LSU Football: Will Jordan Jefferson Be Ready for His Challenge This Spring?

Last year, Coach Les Miles apparently wanted to give Jordan Jefferson his full support and help J.J. build confidence for the 2010 season, so he proclaimed that he was much improved and now ready to step up and be the leader as the number one Tiger quarterback.   

However, as the 2010 Spring football practice unfolded, it began to reveal a still very unsure Jefferson that not only had not improved and got rid of his old bad habits, but in the eyes of most observers, he actually regressed.

Despite Miles' continued praises of Jefferson, all observers could readily see that Jarrett Lee was actually out performing J.J. during spring practice. 

Once the spring game came and was played before an ESPN TV audience, everyone could see the flaws that were haunting Jefferson and how he was consistently holding back a very talented LSU team from achieving their championship dreams. 

However, to the surprise of most observers, Miles continued to stay with Jefferson as his number one quarterback.  

At the close of spring practice, most Tiger fans were simply frustrated with this situation and with Miles' insistence on Jefferson to be the number one quarterback going into the 2010 season.

As we all well know, Jefferson did struggle mightily during the 2010 season, and Miles received a lot of fan discontent. He eventually was forced to bring in Jarrett Lee to help give LSU a passing game and a chance to win.

However, as fate would have it, Jefferson came out of his nightmare season and played one of his best games ever as a Tiger QB in the Alabama game.  

Say what you will, but beating Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge is always very big for the Tiger faithful, and both Miles and Jefferson changed the minds and hearts of most Tiger fans with that big victory.  

Even though LSU only had a few games left, Jefferson played a good game against Ole Miss but not so good against Arkansas to end the regular season.

However, with time to prepare for the Cotton Bowl,  the LSU fighting Tigers, and Jefferson in particular, again played one of their best games of the year and destroyed a very good Texas A & M team.  

Now with great games against Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A & M in 2010, Jefferson has finally asserted himself and shown himself as a changed and much improved LSU quarterback, and finally, he can now make his legitimate claim as the current starter and leader of the LSU Tigers. 

Of course, Jefferson will now more that ever need to call on all of his experience and playbook understanding to hold off the challenge of LSU's new high sought after junior college transfer Zack Mettenberger.

Mettenberger is a strong armed former University of Georgia quarterback that was ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 junior college quarterback in America during the 2010 season.

Most LSU fans have been anxiously anticipating the arrival of Mettenberger, as many see him as the missing piece of the puzzle to lead LSU to a championship year in 2011.

We will soon find out whether it will be Mettenberger or Jefferson that will lead the LSU Tigers under their new Offensive Coordinator Steve Kraigthorp for the 2011 season.

Whomever the quarterback is for next year, I think he will have to earn that position, and one thing is for sure, Mettenberger's presence will certainly force Jefferson to be as good as he can be.  

We actually can't rule out a two quarterback position similar to what LSU did with Lee and Jefferson in 2011, but I would prefer the Tigers go with the most capable leader of the two quarterbacks.