By now, Jordan Jefferson was supposed to be generating Heisman Trophy buzz and cementing his status as an LSU legend.

The quarterback entered college with plenty of hype as a highly-touted recruit, then built on it with a strong freshman season that included the MVP award at the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

And then, in 2009, it slowly slipped away.

Inconsistency — not unheard of for a sophomore quarterback in the nation’s toughest conference — took the shine off the imaginary trophies fans were engraving his name on. An underwhelming performance in LSU’s spring game didn’t help matters.

With the start of the 2010 season a little over a month away, a humbled Jefferson and the Tigers find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference. Forget legends and Heismans. They’re just trying to gain traction in a division that includes defending national champion Alabama and a quarterback, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett, that might be the best in the country.

“I think I do have a lot to prove, lot of things I should’ve improved on last year,” Jefferson said Friday at the SEC’s annual media days. “My awareness, in terms of team leadership, the focus going into camp is to get my leadership qualities ready to make sure that we’re successful this year.”

Jefferson, a junior, had his moments last season. He finished with 2,166 yards and 17 touchdowns.

While the totals were good, Jefferson struggled on a game-by-game basis. He threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Mississippi State, then completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards in a loss to Florida two weeks later. He had two TD passes in a loss to Ole Miss, but also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Only twice in 12 starts did he complete more than 20 passes, and he attempted just 17 passes on three occasions. He finished sixth in the league in passing efficiency — not terrible, but not great either.

“I think what’s happened there, is he’s starting to realize that it’s more than a position,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “That it’s not just call the play and throw the ball. It’s a responsibility to function the offense and to give us an opportunity at victory, and to see the defense, and to understand the call, and understand the check, and give a wider, more encompassing view of the position. I think he understands that better now.”

Despite having a roster loaded with speedy playmakers the Tigers averaged 24.8 points per game, 76th in the country. LSU was last in the SEC in total offense and 10th in scoring offense.

Although his passing stats ranked in the middle of the SEC, Jefferson was largely seen as a scapegoat for the team’s offensive woes.

This summer he’s taken steps to escape that image.

Jefferson has continued to work with LSU’s receivers and by all accounts has improved dramatically. His dreadful spring game is in the distant past, teammates said.

“I have so much confidence in Jordan. I believe he’s taking the proper steps to be an elite quarterback in the conference. He’s doing the things he needs to do, he’s throwing with the receivers after workouts and conditioning this summer,” defensive back Patrick Peterson said.

Jefferson said he’s made a conscious effort to become a leader on and off the field.

“I knew there was going to be a time when I was going to have to step in and take charge,” Jefferson said. “My character was to be out of high school we were successful, and I didn’t have to do what I have to do now. Now, I have to stand out and be a leader for these guys. I devote a lot of time to watching film and making sure I can lead these guys.”