SEC Monday Buzz: Quarterback competition takeaways at LSU, Ole Miss

LSU and Ole Miss both held their spring scrimmages Saturday, with eyes glued to a pair of ongoing quarterback competitions.  Neither derbies were decided over the weekend, but both battles offered a few hints as to how they may — key word may — unfold come the fall. 

Here’s a couple takeaways, as well a few impact players who look poised to make some noise in the SEC in 2022. 

Way-too-early prediction for LSU in 2022 after spring game: QB1 race is really between Myles Brennan or Garrett Nussmeier.

Ballyhooed Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels is resigned to gimmick plays, designed runs as change-of-pace option.

— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) April 23, 2022

I tweeted the above after watching LSU’s spring scrimmage, which really unfolded more like a funky-scoring offense versus defense practice, but still. 

My tweet was a snap judgement, 100 percent. The prediction could prove false, too, as Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels is still in the mix for the starting job as the Tigers enter the offseason. 

Notably, Daniels took the initial snaps in the scrimmage Saturday, and that’s not nothing. But the veteran quarterback looked a lot like did in Tempe — super athletic, but uncomfortable making secondary reads and not particularly accurate, especially compared to Myles Brennan or Garrett Nussmeier. 

Daniels threw some nice balls after halftime, but he started the scrimmage without even attempting a pass on his first three drop backs. He took off on an immediate scramble on one play and was sacked twice to end the drive. 

Conversely, Brennan and Nussmeier looked more in control. Neither made any ‘wow’ throws, but both were composed and poised running the offense. LSU has some stud playmakers on the perimeter (Sophomores Jack Bech and Malik Nabers looked good, while a healthy Kayshon Boutte should return as one of the best receivers in the league come the fall) so having a point guard behind center who can distribute the football is key, which is a strength of both Brennan and Nussmeier. 

Having said that, Daniels absolutely should have a role in the Tigers’ offense in 2022. He’s too dynamic of an athlete to sit on the bench, and LSU’s offensive line looks like it still has some growing pains to sort out in 2022. 

Another key factor? Brian Kelly and Mike Denbrock have a long history of utilizing the quarterback run game. 

In four years working in Denbrock’s offense at Cincinnati, Desmond Ridder carried the football at least 110 times in three of four seasons. Meanwhile, Kelly had a quarterback tote the rock at least 98 times in every season at Notre Dame since 2014 expect for last year when Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan was the primary option. The Irish still sprinkled in the run game some with freshman Tyler Buchner (46 carries for 336 yards and three touchdowns), and Daniels could provide that element at LSU.  

“We didn’t clear anything up with the quarterback today. We probably made it more difficult,” Kelly said afterward. 

“Brennan was good today. He knows the offense. He’s smart, he takes care of it.”

Kelly added that he’s been impressed by Nussmeier’s underrated athleticism and arm strength this spring, and complemented Daniels’ speed. 

Still, he was left undecided on the Tigers’ future QB1. 

“They’re all talented. Sometimes it’s execution. I would say that all of them command the offense. They have a good understanding of it. We didn’t make any plays really, so far the defense looks pretty good. 

“I don’t know if we cleared up anything there.”

Every quarterback, including freshman Walker Howard, threw a touchdown pass Saturday, but Brennan and Nussmeier looked a step ahead of Daniels. Maybe it was simply a one-off performance, or perhaps, it was a clue that the battle for the primary snaps in Baton Rouge is actually a two-man race instead of three. We’ll see. 

Too much Clint Eastwood in the Grove Bowl:

Ole Miss’ quarterback battle in Saturday’s spring game was a two-hour feature film of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

With Matt Corral off to the NFL, Lane Kiffin has some talented throwers to fill some major shoes, but that’s mostly what they were in the Rebels’ spring scrimmage: Chuckers. 

Luke Altmyer was certainly better than USC transfer Jaxson Dart, but neither were sharp or consistent. Altmyer had a better presence in the pocket, but his accuracy waned throughout the scrimmage. He was solid as a runner, scrambling for a couple key first downs and scoring two touchdowns. 

Meanwhile, Dart continued to showcase a bad habit he displayed during his freshman season in Los Angeles and throughout spring practices in Oxford: Too many risky throws. 

Dart, who was playing behind the second-string offensive line, tossed two interceptions Saturday, including a horrible pick-six on a pass well short of the sticks on 4th-and-23. Last season at USC, the former blue-chip quarterback had five interceptions in six games and led the Pac-12 with a Turnover Worthy Play Rate of 4.1%, per Pro Football Focus. Dart graded out even worse according to SEC Stat Cat, with a INT pass rate at 9.7%. That won’t cut it in the SEC. 

In his postgame comments, Kiffin candidly explained he believed Dart was trying too hard to impress the coaching staff instead of simply operating the offense on a play-by-play basis.

“I thought he was trying to win the job instead of just playing quarterback and forcing balls and not being very consistent,” Kiffin said. 

“So just talk to him before the half. You know, about calming down and taking one play at a time. And I thought he did some better things in the second half.”

So where does that leave the Rebels’ QB race ahead of a fascinating 2022 season in Oxford? 

The best quarterback Saturday was actually redshirt junior Kinkead Dent, who has four career attempts and was not believed to be a candidate for the job. That likely remains true, but Dent certainly didn’t hurt his case as a potential candidate entering the offseason. 

The more likely scenario though is Altmyer leaves spring with a slight leg-up in the competition with Dart. He doesn’t provide the same upside as Dart, but the mistakes aren’t as reticent either. Still, “growth” was the buzz word postgame for the Rebels. With more time working within the system, perhaps Dart will improve and “grow.” Kiffin certainly hopes that’s the case over the summer. 

“We don’t have to make a decision today,” he said following the scrimmage. 

“We’ve got a lot of time left. Jaxson just got here and Luke’s had a year ahead of him. I would hope that Jaxson continues to improve as he logs more time in our system throughout fall camp.”

Extra Points from LSU, Ole Miss spring games:

Much like Shemar Turner at Texas A&M, I get major “Remember my name” vibes from LSU sophomore defensive lineman Maason Smith. The former five-star recruit flashed as a freshman with four sacks in nine games, but Smith could become a MonStar in the SEC this fall. Smith had two sacks on the first three plays of the scrimmage and the 6-6, 298-pound sophomore projects as an impact lineman who can play end or the 3-technique depending on how the rest of LSU’s pieces evolve around him. Exiting the spring, the Tigers’ defensive line looks like one of the better units in the SEC with Smith, Jaquelin Roy, Ali Gaye and a couple quality depth pieces behind the aforementioned trio. 

Though LSU’s offensive still needs work in pass protection — notably, four-star Will Campbell took the initial first-team reps at left tackle and both transfers started at guard — the unit wasn’t terrible at opening up holes in the run game. LSU has averaged exactly 3.3 yards per carry the last two seasons (13th in the SEC in 2021, 12th in 2020), but with a deeper stable of tailbacks and better interior blocking, the Tigers should run the football more efficiently this fall. 

Michael Trigg caught just seven passes as a freshman at Southern Cal last season, but the transfer tight might catch as many balls in Ole Miss’ season-opener against Troy. Trigg hauled in three touchdowns from three different quarterbacks Saturday, and in Kiffin’s offense, should see a ton of targets as a mismatch option in the red zone and down the middle of the field. 

“He’s kind of done that all camp,” Kiffin said afterward. 

“He’s just very unique. Ball skills, catching range. Basically, what you saw today, he’s done whenever he’s been healthy.”

Ole Miss finished No. 3 in the SEC in sacks in 2021, and although end Sam Williams (team-leading 12.5 sacks) is off to the NFL, the Rebels’ overall pass-rushing depth remains stout heading into 2022. Auburn defensive tackle transfer J.J. Pegues flashed during the spring game, while Cedric Johnson (6.5 sacks last season) is expected to step into Williams role. Also, transfers Jared Ivy (Georgia Tech) and Khari Coleman (TCU) should provide additional edge presence.