Les Miles wanted a shot to ‘be in the running’ for QB Braxton Miller
LSU hasn’t yet picked a starting quarterback, but if it were up to coach Les Miles, a potential graduate transfer would have been the leader in the clubhouse.
Miles, who was doing a round of interviews with ESPN on Monday, was asked about graduate transfer quarterbacks and while he didn’t name names, it was clear he was hoping Ohio State’s Braxton Miller had announced his intention to transfer.
“We would’ve loved to have been in the running for the Ohio State QB,” said Miles.
Of course, Miller solidified his decision to stay at Ohio State for his final season despite the fact that he’s coming off a season-ending injury and he’ll have to compete against a player who was a Heisman candidate and a one who led the Buckeyes to a national title.
Miles — and every other college coach in America — wished he had that kind of stable at quarterback. Instead, he’s choosing between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris, neither of whom was especially impressive a year ago. Jennings won the starting job in 2014, but both quarterbacks played with mixed results.
LSU ranked last in the SEC in both yards per game (162.9) and completion percentage (50 percent). It was ninth in the league in passing efficiency (128.26).
The Tigers averaged just 19.1 points per game, which was only better than Vanderbilt in the SEC.
Miller wasn’t the only highly touted graduate transfer prospect this offseason. Notre Dame’s Everett Golson actually did transfer to Florida State, but initially there were reports Golson had his eye on LSU. However, Miles said Monday that he never spoke with Golson. It would have been difficult getting Golson past the SEC rule that prohibits graduate transfers that had disciplinary issues at their previous school.
With the quarterback situation unresolved and the defense essentially starting over without veteran coordinator John Chavis, who went to Texas A&M, the prospects for the Tigers 2015 season are definitely up in the air.
For more LSU news, visit TigerBait.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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