The father of LSU backup quarterback Stephen Rivers told the Baton Rouge Advocate on Wednesday that his son has decided to transfer from the Tigers’ program.
The rising junior was slated to compete for the starting quarterback spot this spring, but he appears to be the odd man out of a five-man competition that will reportedly place a heavy focus on mobility and the read option. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Rivers is a traditional drop-back passer.
LSU has given Rivers the clearance to transfer anywhere he likes. He’ll be eligible to compete right away since he’ll graduate in May.
As of right now, sophomore Anthony Jennings and freshman Brandon Harris are the favorites to replace the graduated Zach Mettenberger as the starter for the Tigers. They’ll be challenged by redshirt freshman Hayden Rettig and Penn State senior transfer Rob Bolden.
The most interesting news to glean from this report, besides the transfer, is that LSU is apparently moving away from its traditional pro-style scheme in favor of an offense that allows its quarterback to attack defenses with his feet as well as with his arm. That could merely be due to the personnel available on the roster, or it could be a sign that Tigers OC Cam Cameron is getting back to the offense he ran as head coach at Indiana back in the late 1990s, featuring the exciting Antwaan Randle El.
If LSU starts running a dynamic spread option offense to go with its usual stout defense, look out.
