The injury bug has hit the LSU football team.
Already without junior center Will Clapp and junior offensive tackle Toby Weathersby, a few more Tigers have gotten hurt during spring practice.
During the media viewing period of the Tigers’ practice on March 21, junior running back Derrius Guice, sophomore linebacker Sci Martin and redshirt freshman tight end Jamal Pettigrew all sat out of practice with injuries.
At a post-practice press conference, Orgeron said that Guice missed practice because of a swollen ankle he suffered during a scrimmage last Saturday, but his injury is “nothing bad.”
Martin was also injured during the scrimmage on Saturday, Orgeron said.
“We haven’t got the results yet,” Orgeron said about Martin’s injury. “And as soon as I get the results, officially, I will let you know what happened.”
Regarding Pettigrew, Orgeron said that he is dealing with an ankle injury, and the team is also waiting on further diagnosis.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Andraez Williams also sat out of practice on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury, but Orgeron said that he expects Williams back soon.
Martin took reps in place of junior defensive end Arden Key, who took a leave of absence before spring ball started.
“Our Buck linebacker is Arden Key,” Orgeron said. “A guy that can rush the passer, you know, your premier rusher, you don’t want them rushing and your F linebacker is like a 3-4 linebacker. You got to get man-to-man with the tight end sometimes. He’s [a] good athlete in space.”
With Martin on the mend, redshirt freshman linebacker Ray Thornton has seen an expanded role in practice.
Thornton, who is a former four-star recruit, is learning both the BUCK and F linebacker positions in defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s scheme.
“He will sometimes play [inside linebacker] and sometimes play BUCK,” Orgeron said about Thornton. “Those positions are interchangeable. One just drops, and one just rushes. So those are interchangeable.”
Offensively, Orgeron said, the installation of Matt Canada offense is coming along fine.
“He told me this is the best his offense has looked in five years,” Orgeron said. “That’s an attribute to our coaching staff — remember he has a new coaching staff too and our players. One thing about our players, they have done everything we have asked them.”
Orgeron also said that senior running back Darrel Williams has gotten off to a good start in spring, and his weight is down to 229 pounds.
Williams rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns last season.
“He’s running the ball very well,” Orgeron said. “He had a good scrimmage on Saturday, and you can see the work of [running backs coach] Tommie Robinson.”
Injuries sideline multiple Tigers, offense showing progression this spring
By Brandon Adam
March 21, 2017
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