re: Barred Sallee has LSU finishing 7th in West...

quote:

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I also think harris makes a big leap from his 2nd to 3rd year. Most qbs in a prostyle offense make their biggest jump then.

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While I'm certainly not going to research every QB in a pro-style offense across the country, I made a list of LSU starting QBs under Les Miles and when they improved the most or if they improved at all. The list includes only QBs who:
A) were the primary starter (i.e. started majority of games) for at least one season,
B) played at least two years under Les Miles and
C) have finished their careers (since only then can we say when they improved the most or whether they improved at all).

Also, I am doing this from memory, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Anthony Jennings
Primary starter: 2014
Played: 2013-2015
Improvement: Did not improve--Debateable because only started one year, but lost starting job in 3rd year as player and what would have been 2nd year as starter to QB who did not perform well and was considered the biggest liability of our offense.

Zach Mettenberger
Primary starter: 2012, 2013
Played: 2011-2013
Improvement: Improved most in 2013, 3rd year as player (at LSU) and 2nd year as starter

Jarrett Lee
Primary starter: 2008, 2011
Played: 2007 (RS), 2008-2011
Improvement: Improved most in 2011, 5th year as player and 2nd year as starter

Jordan Jefferson
Primary starter: 2009, 2010
Played: 2008-2011
Improvement: Debatable, but I think he improved most in 2009, 2nd year as player, first year as starter

Matt Flynn
Primary starter: 2007
Played: 2003 (RS), 2004-2007
Improvement: Insufficient information, did not play much before 2007. Started bowl game in 2005 (3rd year as player) and played extremely well, also played extremely well as starter in 2007 (5th year as player, 1st year as starter).

Jamarcus Russell
Primary starter: 2005, 2006
Played: 2003 (RS), 2004-2006
Improvement: Improved most in 2006, 4th year as player, 2nd year as starter.

So, only four players (Mett, Lee, JJ, Russell) have been the primary starter at QB for more than one year under Miles. Also, a fifth player (Jennings) had the chance to be primary starter for more than one year, but (IMO) did not improve and lost the starting job in his 3rd year as a player and what would have been his 2nd year as starter.

These five showed their most improvement in the following year of their careers as players:

2nd-1
3rd-1
4th-1
5th-1
none-1

They showed their most improvement in the following year of their careers as starters:

2nd-3
1st-1
none-1

The only significant number I see is that three out of five improved the most in the 2nd year as a starter (three of four who improved at all). What year they are in the program has not seemed to matter. With a sample size this small, though, it's hard to draw any reliable conclusion, and certainly there is no basis for claiming, at least with respect to LSU QBs under Les Miles, that there is any particular year (except maybe 2nd year as starter) in which "most" of them "make their biggest jump".

Sallee is an idiot.