Top 10 quarterbacks LSU faces in 2023
LSU’s defense enters the season with a new-look defense from top to bottom with only five returning starters and several new faces from the transfer portal that will be looking to edge out returners for playing time. There’s an intrigue at defensive back as the Tigers experience more turnover at the position, but also because of the opposing quarterbacks LSU faces in 2023.
Here, we’re looking at the top ten FBS quarterbacks LSU faces in 2023, with a look at their expectations, talent level, and more. Let’s get into it.
10. Georgia State: Darren Grainger
A 6-foot-4 redshirt senior, Grainger enters his third season as the starter for the Panthers with the hope of elevating Georgia State back into the top half of the Sun Belt conference. He has accounted for 46 touchdowns over the last two seasons since transferring from Furman and is a really strong dual-threat quarterback with 1,323 rushing yards in two seasons.
9. Missouri: Brady Cook
Cook Emerged as the starter at Missouri in his third year on campus in 2022 and now enters the 2023 season with some expectations to improve. The departure of Dominic Lovett at receiver perhaps caps the ceiling of this offense, but Cook still has one of the more explosive young players in the country with former five-star wideout Luther Burden. Cook posted a solid 64.8 completion percentage last year for over 200 yards per game, but nearly half of his touchdowns on the season came against Abilene Christian and New Mexico State.
8. Auburn: Peyton Thorne
Thorne is expected to win the job over Robby Ashford, which is a positive for Auburn fans after what they had to watch last year. Thorne steps into a situation where the entire offense is being overhauled with transfer receivers and Hugh Freeze as the offensive mind. Fortunately, he has Jarquez Hunter at quarterback to take some pressure off of him, but Thorne will still have to be much better than he was in 2022.
In 2021, he actually averaged 8.3 yards per attempt with 27 touchdowns, but last season was a step back. He’s more of a game manager quarterback and had just 42 rushing yards last year, so we’ll see how the pass game come around in year one under Freeze.
7. Florida: Graham Mertz
The Wisconsin transfer is in the top seven mostly off of the fact he was a three year starter in the Big 10, but other than that, there;s not a lot of optimism that Mertz can be a real difference maker in the SEC. The Gators were one of the best rushing teams in the country last year with Anthony Richardson at quarterback, and with Montrell Johnson back, it will once again be a run-first offense, but Mertz’ completion percentage, interception numbers, and overall limited arm talent cap his ceiling as a game manager. If he can lower the interception rate, then I can see him fitting into the offense, but there’s a lot of “ifs” here.
6. Texas A&M: Connor Weigman
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 26: Conner Weigman #15 of the Texas A&M Aggies looks to pass ahead of Micah Baskerville #23 of the LSU Tigers during the second half at Kyle Field on November 26, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Weignman is the opposite of the two names we just looked at, with just one year of experience and four starts under his belt. Weigman was behind Haynes King and Max Johnson in 2022, but this year it seems Weigman will be in the driver’s seat and ready to try to revive this Texas A&M offense. While the completion percentage was low his games against Ole Miss and LSU were really impressive and showed enough flashes to promise that he was going to be the quarterback of the future. The receiver corps is in a great spot with Evan Stewart, Ainais Smith, and Moose Muhammad, which should open up the field for Weigman to excel this season. Obviously, the offense was putrid last year in College Station, but with a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Petrino and a new quarterback, the Aggies should be at least competent.
5. Alabama: Jalen Milroe / Tyler Buchner / Ty Simpson
Just from what the general narrative has been over the past few months, it looks like Milroe and Buchner are the leaders in this battle. Obviously, Milroe is a completely different quarterback than the other two with his elite physical frame, speed, and overall running ability. It doesn’t make for a high-level passing offense, but after averaging 8.5 yards per carry last year, and making several big gains with his legs, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t get on the field at some point. Buchner is interesting because he wasn’t particularly good in his time at Notre Dame, with six touchdowns to eight interceptions and a 56.8 completion percentage, but Tommy Reese clearly thinks he has potential.
4. Ole Miss: Spencer Sanders / Jaxon Dart
After a season where the pass game struggled with Dart, Lane Kiffin added two more quarterbacks in Walker Howard and Spencer Sanders to shake things up. It is assumed Howard will spend one year learning and improving behind the two veterans, but it’s still up in the air as to which player will get the start. Sanders has his flaws, but was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State and has attempted 1,254 passes for his career. Kiffin knows Dart’s limitations in this offense, so it feels like Sanders should be in the lead on paper. Sanders is also mobile and tough from his time with the Cowboys. I would comfortably have Sanders No. 4 on this list.
3. Mississippi State: Will Rogers
BATON ROUGE, LA – SEPTEMBER 17: Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers (2) drops back for a pass during a game between the LSU Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on September 17, 2022. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rogers’ accolades are astounding. He’s the SEC completions leader for a season and for a career, has the MSU passing yards and touchdown records, and is on pace to be the third quarterback in SEC history with over 100 touchdowns. All of that was under Mike Leach, though. This year, Kevin Barbay is the offensive coordinator and the Bulldogs’ offense will be under major renovation. Rogers is more than capable of learning new plays and making the right decisions, but the numbers will look much less gaudy and the talent at receiver is also not as dynamic on paper with the departures of Rara Thomas and Rufus Harvey. Rogers is still a high-level college quarterback, but it will be a new challenge for him in 2023.
2. Arkansas: KJ Jefferson
In two years as the starter, Jefferson has been spectacular for Arkansas, amassing over 5,300 yards and 45 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He produced with Treylon Burks in 2021 then with a very different core of talent around him in 2022. In 2023 he’ll have his biggest hurdle yet as Kendal Briles is no longer the offensive coordinator behind him. Entering his fifth season, Jefferson has a slew of transfer receivers to throw to and a high-level running back in Raheim Sanders behind him. The tools are there for the Razorbacks to be a high-flying passing offense again, but it remains to be seen what the scheme will look like and how Jefferson fares with more change.
1. Florida State: Jordan Travis
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 04: Quarterback Jordan Travis #13 of the Florida State Seminoles reacts after a touchdown against the LSU Tigers at Caesars Superdome on September 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Travis carved up LSU in the first game of the season in 2022 and that set the tone for a tremendous season for the senior quarterback. Now, Travis enters his sixth collegiate season with plenty of expectations as his team is tabbed to win the ACC. With several offensive weapons returning, Travis’ numbers should be exceptional, putting him in contention for ACC Player of the Year. The accuracy has been a strength, but the elusiveness and overall playmaking ability is what makes Travis a real problem for opposing defenses. He only had 24 passing touchdowns last year as the stable of running backs ate up a ton of yards and scores for the Seminoles, but Travis should eclipse 30 in 2023.
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