LSU freshman Myles Brennan continues preparations for when call to play comes

The meteoric rise up the depth chart for LSU true quarterback freshman Myles Brennan has been a bit of a surprise for the Brennan family. In a sense.

Brennan broke the Mississippi state high school single-game mark at St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis with a 41-for-45 performance, 543 yards and eight touchdowns in a game against East Central. It was the best statistical day in a prep career filled with highlights.

Leading the Rock-a-chaws to a 34-8 mark as a starter, Brennan completed his illustrious career with 16,168 yards of total offense including 15,138 passing yards and 166 touchdown passes.  He opened eyes after a sophomore campaign which produced 5,797 yards through the air, 64 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 70 percent of his attempts.

His talents attracted offers from LSU, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Ole Miss, West Va., California, Cincinnati and Kentucky. Brennan was the sixth rated pro style passer in the country by 24/7 Sports. The recruiting process alerted the Brennan clan as to what was to come.

Myles has put in the hard work, under the guidance of his head coach and quarterback coach Bill Conides. The pair worked tirelessly on technique, film study and throwing sessions which sometimes included Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre in Hattiesburg, Miss.

“Myles still has a lot to learn, but he has a good foundation,” explained proud father Owen Brennan, who played his college football as a linebacker at Tulane. Myles’ mother Megan was the first female to earn an athletic scholarship at Tulane in volleyball and basketball.

Myles graduated from high school on May 31 and arrived at LSU on June 2. The college rookie has made quick progress on the field and in the weight room. He was 6-foot-4, 187 pounds upon his arrival, but through nutrition and weight training he is now up to 198.

“Everything increased,” Owen Brennan said, “his strength, accuracy. He’s on the cusp of being an SEC football player.”

The installation of Matt Canada’s offense at LSU in small increments served as a benefit to the 18-year old signal caller. The offense was distributed to the quarterbacks throughout spring practice sessions while Myles was back home in Mississippi studying film of the new Tigers scheme. He visited the Baton Rouge campus and took mental reps, and the lines of communication remained open following his signing.

The offense is very complex in respect to play calling, alignment, shifts and blocking protection.  Myles’ football IQ along with his relationship with Conides, now at Denham Springs High School, prepared him for this new journey.

“All summer has been school, football and sleep,” the elder Brennan stated. “Myles took four college classes. There was a lot of team bonding, running the route tree with the receivers and 7 on 7.”

It began to become overwhelmingly apparent what the young slinger possesses. A noticeable difference in footwork, mechanics and an understanding of the offense. When Brennan showed up on campus and demonstrated his skills live, the coaches seemed impressed.

Because of the staff’s familiarity with the other quarterbacks on the roster through spring drills, Brennan received additional reps here and there early in fall camps.  Before long, he began taking every rep with the second-team offense and some with the starters.

His 60 yard touchdown pass to freshman Manny Netherly was a thing of beauty, the only touchdown pass thrown all day against the Dave Aranda defense in the preseason’s second scrimmage.

For a young athlete who only switched to quarterback from wide receiver as an eighth grader at St. Stanislaus, Brennan is nearing major stardom. Getting used to celebrity can be challenging, but he handled the big man on campus role well as a prepster.

“Other than leaving Sunday services and receiving a hug from the priest, everything is normal for him. Being on the beach maybe a little tougher,” joked Owen. “We’ve prepared for this (level) with Under Armour and Elite Eleven camp. Alll the attention, we have gotten used to it. Everyone in Bay St. Louis knows us.”

Myles participated in the Under Armour All American contest and earned Mississippi Class 4A Mr. Football honors in 2016. He was at the Elite Eleven in Redondo Beach, California, finishing second at the nation’s premier quarterback competition to qualify for Nike’s The Opening in Oregon.

Aside from unexpected injury, the earliest opportunity for a new quarterback to begin the the full grooming process for when LSU senior starter Danny Etling departs will likely be Sept. 9th in the Tigers’ second game, the home opener against Chattanooga. That’s when we may all start to find out who the true heir apparent is.

But if you’re the number two, live snaps are just one play away. Myles Brennan is working to be ready whenever the call comes.