practicing like he intends to win it), but that’s to be expected.
Nussmeier isn’t going to leave LSU this fall because he isn’t the starter. No one is expecting him to be the guy. The Tigers clearly believe in Nussmeier. They think he has a bright future in Baton Rouge. Nussmeier’s time is coming. It just probably won’t be this year.
2. Max Johnson — Sophomore
I feel pretty confident in saying that Max Johnson will either be the Tigers’ starting quarterback or the top backup in 2021.
And I think that’s enough to keep the Georiga native in Baton Rouge.
Johnson finished the 2020 season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback, going 2-0 against Florida and Ole Miss.
Because he went 2-0, Johnson received the first snaps of spring practice, which signals that LSU’s coaching staff views him as a potential starter this year.
I know Orgeron says the quarterback race is a four-way battle, but it really feels like this is between Brennan and Johnson.
If Brennan wins the job, Johnson will be the next guy up. It’s hard to imagine the No. 2 quarterbacks at LSU transferring as a sophomore. Especially if the No. 1 quarterback is a guy coming off a serious abdomen injury.
1. TJ Finley — Sophomore
It feels like TJ Finley is going to be the odd man out.
There’s the veteran (Brennan), the late-season hero (Johnson), the young kid with a bright future (Nussmeier), and the future (LSU commit Walker Howard).
So where does that leave Finley?
This season, it feels like that leaves him as the No. 3 quarterback, with the No. 4 quarterback close behind.
Is that enough to keep Finley in Baton Rouge?
Maybe. But I doubt it.
Finley is too good to be a No. 3 quarterback. He could easily start at several other SEC programs.
It could be tough for the Louisiana native to leave LSU, but if Finley wants a chance to showcase his abilities, then it might be his best bet.
You obviously don’t want to see the Tigers lose any of their quarterback talent, but it certainly feels like it’s going to happen at some point in the not-so-distant future.