Spring practice is over. Now for LSU football fans, the waiting games begin.
Will the Tigers be able to defend their Southeastern Conference Championship, much less their national championship?
A lot of those questions end up being answered in spring practice, and The Reveille grades LSU, position-by-position, based on the performance at those given positions.
Quarterbacks:
This is obviously the position with the most hoopla surrounding it, and for the 2004 version of LSU, that stance holds especially true.
With the early departure of Mr. Steady Matt Mauck to the NFL draft, the starting spot remains open.
It appears that senior-to-be Marcus Randall has the inside trek on being named starter because of his experience in big games and his performance in the spring game, which LSU coach Nick Saban was pleased with.
Freshmen studs JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn both had their moments in the spring, but inconsistency and bad game management marred both of them.
This situation is far from settled, and a starter probably won’t be named until the week before the season opener against Oregon State on Sept. 4.
Reveille grade: B-
Running Backs:
Remember several years ago when LSU had a backfield of Kevin Faulk, Cecil Collins, Rondell Mealey and Kendall Cleveland? Not too bad.
But this year’s stable of horses could be even better and could make the quarterbacking situation insignificant.
Justin Vincent, Alley Broussard, Joseph Addai, Shyrone Carey, Jason Spadoni and Barrington Edwards all return to form possibly the most potent backfield in the country.
Vincent could be a possible Heisman candidate while Broussard looked great in the spring. Throw in what appears to be a quicker Carey and a motivated Addai, and LSU should have one of the most effective backfields anywhere.
Reveille grade: A
Wide Receiver:
LSU wide receiving corps may be inexperienced and perhaps stretched a little thin in the spring, but there is no doubt talent exists.
Skyler Green is the most experienced returning receiver, while Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis made big strides during the spring.
The tell-tale factor may be whether or not injured freshman Amp Hill can rebound and be the player many recruiting pundits thought he would be out of high school.
Also, defensive back Corey Webster and Addai will both see some playing time at receiver, and Webster may end up being the best of the bunch.
However, strides must continue to be made, and incoming freshmen Early Doucet, Xavier Carter and Lavelle Hawkins may have to produce early.
Reveille grade: C+
Offensive Line:
Yes, Rodney Reed and Stephen Peterman are gone.
But LSU still has three future NFL stars returning along the line, including left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center Ben Wilkerson. Nate Livings is a rather serviceable offensive lineman as well.
It appears as if Rudy Niswanger will finally get a chance to start and Terrell McGill will need to step up and play with some consistency.
However, LSU’s depth along the offensive line the last couple of years shows what Saban has been able to do — reload, not rebuild.
Reveille Grade: B+
Defensive Line:
When a team loses two men upfront on defense to the NFL draft, it usually spells disaster.
Marquise Hill and Chad Lavalais are now getting paid to play football, but because of the consistent play of Melvin Oliver at defensive end, that position does not pose too much concern.
However, replacing Lavalais will be tough, but junior college transfer Claude Wroten made a good name for himself during the spring.
Add in pass rush, specialist Kirston Pittman with future top-10 draft pick Marcus Spears, and the defensive line appears to be set.
However, depth is a concern.
Reveille grade: B
Linebackers:
The solid duo of Cameron Vaughn and Lionel Turner return to anchor the linebacking corps.
However, the loss of solid contributor Eric Alexander will hurt, and Saban and company will be counting on an inexperienced player to step up.
Possibilities include Kenneth Hollis, Ali Highsmith and Darius Ingram.
This position is one of concern and depth is a major concern.
But Vaughn and Turner should put aside a lot of the worries.
Reveille grade: C
Defensive Backs:
This is possibly the strongest position on the team and may be even stronger than the running backs.
Two possible All-Americans at cornerback and two safeties that played extremely well as freshmen will do that for you.
A lineup of Corey Webster and Travis Daniels at cornerback with LaRon Landry and Jesse Daniels at safety is downright scary.
Throw in junior college All-American Mario Stevenson as the nickel back and superb athlete Ronnie Prude as the dime back, and the LSU defensive backfield is going to make life hard on opposing quarterbacks.
Reveille grade: A
Specialists:
The kicker and punter positions are one of concern for LSU.
With the departure of punter Donnie Jones, who was actually drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft, punter remains a void.
Patrick Fisher and Chris Jackson both tried their hands at it this spring and neither were consistently effective.
Then there is the placekicking situation.
Jackson and Ryan Gaudet traded the job several times last season and continue to fight for the starting job this year.
Reveille grade: C-