There’s a palpable amount of purple and gold hysteria in the air, after the announced transfers of quarterbacks Lowell Narcisse and Justin McMillan.
My take? Things are playing out, exactly as planned, once quarterback Joe Burrow transferred to LSU from Ohio State.
After the spring game, correctly or incorrectly, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger decided that pursuing Burrow was a must. They needed a signal caller who could be a Danny Etling, plus. That is a quarterback who could take care of the football, and make his share of big plays.
Is Burrow that player? The answer will arrive shortly.
Orgeron and Ensminger didn’t think that McMillan was the answer. And, he was a player recruited by the previous staff.
Myles Brennan was expected to be the starter, but in the spring, he didn’t seize the job.
And, Narcisse, coming off two major knee surgeries needed time to improve his throwing.
So, LSU needed a plug in quarterback. And, they went to Ohio to get him.
One of the reasons Narcisse left is because he sees the LSU offense trending in a different direction. Orgeron and Ensminger’s scheme will be more pro style, quick passing. That scheme fits the two remaining scholarship quarterbacks on campus, not Narcisse.
Lowell Narcisse is a spread offense, dual threat quarterback.
And, when he is healthy, he is a dynamic talent.
Narcisse will likely wind up at a junior college in Mississippi. And, after this season, he will have plenty of suitors.
And, a decision to make.
Does he go to another power 5 school that runs spread, or does he choose door number two?
And, door number two is Tulane University.
In the words of Les Miles, it is a “quality” option.
Narcisse could step on campus, be the starter for the Green Wave immediately, and lead Tulane to three consecutive bowl games.
A 235 pound quarterback with tremendous running skills, and the ability to throw the deep ball, makes Tulane, at the very least a six win team every year. And, that’s the floor, not the ceiling.
Narcisse would be a dominate player in the American Athletic Conference.
And, to accommodate him, Tulane would scale back some of its option game to run the true spread offense.
Narcisse wouldn’t have to worry about a head coaching change, or a change in coordinators.
And, his mom and family, a very close knit group, would see the family star play every weekend.
Narcisse should not be underestimated. In the last three years he’s endured the death of his father, and two major knee injuries.
No one could blame him if he winds up at another SEC school, such as Ole Miss or Arkansas.
He would get a chance to play against LSU. And, you know, the best revenge is success.
In the meantime, the LSU quarterback drama has played out exactly as scripted.
The pro style quarterbacks, Burrow and Brennan are the present and the future. And, the spread quarterbacks, McMillan and Narcisse, will transfer.
That is something to ponder, in the midst of some mid-August, purple and gold, the sky is falling, hysteria.