LSU Football Quarterback Myles Brennan Now Has Third Best Odds to Win Heisman Trophy
LSU quarterback Myles Brennan is one of the bigger question marks at the quarterback position this season in college football. After waiting patiently for three years behind Danny Etling and Joe Burrow, the junior out of Mississippi is taking over an historic offense.
The folks at PFF recently released their top-130 starting quarterbacks heading into the 2020 season and Brennan cracked the top-50. Brennan ranked No. 42 overall with Georgia's Jamie Newman, Texas A&M Kellen Mond, Mississippi State KJ Costello, Alabama Mac Jones and Ole Miss John Rhys Plumlee leading the way in the SEC.
"Expectations for Brennan need to be tempered. Even with the supporting cast around him, LSU is very likely going to see a huge step back in their next season of play," PFF's Anthony Treash wrote. "What Joe Burrow did for the Tigers in 2019 was unlike anything we have ever seen — he generated 2.95 win shares, nearly six-tenths more than any other player in the PFF College era. So, while Brennan is in a position to succeed, he's just not at the level of Burrow."
In his first interview of the fall with media members on Wednesday, Brennan was asked about his comfort level with the playbook. Coach Ed Orgeron said on Tuesday that the team had installed the offense five times in the months since the pandemic shut everything down.
Those installations came through zoom calls, walkthrough practices and now fall camp. Brennan said the spread offense that the Tigers have been running the last two years is one he's familiar with as it's eerily similar to the offense he ran when he broke every Mississippi passing record at St. Stanislaus.
"I feel really comfortable with the whole playbook and reminds me so much of what I did in high school in terms of RPO's and having that run-pass option and throwing the ball down field," Brennan said. "To just really put the ball in our playmakers' hands and let them go make plays is the biggest thing."
With no real starter experience, it's easy to see why the analytics team at PFF is a little hesitant to stick Brennan any higher than they did. That's because Brennan has a lot to prove this year and he knows it.
It also works in Brennan's favor to have weapons like Ja'Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall, Arik Gilbert and Racey McMath, perhaps the best amalgamation of resources in the SEC. With the recent decisions out of the Big Ten and Pac-12 to cancel its seasons, Brennan’s Heisman stock took a considerable leap as well.
His odds rose to 14/1, which is tied for third among all players. Those odds are quite an improvement over Joe Burrow's 200/1 preseason odds a season ago.
Myles Brennan 14/1 Heisman odds
Senior safety JaCoby Stevens has noticed a confidence in Brennan and the way he's running the offense since fall practice started this week.
"Myles knows his checks, he knows where he can throw his check-down, he's good at reading defenses, and he has a strong arm," Stevens said. "I mean, Myles can put the ball out there and let Racey (McMath) and let Ja'Marr (Chase) and let Terrace (Marshall Jr.) run out there and get it. And that's one of the things Myles always had. Myles always had a strong arm, and that's one thing that's really difficult about covering all the guys is that he makes you cover the entire field."
