LSU Offseason Football

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LSU Football Benefitting From More Traditional Offseason in the Weight Room

Tigers preparing for most difficult portion of offseason training under stength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt

GLEN WEST

FEB 16, 2021

The 2020 offseason was unprecedented for college football programs all over the country. Now that protocols have been established and teams are taking those extra precautions, the hope is that a more traditional offseason lies ahead before the 2021 season this fall. 

That's what LSU coach Ed Orgeron is hoping for. He remembers how difficult it was to send his players home last March and not have them return until early June. Three months of workouts and training down the drain and all had to be crammed into essentially 10 weeks once the players returned from an extended absence from the program. 

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"It feels that way and we're able to do all of the things within the COVID protocol that we were doing last year at this time," Orgeron said on Off the Bench. "Guys are remaining healthy and getting bigger and stronger."

Most casual fans might think that this time of year, January through March, might be more of a relaxed time in college football. That couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, the last few months have been critical for Tommy Moffitt and the strength and conditioning staff to adding muscle and speed to their players. 

Orgeron said that this is the time of year where Moffitt's work really heats up as the Tigers prepare for spring ball in a few months and want to return in improved physical shape. For some of the freshmen who played prominent roles during the 2020 season, it'll be the first time they go through Moffitt's "Fourth Quarter" drills, a series of extremely tough workouts meant to push the players to their physical limits.

"This is a big time of year, especially for the freshmen who played last year, this is the first year they go through a fourth quarter which is gonna be an eye opening experience for them," Orgeron said. "It'll be better for them in the long run and this is where we build the foundation of our football team."

One of the groups that needs to improve from a physical standpoint on and off the field is the offensive line. With improved conditioning in the weight room, the hope is that the unit, which returns all of its starters from a season ago, will dramatically improve its consistency and in turn make for a very special 2021 offense.

"Saturday morning they were all working out together and the tremendous leadership by Austin Deculus and Ed Ingram and the whole group coming back," Orgeron said. "Even Lloyd Cushenberry was working out there and it just goes to show you offensive linemen stay together. It is a benefit that we can regain the offseason we lost last year."