How will Joe Burrow affect the sec west?

[WFE12 9,191]

AL.com All-Access: How will LSU's Joe Burrow affect SEC West race?

The biggest graduate transfer news of this offseason has come out of Baton Rouge, where former Ohio State quarterback Joe Burrow has signed with LSU and will be eligible to play this season.

Three Tigers quarterbacks, including former 4-star recruit Myles Brennan, fought to a draw in the spring, leaving many to assume Burrow will come right in and seize the job in fall practice. The fact that LSU is again installing a new offense this season means Burrow is probably not that far behind in terms of learning the new schemes.

Can Burrow be the next Jarrett Stidham, who jumps right in and leads his team to championship contention? Or will he be another Jake Coker, who isn't able to win the job in his first try?

It's a lot to ask of a player to start immediately as a graduate transfer, however, given that most don't enroll until the summer. Coker eventually won a national championship at Alabama, but lost out to holdover Blake Sims the year before.

We've seen other grad transfers with varying degrees of success in Year 1: Wisconsin's Russell Wilson on the good side, Florida State's Everett Golson on the average side, Florida's Malik Zaire on the bad.

Burrow was a four-star recruit out of high school, though a little on the low side. He ranked No. 280 in his recruiting class, far behind such current SEC West quarterbacks as Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa (32), Auburn's Jarrett Stidham (38), Texas A&M's Kellen Mond (108), Alabama's Jalen Hurts (192) and even Brennan (152).

But Burrow was more highly regarded than the likes of Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald, Ole Miss' Jordan Ta'amu, Texas A&M's Nick Starkel and Arkansas' Cole Kelley, all of whom were 3-star recruits out of high school or junior college. And all of them have experienced varying degrees of success as SEC starting quarterbacks.

Burrow put up decent stats in his 10 games of action the last two years: 29-for-39 passing for 274 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, plus 53 yards and another TD rushing. However, he didn't play in a game that was decided by less than 30 points, so we really don't know yet if he's a game-changing talent.

Ohio State's Urban Meyer has done a very good job of developing quarterbacks over the years, certainly better than anyone at LSU in the last several seasons. Burrow is probably better off the less time he has to be influenced by the often clumsy offensive philosophies we've seen in Baton Rouge of late.

If he does win the job from the start, Burrow won't have much time to get his feet wet. The Tigers open with ACC contender Miami in Arlington, Texas, then travel to Auburn in Week 3.

But what LSU needs most of all is for Burrow just not to be bad. As one long-time Tigers observer said Monday, "forget about a savior, they'll settle for an apostle."

So what do you think? Will Joe Burrow be the real deal, or just another pretender?

I'll take your questions and comments on that or anything else on your mind beginning at 10 a.m.

[WFE12 9,191]

People are making a big deal out of this guy.

[keesler 5,923]

LSU fans are crazy right now.  Burrow may provide some solid QB play, with support skills, and backup experience.  But at the end of the day Steve Ensminger is the dang OC.     

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,287]

I don't get it. LSU was way more than a QB away last year. It's not going to make them that much better. He's not an elite talent throwing or running. I don't get the hype.

[cctiger 571]

17 hours ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

I don't get it. LSU was way more than a QB away last year. It's not going to make them that much better. He's not an elite talent throwing or running. I don't get the hype.

They are just trying to take a corndog and dress it up with a little mustard and ketchup.