Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jordan Jefferson (9) against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half of the 2012 BCS National Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Jefferson was involved in a major off-the-field incident in his final season at LSU, and he was terrible in the BCS Championship in a loss to the rival Alabama Crimson Tide. He was invited to rookie tryouts by the Bucs and has done well enough there to garner a high amount of interest from the Bucs. He is a talented player, but he’s also a bit of a head case.

If signed, the LSU star will likely compete with Brett Ratliff for the third spot on the depth chart. Jordan Jefferson was suspended for four games due to a bar fight, and he finished his senior season with 7.7 adjusted yards per attempt.

As a sophomore, Jefferson enjoyed his best college season with 17 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, a 137.2 passer efficiency rating, a 61.5 completion percentage, 2,166 yards, 7.3 yards per attempt,  and 7.4 adjusted yards per attempt. However, the QB was not highly regarded going into the draft due to the off-the-field trouble. In fact, the 21-year-old even blamed the team’s game plan for the loss to ‘Bama.

As a junior, Jordan Jefferson ran for seven touchdowns and is viewed as a solid running quarterback. He was never viewed as someone who would be drafted, so it is interesting to see this amount of interest from the Bucs. I doubt Greg Schiano and the new staff would sign a QB if they thought he was serious trouble, and I like the gamble here. The worst thing that can happen is that they end up releasing him (no poor ramifications), with the upside being that he ends up being a decent depth guy at QB. After all, he was a solid player at LSU and has talent; he’s just never put it together.

In 2009 (SO), Jefferson had the second highest completion percentage in the SEC and was one of the top five QBs in the conference. He should have built on that year and blossomed, but he digressed after throwing a career-high 296 passes that year. The potential is there for Jefferson to succeed, and he has a shot at making an NFL roster if the Bucs do indeed sign him.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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