Ed Orgeron made the sensible choice.

The LSU coach officially named Danny Etling the Tigers starting quarterback for the season opener against BYU.

The announcement came after practice Tuesday and was little more than a formality. Etling was the incumbent, having taken over from Brandon Harris during LSU’s second game last season and hanging on to the job the rest of the way.

Danny Etling threw for 541 yards and 4 TDs in LSU's final two games, including the bowl win over Louisville. That was his best two-game stretch of the 2016 season.

But Orgeron injected a little drama into the preseason quarterback competition by praising and giving periodic first-team reps to highly regarded true freshman Myles Brennan.

Someday in the not-too-distant future — probably no later than about this time next year, perhaps as soon as even some time this season — Orgeron figures to make a similar announcement regarding Brennan. Barring the unexpected, Brennan will be the Tigers starting quarterback at some point, but Sept. 2 in Houston isn’t the right time or place.

LSU needs a steady hand at quarterback and Etling, like most fifth-year seniors, has a steadier hand than Brennan or fellow true freshman Lowell Narcisse or even sophomore Justin McMillan.

Orgeron said Brennan was “a very close second” in the competition, but the choice tilted in Etling’s favor because of “consistency, knowing the offense, being around the team.”

Etling had offseason surgery to repair a back that bothered him throughout last season. He has been honing his fundamentals after developing bad habits while compensating for the injury last season.

“After the surgery, he came back and must have worked throughout the summer, night and day,” Orgeron said. “Competition helped him get better. (Offensive coordinator) Matt (Canada) feels like he’s throwing the ball better since his operation, the understanding and being a fifth-year senior.”

Etling threw just 11 touchdown passes in 11 games last season, but LSU doesn’t necessarily need him to be a home-run hitter. The offense is built around junior running back Derrius Guice, who led the SEC is rushing last season.

By the way, Orgeron also revealed Tuesday that Guice has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury sustained in a scrimmage Saturday and will miss a couple more days. But as long as Guice is healthy he’s going to be the guy most responsible for getting the ball into the end zone.

The more salient statistic from Etling’s performance last season is that he threw just five interceptions in 269 passes. Additionally, Etling, who played two seasons at Purdue before transferring, has played in 24 games, starting 22.

An experienced quarterback who keeps turnovers to a minimum is just the complement the 2017 Tigers need to Guice and what’s expected to be a very good defense. Not to mention that LSU doesn’t need an inexperienced quarterback delivering the football to what is mostly an inexperienced group of wide receivers.

Orgeron is preparing to start his first full season as head coach after serving as interim head coach for the final eight games after Les Miles was fired last season. Tiger fans have been waiting years for a big-time playmaker at quarterback, being disappointed most recently by Anthony Jennings, then Harris.

This decision isn’t going to end their wait, but before too long Brennan — who had a record-setting prep career in Long Beach, Miss., — will have a chance to give them that playmaker. In fact he and Narcisse, for whom Canada has devised a running package, could both see playing time this season.

“We want Myles and Lowell to grow at their own pace,” Orgeron said.

He added that he would be comfortable putting Brennan in a game if Etling “flops,” but said he doesn’t expect that to happen.

Etling was the right choice for right now.

But stay tuned.