LSU QB Max Johnson Drawing Rave Comparisions as Tigers Begin Fall Camp
With day one of fall camp in the rearview mirror, all eyes are on Max Johnson as he takes over as the Tigers starting quarterback heading into the 2021-22 season.
After losing Myles Brennan to injury in a freak fishing accident, it’s full steam ahead with Johnson looking to lead this group for the foreseeable future. Coach Orgeron knows his sophomore quarterback is more than capable of taking this team where they need to go.
“He’s got to be able to perform,” Orgeron said. “We know Max is a little more mobile than Myles was, and there’s some things that he can do, but also you know we got to protect him. We got to play to win the game so whatever that takes we have to do.”
The most important piece to the puzzle for the remaining offseason is to keep Johnson healthy for Sept. 4th’s season opener. The sophomore stud has the ability to unlock different elements to this Tiger offense to bring a more dynamic playbook.
But perhaps just as impressive as his talent on the field is some of the intangibles and leadership qualities he's shown thus far. Orgeron spoke glowingly about the kind of person he is and how the team has really gravitated towards him dating back to those final two wins of the 2020 season.
While he didn't want to mince his words, there was even a slight comparison to former LSU legend Joe Burrow.
"I see him every day. He’s a competitor. He’s serious. He reminds me of Joe in a lot of ways," Orgeron said. "The intangibles, the things he does, the work ethic, he wants to be number one. He doesn’t say much. There’s not a lot of joking around with him. He’s a football guy, from a football family. He’s very competitive and wants to be great. There are things he has to improve on, but he’s a young player and that’s more or less things that Jake can work with him on. I believe he’s going to be a championship quarterback. I believe in him.”
With Jake Peetz at the helm, this offense is sure to have numerous tricks up their sleeves, especially with a mobile quarterback like Johnson who can flourish in the RPO (run pass option).
“You got to do the things you got to do to win,” said Orgeron. “Max wants to be a drop back quarterback, we talked about that. Now I don’t think we’ll have 15 different quarterback runs, but there are some things we have to do to challenge the defense to win the game.”
During day one of fall camp, Johnson and the rest of the quarterbacks worked mostly with the tight ends and running backs, getting into a groove. As today was the first true test for Johnson being the go to guy for the Tigers, it’s a given there will be growing pains.
Missing a couple throws throughout practice, Johnson stayed true to himself and continued battling to learn from mistakes.
Orgeron believes there's something special that Johnson provides this offense when behind center. Certainly the playcalling is a bit different because of his added mobility but beyond that, it's Johnson's decision making that is advanced for a college quarterback.
He threads the needle and takes his chances just like any quarterback does but they're calculated risks and more times than not when something's not there, he'll just get rid of it.
"Max wants to be a drop back quarterback, we’ve talked about that. I don’t think we’re going to have 15 different quarterback runs or him be a primary runner," Orgeron said. "He’s a passer, but there are things he has to do to challenge the defense to win the game and hey there are some things in football you have to do, but we’re going to be smart.”
With day one of fall camp in the books and Johnson taking the responsibility of leading this team, the time is now for the Tigers to work as one. As Johnson looks to grow day by day, it’s only a matter of time until this team hits second gear and begins gelling together before Sept. 4th’s showdown against UCLA.
