LSU football held its National L Club Spring Game this weekend, and some old faces made sure they left their mark on the field. Many players had impressive performances, but a few stood out. Players such as Kyren Lacy, Brain Thomas and Laterrance Welch highlighted that group. 

Kyren Lacy

The 6-foot-2 wide receiver from Thibodaux, Louisiana, had a great showing in this year’s spring game with a performance of four receptions for 92 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown where he broke multiple tackles.

The senior will be heading into his second season with the Tigers after racking up 24 receptions for 268 yards last season. Lacy will be looking for a bigger role after the departure of Kayshon Boutte and Jaray Jenkins to the draft and Jack Bech to the transfer portal. 

After watching him play, there were a lot of nice things that I saw. First was his ability to get open. Lacy did a great job of creating separation to allow either of his quarterbacks to find him in the open field. He also did a good job sitting in zone coverage and finding the open hole. 

The other aspect of his game that caught my attention was his hands. Lacy improved tremendously, and that was shown today after having an incredible one-handed catch that turned into a touchdown.

The majority of the passes that were intended for Lacy were caught, which something that will be needed if he’s going to see the field this upcoming season.

Lacy is projected to be wide receiver four on the depth chart behind Nabers, Thomas and Anderson, but if he keeps playing as he has in practice and the spring game, then I could see him on the field a lot more in specific packages. 

Laterrance Welch 

The sophomore from Lafayette, Louisiana, made some nice plays; he was a gem in the spring game. Welch was one of the players who I couldn’t help but notice. Welch got a lot of playing time as starting cornerback, and he made the most of his opportunity.

Welch seemed to be on lockdown in the spring game as he was going up against a talented receiving core. 

Standing in at 6 feet 1 inches and 191 pounds, Welch matched up well against every receiver he faced. Welch didn’t allow much throughout the spring game. He showed tight coverage and didn’t allow his receiver to create much separation.

When he was targeted on deep passes, he was side-by-side with his receiver and made plays on the ball. Even when he went up against Lacy, who was red hot, he was able to make a play on the ball, ripping it out of Lacy’s hands.

One of the attributes that I saw from the spring game was his physicality. This can be both a blessing and a curse; sometimes being physical can lead to flags, but today it was a blessing.

He was able to be aggressive with his matchups and disrupt their routes. Not allowing his receiver to get behind him, physicality is a plus as a coverage corner.

It’s true when people say “iron sharpens iron,” because after going up against some strong wide receivers, Welch’s performance stands out. It’s going to be interesting to see how they incorporate him into the defense. I think he can play a key role.

Brain Thomas Jr.

Finally, there was Thomas. Similar to Lacy, he is looking for a bigger role this upcoming season. 

The 6-foot-4 sophomore from Walker, Louisiana, had an impressive showing during this weekend’s spring game. He collected three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. With that performance, expectations for him are high. He is projected to be the second or third receiver on the depth chart.

I like Thomas because of what he brings to the table: strength and athleticism. From watching the spring game and his highlights from last season, his apparent jump-ball ability is very much needed. As a quarterback, it always helps when there’s a receiver on your team who can go up and make a play, which is Thomas’s strength. 

For example, last season against Florida, Thomas had one-on-one coverage and a jump ball opportunity, coming down with it for a 24-yard touchdown reception. Even though it was just one play during the season, it showed what he could do for LSU. 

After a season where he had 31 receptions, 361 yards and five touchdowns, he’ll have the opportunity to do so much more. I believe that he can play a big role, especially in the red zone, as a big target for Jayden Daniels. Thomas is due for a breakout season, and Tiger fans are excited to see what he can do.