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Who Could LSU Tigers Start If Sam Leavitt Can't Play Against Ole Miss?
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- Who Could LSU Tigers Start If Sam Leavitt Can't Play Against Ole Miss?
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
The LSU Tigers fanbase was sent into a bit of a shock on Wednesday night as they got the news that starting quarterback Sam Leavitt was doubtful for this weekend's massive game against the Ole Miss Rebels .
Leavitt hasn't had a perfect start to the year, but he's QB1 for a reason. The expectations for him this season are sky high, and the Tigers with him as their quarterback.
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LSU isn't completely without an answer if this shoulder issue does end up costing Leavitt this game, though. Lane Kiffin and his staff actually have two players whom they could trust with a start in this game. It could be interesting to see who ends up getting the nod, as they both have legitimate cases.
Husan Longstreet
There are many who immediately thought of Longstreet as the next quarterback for the Tigers. He came over to LSU this past offseason as a highly touted transfer from the USC Trojans. Going back to his high school days, he was a five-star quarterback and is expected to be a star one day.
Throwing him into the fire against the Rebels could be tough, though. He's attempted just 17 passes in his college career, with an impressive 14 of them being completions, for 136 yards and a touchdown. He has just never had any real high-stakes snaps at this level. While his future is bright, it might be better for the Tigers to give him some more time to develop.
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Landen Clark
Clark, as of right now, should be the favorite to start against Ole Miss if Leavitt can't. He was brought in with the assumption of being a "veteran" backup option., though he was actually the first quarterback signed. He was not thrown off or upset when LSU added two more players with higher profiles than him.
The former Elon Phoenix standout has all the tools to succeed in this offense with the athleticism to move around well combined with a massive arm. He attacked defenses both ways last season.
Granted, it was against lower competition, but Clark has some serious snaps at quarterback. For the Phoenix last season, he posted the following: 56.0% completion rate, 2,321 yards, 18 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He was a little bit of a high-risk, high-reward player, but he was also facing competition and on a team where he was one of the more skilled players on the field.
Clark should allow this offense to not really miss a beat.
