LSU quarterback Myles Brennan sustained a left arm injury that will require surgery, the school announced on Monday.
Sources told ESPN that Brennan is believed to have a broken arm. A timeline for his return is unclear.
Brennan began last season as the starter, throwing 11 touchdowns in three games before an abdominal injury ended his season.
A fourth-year junior, Brennan said earlier this offseason that he was feeling 100% again. He was expected to compete for the starting job with Max Johnson.
Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, came on late last season as a freshman, leading LSU to a 2-0 record.
In those two wins against Florida and Ole Miss, Johnson threw six touchdowns and one interception.
At SEC media days last month, Orgeron said he thought that Johnson and Brennan were “championship quarterbacks.”
“Whoever wins is going to do a great job at LSU,” Orgeron said. “It’s going to be a tremendous battle, and we’ll see what happens.”
LSU is scheduled to open the season at UCLA on Sept. 4.