The 2012 campaign brought a slew of new talent in the LSU passing game that gave the squad improved weapons to compliment an already dynamic rushing attack.
Now that senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has had a year-and-a-half to gel with his receiving corps, many are expecting a more consistent passing attack in 2013.
“We’re not kids anymore,” Mettenberger said. “We understand that our roles are different now and we just trust each other. Hopefully we can go out onto the field this year and show everybody in the country what we’ve been working on this offseason.”
Junior receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. Each had his share of highs and lows a season ago.
Beckham torched Towson and Arkansas, combining for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the two games. He also had a solid showing against Florida, catching four passes for 78 yards, including a 56-yard reception.
But Beckham had his share of receiving woes early in the year. The junior consistently had trouble reeling in passes, including a two-drop game against Washington.
He isn’t expecting the dropped passes to be an issue in 2013.
“I worked on a lot of top-end of the routes and a lot of catching,” Beckham said. “I did a lot of catching. The natural catching ability that I have now is more focused.”
Landry became a consistent weapon for the Tigers, combining for 29 catches for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the final four games of the regular season.
He said he had one major thing to improve on before the 2013 season begins.
“Just being a student of the game,” he said. “Having the ability to take and correlate what I saw on the film and the corrections that the coaches made and put it into my game on the field.”
In addition to the two veterans, three other receiving options are expected to play a major role when the Tigers open up against TCU in Dallas.
Redshirt freshman Travin Dural, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last year, impressed during fall practices, and he is expected to grab the No. 3 spot in the receiving corp.
Junior college transfer Quantavius Leslie will be fighting for playing time, but the 6-foot-4, 175-pound receiver could be a valuable option when stretching the field for the big-armed Mettenberger.
At tight end, Tigers fans will be hoping to see an improvement with a new offensive coordinator and a young weapon at the position.
Freshman DeSean Smith’s 6-foot-4, 222-pound frame shined at LSU’s fall practices, and he could very well become a primary threat in the middle of the field for the Tigers offense.
Last season, starting tight end Chase Clement had five receptions for 51 yards. Smith will look to be a much more intimidating threat than Clement in the passing game while also proving to be a solid blocker in the vaunted Tigers rushing attack.
“My blocking is getting so much better just learning from these older guys,” Smith said. “The veterans are taking out a lot of time just to teach me the little things and things that can help me on the field.”