The day after Myles Brennan suffered a left arm injury that required surgery, coach Ed Orgeron confirmed the suspected: LSU will start sophomore Max Johnson at quarterback, ending the competition that would have taken place between Brennan and Johnson throughout preseason camp.
Orgeron had anticipated LSU would determine its starter the week before its season opener Sept. 4 against UCLA, but Brennan broke a bone in his left arm Monday morning, according to a source. Orgeron said during his weekly appearance on WNXX-FM, 104.5 that Brennan underwent surgery Tuesday.
The injury left LSU with two scholarship quarterbacks — Johnson and freshman Garrett Nussmeier — when preseason practice starts Friday. Nussmeier will become LSU’s primary backup while freshman walk-on Matt O’Dowd gets elevated to third string, Orgeron said.
“Obviously, Max is going to be our starter, but he's got to have a great camp,” Orgeron said. “The depth chart is etched in sand. He knows he's got to perform, but I believe in Max, just like I believe in Myles. I think we've got us a great quarterback, a great championship quarterback.”
And just like that, LSU’s quarterback battle became a vigil.
As Orgeron spoke, he recalled the 2018 season. That year, LSU played with two healthy scholarship quarterbacks. Behind Joe Burrow and Brennan, the team had walk-ons at the game’s most influential position. Despite the lack of depth, LSU finished 10-3 with a win in the Fiesta Bowl.
To Orgeron, the situation felt similar to the one LSU finds itself in now. Brennan will miss an undetermined amount of time, leaving LSU with two healthy scholarship quarterbacks. Johnson and Nussmeier have a combined two starts.
“It reminds me of '18 again, when we had Joe Burrow and Myles Brennan,” Orgeron said. “We only had two quarterbacks on scholarship, and we did very well.”
With Brennan unavailable, Johnson will receive the majority of first-team reps during preseason practice as LSU prepares him to start.
LSU fifth-year quarterback Myles Brennan suffered a "severe" left arm injury and will undergo surgery, coach Ed Orgeron announced Monday afternoon. The timeline for Brennan's recovery has yet to be determined.
Last season, Johnson led LSU to an upset over No. 6 Florida on the road and a tight win against Ole Miss. Overall, Johnson completed 58.7% of his passes for 1,069 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception.
Considered a dual-threat quarterback, Johnson also gained 119 yards and scored twice on the ground. LSU would like to use Johnson’s rushing ability, but Orgeron indicated it may curtail that element of his skill set like it did with Burrow at times in 2018.
“We've got to keep Max healthy,” Orgeron said. “That's going to be the key.”
Though depth may become a concern, LSU can’t add another quarterback through the transfer portal because it already filled every spot in the latest recruiting class. That puts an onus on Nussmeier, who enrolled early this spring as a four-star recruit and top-100 overall prospect.
The 2021 LSU Tigers approach a new season, perhaps the last for a 14-game Southeastern Conference before Texas and Oklahoma arrive, by trying …
"Garrett's going to have to step up," Orgeron said. "Garrett's a very talented young man. I'm glad we've got him. He's got to learn the offense, step-up and be able to take care of the football. He had some unfortunate picks in the spring, but I know he's going to get better with experience.
As LSU plays, Brennan will recover from another injury. Finally the starter after waiting three years for his chance, Brennan suffered a season-ending abdominal tear early last season. He let the muscle heal on its own, returned for offseason training and positioned himself to compete for the starting job once again.
Now, he’ll have to restart the rehab process, this time for a new injury.
“His dad and his mom took it hard,” Orgeron said. “I’m sure Myles took it hard. I didn’t get to talk to him yet. I called him yesterday, but I’m sure he was very upset. We’re going to follow him all the way through this.”
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Max Johnson named LSU's starting quarterback as Myles Brennan undergoes surgery - The Advocate
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