The 2014 football season is still six months away, but Saturday marks the beginning of spring practice. Last year, the Tigers’ offense averaged 453.3 yards and 35.8 points per game, its highest totals since 2007. But LSU no longer has the quarterback, running back or top two receivers from that prolific offense, as all four are preparing for careers in the NFL. Let the position battles begin.
Quarterback
Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, the starter in LSU’s win in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, will have his hands full trying to fight off incoming freshman Brandon Harris, one of only two true freshmen who will take part in spring practice.
Jennings excited Tiger fans with his performance against Arkansas last season, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in place of an injured Zach Mettenberger. But he had a rough outing in the Outback Bowl against Iowa, completing only seven of 19 passes for 82 yards and no touchdowns, while being sacked four times.
Jennings will likely enter spring as the starter, but that doesn’t mean Harris won’t get an opportunity to compete. The talent is there. Harris ranked No. 37 overall in ESPN’s Top 300 and was the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback of the 2014 recruiting class. During his senior year at Parkway High School, Harris compiled 4,220 yards of total offense and 49 touchdowns.
Harris also has the desire to learn a complex offense, according to coach Les Miles, who said in his national signing day press conference that he felt Harris came to LSU “specifically to be mentored by [offensive coordinator] Cam Cameron.”
Running Back
Miles has always favored a sound running game, and the addition of 2014’s No. 1 prospect Leonard Fournette will help fill the void left by Jeremy Hill, who chose to forgo his last two seasons of eligibility following a 1,401-yard, 16-touchdown season.
However, LSU has a stable of backs that will have a full spring to prove they aren’t ready to yield their carries to the highly touted freshman, who won’t report to school until summer.
Seniors Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee will likely get the bulk of the carries for the Tigers in spring practice. Hilliard is LSU’s active leading rusher with 1,110 yards and 21 touchdowns in his three-year career. But Hilliard had some issues early in his career with fumbles, putting the ball on the ground four times through his first two seasons.
Magee has shown he is more than capable of leading the Tigers’ running attack. In last season’s opener against Texas Christian University, the 214-pound back filled in for a suspended Hill and gashed the Horned Frogs defense for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
Magee also packs a heavy punch despite his 5-foot, 9-inch frame. He finished last season as the team’s second-leading rusher with 626 yards and eight touchdowns. He also averaged 7.3 yards per carry, the highest among LSU’s running backs.
Wide Receiver
Perhaps the area with the most question marks for the Tigers is at wide receiver, given the departures of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. The NFL-bound duo accounted for more than 70 percent of LSU’s receiving yards last season, and they also hauled in 18 of the 23 touchdown catches.
LSU was able to land some of the top receivers of the 2014 recruiting class, including No. 1 receiver Malachi Dupre, but like Fournette, they won’t report to campus until the summer.
For now, LSU will look to sophomore Travin Dural to continue his development into a more complete receiver. Dural has the raw ability: his sub-4.4 seconds 40-yard dash is one of the fastest on the team. He’s also proven to be dependable when given the chance, as he was on the receiving end of Jennings’ game-winning 49-yard touchdown toss against Arkansas.
Senior Quantavius Leslie is the only other receiver entering spring with a catch in his career. Leslie, a junior college transfer, stands at 6-foot-4, which gives him the ability to tower over defenders. But he will need to
have a good showing in spring to prove he can produce similar results for the Tigers as he did at Hinds Community College, where he collected 1,018 yards and 17 touchdowns in two seasons.