As LSU prepares for year 3 under Brian Kelly, the spring is an important jumping-off point for the team to establish chemistry and familiarity.
After going 10-3 in 2023, the Tigers will be looking to leap into SEC West contention and make their way into the newly expanded College Football Playoff. For that to happen, LSU has a lot of work to do.
Especially with a new defensive system, Saturday’s practice placed a lot of emphasis on learning. That will be key for a team that saw several key contributors graduate on both sides of the ball.
Saturday’s practice was split up into several periods of full-team drills with position work in between. The players would focus on specific concepts and then, after 11-on-11 work, would go back and review and prepare for the next full-team drill.
It was an intense practice with plenty of big plays that also gave insight to the direction of the team and the ongoing position battles.
Pecking order emerging in defensive backfield
Many eyes this offseason will be on the defensive backs, a position group that struggled mightily last season, as the defense was the clear Achilles’ heel of the team.
During Saturday’s practice, sophomores Ashton Stamps and Javien Toviano were the first-team boundary corners with Texas A&M transfer Jardin Gilbert and senior Sage Ryan as the safeties.
Senior Major Burns was positioned near the line of scrimmage at a position LSU calls the “star.” Kelly said using Burns in this capacity makes use of his strengths.
“A guy that can play man coverage, guy that can blitz… A really good tackler, athletic in space. But also, a guy that’s rugged,” Kelly said. “Major really fit that mold in terms of the star.”
For much of last year, Ryan was used as a boundary corner. On Saturday, however, he was one of the two deep safeties.
Ryan seemed more than comfortable in that spot; he came up with three interceptions during the practice.
“Sage, obviously a guy that we moved around all over trying to find a spot for him,” Kelly said. “He’s got speed, he’s got athleticism.”
Behind the starters, freshman PJ Woodland has already situated himself as a second-team boundary corner, while Ohio State transfer Jyaire Brown and sophomore Jeremiah Hughes also rotated in there.
At safety, sophomores Jordan Allen and Kylin Jackson and freshman DaShawn McBryde were involved as backups. McBryde made several impact plays, showcasing his length and ability to disrupt at the catch point. Ryan Yaites Jr. took over at the star position for the second team.
While it remains to be seen how large a role the backups will have, Kelly made sure to note that the secondary will be a committee this season instead of a unit driven by a superstar.
“I think the sum is going to be much more about what this team is than any one individual,” Kelly said.
Returning receivers have early advantage on high-profile transfers
With stars Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. now off to the NFL, the remainder of the wide receiver group will need to make a big leap.
So far, despite adding CJ Daniels and Zavion Thomas in the offseason, transfers from Liberty and Mississippi State, respectively, LSU’s returners have the early edge in the wide receiver room.
Both Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton Jr., who took back seats to Nabers and Thomas Jr. last year, seem poised to take the next step. Lacy came up with several nice grabs on Saturday, while Hilton’s speed stood out when making separation at the end of his routes.
Kelly spoke about the development of both receivers after Saturday’s practice.
“The elite players, you know, have such a single-minded focus in terms of what they do and how they do it,” Kelly said, discussing Lacy. “It’s all business, and I’ve seen a big change in the way that he approaches practice.”
“At times, maybe, you could argue that he lacked consistency,” Kelly said of Hilton last year. “We haven’t seen any of that, and good for him.”
Daniels and Thomas still rotated in with the first team during the team periods and figure to be large parts of the gameplan. For now, however, they’ll have to earn their spots in the starting lineup.
