The National L-Club LSU Football Spring Game kicked off on Saturday, marking the first opportunity for LSU fans to see the newest Tigers in action.

With several players on both sides of the ball taking their careers to the NFL, many spots on the depth chart are up for grabs. The Spring Game was an important opportunity for the newcomers to make their cases to fill those spots.

READ MORE: First-team offense shines, second-team offense hits snags in LSU Spring Game

Between freshmen, early enrollees and transfers, here’s who shined brightest among the new faces to LSU football.

Transfer Wide Receivers, Zavion Thomas and C.J. Daniels

LSU landed two wide receivers out of the transfer portal this offseason in Mississippi State transfer Zavion Thomas in December and Liberty transfer C.J. Daniels in January

The two not only add depth to LSU’s receiving corps, but also experience. Last season with the Bulldogs, Thomas totaled 40 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown, and Daniels totaled 55 catches for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns.

During each of their first times in the purple and gold on Saturday, Thomas finished with two catches for 52 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Daniels finished with two catches for 33 receiving yards.

Thomas caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Nussmeier in the first quarter, putting the offense on the board 6-0 to start the game.

“I think he came in with too much on his shoulders to come in and try to be the next great LSU wide receiver. I think he put a lot of pressure on himself,” Kelly said. “The last week or so of practice, he really settled in nicely, started to play a lot more at ease…I think both those guys [Thomas and Daniels] came in trying to do a little bit too much.”

That seems to be the common theme within the two, putting unnecessary pressure on themselves given their experience. 

Regardless, Thomas and Daniels showed they’ll fit right into LSU’s passing game, and their experience will only help things for the Tigers. But the ability to balance their experience with their role is something they’re each starting to learn.

PJ Woodland, Cornerback, Freshman (Early Enrollee)

Woodland finished off his impressive spring season as an early enrollee with a stellar performance in the Spring Game.

The freshman cornerback from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, totaled three tackles on Saturday. Woodland ran with the first team throughout the latter end of spring practices and in the Spring Game.

“[He’s] had a really good spring for us,” Kelly said. “I think as we continue to get him developed physically—I think he came in at 153 pounds, he’s up to about 168, he’s put on about 15 pounds, he’s got to put on some more weight—as he continues to do that, I think he’s a real guy as it relates to competing for playing time.”

Woodland committed to LSU on Oct. 22 after decommitting from Mississippi State a week prior. He was ranked as a three-star recruit, according to 247sports.

Gabriel Reliford, Defensive End, Freshman (Early Enrollee)

Reliford came up with a sack in the second quarter, which gave the defense a point. He finished the Spring Game with four total tackles, two sacks, three-and-a-half tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Reliford comes off the edge at 6-foot-2, 268-pounds.

“We’re going to have to take Gabe, and we’re going to have to give Gabe some reps against Will Campbell. We’re going to have to get him up against Emery [Jones],” Kelly said. “He’s earned that now that we’ve got to be able to see what he looks like against those guys.”

The former four-star recruit committed to LSU in December after decommitting from Texas A&M shortly after the firing of Aggies’ head coach, Jimbo Fisher. 

Reliford played at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was ranked as the No. 7 recruit in Louisiana, according to 247sports.

Dashawn McBryde, Safety, Freshman (Early Enrollee)

McBryde came to LSU as the 2024 class’ highest ranked early enrollee. According to 247sports, he was ranked as the No. 2 safety in the country, the No. 3 recruit in Louisiana and the No. 54 overall recruit in the country.

McBryde has separated himself with not only his length but his ability to make tackles. In the Spring Game on Saturday, the former four-star recruit from Denham Springs made two tackles.

“He’s a tackler, which we really like for somebody that size. Sometimes you don’t get a tackler at 6-foot-4 at that position because you expect they’re going to have great range,” Kelly said. “But he’s a really good tackler. I could see that today.”

With the potential McBryde had going into the spring as an early enrollee, he backed it up, putting himself in a position to get considerable playing time his true freshman season.

Shone Washington, Defensive Tackle, East Mississippi C.C. 

A position of need for LSU as the transfer portal opens on Tuesday is defensive tackle. While the Tigers have made efforts in strengthening their numbers on the front lines, it remains a work in progress.

“We have to win right away, and I get that,” Kelly said. “We’re going to put together a defense that puts us in a position to win the SEC.”

However, Shone Washington stepped up on the defensive line with five total tackles, a sack and one-and-a-half tackles for loss.

The efforts to add to the defensive line are there for LSU but aren’t guaranteed. Washington, who played at Georgia prior to going the Junior College route, may be someone to look to, regardless of who the Tigers add up front.