Two LSU football players entered the gauntlet at Friday morning’s practice, eager to pounce on one another with players and media members surroudning them.

“Devin Voorhies, Leonard Fournette!”

Head coach Les Miles shouted as he called former Wilkinson County quarterback and safety Voorhies to square off against Fournette in a simulated goal line drill. Voorhies had two options — stop the No. 1 rated player coming out of high school or be trampled on by the best high school prospect Louisiana has ever produced. Miss-Lou fans will be happy to hear the 2013 All-Metro Player of the Year made a statement on Fournette. Voorhies squared his shoulders and dropped his pad level on Fournette, driving him out of bounds and short of the end zone.. To the shock of LSU players surrounding me, Les Miles declared Voorhies the winner of that one-on-one confrontation. That’s how you represent the local area, Devin.

I made the early morning drive to Baton Rouge to watch the media-accessible portion of practice for two reasons — I wanted to see the athleticism of LSU”s phenomenal recruiting class (check), and I was searching for any signs of progress from a quarterback, or two. In the spring, I watched LSU quarterbacks Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings participate in throwing drills, and since, I’ve been pretty vocal about how their mechanics were greener than the mesh practice jersey they wore. The green jerseys meshed well with their raw, unconquered potential. This created a follow-up situation Friday where I’d witness their development.

After I finished watching Voorhies, I finally made my way to Jennings and Harris, where I studied their three-step drop and took note of their accuracy and velocity.

Since I watched them in the spring, I’ve seen an incredible amount of progress. Harris is getting rid of the ball quicker, Jennings looks more poised and both are starting to gravitate toward being a leader. Jennings, in particular, did a little barking in LSU’s “Big Cat Drill,” which is something Zach Mettenberger did quite often last fall. While I’ve seen great improvement from both quarterbacks, neither guy is “there” yet. Harris has great zip on the ball, but his accuracy needs to improve a tad in the short-to-medium passing game. Jennings, on the other hand, is still developing chemistry with his receivers and struggled to connect on the deep ball in practice.

The quarterback play could be season defining. Those in the know understand LSU will be able to pound the rock with its veteran offensive line and stable of running backs. Fournette and Terrence Magee, who also shined at practice, certainly present a strong argument for best running back duo in the SEC. To the chagrin of defensive coordinator John Chavis, Magee ran over starting linebacker D.J. Welter in the goal line drill, which led to Chavis hollering, “Drive your feet through him!” Known as a pretty reserve guy, Chavis raising his voice is a pretty big deal on the practice field.

The unlimited amount of talent on one roster translates to pressure for a new starting quarterback, especially with the defense looking as strong as it’s been.

The secondary will be top notch, the linebacker corps will be deep and the defensive line will be able to rush the passer. The only worry there is at defensive tackle as injuries — Quentin Thomas’ torn bicep and Trey Lealaimatafao’s glass-punching incident that nearly cost him his arm (can’t make that up) — spark genuine concern.

Fortunately for the Tigers, LSU will have an incredible pass-rushing duo in Jermauria Rasco and Danielle Hunter. Funny story on Hunter — I had a respected colleague tell me Hunter looked like Tarzan but played like Jane early into the season last year. Hunter must have overheard him, because that vein-popping muscle-head went on to record eight sacks and 57 tackles for loss in 2013. When I saw him at practice Friday I asked, “You were saying?”

Former LSU defensive tackle Anthony “Freak” Johnson told me last year that the talent only seems to get deeper every year at LSU. Suffice to say, Johnson was right, as old “Freaks” are replaced by new ones.

Guess that’s not a bad luxury to have if you’re a new starting quarterback in the SEC.

 

JAKE MARTIN is a sports writer of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.