2008 Recruiting: QB Jordan Jefferson

Jordan Jefferson
Destrehan High School
St. Rose, Louisiana
6'4" 210#

I am a big fan of Jordan Jefferson's skills.  No quarterback on LSU's roster has a better physical skill set than Jordan Jefferson.  Surprisingly, Jefferson was not a big-time recruit, and didn't get a ton of offers, and LSU's route to have Jefferson as its QB signee for 2008 was circuitous to say the least.

LSU chased after several other quarterback prospects, including eventual Notre Dame signee Dayne Crist out of California, and actually got verbal commitments from both Darron Thomas of Texas (who ended up at Oregon) and D.C. Jefferson of Florida (who ended up at Rutgers.  Jefferson waited a long time for an LSU offer, but eventually got it and jumped on board.

Jefferson is a late bloomer.  While he was productive as a junior in high school, he really exploded as a senior, throwing for over 2,800 yards with an 8-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio, completing almost 65% of his passes, en route to a perfect season and a state championship.

It didn't hurt that fellow LSU commitment (currently trying to get qualified) Tim Molton and Arkansas running back Jerico Nelson were also on his team, giving Jefferson a very good receiver target and a productive running back to take the pressure off.  

Jefferson is also mobile and athletic.  He's never going to be a runner like Ryan Perrilloux, but he's quick and mobile enough to get out of the pocket if he needs to.  Kind of like Matt Flynn, but probably a little faster.  Jefferson is a drop back passer with some escapability, not a running quarterback.  He could run the option, but he's not ideal for it.

At 6'4" and 210 pounds, Jefferson has prototypical size for a quarterback.  He also has a pretty big arm, better than Flynn's but not as good as Jamarcus Russell's.  He has the best arm on the team right now, and probably the best legs as well.  All he needs to do is get his head around the game and he could be great.  Of course, that's the rub with all quarterbacks.  

Earlier in the summer, I predicted that Jordan Jefferson would play this year.  I have never thought he would start barring injury, but I thought he would play, perhaps even in key situations as a change-of-pace quarterback.  

Now, I'm not so sure.  My prediction was predicated in part on the coaches wanting to push Jarrett Lee and/or develop an alternative for the future if he did not develop as hoped.  There are rumblings that the light may have come on for Jarrett Lee, and that he is really playing well in 7-on-7s.  

There was also a rumor, and I hesitate to even mention it because there is no way of gauging the reliability of this, that Jordan Jefferson may not be as ready as hoped.

Still, Jefferson is a headliner, in my opinion.  Talented but raw, he will be eased into the playing rotation at some point, though we are not sure when.