Greg McElroy explains why Ed Orgeron might go with a freshman QB over Danny Etling

SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy talked about the LSU quarterback competition Friday on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

Danny Etling, who took over last season for Brandon Harris, leads for the starting job, as coach Ed Orgeron has said that Etling would be the starter if the season started that day on multiple occasions.

Orgeron has also maintained there is an open competition to give freshman Myles Brennan, a summer enrollee, a chance to win the job. McElroy believes that if Etling and a freshman are close, Orgeron might go with the younger quarterback as opposed to the veteran.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s close if they went with the younger player,” McElroy said. “I’ve always been one that if you’re going to lean on a senior that it has to be head and shoulders better than the younger option.”

McElroy believes that Orgeron might look at the big picture for the long term in his first full season as head coach.

“This is Ed Orgeron’s first year,” McElroy said. “This is not a make-or-break season when it comes to his tenure. So if they start with a freshman and allow that offense to grow with that freshman, whether it be [Lowell] Narcisse or Brennan or whoever, [Lindsey] Scott, it doesn’t matter. Any of the young guys, they can kind of develop and formulate the offense to that individual skillset as opposed to Danny Etling where it’s kind of a one-year deal and then he’s on to greener pastures.

“So I might lean toward going with the younger guy if it’s in fact a close finish like it appears to be right now.”

McElroy made his comments before Saturday’s scrimmage in which Brennan had a higher completion percentage and fewer turnovers than Etling.

O on QB situation

Brennan 4-8, 107, 1 TD
Etling 8-18, 114, 2 INT

"Those guys took most of the snaps at QB." #LSU

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 13, 2017

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.