The LSU Tigers went 13-1 in 2011 with a pair of senior quarterbacks who combined to throw for a little over 2,000 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions with 61 percent of passes completed.
The two senior signal-callers, Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson, certainly had their moments, but are two of the last players the Tigers will point to for their success this season.
It’s not a knock on them, but they weren’t the reason LSU were as dominant as they were through 13 games this year.
That is why they’ll easily survive young Gunner Kiel’s latest change of heart. After initially committing to Indiana, the expected early enrollee committed to LSU in December but has backed out.
The 6’4″, 210-pounder is now set to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
But LSU fans shouldn’t fret for too long. Yes, Kiel would have been a great addition, especially considering the surprise nature of his commitment, but they’ll easily make due without him.
For starters, they already have three freshmen QBs in Stephen Rivers, Jared Foster and Jerrard Randle and expect to start Georgia/JUCO transfer Zach Mettenberger.
The 6’5″, 225-pounder spent one year with the Bulldogs before dropping to JUCO and subsequently became the top JUCO QB in the nation.
He saw action in five games this season despite not starting and his combination of size and athleticism will be most welcome in the Tigers backfield.
Kiel was expected to be the only quarterback of this incoming class, so barring any last-minute additions, they know they’ll enter spring practice with the four QBs already on the roster.
Although they lost a few of their best defensive players, the Tigers are still stacked and will be ranked in the Top Five to open the season.
Again, Kiel would have been a solid addition and potential difference-maker, but the Tigers have plenty of other talent to help the transition of a young QB. LSU will not only survive, but they’ll be back in the hunt for the BCS Championship.
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