It was 2017 when all 183 pounds of Myles Brennan first walked onto LSU's campus, a top recruit prepared to thrive in Matt Canada's complex offense.
Fast forward 4 years later and Brennan is in the thick of his third quarterback battle, learning an offense under his third offensive coordinator, already the owner of a College Football Playoff title ring, fully rehabbed from a bizarre injury, and toting an extra 45 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame.
The Tigers quarterback said Friday on SportsTalk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic that even he was curious about what his weight actually was when he first arrived at LSU, and he looked it up during a recent visit to the trainers' office.
"I think [228 pounds is] good for me right now before camp," Brennan said, "because obviously I’m going to lose a lot during camp."
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The much-needed bulk on his frame is the most visible sign of growth for Brennan, but he also touted the changes between his ears as he overcame his most recent obstacle. After waiting three seasons and losing quarterback competitions to Danny Etling and Joe Burrow, the Mississippi native was the unquestioned Day 1 starter for the Tigers in 2020.
That season started in front of sparse attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with two losses in three games despite a gaudy passing line of 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns. But it was a quarterback scramble during that third game, a loss to Missouri, that ultimately ended Brennan's long-awaited debut season early. Brennan finished out the game throwing throwing for 430 yards and four touchdowns, but failed on a fourth-down attempt to win the game.
It was later discovered Brennan had suffered a significant abdominal tear. The injury baffled doctors, with Brennan sharing that if he underwent surgery to fix the issue, they'd have to name it after him.
"My mental toughness has definitely grown a lot and has gotten a lot stronger just within the last year," Brennan said. "I had waited my whole time at LSU for this opportunity that I got last year and unfortunately I got hurt very early in the season. ... I could’ve easily tapped out. Thanks to my family and my support staff, I got through it."
TJ Finley and Max Johnson took over the rest of the way, with Johnson performing at such a high level in two wins to close the season that a now-healthy Brennan must compete to get his old job back.
All three quarterbacks -- along with freshman Garrett Nussmeier -- participated in LSU's spring game, with Brennan and Johnson each putting down strong performances on the important stage. Finley started with the second-team offense, but has since transferred to Auburn.
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Brennan said he's embracing the opportunity to compete for the job under new offensive coordinator Jake Peetz, because it's nothing new for him.
"I thrive off competition," he said. "It really is just, it's fuel for me to achieve my dream."
The Tigers are scheduled kick off their 2021 season at the Rose Bowl, which is expected to be at full capacity, on Sept. 4.
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MORE FROM BRENNAN
THOUGHTS ON NIL CHANGES, IMPACT ON LOCKER ROOM
"What I personally think about with all of this stuff going through, I know it’s been touched on a little bit the past couple days, is giving the guys who maybe are paying, or walking onto the team, or haven’t had the financial support growing up, I think this is giving them an opportunity to make some money, make a name for themselves, which is really exciting. I think that’s big for those guys because they’ve really been having to take care of themselves. ...
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"These companies are going to contact the people that they want to contact. I don’t think we’re going to have any control over if a company wants to take me over somebody else, that’s not really my decision. That’s the company contacting me. But the door is open, we’re able to contact companies. So I think that these other guys who maybe would get jealous or don’t have as many opportunities, they're just as open and able to go out and reach out to these companies and try to set up deals for themselves. So I really do think that it’s good for everyone on the team, it is an exciting time. Like I said, this thing has been in the works for a really long time. So, I’m excited that’s finally gotten going.”
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ON NEW-LOOK COACHING STAFF
“It’s awesome. … Jake Peetz came in and he has done everything and more that we could’ve asked for, that I think Coach O could’ve asked for, for this university. In terms of the energy that he brings every day, his knowledge is unreal, obviously his resume speaks for itself in terms of being at the NFL level and coaching some really good quarterbacks, and having some really good, successful offensive production.
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"Defensively coach Daronte has done a tremendous job of getting the defense ready. Those guys are fired up. Those guys love the system. Offense, you know, we’re not changing. We’re going to throw the ball, we’re going to run the ball and we’re going to score a lot of points. That’s been the standard. It was set a few years ago and we’re going to continue to raise that standard, let it be known that this is what we’re gonna do.”
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IS THE TEAM FUELED BY BOUNCING BACK FROM 5-5 LAST YEAR?
“That’s not the standard that we’re used to and that’s not what we talk about inside the building. Obviously it’s very unacceptable, and it is going to change. We learned a lot this past season. We had to face a lot of adversity, as well as every other team in the country. But as a team we stuck together, as a coaching staff we stuck together, and we used what happened to us last year and we turned it into the most positive situation possible. Took all the good out of it and used that for this year, took the bad and learned from it. And I think we’re in the best position that we ever have been as a football team."
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WHAT'S YOUR DEGREE STATUS?
“I actually just graduated this past May ... so I have my undergrad degree. I’m going to go ahead pursue my Masters. I’m either going to go into business and get my MBA, or construction management.”