Everett Golson to LSU?
By Scotty Nola
At this moment, Everett Golson has transferred from Notre Dame more times than Brett Favre retired from Minnesota.
The transfer rumors started in 2013, when Golson was suspended for a full year because of “poor academic judgment”; which is Notre Dame speak for getting caught cheating on a test.
Most schools would have placed him on probation, and there was plenty of speculation Golson might leave for greener pastures, or at least more lenient academic policies.
Instead, Golson returned in 2014 and won his starting job back. In some ways it was a great season, even better than the magical 2012 campaign when he led an undefeated Notre Dame into the title game against Alabama. In other ways it was far worse.
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After losing to Florida State on the final play Golson went on a streak of really bad turnovers. Bad enough to lose his coach’s trust and put the star QB’s job in jeopardy.
A 4 interception game against Arizona State was ugly. Incompletions and bad sacks on a number of 3rd and 4th down plays in the loss didn’t help. By the end of the year Golson was splitting time with his backup in a QB platoon and completed only 45% of his passes in the final two games.
Everett Golson (5) during the first half against the LSU Tigers in the Music City Bowl at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The coaches were ready to move on last year, and Golson looked ready to move on as well. Instead he returned to Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility determined to win his starting job back.
It didn’t happen.
Now with Malik Zaire officially named the new starter, Golson has decided to leave Notre Dame.
Every time the Golson transfer talk has heated up LSU has been on the short list of possible destinations. In a way, this makes sense.
After all LSU, had a great run the last time a talented QB transferred in. It also makes sense when you consider the abysmal performance LSU got from it’s QB’s last year.
Last year all LSU QB’s combined for 138 of 276 for 2118 yards 17 TD’s and 9 interceptions.
They only get to 50% completions by including Terrence Magee and Brad Kragthorpe’s trick plays. This is close to scraping bottom as it gets in college football, bad even by Les Miles standards.
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Everett Golson at Notre Dame managed to produce 256 of 427 for 3445 yards 29 TD’s and 14 interceptions despite being relegated to a platoon role in the final 2 games after a series of bad turnovers. He managed this without having La’el Collins blocking for him or Leonard Fournette and the LSU run game to lean on.
It’s easy to look at those numbers and imagine Coach Cameron plugging Golson in and generating instant offense this fall.
After all, it worked for Zach Mettenberger. He transferred into LSU from a Community college and ended up in the NFL in short order.
The problem with this rosy picture is that it looks at Zach Mettenberger’s final season at LSU, not his first. Mettenberger spent his first year at LSU doing what so many other first year QB’s do: holding a clipboard.
Mettenberger only attempted 11 passes his first year, and that only in junk time against lesser opponents. This in spite of a QB situation that was a Les Miles classic, nearly as bad as last year’s numbers.
At one point in the 2012 National Championship game TV cameras caught Jordan Jefferson in tears on the sideline after the offense had completely melted down.
Meanwhile Les Miles studiously pretended not to notice Mettenberger standing nearby ready for action. Mettenberger didn’t get in the game, the offense never pulled itself together. A moment no LSU fan will ever forget, I’m sure.
If Golson had time to learn the offense I am certain he could take over and prove that stretch of a few bad games behind a weak O-Line at Notre Dame was a fluke.
He is a better talent than the players on LSU’s roster and a proven big game producer. All he would need is time, but time is the one thing Golson does not have,
If Golson had transferred to LSU before the spring? Maybe.
He gave Notre Dame one more shot to break his heart again, instead.
Doing that closed a lot of doors to him — and having any chance to start at QB at LSU this fall is probably one of them…..
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