Brian Kelly reveals timeline for decision on starting quarterback

LSU football coach Brian Kelly is nowhere near close to naming a starting quarterback. Set to enter his inaugural season in Baton Rouge in 2022, Kelly is tasked with choosing between Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels and returning players Myles Brennan and Garrett Nussmeier.

So far the coach has had only one spring to evaluate his passers, and feels he hasn’t seen enough to make a confident decision yet. However, he did offer an update on when he anticipates announcing the starter.

“I don’t think there’s a huge tactical advantage going into the Florida State game relative to who the quarterback is,” Kelly said at SEC Media Days this week. “Are we going to announce the quarterback after three days? Probably not. We’re going to be late into camp before we make any announcements, so I really don’t think that’s a tactical advantage. I’ll get a better sense as we get deeper into camp. If you pose that question to me a week or two into camp, I could probably give you a better sense. Spring is too difficult to give you a sense of where we’re at. I know where are weaknesses are, and we went into summer addressing those weaknesses. I’ll see if we’re better at those weaknesses and then I can give a better description of where we’re at.”

Brennan and Daniels appear to be the two frontrunners to claim the job and bring very different resumes to the table. Brennan is set to enter his sixth season with the Tigers after flirting with entering the transfer portal this offseason. He began the 2020 season as the starter, but would go on to play only three games over the next two years because of injuries. Now healthy, he hopes to finally break through as a Super Senior.

Daniels brings three years of Power 5 starting experience with him to Baton Rouge and is adept as both a runner and passer. He finished this past season with 2,381 yards passing in addition to 710 yards rushing while helping ASU to an 8-5 finish. Daniels ranked as the No. 16 quarterback this cycle according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

Nussmeier was a former top 100 recruit and the No. 12 quarterback in the 2021 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He appeared in four games as a true freshman to maintain his redshirt status. Although his talent is evident, his lack of experience may ultimately cost him in this battle.

With that in mind, Brian Kelly will have a lot to consider when making a decision on his starting quarterback for 2022. He has a little more than a month to make his choice, as the Tigers open the season on Sept. 4 against Florida State.