Most Valuable Player
Hamilton: Kendell Beckwith
I highly doubt anyone would argue against Leonard Fournette as LSU’s best player. However, Beckwith was the Tigers’ most valuable player from the second he turned down the NFL to return for his senior season.
He could have been giving former LSU players Kwon Alexander and Deion Jones a run for their money as LSU’s best linebacker in the league, but instead he anchored one of LSU’s best defenses in program history and definitely the best since 2011. LSU’s defense is nowhere near as formidable without the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Beckwith, who made the second-most tackles in the Southeastern Conference before suffering a knee injury in the first quarter on Senior Day.
Thornton: Tre’Davious White
LSU’s defense has been rock solid all season, and White has been the leader of the defensive backfield. White, like Beckwith, returned for his senior season when he could’ve gone to the NFL.
White’s two interceptions this season were good for second on the team, and the Shreveport native was the catalyst behind LSU’s 32nd ranked pass defense.
Most Improved Player
JH: Will Clapp
Clapp entered the season as LSU’s second-best offensive lineman and further development was expected after earning Freshman All-American honors during his redshirt freshman campaign. That says a lot about this most improved nod.
His pass blocking improved from 97.7 percent to a team-high of 99 percent this season. In 208 pass blocking snaps, his matchups generated just one pressure, and he has allowed only one sack during his career. Clapp went from an above average prospect to a stalwart in the trenches of the Tiger ground and air attacks.
JT: D.J. Chark
Chark emerged as a consistent target for Danny Etling. The speedy receiver is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns and caught an 80-yard touchdown pass this season. At times, Chark was LSU’s best wide receiver, catching 24 passes this season for 419 yards.
Ed Orgeron and Steve Ensminger also used Chark in the run game, primarily in jet sweeps or reverses. Chark ran for two touchdowns and averaged 10.2 yards per rush attempt.
Best Newcomer
JH: Devin White
Gird your loins because defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is turning this kid into an absolute monster.
White signed as a running back, but LSU needed the 6-foot-1, 255-pound freshman at linebacker. No. 24 made a few big hits on kickoff coverage, and by the Alabama game he resembled a young Beckwith when he laid the boom on Alabama running back Josh Jacobs almost causing a safety.
If I were a running back prospect or receiver who makes his money over the middle, I wouldn’t sign with a team LSU plays in the next three years.
White was not the crown jewel of LSU’s 2016 recruiting class that ranked No. 3 in the nation — eight signees ranked ahead of him, according to recruiting service 247sports. But when it’s all said and done, he will by far be LSU’s best player from this class.
JT: Dave Aranda
In a season filled with uncertainty and a roller coaster of emotions, there was one constant: the defense.
Aranda and LSU’s defense held high-powered offensive teams such as Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas in check.
LSU defense was stingy, in large part because of Aranda’s scheme and game planning skills. Up until the Texas A&M game, LSU’s defense had allowed only 11 touchdowns in 10 games, which was the least in the nation.
