Watch: LSU Freshmen Quarterbacks Finding Ways to Stay Sharp As Return to Campus Grows Closer
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a number of videos surface of LSU freshmen finding different ways to stay active. As restrictions during the quarantine are starting to be lifted in each state, Arik Gilbert and BJ Ojulari are just a few that have been seen working out in their home state of Georgia.
This week, videos have come out highlighting the work that freshmen quarterbacks Max Johnson and TJ Finley have been putting in. Both Johnson and Finley were early enrollees with the Tigers and had started practicing as the primary backups to Myles Brennan after Peter Parrish was suspended.
Johnson released the following video on Twitter.
The 6-foot-4, 211-pound lefty thrower comes to LSU as the No. 10 ranked pro style quarterback in 2020 according to 247Sports. He and Finley started learning the playbook immediately when they stepped on campus.
They even went through a few practices before the national championship, picking the brain of Joe Burrow as much as possible along the way. Finley joined the team on Dec. 18 while Johnson started on Jan. 3.
This certainly figures to be Myles Brennan’s team this season, but there’s little doubt that coach Ed Orgeron is excited by both of his freshmen talents.
“We feel that Max is going to be an excellent quarterback. We feel that we got great quarterbacks," Orgeron said in his spring practice press conference. "We're going to look at our quarterbacks this spring. We're going to see what they do, we're going to give them a chance to compete and see what they got."
During the quarantine, Johnson told Garland Gillen of Fox8 he’s been throwing with his brother Jake, a top 2022 tight end prospect, three days a week and spending the other days working out or running. Their father, Super Bowl winning quarterback Brad Johnson, watches and gives pointers.
“It's electric throwing to my brother, honestly, because he's going to be a college player in a year and a half,” Johnson told Gillen. “I just throw it up to him and he gets it. Everywhere I throw, he goes and gets it. It definitely helps having my dad. He takes me through all the progressions. We've been studying defenses.”
As for Finley, he caught up with Geaux Nation’s Chessa Bouche to talk about he’s been spending the quarantine trying to improve.
“I’m just using this time as a time period to get better personally and individually,” Finley said. “When the summer kicks off I just want to show the team and everybody and all the coaches how hard I’ve been working in this Corona time.”
Though he was only able to spend a month learning from the Heisman winning quarterback Burrow, Finley said he soaked up all the knowledge he could.
“Being in the quarterback room with Joe and listening to his language and how he was communicating with coach Ensminger, it was just stuff I took in as a young quarterback to know it can be done,” Finley said.
While Johnson and Finley didn’t get near as much time in the spring as they would’ve liked, it seems they’re both ready to hit the ground running when they’re allowed to get back to work.
