Here we Geaux!
A highly anticipated LSU football season gets underway today with players reporting for preseason camp. Brian Kelly begins his fourth season at LSU with his most talented roster. A 4,000-yard passer returning for his senior season and a heavy investment in the transfer portal to improve the defense in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s second season.
Here are five things to watch for as preseason camp begins Wednesday.
1. How does LSU’s offensive line come together?
The Tigers must replace four starters on the offensive line and the returning
starter, DJ Chester, may shift from center to guard because of the addition
Braelin Moore, who was a starter at Virginia Tech.
Josh Thompson is the other big transfer portal addition. The fifth-year
senior from Northwestern, started the past two seasons for the Wildcats at
both right tackle and right guard.
For the past three seasons, Will Campbell and Emery Jones have been LSU’s starting offensive tackles. Six-foot-seven, 310-pound Tyree Adams and Six-foot-seven, Weston Davis will have the first shot to replace them. If one of them falters or gets injured, Thompson can play tackle, creating a chance for Paul Mubenga, who started several games last year when Garrett Dellinger went down with an injury.
2. Can LSU’s secondary be a strength?
LSU’s defense ranked 61st in the country last season and the Tigers
ranked 76th in pass defense, allowing 224 passing yards a game. LSU
needs to be ranked in the top 25 to be considered a national title contender.
It’s why the Tigers went into the transfer portal to beef up its defensive
secondary.
The Tigers signed three players from the portal that are expected to have
an immediate impact, A.J. Haulcy, Mansoor Delane, Tamarcus Cooley.
Cooley is a nickel back who transferred in from North Carolina State. He’s
played in 15 games in college and has 43 career tackles and two
interceptions. The two interceptions came in his final game with the
Wolfpack in the Military Bowl against East Carolina.
Delanne will start at cornerback after starting 29 games at corner for
Virginia Tech. He was third-team All-ACC after intercepting four passes and
defending 11 others last season for the Hokies. Also very durable, with 29
straight starts.
Haulcy will be a starting safety after intercepting five passes last season at
Houston. Another three-year starter on the collegiate level, he was one of
the top safeties in the transfer portal.
Jardin Gilbert is expected to start at another safety spot. Last year, an
injured shoulder kept the former University High star from playing at a high
level.
Former Rummel star Ashton Stamps should continue to improve in his
junior season. He ranked third in the SEC in passes defended last season
with 14.
There’s also plenty of depth with safeties Javien Toviano and Dashawn
Spears, cornerbacks PJ Woodland, Ja’Keem Jackson and six-foot-five
freshman corner DJ Pickett who turned heads during offseason workouts.
3. How will the new receivers’ factor into the offense?
Nic Anderson and Barion Brown were two big pickups in the transfer portal
for the Tigers. Anderson only appeared in one game last season at
Oklahoma because of injury, but the talent is there, if he can stay healthy.
Anderson set an Oklahoma record for touchdown receptions with 10 in
2023.
Brown is a playmaker too. In three seasons at Kentucky, Brown had 1,528
yards receiving. But his real strength is in special teams as he returned five
kicks for touchdowns during his three seasons in Lexington.
Brown and Anderson should complement LSU’s leading returning receiver
Aaron Anderson, who had a breakout season last year.
Kyle Parker showed flashes before a season-ending injury during his
freshman campaign. Florida State transfer Destyn Hill is an intriguing
addition, because he was one of the top receivers in the state at Edna Karr.
But for LSU to be a national title contender, Chris Hilton needs to have a
big season. Injuries have held him back, but he can be an explosive, deep
passing threat.
4. Who steps up on the defensive line?
It will be up to new defensive line coach Kyle Williams to get the most out
of former five-star prospect Dominick McKinley. The defensive tackle from
Acadiana needs to take big strides this season after injuries slowed him
down during his freshman campaign.
Texas transfer Sydir Mitchell is an impressive looking human, 6-6, 355
pounds, but only had seven tackles in two seasons at Texas.
Jacobian Guillory is back for his sixth season, and he’s expected to be a
run stuffer and team leader.
Ahmad Breaux went through some growing pains last season but should
feel more comfortable at defensive tackle after playing as an end in high
school.
Gabriel Reliford is another sophomore who is looking to have a breakout
season.
But it’s the transfer portal additions that are getting the most attention.
Patrick Payton and Jimari Butler are expected to provide the pass rush and
Jack Plyburn showed he can play the run at Florida, but can he develop
pass rush skills from edge rushers coach Kevin Peoples.
5. LSU’s star players need to play like stars
LSU only had one player who made the All-SEC preseason first-team and
that was linebacker Whit Weeks. Just looking at the roster, LSU has depth,
but is the elite talent there?
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier doesn’t need to win the Heisman, but can
he throw for more than 4,000 plus yards again, but cut down on the 12
interceptions.
Can Harold Perkins become that game changer on defense now that he’s
playing the Star position, which allows him to be all over the field.
Can sophomore running back Caden Durham build on a freshman season
that saw him rush for 753 yards? The most yards by a freshman in the SEC
last season. LSU definitely needs a running game to compliment
Nussmeier.
You knew going into the 2025 LSU baseball season there was depth, but
what got them to the top of the mountain was the number of guys who had
big seasons.
LSU football needs the same thing. We’ve heard about the talent now it’s
time to see it manifest itself.