Cleats, pads, helmets and the sweet sound of intensity on the football field is near for the Tigers.
LSU took the practice field for the first time on Wednesday as all eyes were on a team with championship aspirations. Here are our three takeaways from the first day of fall camp.
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New kids on the block add depth
The main story for the Tigers is a new wave of players. LSU made it a goal to bring in multiple players who can help out through the transfer portal and straight out of high school. Whether it’s the defensive line or the wide receiver groups, every position is tremendously deep.
The Tigers brought in playmakers, and on the first day, they turned some heads. Some guys that stood out were defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, wide receiver Destyn Hill and wide receiver TaRon Francis.
Gooden, who transferred from the University of South Florida, was in the backfield multiple times, whether it was for a tackle for loss or a sack. He’s already adding the pressure that LSU desperately needs, giving the team options for when the season comes around.
Hill, a transfer from Florida State, decided to come back to his home state of Louisiana and suit up for the Tigers this fall. In a group that has multiple returning players such as Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton, Zavion Thomas and Kyle Parker, along with transfers such as Barion Brown and Nic Anderson, it was Hill who caught the eyes of everyone around him.
He was a consistent option for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was finding him all over the field, both between the hashes and down the field. Hill made an impressive grab over defensive back Ashton Stamps and made a one-handed catch on a short curl route that looked to be tightly covered.
For a player who not many people thought would see the field a lot this year – just because of the talent in front of him – he was running a lot with the first team and might be someone to watch out for this upcoming season.
Hill is a prime example of just how deep this position group is. Head coach Brian Kelly expressed the depth of the position group during the press conference after practice and is more than confident in his guys.
“We have eight SEC high-caliber receivers,” Kelly said. “These guys are really good football players, and so it’s incumbent upon us to put them in a position to succeed for themselves and for our team.”
True freshman Francis probably made the catch of the day over his fellow freshman defender, DJ Pickett, who was smothered all over him and in great coverage.
The kid who they call “Manchild” is already living up to his nickname.
Nussmeier’s decision-making skills improve
For Nussmeier, he’s in one of the best positions for any quarterback around the country.
With a tremendous number of playmakers around him with speed and consistency, people have Heisman-level expectations.
On Wednesday, he displayed the talent that everyone saw glimpses of last year. His deep ball looked great, hitting multiple receivers down the field and placing it where only his guy can catch it.
We already knew Nussmeier had the arm and the accuracy, but the main course of his problems was decision making.
Multiple times last season, he tried to make something out of nothing instead of taking what was right in front of him. He’s a gunslinger, so it’s in his DNA to try to make those tight throws, but there has to be a fine line of when he should and when he shouldn’t.
During practice on Wednesday, he took the simple checkdowns to his running backs and tight ends rather than going deep, which was tightly guarded. Kelly emphasized that’s one of the things he needed to work on, and he’s been taking the steps to do so.
“We’ve documented some of the things that he needs to be better at, and that is, his worst play needs to be zero,” Kelly said. “Zero is okay. We can live with zero. What we can’t live with is catastrophic mistakes, and I think you have to live through that to know what your limits are. He knows what those limits are in terms of, you know, managing a bad play and making it zero. I think that’s experience.”
Taking the next step on defense with veteran guidance
At the beginning of fall camp, improvement is all you can ask for until the Tigers’ first game against Clemson. That doesn’t just go for the quarterback – it goes for everyone.
One side of the ball that showed improvement last year and hopes to take another step forward is the defense.
All LSU fans want to forget what happened in 2023 with one of the worst defenses in program history, and the hire of defensive coordinator Blake Baker did exactly that.
We saw a more intense and aggressive defense that never gave up more than 400 yards a game. While it was an improvement, there were still times this past season when the defense had broken coverages or made blunders on the field.
Players such as safety Tamarcus Cooley from NC State, cornerback Mansoor Delane from Virginia Tech and defensive end Jack Pyburn from Florida were guys who were constantly on the field with the first team.
With multiple options at every position, it’s hard to point out just a few guys who can make an impact. Two guys whose presence is irreplaceable were on the field Wednesday in linebackers Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks.
The player who’s wearing the historic No.7 and the other who was the heart and soul of the defense last season have taken up the task of being leaders for their team.
“The temperature is a little bit different when those two guys are in the room,” Kelly said. “It’s hard to replace great players, but it’s even harder to replace great leaders, and those guys lead by example and make a huge difference.”
