LSU OC Jake Peetz offers early assessment of QBs TJ Finley, Myles Brennan, Max Johnson and Garrett Nussmeier
By Keith Farner
Published:
At his introductory press conference at LSU, new offensive coordinator Jake Peetz said he would adapt the offense for whichever players the coaching staff feels offer the best chance for production.
That goes for the quarterbacks, and Peetz said he feels that all of the QBs could play in any style, and the coaching staff would base the offense around their strengths.
“Max (Johnson) is a guy that can move, he has some mobility to him,” he said. “But if you look at his calmness and his footwork in the pocket, this guy can play pro-style football now. This guy can play in the pocket, he can sling it. We can do some different things moving it.”
“And I would say the same thing for (Myles) Brennan. He can move the pocket. He has very good balance. He’s a guy that can sling it well, I really like his lower half.”
He then gave T.J. Finley a favorable impression.
“And then you have TJ, TJ is a big man. We were talking earlier today, seeing him for the first time reminded me a lot of when I first came to Carolina and seeing Cam Newton. These are big men. He’s extremely talented. He’s a guy that can flick the wrist and the ball blows up off of it. He’s a guy that I think that you may not categorize him as a guy that can run and escape the pocket, but there are great examples on film where he’s able to move up and over. And the thing about TJ… is that when he escapes, he can attack you at every level of the field. He’s like Steph Curry hitting three’s from the parking lot with where he can reach you with his arm.”
Incoming recruit Garrett Nussmeier was ranked the No. 8 pro-style quarterback in America, according to 247Sports as a 4-star.
“He tore up 6A Football in the state of Texas,” Peetz said. “He’s a guy that is extremely competitive just like all these guys are extremely competitive. But he’s a guy that I’m excited to see how he can move out of the pocket, in the pocket.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
