Myles Brennan ready for all challenges in quest to be LSU’s top quarterback

To many LSU faithful, there is a quarterback controversy brewing in Baton Rouge. In fact, with the arrival of transfer Joe Burrow, many think the competition that has yet to begin is already over.

But a potential starter for the upcoming season served as a backup for the Tigers in 2017, and it is clear Myles Brennan is ready to compete for the job while very confident in his skills.

Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer once compared Brennan to Rams star Jared Goff. The 6-foot-4, 198 pound Brennan was elected a team captain while at the Under Armour week-long workouts where he impressed Dilfer and others in early 2017.

The former Mississippi Mr. Football learned a lot at the Elite 11 camp and Under Armour all-star game.

“It sounds cliche’ but I was not among the top QB’s in the country and had to compete and fight my butt off,” Brennan explained. “(It’s) the same at LSU. You’re not given anything. You have to go out with the mindset that you have to win everyday.”

Despite his success on the prep level at St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis, Brennan has discovered that football in the SEC is not for the faint of heart. It takes patience and perseverence to compete at that level.

“The speed of the game, better athletes, flying around faster than in high school,” he explained. “I’ve picked up the speed of the game better now, making better decisions. (2017) I made some poor decisions. I forced some throws that weren’t there. I see a 15″ or 18″ window and must decide if a receiver is really open. I must throw the receiver open more.”

Brennan, who had to take on a slightly more complicated scheme under offensive coordinator Matt Canada, feels much more comfortable with Steve Ensminger at the throttle. “Last season was lots of motion. There were a few pre-snap reads. If there was a Jet Sweep (called), you were looking at four different things. Now you look at the (defensive) front, coverage and reads, then make your decision,” said Brennan.

The offensive line should be a strength at LSU with several All SEC-level potentials. That’s another reason why Brennan is comfortable with the progress of himself and the Tigers on offense.

“We’re going to be very good there,” he said. “We have a few new guys and a new (OL) coach. I trust them. We’re all learning together, trying to get the offense down.”

With the implementation of Ensminger’s spread attack, LSU will feature an offense that will incorporate more passing, consequently more involvement by all of the receivers than the past few season. Just two Tigers that will be the beneficiary of the new approach is senior tight end Foster Moreau and junior transfer Jonathan Giles. “The tight end was used mostly for blocking last season. This year we are using them more as a bigger target, a bigger body.”

Brennan is particularly excited about working with the former Texas Tech receiver Giles.

“The sky is the limit. Great playmaker, a student of the game. He’s a great athlete. We expect big things this year. We just want to get the ball in our playmakers hands,” Brennan raved.

Jerry Sullivan, LSU’s offensive assistant and passing game coordinator, arrived in 2017 bringing with him nearly a half century of coaching experience including 25 seasons in the NFL. He tutored some of the best. Allen Robinson, Herman Moore, Anquan Boldin and Anthony Miller are among his former pupils.

During his tour of duty at LSU way back in 1984-’90, Sullivan worked with the star passing duo of Tommy Hodson and Wendell Davis. Now, assistant Mickey Joseph and Sullivan will work together to help sharpen the skills of the current Tiger playmakers.

“Coach Sullivan definitely knows what he’s doing,” said Brennan. “He’s coached at the highest level and shows receivers a lot of things from the NFL.”

Brennan also praises the esprit de corps among the Tigers. There is a real locker room trust. “Everyone is unique, but we’re all in. Everyone is trying to mesh in order to grow. We have a brotherhood.”

Highly-regarded Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow will have to earn his stripes in that brotherhood. He was named Ohio’s Mr. Football his senior season, rating ahead of Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and Clemson’s Kelly Bryant in his class.

Brennan welcomes his new teammate with open arms, embracing the chance to compete for snaps. “It didn’t bother me one bit. I didn’t even blink,” he said with genuine confidence. “I can honestly say that I couldn’t care less. I could have taken the easy way out and transferred. It’s the coaches’ job to decide. Nothing is going to change. The best will play.”

The players report back to the LSU campus in early June to unofficially prepare for the upcoming season. The workouts will be voluntary but Brennan knows that potential starting quarterbacks must be heavily involved. “The team leaders will organize it,” he stated. “That’s all on us. There are lots of leaders. This will be the crucial months before fall camp. Most of the players are in summer school or in summer weight program. It’s all about accountablity. We’ll work 7-on-7, some one-on-one and position work.”

In the past three decades, LSU has only had five signal callers land on an All-SEC team – Tommy Hodson (1st team 1989), Josh Booty (1st team 2000), Rohan Davey (2nd team 2001), Matt Mauck (2nd team 2003) and JaMarcus Russell (1st team 2006). For a program that sends as many players to pro football as any, that’s a low number that Brennan and Burrow will surely hope to boost.

Brennan has shared the position with Danny Etling, who demonstrated enough to warrant a selection by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots with the 219th pick in the seventh round. The former teammates maintain a close bond.

“I’ve talked to him about (Patriots) OTA’s, talk to him about the 2018 season and the process. He always helped me on the sidelines with little things,” Brennan said.

The sophomore anxiously anticipates what’s ahead with the determination and approach of competitor. “As the QB, you have everything on your back. I want to see all of the hard work pay off. Our number one goal is to win a championship,” stressed Brennan. “I want to be the best that I can be. I’m not worried about setting (personal) records. I just want to help put us in the very best position.”

Cramming for his football finals begins in earnest shortly with the curtain rising against the Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 2 in Arlington, Texas. Myles Brennan, along with the entire Tiger nation, hopes that he gets a high “passing” grade.