The Ragin’ Cajuns now have some depth and experience at the quarterback position. Former LSU Tiger QB Anthony Jennings is officially on the team as a graduate transfer. Jennings was the Tiger QB in 2014, a disappointing year in Baton Rouge, but a year of experience that gives Jennings the kind of pedigree UL needs to compete in a conference where their stranglehold on the top spot has been relinquished.
Speaking about Jennnigs’ arrival in Lafayette, Head Coach Mark Hudspeth said “for us, we think he can come in and compete for the starting quarterback position with Jordan Davis.” Hud stressed that Jennings would COMPETE for the job and will not be handed the position: “He knows it is not his job Day 1. He knows Jordan is going to get the reps with the ones on Day 1 and he’ll have to win the position.” Great job by Hud on getting the player and on creating a quarterback competition that is going to do nothing but positive things for the young QB Jordan Davis. That is if he treats this situation the right way.
Jordan Davis needs to handle the arrival of Anthony Jennings with a fire in his eyes and a will to compete. Davis also needs to handle this competition with maturity. If Davis does this, then he will become a better quarterback for it. Davis needs to take this as an opportunity and not a slight. He needs to accept this as his ultimate challenge as a college quaterback. While Jennings didn’t set the world on fire in the SEC, he is as good of an athlete as Davis and that alone makes him a formidable foe in camp these next 7 weeks as the dual threat QB’s make their case to Hud.
It is hard to see the pie in the sky for this Ragin’ Cajuns team in 2016. Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Arkansas State are all better than UL. Even teams like Georgia State and South Alabama are tough to beat. The Sun Belt is becoming a very competitive conference where any team can beat anybody. Having an SEC caliber talent at any position, let alone QB, is a huge advantage. If I am Eli McGuire I am feeling more optimistic about my final year in Lafayette because of Anthony Jennings. If I am any Cajuns player or Cajuns fan I am happy about the arrival of Anthony Jennings. What harm does it do? Davis misses out on some experience if Jennings wins the job, but if Jennings is the starter UL can potentially shift the balance in the Sun Belt because they possess a SEC QB. That is a chance you have to take or at least consider. The only negative this could cause is Jordan Davis taking his ball and going home, and if that happens, is that the kind of QB you want leading your team anyway?