LSU quarterback derby off and running

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, August 17, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

LSU Tigers
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It's too bad college football teams can't trade players like their NFL counterparts.

That could solve Les Miles' current dilemma nicely. He could swap, say, No. 2 quarterback Matt Flynn to some team the LSU Tigers will never play, and get a couple of defensive linemen or maybe a linebacker in exchange.

But that's impossible, of course, and so Miles is left with what he calls "a nice problem to have." Asked recently whether he would advise any of his three contending quarterbacks to transfer, Miles responded: "Are you kidding?"

At one point during the offseason, Miles took a trip with some other coaches to visit American troops in Iraq. One of them sidled up to him and asked: "So who's going to start at quarterback, coach?"

Ordinarily, the answer would be obvious -- JaMarcus Russell. After all, the rising junior from Mobile (where he broke most of Brodie Croyle's Alabama state high school passing records) threw for 2,443 yards and 15 touchdowns last season while leading LSU into the SEC championship game.

But then Russell separated his shoulder, and classmate Matt Flynn came on to complete 13-of-22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a shockingly easy rout of Miami in the Peach Bowl, 40-3.

And now, to complicate things, prize 2004 recruit Ryan Perriloux has finished his redshirt year and wants to play, too.

All three have their upside. With Russell, it's his right arm, stronger than red beans and rice.

"He's a great quarterback," noted one observer. "Great arm strength. What can you say? He can sit there and throw it 80, 90 yards without warming up. Freakish."

That observer? Matt Flynn, who was the most sought-after schoolboy QB in the Lone Star State as a senior at Tyler High School.

At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, however, Russell will never be confused with Michael Vick. Flynn has quicker feet, as he demonstrated with a 23-yard scramble in the Miami game. He is also a film room junkie who knows offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher's schemes inside and out. As does Russell.

Perriloux, a Reserve, LA product who originally committed to Texas but then stiffed the Longhorns to switch to his home-state team, accounted for more than 12,000 yards (that's close to six miles) and 158 touchdowns -- 84 passing, 74 rushing -- as a prep. He's 6-3, 225 pounds, has a rocket arm (if not quite as strong as Russell's) and 4.45 speed.

Obviously, he's a star -- maybe even a superstar -- in the making. The question is ... when?

Probably not this year. This would be a nice time for Miles' team to have loaded up the front end of its schedule with some Tiger bait, but after an opener with UL-Lafayette, LSU hosts an improving Arizona team and then travels to Auburn. Thus, the chances of Perriloux getting a lot of snaps early on appears unlikely.

Russell will probably be gone to the NFL after this season, which will leave Flynn and Perriloux. And if Flynn, who would then be a senior, doesn't wow his coaches, the job will probably got to the young hotshot. There was some talk that Perriloux might transfer, but he would then lose another season, plus the redshirt year, unless he went to a Division 1-AA school.

It's started already, and Miles seems determined to stir the pot. After Flynn starred in the Peach Bowl, the coach talked about how the return of running back Joseph Addai and offensive guard Will Arnold from injuries had as much to do with the surprising result as did his backup quarterback. And after the first week of fall practice, Miles praised Perriloux, observing: "The best two-minute go we had was in the afternoon (when Perriloux directed the offense)."

The next day, JaMarcus Russell threw two touchdown passes.

"We've gotten along pretty good," Perriloux said of Russell. "We have lunch together, hang out, joke around in meetings."

"I like him (Perriloux) a lot better," Russell said, "now that I've gotten to know him."

And he'll like him even better as a backup.

Get more original LSU Tigers insights at Realfootball365.com
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