College Football 2011: Jordan Jefferson Impresses at Manning Camp

In a camp that saw Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Oklahoma’s Landry Jones show off their skills, LSU's Jordan Jefferson impressed many with his long passes and throwing ability at the 2011 Manning Passing Academy.

Quarterbacks from all over the country gathered to take part in the camp last weekend in Thibodaux, Louisiana. ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer was there and offered high praise for LSU’s senior quarterback.

“He’s just a specimen,” Palmer said. “The thing that really stands out to me is his strong arm and ability to make all the throws. His drops are about as natural as I’ve seen or played with and that includes Kurt Warner, Kerry Collins and Eli (Manning). He looks tremendous when he’s out there throwing the football.”

Jefferson received a lot of criticism from Tiger fans last season as he threw more interceptions than touchdowns. Jefferson finished the season with 1,411 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s aware that he needs to improve his game and play more aggressively.

“I need to be an aggressive player,” Jefferson said. “I can’t be laid back and taking my time. I need to take shots every now and then. That’s how I like to play.”

The LSU offense will be under new direction this year from offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe, a move that Palmer said Jefferson should benefit from.

“Talking to him a little bit yesterday, he seems really excited about Steve Kragthorpe,” Palmer said. “He feels like this offense is going to focus on some of the things he does well. He certainly hasn’t been the most consistent quarterback, but then again there are performances like the Cotton Bowl or against Alabama. He just kind of seems like he’s primed to take that next step.”

Jefferson said that Kragthorpe did not change a whole lot to the offense, but really worked on the tempo and added an aggressive style.

“We practically kept the same system, he just brings more aggressiveness to our offense as far as getting out of the huddle fast enough and making sure everybody is on the same page. We still have the same system and same concept,” Jefferson said.

Even though Palmer was overall impressed with the improvements Jefferson has made, he still offered a bit of criticism.

“He has to be more efficient certainly,” Palmer said. “It’s amazing to think how many games they won last year without the most efficient play from the quarterback position. Personally, I think LSU can win a national championship. I think their defense will be good enough even after losing guys like (Patrick) Peterson, (Kelvin) Shepherd and (Drake) Nevis. I think a lot of it will come down to Jordan though.”

Jefferson said that the criticism hurts, but it has motivated him to play harder.

“The criticism hurts a lot, but you’re going to have some people that don’t like you as a player,” Jefferson said. “I still have to go out there with the motivation of getting better every day. I’m trying to win for the coaches and the fans. The criticism hurts, but at the same time you need to stay focused and stay humbled in what you do.”

“You’ve heard Les Miles say in the past that he hasn’t always prepared great and that he hasn’t always been a great practice player,” Palmer said. “It sounds like this offseason, from listening to the coaches, that he’s done a much better job. By being a much better practice player, I think he’s become a better leader. It sounds like, with the exception of the spring game, that he’s had a really good spring and, personally, I think the spring game is overrated.”

Jefferson said he’s highly confident this season and has been putting in a lot of hard work ever since the Texas A&M game ended.

“We’re really cranking it up at LSU and preparing for a good season,” Jefferson said.

Jake Martin is a Member of Bleacher Report and a sports writer for the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from the Concordia Sentinel.