LSUDad

This time last season, did you have a hunch, we would win the National Championship?

How you figure that?

LSU RB John Emery Jr. enters the NCAA Transfer Portal by:Sam Gillenwater•about 6 hours LSU running back John Emery Jr. has entered his name into the transfer portal. Over the last five years in Baton Rouge, Emery Jr. appeared in 37 games, including five starts. He arrived in 2019 and was a freshman on the undefeated, national title-winning team. He has been with the Tigers ever since in playing under both Ed Orgeron and then Brian Kelly. In his career, Emery Jr. has rushed for 1,062 yards and 14 touchdowns on 213 carries. He has also caught 36 passes for 320 yards and a pair of receiving scores.

Saturday night we had a group see Jeff Foxworthy. Very enjoyable time by all. I think my side is still hurting.

Great job Jace. Like seeing the former QB spending time with you!

Former LSU guard Hailey Van Lith announced her commitment to TCU, according to Talia Goodman. She will have one season of eligibility remaining for the Horned Frogs. Van Lith averaged 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the Tigers last season. Van Lith started her career at Louisville, leading the Cardinals to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Wichita Regional during Louisville's run to the Final Four in 2022.

Some might not know this guy, but you know one or more of his sons! ONE LAST RIDE: CENTRAL BASEBALL COACH LEO MCCLURE FINISHING COACHING CAREER AT END OF THE SEASON, BUT HIS IMPACT ON COMMUNITY, SCHOOL IS IMMEASURABLE April 16, 2024 by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor During the course of his first season as athletic director/football coach at Central High School, David Simoneaux Jr. sought the advice of people to point him in the right direction to gather support for the program. Whether it was monetary in nature or simply supplies, Simoneaux routinely found himself turning toward the school’s baseball coach Leo McClure. That’s because McClure was dyed-in-the-wool maroon and gray, a 1973 graduate of Central High where all three sons – Tanna, Trey and Todd – had graduated and enjoyed standout athletic careers for the Wildcats. “The McClures are synonymous with athletic excellence at Central,” Simoneaux said. “You could call them one of the royal families.” Leo McClure had also spent time at the school as athletic director/football coach, head basketball coach and finally baseball, where he informed his team last week that the 2024 season – his fifth – would be his last. “There’s been a million conversations that I’ve had with him and asked who to call if you were going to try this, or try to make this happen, and he’ll tell you call such and such,” Simoneaux said. “He’s been a tremendous resource and I hate to see him go because I’ve learned so much from him and enjoyed working with him.” Central finished the regular season Monday with a 7-0 loss to Catholic High in a game that helped determine the District 4-5A championship. The Wildcats (22-8) will take a No. 10 into the Division I non-select state playoffs against league foe Zachary at 6 p.m. Friday in the best-of-three bi-district series. “I knew last May,” McClure said of the 2024 season being his last. “My wife and I talked about it. That in conjunction with other things that I have, my age (68), we decided this will be my last giddy-up.” In typical McClure low-key fashion, he announced his intentions to his team before Central’s doubleheader sweep of Liberty in 4-5A play. “I didn’t want this to be about me, and that it would be about us and finishing the season in the playoffs,” he said. Central has bordered on a top 10 team in the Division I power ratings for most of the season. The Wildcats feature a strong pitching staff led Southern Mississippi signee Grayden Harris and fellow pitcher/center fielder Jacob Leblanc, a Northwestern State signee. “It’s played out about the way I thought it would,” McClure said. “We have pretty good pitching and we’re pretty good on defense. We’re like a lot of people where we’ve got to find ways to get hits and score runs.” Whenever Central plays its final game – the Wildcats have advanced to the state quarterfinals the past three seasons – it will end an association between McClure and sports that’s been a 47-year love affair. McClure, who’s lived in Atlanta, Georgia the past 17-18 years and maintained a residence in Central, plans to dedicate more of his time to his private company that constructs concession stands at ballparks in the south. “That’s what I’ll do 19-20 weekends a year,” McClure said. “I’ll be around with what’s going on at Central High School. I’m a Central High graduate and my sons live here. I’m Central through and through.” McClure’s a former three-sport standout at Central (football, basketball and baseball) and played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana before getting into coaching at the age of 21. He remains second on SLU’s career assists record with 433, second in single-season assists with 188 and his 15 assists against Tennessee-Martin remains No. 2 on the school’s single-game list. McClure was the head basketball coach at Central from 1977-84 before getting into college coaching at his alma mater SLU, joining the staff as an assistant coach three years before being elevated to head coach from ’87-’89. He entered the private business from ’89-’91 and then returned to Central where he was the athletic director/football coach in ’91-’92, bringing with him a sense of pride that’s been echoed under Simoneaux in his first season in 2023. “He had a theme here called ‘Restore the Pride’,” Simoneaux said. “He likens that to our ‘Close the Gates’ theme. For him to endorse the things I’m doing on a daily basis, we’re working together, trying to move this thing forward.” McClure was also a visionary, ahead of today’s travel ball craze 20 years ago. He created the Louisiana Tigers’ 13-14-year-old team, a program that morphed into nearly 10 teams and McClure was credited with sending more than 150 players to college and more than 40 to the professional ranks. For his efforts, McClure was a 2013 inductee in the Louisiana USSSA Hall of Fame. Five years ago, when Central was in the market for a baseball coach, they called McClure to gauge his interest. He said yes, and the rest has been history. Central embarks on a playoff journey they hope will result in another trip to the state tournament where the Wildcats last claimed back-to-back Class 5A state championships in 2019 and ’18. “I just wanted to move on to the next phase of my life,” McClure said. “I’ve been coaching since I was 21 one way or another. That’s a long time to be involved in sports or coaching. I wanted to do some other things with the rest of my life.”

LSU OT Will Campbell named one of the top 10 players in college football by CBS CBS Sports recently made a post of the pyramid of the best players in college football as we enter the 2024 season. The list was created by Blake Brockermeyer from 247Sports. According to Brockermeyer, LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell is one of the top players in the country. There is a reason why Brian Kelly awarded Campbell the historic No. 7 jersey when he was only a Sophomore. Due to NCAA rules, Campbell is not allowed to wear the No. 7 jersey during games. So, Kelly placed a No. 7 patch on his jersey. Brockermeyer has Campbell listed as the No. 6 player in college football. Here is what he had to say about him. “The top offensive tackle in the country, Campbell has excellent technique as a pass protector and does a nice job getting to the proper spot in protection with square shoulders,” Blake Brockermeyer wrote. “Campbell is generally a two-hand puncher, which can lead to problems if done exclusively, but generally stones his opponents and has excellent feet to recover if he slightly gets beat. He has strong hands and grip strength and if he’s able to get them on defenders, it’s over.” Campbell will be entering his junior season this fall for the Tigers. As the top offensive tackle in college football, this is likely his last season in college before being drafted by the NFL.

More!

Draft Day!

Stock report from LSU's 2024 National L-Club Spring Game Kyle Richardson April 13, 2024 5:44 pm CT On Saturday, we got our first look at the 2024 version of the LSU Tigers during the National L-Club Spring Game in Baton Rouge. The Tigers lost a few great players from last year’s team, including three who could be first-round draft picks, Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. With Garrett Nussmeier at the helm of the offense, it doesn’t look like they will miss a beat next fall. We also got a look at a few of the Freshmen who were early enrollees and got a chance to showcase their talents in the spring game and some of them looked great. Here are five players who I thought stood out during the spring game. Stock Up: Garrett Nussmeier Garrett Nussmeier was perfect today during the spring game. He finished the day 7-for-7 for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He showed great awareness in the pocket and flexed his arm strength against the defense. It does not look like the offense will miss a step next Fall. Stock Up: Kaleb Jackson Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports Kaleb Jackson was the best running back today for the LSU offense. He finished the day with 14 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. He will be competing for the starting running back job in the Fall. Stock Up: Gabriel Reliford Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to one of the newest players on the team, Gabriel Reliford. Reliford was a member of the 2024 recruiting class and an early enrollee for the Tigers. If you watched him play today you would not recognize him as a freshman. He finished the day with four tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Stock Up: Austin Ausberry The Auburn transfer finished with the most tackles on the defense today and was solid in coverage. He finished the day with six total tackles and will have a lot of playing time this fall. Stock Up: Colin Hurley Another early enrollee for the Tigers got his chance to play this Spring and shined. Colin Hurley entered the game late in the second half and went 4-for-6 for 77 yards and a touchdown. He hit Khai Prean for a 64-yard touchdown pass on a perfect throw. Hurley could be in contention for the No. 2 quarterback spot.

First I’ll start with this, LSU is showing on one of the recruiting sites, only offering 3 players. One from Nola and two from BTR. Got a call today from a good friend, LSU has offered more than this number. The 2026 class is loaded, the N. La. Schools have so much talent. They have hit it big with OL and DL. The 26 class, Kelly and staff will have to very selective. I’m talking 4 and 5 star players abundantly and throughout the state. This could be like in the 90’s when LSU helped its roster with N. La. talent. We should pick up players from West Monroe, Neville, Ouachita Christian and Ruston.

LSU receives commitment from 2025 4-star RB Kyle Richardson April 13, 2024 5:31 pm CT On the day of the spring game, Brian Kellyand his staff received some great news for the 2025 recruiting class. They landed another commitment. This time it is from a four-star running back from Alexandria, Louisiana. LSU recently offered JT Lindsey and as soon as he was offered he received crystal ball projections to commit to LSU and the Tigers became the heavy favorites to land him. Lindsey is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound, four-star running back from Alexandria Louisiana where he plays for Alexandria High School. He is ranked as high as the No. 11 running back in the 2025 recruiting class by On3. The Tigers 2025 class currently ranks as the No. 3 class in the country by 247Sports and is headlined by two five-star recruits, Bryce Underwood and Dakorien Moore. Lindsey becomes the second running back commitment of the class as he joins Harlem Berry in what could be a very explosive backfield for the Tigers in the future.

Try this one!

To watch.

BATON ROUGE – Fans will get an early glimpse of the 2024 LSU football team on Saturday when the Tigers hold the National L Club Spring Game in Tiger Stadium. Gates to Tiger Stadium open at 11:30 a.m. and admission in free of charge. All seating is general admission on the west side of Tiger Stadium and fans can enter through gates 1-6. The scrimmage, which will feature the offense vs. the defense, will start at 1:15 p.m. and will consist of two 15-minute quarters in the first half with abbreviated quarters in the second half. The scrimmage concludes at 2:30. Fans are reminded that due to upgrades currently taking place in Tiger Stadium for the 2024 season, there will be no video boards or replays, and there will only be one scoreboard, located on a ribbon board in the southeast corner of Tiger Stadium. In addition, an auxiliary sound system will be used for the game. The scrimmage will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and broadcast on KLSU Radio (91.1 FM). “(Saturday) is about giving certain players that are in key positions the opportunity to compete,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “We want to see some of our front line guys go out and compete and play, but they are not the most important players out there. We need to see the two running backs, we need to see the offensive linemen that are going to play key roles. “There are key players that need to get a lot of work in this game that we are focused on. As the game unfolds, you will see a lot of them and you will know they are really auditioning that particular player. There will be other guys that get a quick hook and you will know they have a pretty good sense of where he is.” Kelly identified the No. 2 quarterback spot as one of those positions with redshirt freshman Rickie Collins and junior transfer AJ Swann battling for the backup spot behind Garrett Nussmeier. “There’s a battle going on right now for the No. 2 quarterback position,” Kelly said. “AJ and Rickie are battling that out right now. They are going to play a lot on Saturday.” After 14 spring practices thus far, Kelly said he and the coaching staff have a good idea about his team as he enters his third season with the Tigers. “We have a better sense of the areas we need to get better in and players that we are counting on to play more prominent roles from last year,” Kelly said. “We walk away with clearly a better feel for our football team and the areas we have to really strengthen going into the offseason.” “The team itself is better balanced offensively and defensively. There’s a lot more continuity on defense, certainly on offense we lost some players, it’s pretty clear with an offensive line, tight ends, a quarterback and deep receiving corps we are going to have some success on offense.” Saturday’s spring game will feature a unique scoring format with the defense being awarded points for a turnover (7 points) or fourth-down stop (7 points), forcing a missed field goal (5 points), pass breakup (2 points) and sack or tackle for loss (1 point). There will be normal scoring for a fumble or interception returned for a touchdown or a safety. Normal scoring will be used for the offense and special teams. SCORING FORMAT – Offense Normal Scoring – Special Teams Normal Scoring – Defense Normal Scoring for interception or fumble return for a touchdown or safety – Other defensive scoring opportunities: 7 points for a turnover or fourth-down stop 5 points for forcing a missed field goal 2 points for a pass breakup 2 points for a missing two-point conversion 2 points for a missed extra point 1 point for a sack or tackle for loss LSU NATIONAL L CLUB SPRING GAME – TIMES OF INTEREST 11 a.m. L Club Tailgate (South Pad – PMAC) 11:05 a.m. Team departs football ops 11:20 a.m. Team arrives at Tiger Stadium 11:30 a.m. Gates to Tiger Stadium open • Fans enter through gates 1-6 on west side • Seating is general admission on west side Noon Band departs School of Music 12:15 p.m. Band arrives at Tiger Stadium 12:20 p.m. Band pre-game performance (from stands) 12:30 p.m. LSU takes the field 1:15 p.m. Scrimmage begins 2:30 p.m. Scrimmage ends

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. LSU today? Friday's TV/streaming channel: ESPNU Saturday's TV/streaming channel: SEC Network Sunday's TV/streaming channel: SEC Network Tennessee baseball vs. LSU start times Friday's game time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday's game time: 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday's game time: 3 p.m. ET

Trio of LSU Tigers to attend NFL Draft in Detroit Trio of LSU Tigers to attend NFL Draft in Detroit NEW YORK — Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams, the popular pick to be the No. 1 selection overall, will be among 13 prospects attending the first round of the NFL draft in Detroit on April 25. The NFL announced the 13 prospects confirmed as of Thursday night, and Southeastern Conference schools Alabama and LSU each will have three players in that group. The SEC leads all conferences with seven players in attendance, including Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson. Alabama’s representatives will feature linebacker Dallas Turner, offensive lineman JC Latham and cornerback Terrion Arnold. Quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the LSU contingent along with wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick overall. Williams is among three Pac-12 players attending in person along with Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze and UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s lone player set to attend, while Ohio State Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the Big Ten’s only representative. Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell will be there, helping the Mid-American Conference match two of the Power Five conferences. The NFL draft begins April 25 with the first round followed by the second and third rounds on April 26. The draft concludes on April 27 with rounds four through seven.

Quarterback Jayden Danielsleads the LSU contingent along with wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick overall.Williams is among three Pac-12 players attending in person along with Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze and UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu.

BATON ROUGE – Angel Reese was officially invited to attend Monday’s WNBA Draft the league announced Thursday on social media. Reese is one of 15 players who are invited to this year’s draft. The WNBA draft will be on Monday, April 15 inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music. ESPN will broadcast the WNBA Draft beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT and will have a pre-show which will begin at 6 p.m. In two seasons at LSU, Reese tallied 61 double-doubles, scoring in double figures in all 67 games of her LSU career. She set the NCAA record with 34 double-doubles throughout the 2022-23 national championship season and had 27 over the past season. Reese recorded a double-double in all 10 of her NCAA Tournament games at LSU, tied for the most consecutive double-doubles in tournament history. She averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds per game at LSU. Reese is anticipated to become the 23rd LSU player drafted into the WNBA and the 24th coached by Kim Mulkey.