On Saturday, LSU fans got a glimpse of the 2023 LSU Football team during the annual National L-Club Spring Game. For some players, this was their first chance to suit up in the purple and gold and play in Tiger Stadium.
Despite the spring game being an offense versus defense format and having different scoring rules, some of these new players immediately made themselves known.
Jaxon Howard
Howard was highly recruited out of high school with 60 offers, so he came to Baton Rouge as an early enrollee-freshman expected to make an impact. He showed his quick burst off the edge right away, finishing the spring game with four total tackles, including a solo tackle, a sack and a tackle for loss. For LSU’s defensive line consisting of several newcomers including Howard, it will be interesting to see if it will be anyone’s position to grab throughout summer camp.
Bradyn Swinson
Swinson, another newcomer on the defensive line, showed Tiger fans his college experience in Saturday’s spring game. The junior edge rusher from the University of Oregon finished the spring game with two total tackles, including a solo tackle, a sack and a tackle for loss. Swinson coming to LSU already having college experience will work in his favor when it comes to a potential position battle.
Omar Speights
Speights, a transfer from Oregon State University, came to LSU expected to be a leader in the linebacker room. He backed up his hype and expectations in the spring game with three total tackles, all solo tackles. With Harold Perkins and Greg Penn III doing well together at linebacker last season, Speights’ experience will help the linebackers even more.
“Omar Speights was outstanding,” Kelly said. “He gives us the type of production that we’re looking for…his addition is going to be really good for us.”
Denver Harris
Cornerback has been a position of concern this offseason for how much the Tigers lost, but Denver Harris was a transfer that Brian Kelly and his staff knew could make an impact right away. The transfer from Texas A&M finished with two total tackles, both solo tackles, in Saturday’s spring game. Harris, a five-star recruit out of high school, has the talent to be a leader for the cornerbacks this coming season.
Trey Holly
Holly still has room to grow only being an early-enrollee freshman, but the amount of reps he received in Saturday’s spring game is worth noting. While both John Emery and Josh Williams were out for the spring, Holly’s reps in the spring game were as valuable as they come. He finished the day with 26 rushing yards on eight attempts and 21 receiving yards on two catches with a receiving touchdown. Given the running back group is running thin, Kelly has been trying to add more depth and options, and he looks to include Holly in that.
“Love coaching him, he always has a smile on his face…he brings a great energy every day,” Kelly said. “He has things you can’t coach, he sees everything.”
Ovie Oghoufo
Oghoufo shined the brightest in the simulated red zone plays at the start of the spring game, which is always good to see from defensive players up front. Oghoufo, a transfer from the University of Texas, will be an asset to LSU’s defense. Similar to Speights, Oghoufo comes to LSU with an expected leadership role. But with his background with Kelly at Notre Dame, Oghoufo should be comfortable playing in a new environment.
“You have a mature football player here that has been in two really good systems,” Kelly said. “And now you have him here, I think he’s ready to break out.”
