Travin Dural:
Perhaps no player on LSU’s roster spent more time waiting to play in Saturday’s Spring Game than redshirt freshman wide receiver Travin Dural.
After missing all of last season and the beginning of spring practice with a knee injury, Dural said he was ecstatic just to be able to take the field again.
“I don’t think anyone was more excited than I was,” Dural said. “You know I was too excited — it’s been over a year since I played football, and to finally get back out here was a great feeling.”
LSU coach Les Miles said all spring that once Dural got healthy he would be one of the better receivers on the team, particularly as a deep threat.
Dural showed a glimpse of what Miles was talking about Saturday. In the third quarter, Dural caught a comeback route from sophomore quarterback Stephen Rivers and ran past a defensive back for a 45-yard touchdown.
“It felt really good [to score],” Dural said. “I kind of had my doubts if I’d come back, how I’d come back, but now after this, I have a really good feeling about the fall.”
Dural also caught two punts as a return specialist.
Ego Ferguson:
Junior defensive tackle Ego Ferguson enters his fourth season at LSU, and with last season’s entire defensive line departed, he is projected to start for the first time.
He started Saturday for the White team, which was mostly comprised of starters, and had a productive day. He finished with seven total tackles, one tackle-for-loss, half a sack and a quarterback hurry.
“I had the mindset that I wanted to prove a lot today,” Ferguson said after Saturday’s Spring Game. “I feel like every day I need to get better.”
Ferguson said the biggest reason for his improvement on the field is the hard work he has put in off the field.
“I’ve been watching film constantly every day,” Ferguson said. “Wake up, go to class, watch film, eat, then come back and watch film. It’s just been film, film, film — trying to correct my mistakes so when I go out there in a game it can be better.”
Ferguson also said he has been working on becoming a better leader by emulating former Tigers like Drake Nevis, Michael Brockers and Bennie Logan.
“Those guys made my job a lot easier because I’m just taking what they showed me and showing these young guys,” Ferguson said.
Anthony Jennings:
In just three months and 15 spring practices, early-enrollee freshman Anthony Jennings has gone from a high school student to getting the start at quarterback for the Purple team Saturday.
Coach Les Miles said while he wasn’t ready to name Jennings the backup ahead of Rivers, he liked what Jennings brought to the offense as a dual-threat quarterback.
“When you have the ability to use your feet to get out of trouble, it makes a tremendous difference,” Miles said. “When you have the ability to make a play with your arm and then you have the ability to go get first downs with your feet, it just drives the defense crazy.”
Jennings finished the Spring Game 8-for-21 passing for 98 yards and picked up 31 yards on seven carries. His numbers are more impressive after considering he was playing with the second team offense against most of the starting defense.
Jennings did not turn the ball over even though he was sacked twice and hurried repeatedly. His teammates said they are no longer surprised at how poised Jennings looks despite his inexperience.
“It doesn’t surprise me anymore because he has been that comfortable all spring,” Rivers said. “What we saw today is what we’ve been seeing for 15 practices.”
