LSU Football: 5 Things You Need to Know About Tigers Backup QB Zach Mettenberger

Zach Mettenberger was a quarterback that had tons of potential and lots of promise. He put up ridiculous numbers in high school and signed with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Never playing a down for the Bulldogs, he was kicked off the team for an incident that happened in a bar. He later pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery and was sentenced to two concurrent 12-month periods of probation and fines in addition to 40 hours of community service.

He then went on to play for Butler Community College and once again awed fans, coaches and scouts with his play.

He is now the backup quarterback for LSU and at one point will become the starter. Here are five things you need to know about Zach Mettenberger.

Zach Mettenberger Was a Great High School Quarterback

Zach played at Oconee County High School in Georgia and was remarkable. He was an offense-defense All-American, made the ESPN Top 150 list and Scout.com ranked him the No. 14 quarterback in the nation.

He was the MVP of Elite 11 Alabama Nike Camp and the 2008 offensive Player of the Year.

His junior season he completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,333 yards and 10 touchdowns.

You can enjoy some of his high school play in the video I have provided.

Continued Great Play at Butler Community College

Zach Mettenberger played one season for Butler Community College and he continued to impress. He led them to an 11-1 record and a berth in the JUCO National Championship Game, which they finished ranked second in the nation.

He started all 12 games and finished with 2,678 yards and 32 touchdowns with only four interceptions and a 58.9 completion percentage. He was ranked 17th by Rivals.com on the JUCO Top 50. 

You can enjoy a couple of his touchdown passes in the video I provided.

Before Being Released from Georgia, He Was Battling for the Starting Job

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Aaron Murray has played well for the Georgia Bulldogs, but there was a chance he wasn't going to end up as the starter.

Zach Mattenberger was probably going to be the starter for Georgia before his arrest because he was the most impressive. He was neck-and-neck with Murray during the spring, but when the spring game arrived he completed six of 10 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The other quarterbacks were far less impressive—including Aaron Murray.

If he wasn't released, who knows how the quarterback situation would have played out and where Aaron Murray would be now.

Zach Mettenberger Has All the Tools to Be Great

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 Zach Mettenberger has the NFL body already and the NFL arm. His arm strength is as good as it gets and his decision-making is pretty good as well. It's his decisions off the field that are a problem.

He can make all of the tough throws and has great mechanics. The only problem is that he isn't very mobile, but if you look at Ryan Mallett, you don't really need that to be successful at the college level. 

If he can just fix his maturity issues, he'll be great and a possible first-round NFL pick once his collegiate career is over with.

Zach Mettenberger Could End Up as the Starter for LSU

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Although Les Miles is comfortable with Jordan Jefferson at quarterback, the reality is he was horrible last season. The Tigers were one of the worst passing teams in the country and he only threw for seven touchdowns to his 10 interceptions.

LSU has national championship expectations this season, and if the quarterback situation is holding them back, you may see a Zach Mettenberger sighting.

Per ESPN, Coach Les Miles says his playing ability is not what's holding him back, it's his maturity.

Despite where Mettenberger's maturity level is at, if the Tigers are in a slump they may need that change in quarterback to provide a spark for the team.

They're not going to win games in the SEC if they can't put points on the board.