Myles Brennan has been at LSU for so long it's almost tough to give it proper perspective, but freshman Walker Howard provided just that earlier this offseason.
The 5-star freshman walked up to his new teammate and asked him if Brennan realized that during his first year at LSU, Howard was in 7th grade.
“I was like, I didn’t need to know that," Brennan said with a smile, speaking at the annual Manning Passing Academy in Thibodeaux last week, where he was serving as a counselor. "I know I’m old. I’m good. Time flies, for sure."
But for Brennan, who is now 6 years removed from that first time stepping on campus in Baton Rouge, it has been anything but smooth sailing. He first lost a QB battle to veteran Danny Etling, but at that point the young QB had years ahead of him. Then came Joe Burrow, who won a QB battle and started for an epic two seasons with the Tigers.
In 2020 it was finally Brennan's time to shine. He came out on top of his third QB battle, this time over the now-transferred Max Johnson and TJ Finley, only to have that season begin at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In front of a shadow of the typical LSU audience, Brennan showed off the brilliant arm talent that had landed him in Baton Rouge in the first place, rolling up 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns despite a 2-2 start. But then the painful issues began. Brennan took a big hit late during a loss to Missouri and finished the game despite a core muscle injury that left doctors perplexed and cost him the rest of that season.
But Brennan wouldn't let that drive him out of town, and he readied for his fourth -- and hopefully final -- QB battle. This was again against Johnson, who had led the Tigers to a pair of thrilling wins to close out what was otherwise a painful campaign following the highs of 2019. But injury struck again in the form of a broken arm suffered as Brennan prepared for a fishing trip and the battle ended before it began.
Call it bad luck, call it whatever you want. Brennan's LSU career had been one of long waits and frustration. But despite entering the transfer portal during the 2021 season, he ended up back in Baton Rouge under Brian Kelly. Why?
“I’m a fighter. I like to compete. I want it to be hard," Brennan said. "I want it to be a challenge. I know I have 1 year left, but my whole career has played out for this exact moment."
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And guess what awaits him: A fifth QB battle, this time against transfer Jayden Daniels, sophomore Garrett Nussmeier and the young Howard. Finley has since transferred to Auburn, and Johnson to Texas A&M after starting for the Tigers throughout the 2021 season. Johnson was also in attendance at the Manning camp as a counselor.
"His whole journey has played out the way it has and mine has been pretty interesting, too," Brennan said. "So just being able to catch up about Texas A&M, how I’m doing, how he’s doing. We’ll be friends for life. So I just wish him the best and I hope he has a great year.”
Still, the Mississippi native knows he probably could've avoided a QB battle had he wanted to. He could've dialed up schools while in the transfer portal and found a guaranteed path to a starting job, but that just wouldn't have been him.
"Why take the easy road when it’s been hard the whole time," Brennan said. "I’ma fight it out. There’s no quit in me. … I’m excited for it.”
And the grizzled college veteran will do it with a physique that's changed drastically from back when Howard was a 7th grader. He now weighs in at 225, marking 50 pounds gained since arriving at LSU thin as a rail and boasting virtually every Mississippi passing record. He concedes he'll want to trim down to 220 before taking the field and he was a bit behind on the fitness curve without being able to play a year ago, but he knows what it takes to make it in the hard-hitting SEC.
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He also noted that in a conversation with Joe Burrow, he learned the now-Bengals quarterback was a trim 206 pounds when playing in the Super Bowl last January. It's all about being comfortable.
For some, the Louisiana heat and a QB battle every offseason might not be the perfect example of comfort. Not everyone is Myles Brennan.
“Life’s too short to give up. Call it unlucky. Call it whatever you want. I got hurt, that’s part of football. I had an accident, that’s part of life," Brennan said. "It’s just, something good’s coming. I don’t know what it is, I just know something good’s coming.”