Who is LSU’s best bounce-back candidate in 2022?
Sustaining success in football can be difficult. Whether it’s a sophomore slump after a breakout true freshman season or an upperclassman trying to shake off a rough campaign, there are players every year who overcome disappointing previous seasons and return to form.
On3’s Jesse Simonton recently broke down a bounce-back candidate from each SEC West school, and for LSU, the selection wasn’t very surprising.
Transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels had two very strong seasons to start out his college career at Arizona State, throwing for 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions in that span. But last fall was a significant step back as he threw just as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns.
With Myles Brennan out, Daniels is the favorite to win the job. With a more talented receiver group than he had in Tempe and a mobility factor that could add a new wrinkle to LSU’s offense, he’s expected to get back to his previous level of play this season.
Really, LSU has more comeback (or bounce back) candidates than any SEC school not named Georgia in 2022.
Wideout Kayshon Boutte is healthy after scoring nine touchdowns in just six games last season but missing half the year due to a leg injury. Meanwhile, former 5-star John Emory is expected to be LSU’s starting running back after sitting out all of 2021 with off-the-field issues.
And yet, the Tigers’ two most intriguing comeback candidates were two guys battling for the team’s starting quarterback job.
Myles Brennan is now removed from consideration after opting to end his college career earlier this week, which slides Daniels to the forefront. The former Arizona State transfer is potentially set up for a big bounce-back year after consecutive disappointing seasons with the Sun Devils. A dual-threat talent, Daniels has rarely looked like the promising freshman (17 touchdowns to two interceptions) who was one of the more dynamic and exciting QBs in the country. If he can solve some of his accuracy woes, then Daniels could be the perfect fit in Mike Denbrock’s heavy RPO offense.
Of course, it’s not a guarantee that Daniels wins the job. Even after Brennan’s departure, he’s still competing with redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier, at least nominally.
But the veteran is seen as the favorite, at least to start Week 1, and though he’s not the most talked-about transfer portal quarterback, he could be set to surprise the SEC a bit.
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