LSU Keeping QBs Off Limits a Smart Move for Les Miles

That sound you hear coming from the LSU quarterback battle is silence.

You better get used to it, because for the foreseeable future, that's all you're going to get. 

Head coach Les Miles said on Monday that the two primary contenders—junior Anthony Jennings and sophomore Brandon Harris—have improved tremendously from last season's struggles.

"It’s an ongoing process," Miles said, according to quotes released by LSU. "Both guys are playing better. They are night and day in how they continue to evolve as compared to this time last year. We will have better quarterback play."

According to Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett Louisiana, that might be the most information we receive about the quarterback race for quite some time.

At this point, it's clear who's leading the pack, according to Shea Dixon of 247Sports.com.

It's good for Miles to keep his quarterbacks off limits to the media and control the information about one of the most important quarterback battles in the SEC this August. Sure, it'd be great to get practice-by-practice updates as to where the two contenders stand. We still might get that from Miles himself, players who are available to the media or sources who leak information from practice.

But the quarterbacks themselves don't need the distraction of practice-by-practice commentary of where each stands.

They just need to focus on the playbook and improving.

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

It's no surprise that Harris is leading at the moment. He entered fall camp with a slight edge on Jennings after Jennings was suspended for an arrest that was later dropped. During that time, it was Harris who was organizing most of the work with his teammates.

"He's changed a lot. He's stepping up," running back Leonard Fournette at SEC media days in July. "Brandon has improved tremendously. He's making the right reads, reading defenses and making a lot of plays."

With Jennings back, though, he has a chance to play catchup in a hurry over the next couple of weeks with no outside pressure and make it interesting for Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

"Bottom line for LSU fans is that they don't need to get hung up on who is back there; they just need to demand better quarterback play from their coaches," said T-Bob Hebert, former LSU offensive lineman and host of Double Coverage on 3WL 1350 in New Orleans. "The struggles under center have transcended multiple recruiting classes at LSU, and this is an opportunity for Cameron to prove the success of Zach Mettenberger is the rule rather than the exception."

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Because of that, don't expect a resolution anytime soon.

The Tigers open with McNeese State before traveling to Mississippi State and hosting Auburn in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively.

That tuneup with the Cowboys is a perfect place for Miles and Cameron to see what they have from each of their two contenders in the first half and then let the second half serve as a 30-minute warm-up for the two division battles in the coming weeks.

These quarterbacks need to focus 100 percent on not only winning the job but helping the offense improve in what's a critical year for Miles and the LSU program. Another 8-5 year wouldn't send Miles packing, but Cameron's contract is up after this year, and it could usher in a lot of offensive change heading into the 2016 season in which Miles could be coaching for his job.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93 XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter: @BarrettSallee.