LSU Tigers Position Breakdown: Quarterback

LSU’s quarterback situation is the biggest question mark for the Bayou Bengals heading into the 2008 campaign.  The position was supposed to be a relative strength with 2007 SEC Championship Game MVP Ryan Perrilloux taking over the reins as the starting QB.

However, Perrilloux’s off the field problems, which have been an issue since he arrived at LSU, finally ended with his dismissal from the team by Coach Les Miles shortly after spring practice ended.

Now the position will fall into the hands of two quarterbacks who, between them, have never taken a meaningful snap in college football.  Junior Andrew Hatch, a Harvard transfer, and redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee will attempt to fill the void left by Perrilloux’s mistakes.

Jarrett Lee is a talented youngster who reminds LSU fans of a younger version of Matt Flynn, the quarterback that led the Tigers to their 2007 National Championship.

Hatch and Lee are both similarly talented drop back passers and competed throughout spring practice for the starting job.  They will likely continue to battle for the position early into the season.

Coach Les Miles would undoubtedly like to have a firm starter in place by the third week of the season, a week before the all-important trip to Auburn in a game that will likely shape the race for the SEC West. 

Miles will likely play the two interchangeably throughout the first two games against Appalachian State and Troy and then hand the reins to the more impressive of the two heading into the Tiger’s week three matchup against North Texas.

In any case, the quarterbacks for the Tigers will be aided by the fact that they will play behind a veteran and extremely talented offensive line.  They also have a deep stable of running backs to call upon and a number of reliable targets at wide receiver.

While the starting quarterback will not likely be vital to winning games against some of the lesser teams, some point will come in the SEC season where he will need to make some plays on a crucial drive late in the game, similar to Matt Flynn’s game winning touchdown to Demetrius Byrd against Auburn as time ran out.  In the SEC, that’s just the reality of the quarterback position.