LSU Coach Ed Orgeron Says Pitcher Nick Storz Has Joined Football Team as Tight End, Talks Quarterbacks

LSU may be adding a secret weapon to the the 2020 football team by dipping into the baseball roster. In an appearance on Baton Rouge radio show "Off the Bench" on Tuesday, coach Ed Orgeron said the team has brought in pitcher Nick Storz for voluntary workouts.

Storz has had a tumultuous career with the Tiger baseball team, missing most of the 2018 season with an injury and all of the 2019 season after having a third surgery on his throwing shoulder. The sophomore has joined the football team for voluntary workouts and at 6-foot-6, 262 pounds, Orgeron says the team envisions him at tight end.

"Coach [Paul] Mainieri was gracious enough to allow him to come on over and he's working out with our football team, he's a big guy," Orgeron said. "He's a phenomenal football player, a phenomenal tight end and I think he's going to help us."

Storz adds another big body to a skills position group full of talent including Ja'Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall, Racey McMath, Kayshon Boutte, Arik GIlbert and Kole Taylor.

The addition of Storz will certainly help junior quarterback Myles Brennan in the redzone should Storz earn the time on the field. Orgeron broke down the quarterback room as part of his interview on Tuesday and said he couldn't be happier with the way not only Brennan, but freshmen Max Johnson and TJ Finley are preparing.

"They've done a great job, coach [Steve] Ensminger has done a great job with zoom meetings and installation," Orgeron said. "Every time I walk into coach Ensminger's office at 8:00 a.m., he has all three scholarship quarterbacks on the zoom meetings studying. They're all picking up the offense and it's going to be fun to see them in camp."

Brennan has come back to the program at 218 pounds and Orgeron thought the junior really learned a lot on how to prepare by watching Joe Burrow in 2019.

"We feel that it's his turn and that he has all the makings of an outstanding quarterback," Orgeron said.

How Brennan fares this year will be important for the recruiting aspect at the quarterback position for the Tigers. The offense will stay the same and if Brennan thrives, it would do wonders for the future outlook at the position. LSU has received commitments from top quarterbacks in the 2021 and 2022 class in Garrett Nussmeier and Walker Howard.

With many talented quarterbacks in future classes watching the LSU program closely, including Louisiana's own Eli Holstein and Arch Manning, LSU will want to prove that Burrow's magical season wasn't a "one hit wonder."

"The thing that helps us that these players that are growing up in Louisiana, have seen this championship football team," Orgeron said. "So obviously they want to be like it, they've seen the success we've had with Joe Burrow. So we don't have to go into these homes and sell something these young men have not seen. It gives us an advantage, we feel good about the quarterback position."

With the team back in full throttle with voluntary workouts, Orgeron revealed that all of the players showed up for every workout last week and that the energy and leadership has been great.

The NCAA is expected to officially pass the six-week preseason plan sometime this week but Orgeron said the NCAA and SEC will also be voting on getting some additional hours with the players toward the end of July. It would be an attempt to make up for the work that was lost in the spring.

"There's some talk, I think it's going to be voted on this Thursday giving us a couple of extra hours," Orgeron said. "Towards the end of July, we'll have a little more time to work with our guys, not in pads, but they're going to give us a little more time."

Orgeron says week two in the weight room will continue to be a grind as the players try to work themselves back into peak physical condition with the guidance of strength coach Tommy Moffitt.

"We've got some guys that left and ate a little too much gumbo and jambalaya, so we've got to trim them up a little bit," Orgeron said. "Just get accustomed to being coached again, doing the right things. We're already breaking down Auburn, our second to last game of the season. On Friday, the secretary of the Army is coming to visit and we're going to exchange ideas on leadership. I think it's going to be great for our staff."