LSU Fall Camp (2022)

[Nutriaitch]

Welp, it's football season!!!!!

Fall Camp started yesterday (no pads yet)

Ever wonder what an actual football coach sounds like in a press conference?
 

 

[Herb]

 

[LSUDad]

 

 

 

[LSUDad]

https://www.klfy.com/sports/geaux-nation/lsu-offensive-coordinator-talks-qb-competition/amp/

[Herb]

I'm looking forward to seeing Nabers slide over to the slot receiver position. That might be unfair to a lot of opposing safeties. It'll be fun comparing him to a lot of very productive former Tigers.

Mason Taylor (Jason Taylor's son) is getting high praise from the coaching staff at TE and will probably wind up winning the starting job. 

Can't wait for the season to start. 

[LSUDad]

10 minutes ago, Herb said:

I'm looking forward to seeing Nabers slide over to the slot receiver position. That might be unfair to a lot of opposing safeties. It'll be fun comparing him to a lot of very productive former Tigers.

Mason Taylor (Jason Taylor's son) is getting high praise from the coaching staff at TE and will probably wind up winning the starting job. 

Can't wait for the season to start. 

Yes, Kelly and the staff talk highly of him. They are bringing the TE’s around. If you look at what was done at Cincy and ND, the TE is a big part of the offense. From the tape I saw at Cincy, two TE sets are used often. Motion, unbalanced line, etc. 

Since Kelly was at ND, he has 8 TE’s drafted, during that same time span, LSU has had 2, Foster Moreau and Stephen Sullivan. 
 

Our OC Denbrock played TE in college and coached the position. 
 

At one time, Rice University had 4 TE’s in NFL camps in the same year. 

[LSUDad]

In BTR got to spend a little time with some folks that have been to practice. 
Much like what has been said, the staff likes what they have. One guy calls it, short guy 2.0. 
LSU was good enough to get Will Campbell in this class, a guy that will start, but, the Emery Jones kid is in that same group. He’s one that could start, has a number of guys ahead of him, the transfers. But to get two guys like that in the same class. Too add, Bo Bordelon, isn’t that far behind. 
 

The TE room has came around, the Taylor kid, has a chance to get drafted, his frame it’s what’s noticed first. He will play. They like Storz and Kole Taylor. But Mashburn will get playing time. Like I said about the OC knowing what he wants to do with the position. 

[Herb]

4 hours ago, LSUDad said:

One guy calls it, short guy 2.0. 

1st professional/executive type coach we've had since short guy 1.0. Another way to describe it is 'cerebral'.

[LSUDad]

58 minutes ago, Herb said:

1st professional/executive type coach we've had since short guy 1.0. Another way to describe it is 'cerebral'.

Bingo. Everything that’s been coming out of Camp, everything has been planned, a reason, purpose, a vision as to where Kelly wants this team. My friends that have been to practice, keep talking about how well everything is running. 

[Herb]

@houtiger highlighted the precise training regimens a few weeks back. Kelly has a 'process' that appears to be as comprehensive as short guy 1.0.

I emphasize the word 'appears' only because we need to let time tell. I'm not saying this will all translate to Saban like results, but I think it's way better than what we had with our previous 2 head coaches.

I'm high as a kite about Kelly right now. I recognize that all people and all systems have flaws, though.

During Miles' years of success we tended to overlook the failings of clock management and lack of offensive ingenuity for a while because the 'proof was in the pudding' in terms of wins, Les' colorfulness, and the propensity for 'Lesticle' moves when you least expected it, etc.,.  Time proved his critics mostly right, unfortunately.

We should pay some measure to Kelly's critics at ND over time as well. I think the 'he can't win the big ones' criticism was likely due to - in some part - the constraints of Notre Dame as an institution but there is also probably some level of validity that might bear out over time. 

The biggest question mark for me is whether the staff of assistant coaches all have the 'juice for the job' to succeed at the highest levels in the SEC. I think some definitely will and some may wind up to be temporary pieces. I'm hoping that Kelly is just as adept at developing coaches as he is at developing players. That may turn out to be a key indicator of where Kelly's "process" ranks in the hierarchy of coaching "processes".

[houtiger]

You can tell BK is trying to temper enthusiasm for the season.  That's a smart head coach.  When he speaks, there is a lot of nuance to his answers, he sounds smart about many fine points of the game.

BK made some very nice comments about WR Brian Thomas lately.  He said pound for pound he's one of the strongest on the team.  He said he makes a BIG play occasionally that is so impressive.  He needs to work on his consistency.  BK said he will be a sophomore this year and if he can get Thomas to have the confidence to shine every down, he can be a star.  When Thomas came in, he was the #13 receiver in the nation, so he has talent.

[LSUDad]

2 hours ago, Herb said:

@houtiger highlighted the precise training regimens a few weeks back. Kelly has a 'process' that appears to be as comprehensive as short guy 1.0.

 

2 hours ago, Herb said:

We should pay some measure to Kelly's critics at ND over time as well. I think the 'he can't win the big ones' criticism was likely due to - in some part - the constraints of Notre Dame as an institution but there is also probably some level of validity that might bear out over time. 

 

The biggest question mark for me is whether the staff of assistant coaches all have the 'juice for the job' to succeed at the highest levels in the SEC. I think some definitely will and some may wind up to be temporary pieces. I'm hoping that Kelly is just as adept at developing coaches as he is at developing players. That may turn out to be a key indicator of where Kelly's "process" ranks in the hierarchy of coaching "processes".

As for the short guy 1.0, much of the same organization. Knowing folks that worked for him, they knew, everyday two meals were coming out of a styrofoam box. You couldn’t leave with him knowing. The thing was, put in a few years, pad your resume. 
 

As for critics, remember, the short guy had no one from his staff at Mich St. He started from scratch. I received a call from a good friend, his words, “ Y’all are getting Jimbo!” There was a lot of criticism from every hire over the past few years, when it came to Head Coaches. 
 

Juices for the job? Kelly knows what he hired, he’s worked with a number of them before. He can read his staff, if not, he wouldn’t be in this position. Position coaches want to be coordinators, coordinators want to be head coaches. Even support staff wants to move up in the ranks. In all, many coaches have to be the right fit, much of the same with players. 
 

Everything I’m getting from what’s going on at LSU, has been very positive. I see a fun ride this season, this was by far the largest roster build I’ve ever seen at LSU. 
 

If some remembers, the 1999 season, we were 2-8, the coach was fired. A guy named Hal Hunter took the team and kicked Ark. 35-10, it wasn’t that close. That Ark team was headed to the New Years Day Cotton Bowl, Ark, went onto beat to UTx  27-6. There was way less rebuilding on that 1999 team. This was a major overhaul. 

[houtiger]

7 hours ago, LSUDad said:

If some remembers, the 1999 season, we were 2-8, the coach was fired. A guy named Hal Hunter took the team and kicked Ark. 35-10, it wasn’t that close. That Ark team was headed to the New Years Day Cotton Bowl, Ark, went onto beat to UTx  27-6. There was way less rebuilding on that 1999 team. This was a major overhaul. 

I remember that game well.  I have never been so astonished with a one week turnaround of a football team in my life.  If you want to know if coaching and a good attitude can make a huge difference, look at that situation and you will know that it does.  These young men are people, not machines.  I thought they would interview Hal Hunter for the head coach job the turnaround was so astonishing, but no dice.

Edited August 13, 2022 by houtiger

[LSUDad]

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

I remember that game well.  I have never been so astonished with a one week turnaround of a football team in my life.  If you want to know if coaching and a good attitude can make a huge difference, look at that situation and you will know that it does.  These young men are people, not machines.  I thought they would interview Hal Hunter for the head coach job the turnaround was so astonishing, but no dice.

Hal left LSU to be the OC at Indiana, under head coach Cam Cameron, yep, a blast from the past. Hal would coach Antwaan Randle El. “Indiana averaged 23.6 points per game under Cameron's guidance. In fact, Randle El became the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and score 40 career rushing touchdowns. He finished his college career as fifth on the all-time NCAA total yardage list, and became the first player in college football history to record 2,500 total yards for each of four consecutive years.”

Hal would coach at NC, from there he went into the NFL, has had a number of stops. He’s now the OL Coach for the Houston Texans.

 

Oh, when Cam and Hal were let go at Indiana, the head coach that took their place, Gerry DiNardo, another blast from the past! 

Edited August 13, 2022 by LSUDad

[LSUDad]

We’ve been in a golden era when it comes to SEC receivers, but will that continue in 2022?
 

There’s really not much debate.

Yes, the SEC has been in a golden era of receivers. There’s plenty of evidence that illustrates that point.

From 2018-20, an SEC player won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, including DeVonta Smith, who also won the Heisman Trophy.

In the modern NFL Draft era, which began in 1993, there were 6 instances in which multiple SEC receivers were drafted in the 1st round from 1993-2019. So far in the 3 NFL Drafts in the 2020s decade, the SEC had multiple 1st round receivers every year, including a record 4 in 2021.

Let’s take it a step further. In the 2020s so far, the SEC had 9 receivers selected in Round 1 (that doesn’t include a tight end like Kyle Pitts or a receiver who went No. 34 overall like Elijah Moore). In the entire 2010s decade, the SEC had 8 receivers selected in Round 1.

If the golden age of SEC receivers continues, the current pace projects that 30 will come off the board in the 1st round of the NFL Draft by the time the 2020s are over. Will that happen? History suggests it won’t considering that 9 already tied the 2000s for the most 1st round SEC receivers in a decade. From 1990-2019, the SEC had a total of 23 1st round receivers. Then again, the modernization of passing offenses combined with the influx of recruiting talent doesn’t make that an impossible outcome.

That question worth asking is if the SEC’s golden era of receivers is still present, or if we’ll look back on the late-2010s and early-2020s as the beginning and end of it. I mean, it’ll be hard to top an era that included the likes of:

• DeVonta Smith (Alabama)
   
• Ja’Marr Chase (LSU)
• Justin Jefferson (LSU)
• Treylon Burks (Arkansas)
• Jerry Jeudy (Alabama)
• Jameson Williams (Alabama)
• Kadarius Toney (Florida)
• Jaylen Waddle (Alabama)
• Henry Ruggs (Alabama)

• Those were the aforementioned 9 SEC receivers who went in Round 1 from 2020-22. Add in the Round 2 selections like Moore, John Metchie and George Pickens along with the pass-catching prowess of Pitts and future pro Brock Bowers, both of whom had unprecedented seasons at the tight end position.

  With the exception of Bowers, who has another 2 years in college before he’s eligible for the NFL Draft, all of those guys are gone. It’s a changing of the guard when it comes to SEC pass-catchers. Why?

  Here are the SEC’s top returning receivers in terms of career receiving yards (only counting yards in the SEC):

• Jaden Walley (Mississippi State), 1,346 yards
• Ainias Smith (Texas A&M), 1,321 yards
• Austin Williams (Mississippi State), 1,245 yards
• Kayshon Boutte (LSU), 1,244 yards
• Cedric Tillman (Tennessee), 1,205 yards
• Josh Vann (South Carolina), 1,056 yards
• Jaray Jenkins (LSU), 966 yards
• Tauskie Dove (Mizzou), 924 yards
• Jermaine Burton (Alabama), 901 yards
• Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss), 897 yards

• Boutte and Tillman are the only household names in that group, which doesn’t include a single postseason All-SEC selection. That’s telling. It’s also telling that Tillman ranks No. 5 on that active list despite the fact that heading into October 2021, he had 202 career receiving yards. If you didn’t follow Tennessee down the stretch, Tillman might not even be on your radar.

  Both Tillman and Boutte have All-America upside. Nobody else in that group is on that level. At least not entering 2022.

  Having said that, last year showed us that transfer receivers can absolutely take off in the SEC if they get into the right system with the right surroundings. After coming to the SEC from proud Big Ten programs with a combined 1,180 career receiving yards, Williams and Wan’Dale Robinson took off in their respective offenses.

  Perhaps that means the golden era will continue with transfers like Tyler Harrell (Louisville to Alabama), Jadon Haselwood (Oklahoma to Arkansas) or Tayvion Robinson (Virginia Tech to Kentucky). Maybe a transfer quarterback like Spencer Rattler will allow a veteran like Vann to take off, just as we saw with the Hendon Hooker-Tillman connection in the latter half of 2021.

  The depth at quarterback in the SEC in 2022 suggests that we should see breakout pass-catchers (Jalin Hyatt and Adonai Mitchell are 2 of my favorite picks to click). Quarterback play might be at a better place than it’s been since at least 2013, and maybe longer.

  Scheme and having elite offensive minds at the controls is part of that. Since the end of the 2019 season, we watched SEC teams add Mike Leach, Lane Kiffin, Jeff Lebby, Josh Heupel, Todd Monken, Kendal Briles and yes, even Bill O’Brien. In addition to the influx of elite offensive minds in the 2020s, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee all modernized their offenses in pretty significant, sustainable ways, too.

After watching LSU do what it did with a revamped spread offense in 2019, it made sense that others were willing to shake things up. Chase and Jefferson were a revelation after they were more of flash players in 2018 (Jefferson was extremely underrated entering 2019 but Chase had a quiet true freshman season). Obviously they’re a major part of this golden era. Even with Chase and Jefferson established in the NFL as elite receivers, it could be LSU that has the best chance to extend the golden era. That goes beyond the aforementioned Boutte, who is the only SEC receiver consistently showing up in way-too-early mock drafts but is also coming off 2 ankle surgeries in the past 9 months.

At this time last year, Ed Orgeron dubbed 

 

(con’t)

Edited August 13, 2022 by LSUDad

[LSUDad]

then-true freshman Brian Thomas as “the next great LSU receiver.” The 6-3 wideout certainly looked the part in Year 1, albeit for an LSU team that was lost offensively at times in 2021. The silver lining of that — as well as the season-ending ankle injury to Boutte — was that the Tigers’ true freshmen pass-catchers got plenty of run. Here were the SEC’s true freshmen leaders in receiving in 2021:

1. Brock Bowers (Georgia), 882 yards
2. Jack Bech (LSU), 489 yards
3. Adonai Mitchell (Georgia), 426 yards
4. Malik Nabers (LSU), 417 yards
5. Brian Thomas (LSU), 359 yards

That group has a solid chance of continuing the golden era. If you want to eliminate Bowers and Bech because they’re listed as tight ends, that’s fine. I’d still bank on Mitchell, Nabers and/or Thomas becoming stars.

Perhaps the best indicator of a continued golden era would be at least 1 Biletnikoff finalist and at least 2 1st-round receivers in 2022-23. The last time the SEC failed to check both of those boxes was the 2018 season. Jeudy won the Biletnikoff Award, but the SEC failed to have a receiver selected in the 1st round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Oh, wait. Deebo Samuel, AJ Brown and DK Metcalf were all Round 2 guys that year … so maybe the SEC’s golden era of receivers does date to 2018.

Whatever the case, the recent surge in receiver talent in the SEC is obvious. So too is the fact that since the golden era began, the SEC has its fewest number of proven receivers heading into a season. That conversation could change in the next few months. Or we could realize that superstar receivers are by no means a given in the SEC, despite what recent memory suggests.

Either way, we’re about to find out how golden this era of SEC receivers really is.

[LSUDad]

Full video! 
 

 

[Nutriaitch]

[Herb]

Congrats to these 3 for earning degrees:

https://247sports.com/college/lsu/Article/LSU-Football-Players-Earn-Degrees-191389737/

 

[LSUDad]

Today August 17th

 

[LSUDad]

Today 

 

 

https://lsu.rivals.com/news/watch-video-clips-from-lsu-s-fall-camp-practice-wednesday

[LSUDad]

 

[LSUDad]

 

[LSUDad]

 

[LSUDad]