LSU fans will get their first taste of LSU football Saturday after an almost four-month hiatus when the Tigers take the field for their annual Spring Game in Tiger Stadium.
A lot has happened since LSU’s heartbreaking 24-25 loss to Clemson on New Year’s Eve in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Since LSU coach Les Miles introduced Cam Cameron as his new offensive coordinator, an LSU-record 10 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft and a slew of early enrollees have arrived on campus looking to fill the voids left by these departures.
This means LSU fans have more to look forward to than a glorified scrimmage. It is an opportunity to see how the Tigers have progressed since December and how they have adjusted to such a variety of personnel changes.
Offensive changes:
Since Cameron’s introduction as LSU’s new offensive coordinator, speculation about the impact he will have on the Tigers’ offense has been one of the most intriguing aspects of spring practice.
LSU is hoping Cameron — who has played a role in the development of such quarterbacks as Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco — will be able to transform senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger from a good quarterback to a star quarterback.
Based on reactions from players early in spring practice, the most noticeable difference will be an accelerated pace. Running backs are also expected to become more involved in the LSU passing game.
Junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry said even though the passing attack has been given a shot in the arm, LSU has no plans of diminishing the role of its running game.
“We are still going to run the football,” Landry said. “Just because Cam comes in does not mean he is going to take away the running game.”
Defensive adjustments:
LSU’s defense has taken the brunt of the impact made by the number of early departures, especially in the trenches.
Every member of the Tigers’ starting defensive line in 2012 has to be replaced.
LSU is hoping it can build a solid line of new faces around the experienced duo of junior defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Anthony “Freak” Johnson.
“DBU” also took a big hit with the departure of cornerback Tharold Simon and safety Eric Reid. The loss of two of the most prominent of last season’s “DBU” means that someone else will have to take the reigns.
Senior safety Craig Loston and sophomore cornerback Jalen Collins are most likely to fill the shoes left by these former Tigers, and the spring game is the perfect opportunity for them to make their case.
Anthony Jennings:
This early enrollee freshman quarterback out of Marietta, Ga., has seen significant playing time in all three of LSU’s scrimmages during spring practice. In total, he has completed 17-of-31 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
Jennings has also displayed promise as a legitimate dual-threat by accumulating 61 yards in nine carries for a 6.8 yards-per-carry average.
If Jennings does take any snaps this season, they will likely be out of a package designed for him to run, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
His performance this spring has raised eyebrows, and he may be leading LSU’s offense earlier than expected.
