Jordan Jefferson is on notice for his job, if you believe his new coach

No, LSU fans, it wasn't a bad dream: Against all odds, Steve Kragthorpe really is the new offensive coordinator for the Tigers' run at the SEC and BCS championships this fall. And as such, he's laid down the ceremonial gauntlet for his new charges: "All jobs are open." If returning starters "want seniority," he told the Associated Press, they should "join the army."

All coaches, of course, especially new ones, show up to the first spring practice preaching competition and "wide open" battles at every position that doesn't feature a returning All-American. In Jefferson's case, though, he's doubly vulnerable to the bench. On one hand, he hasn't consistently played well for more than a game or two at a time at any point in his two-year stint as the starter, and was ineffective enough last year to find himself splitting time with the guy he replaced back in 2008, ostracized pick-six king Jarrett Lee, in about half of the Tigers' games. On the other hand, there's plenty of competition: Between Lee and incoming Georgia transfer Zach Mettenberger, Jefferson has to contend with two once-coveted passers who are his equal in terms of size, arm and athleticism.

Still, any hint of controversy will be a referendum on Jefferson, who remains as much of a mystery at the end of his second full season as a starter as he was when he took the reins from Lee in 2008. Jefferson was a well-regarded recruit and has the body of a big (6-foot-5, 225 pounds), athletic, NFL-bound slinger, but for two years has played more like a within-the-offense manager whose coaches are reluctant to cut the apron strings. That was even more pronounced last year, when he went seven entire games in September and October without a touchdown pass and finished as one of the most inefficient passers in the SEC, than it was in 2009. He finished the regular season with twice as many interceptions (9) as touchdowns (4), and the offense languished accordingly at the bottom of the SEC.

That wasn't the case in Jefferson's two best games of the season, November wins over Alabama and Ole Miss, or in the Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M, against which he struck for three TD passes – one more than he'd connected on in the previous 11 games combined. That included a pair of long touchdown throws to NFL-bound senior Terrance Toliver that gave a rare, tantalizing glimpse of the potential bottled up in (statistically, anyway) the SEC's least threatening assault this side of Vanderbilt. That Jordan Jefferson is the undisputed starter and worthy of the title on a serious SEC/BCS championship contender.

The other one, the one who took a month-and-a-half to reassign Le to the bench? He has every reason to look over his shoulder. After three years, the Tigers have no time in 2011 for growing pains or mulligans.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Tyra Banks Vanessa Hudgens Sarah Michelle Gellar Olivia Munn Melissa Sagemiller