One Tiger stays, one leaves and one is somewhere in the middle

Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase will be one of nine former LSU players participating in the school's annual Pro Day on March 31. Chase is expected to one of the first players chosen in the April's 2021 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY Jonathan Mailhes

Chances are LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Tigers’ third-string quarterback Peter Parrish likely connected a few times in practice last year during the 15- 0 national championship run.

But with Parrish announcing Thursday he’s transferring to the University of Memphis on Thursday after being indefinitely suspended the several last months by LSU coach Ed Orgeron, a Chase-Parrish hook-up won’t ever happen in a game.

Chase, who caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, is not opting of this season because of the coronavirus pandemic as are some top 10 NFL prospects for 2021.

“He’s going to play the season out,” said Ja’Marr’s father Jimmy Chase said told 247 Sports. “He’s locked in with his team, and as long as everybody is healthy, he’s said he wants to play with his team and his teammates. He just loves the game, and he loves LSU. He wants to finish his career out in a positive manner.”

Parrish announced his transfer to Memphis and its first-year coach under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield. Former Memphis coach Mike Norvell took the Florida State vacancy last December.

Parrish was rated as the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback and a top 325 overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting class out of Central High School in Phenix City, Ala. He committed after attending a summer camp at LSU.

He never played in a game last season as a true freshman. Unless Parrish gets a waiver from the NCAA to grant him immediately eligibility, he will have to sit out this season.

Also, LSU senior tight end Jamal Pettigrew, knowing he wasn’t going to get much playing time because of incoming freshman Arik Gilbert, put his name in the transfer portal. Orgeron, in his weekly appearance on a Baton Rouge radio show on ESPN 104.5,, is leaving the door open for Pettigrew to return..

“First of all, Jamal is an excellent young man. I met with his parents, second time I’ve met with them,” Orgeron said. They’re from St. Aug. The biggest thing I told him was, ‘Congratulations.’ He graduated from LSU so he’s a senior and he wants to go test the waters. I told him to go test the waters. If there’s something that fits you, go. If not, come back. Jamal has been a great young man for us, great attitude, parents have been great. It’s his senior year, he wants to play.”

author avatar
Ron Higgins

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


9 + one =