“Three yards and a cloud of dust.” Coined in 1957 by Woody Hayes, the idiom refers to the, arguably, most important players on the field: the linemen. For LSU, this will be where games are won.

Since 2019, LSU has had a rough time trying to fill the shoes of its previous national champions. Two years of poor performances has led to an influx of new players with, Head Coach, Brian Kelly steering the wheel. All eyes are on LSU’s skill positions to help bring the Tigers back to the top, but the true players to watch on the team are the offensive and defensive linemen. 

Last year, LSU’s offensive line wasn’t exactly reliable, but after Kelly announced the new starting offensive line, LSU fans can feel more confident about the strength at the line of scrimmage. 

Starting at left tackle is five-star freshman Will Campbell. A 6-foot-6, 300 pound athlete, Campbell has high potential of being a future NFL star and will look to excel with the Tigers. 

At the guard positions are Miles Frazier and Anthony Bradford. Frazier is a transfer from Florida International University and was ranked as the best offensive tackle in the transfer portal. Bradford is one of the veterans of the line, along with starting right tackle Cam Wire, who looks to become the star of the line that LSU can count on. Leading the team in the middle is center Garrett Dellinger, who has settled in well to the center role during the fall camp and could look to shine in his new position. 

Kelly voiced his comfort with this selection stating, “Once we felt comfortable with Garrett Dellinger at the center position, everything else was able to fall in place.” 

With this revamped and talented offensive line, LSU will not be beaten easily over control of the trenches. 

On the other side of the ball, LSU looks even stronger with a talented front line. The starting defensive line is experienced in college football and has built a lot of chemistry playing together last year. There are three draft prospects just from the starting defensive line with defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, defensive end Ali Gaye and defensive end B.J. Ojulari, who is projected to be drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Along with sophomore Maason Smith, who is predicted to have a breakout season after an impressive freshman campaign, this talented defensive line will look to open the season strong against Florida State. Jamar Cain will lead the pack as the defensive line coach, and LSU will line up with one of the strongest defensive lines in college football. 

Between the redesigned offensive line and the talented defensive line, LSU could turn heads this year as the SEC’s darkhorse. As many famous football coaches have said, games are won at the line of scrimmage, and few teams in the country are going to win the line of scrimmage over LSU.