Wide receiver Jontre Kirklin to play a significant role at QB for LSU in Texas Bowl

HOUSTON — Wide receiver Jontre Kirklin is expected to play a significant role at quarterback for LSU in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State at NRG Stadium on Tuesday night, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Kirklin, a senior, played the position at Lutcher High and on the Tigers' scout team in 2019. 

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier — LSU's lone player at the position on scholarship —traveled with the team and is in uniform but in all likelihood will not see the field as the freshman is one appearance away from losing his redshirt eligibility.

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Backing Kirklin up is freshman walk-on Tavion Faulk. Faulk is the nephew of former LSU running backs coach Kevin Faulk and won a state championship his senior year at Carencro High.

Matt O'Dowd, also a freshman walk-on, was not listed on the Tigers' depth chart ahead of the game. O'Dowd earned a scholarship offer from Davidson but declined it in favor of joining the Tigers.

LSU is in this predicament after sophomore and starting quarterback Max Johnson transferred to Texas A&M last month and senior Myles Brennan — after entering the transfer portal only to return to the Tigers on Dec. 16 — has said that he is unavailable to play in the bowl game.

In four appearances this season, Nussmeier threw a pair of touchdowns and interceptions for over 300 yards on 57 pass attempts. Thirty-one of those throws came in a 16-13 overtime loss to Arkansas.