Fall Camp News - 2019

[houtiger]

The first day of LSU's preseason football practice will be Aug. 2, the athletic department announced Friday morning.

Tigers football players will report to campus on Aug. 1, which will kickstart the month-long series of practices and scrimmages that lead up to LSU's season-opener at home against Georgia Southern on Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m.

You can put any other news from Fall Camp in this topic.

[Fishhead]

I'm making a prediction, stepping out on a limb.

 

Practices will be closed to the media after day one lol

[NS Mom]

Daisy has started her two-a-days and will be ready for the start of football season

This season, she has dog to dog coverage,  Hank Williams plays dirty and is always flagged for pass interference. 

Will try to get some good pics of them.  

[LSUDad]

Edwards-Helaire Named to Hornung Award Watch List

July 25, 2019, 12:00 PM (CT)Updated: July 25, 2019, 10:43 AM (CT)

 

LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
LSU Sports Interactive

 

BATON ROUGE – LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been named as a preseason candidate for the Paul Hornung Award, the Louisville Sports Commission announced on Thursday.

The Paul Hornung Award, now in its 10th season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

Edwards-Helaire, a junior from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, finished second on the team in rushing last year with 658 yards and seven TDs. He also ranked fifth in the SEC in kickoff return yards (416) and kickoff return average (24.5). He also led the Tigers and finished No. 11 in the league in all-purpose yards with 1,170, an average of 90.0 yards per game.

Edwards-Helaire had his best game as a Tigers in the win over No. 2 Georgia last year, rushing for 145 yards in the victory over the Bulldogs. Edwards-Helaire also rushed for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns in LSU’s win over Louisiana Tech last season.

Edwards-Helaire is also a preseason candidate for the Maxwell Award.

LSU opens training camp for the 2019 season on August 1 when the players report to campus with the first practice slated for the following day. The Tigers open their season on Saturday, August 31 against Georgia Southern in Tiger Stadium.

[LSUDad]

Ed Orgeron announces 2019 signee Donte Starks won't arrive in time for training camp

Michael Wayne Bratton | 2 hours ago

 

 

 

 

National Signing Day may have been months ago but LSU is still awaiting two final players from the program’s 2019 signing class to show up to campus.

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The Tigers will have to keep waiting for in-state linebacker Donte Starks, Ed Orgeron revealed on Wednesday. While speaking at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club, the LSU coach revealed that Starks will not arrive in time for camp, according to Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.

 

 

 

 

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound John Ehret High School product was rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 10 inside linebacker in the nation by 247Sports Composite Rankings. The 2019 Under Armour All-American picked LSU over scholarship offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida and Clemson, among others.

 

If Starks does not arrive, the Tigers will be down to 24 enrollees for the 2019 recruiting cycle. LSU is still awaiting the arrival of Arizona lineman Soni Fonua. The rest of the 25-man signing class has arrived in Baton Rouge.

[LSUDad]

Orgeron talked with the Rotary Club, talked about a position change, last year, they wanted Stephen Sullivan to move to TE, he really didn’t want to, he’s bulked up to 250 lbs. At 6’7”, we haven’t had a TE like him in years, a more Robert Royal type, if y’all remember him, big enough to block well, and creat matchup problems. Also with speed. Who they put on him? A corner, Safety, LB? Sullivan can see he has a chance to get more involved in the passing game. 

Sullivan, a former four-star wide receiver from Donaldsonville, La. This move has a shot to get him more playing time, also a better chance to get Pro Scouts to take notice.

[LSUDad]

 

20 Minutes and Out: Media glimpse of LSU preseason practice Day 1

 

Ron Higgins • TigerDetails

@RonHigg

 

Why 20 minutes and Out?

That’s all the LSU preseason practice the media gets to see daily. So here’s what was seen in our tiny window on the first of 25 preseason practice days for the Tigers.

1. With defensive line coach Dennis Johnson sidelined with a torn patella in both knees, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron spent most of time helping coach the defensive line. He rarely wandered to the offensive end of the field.

2. That’s because offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, passing game coordinator Joe Brady and running backs coach Tommie Robinson had things under control.

The Tigers’ quarterbacks and running backs worked on the mesh point in run-pass-option plays, then on short passing routes out of the backfield.

Five QB took snaps in this order: starter Joe Burrow, backup Myles Brennan, freshman signee Peter Parrish, walk-on freshman Walker Kinney and walk-on freshman John Gordon McKernan.

3. Freshman running back John Emery Jr. definitely has acceleration and runs every rep of drills at full speed.

 

4. The offensive line worked on the other side of the fields, away from the media who are only allowed to stand one side of the fields. But even that far away, the O-line looked huge. 

The Tigers have four O-linemen that weigh 340 pounds or more – junior Devaughn Campbell (360), freshman signee Anthony Bradford (355), senior Adrian Magee (343) and freshman signee Thomas Perry (341).

5. Orgeron and his players didn’t budge during torrential 15-minute downpour about 25 minutes into practice. There wasn’t any lightning, so there was no need to head inside.

There will be an update later tonight after Orgeron meets with the media at 6:45 p.m.

[LSUDad]

 

Football begins: LSU kicks off first practice of the 2019 season; WR Dee Anderson among missing

• BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER
• AUG 2, 2019 - 5:30 PM

 

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LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) makes the catch following the snap in a drill during spring practice, Tuesday, March 12, 2019, on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La.

Advocate staff photo by HILARY SCHEINUK

 

 

 

Brooks Kubena

The sky was clear, oh so clear, when LSU's first football practice of preseason camp began, just long enough for a fresh mood to last until rain suddenly started coming down in buckets.

The weather was clear enough for the Tigers's new run-pass option offense to get a dry run in drills with what appeared to be their first-team offense.

The backfield and wide receiver groups were filled with returning starters: Joe Burrow at quarterback, Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back. Sophomores Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall joined returning leading receiver Justin Jefferson out wide.

 

But junior tight end Thaddeus Moss, who missed the 2018 season recovering from a foot injury, ran with the first team.

Brooks Kubena@BKubena

 

 

Thaddeus Moss runs first in tight end position drills. He missed last season recovering from a foot injury. #LSU

 

 

43

4:36 PM - Aug 2, 2019

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LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Wednesday that the tight end position would be more of a receiver under new passing game coordinator Joe Brady, a former Saints offensive assistant whom Orgeron said brought a bevy of tight end plays with him when he was hired in January.

Indeed, Moss was split wide, and ran routes down the field with the rest of the receivers. Fullback Tory Carterfollowed Moss.

The first group of offensive linemen mirrored the starting lineup in April's spring game: left tackle Saahdiq Charles, left guard Adrian Magee, center Lloyd Cushenberry, right guard Damien Lewis and right tackle Austin Deculus.

The second group of offensive linemen were as follows: left tackle Cameron Wire, left guard Chasen Hines, center Charles Turner, right guard Kardell Thomas, and right tackle Badara Traore.

Hines, a 6-foot-3, 336-pound sophomore, played in eight games and started in one game in 2018, and he missed spring football due to an offseason surgery on his leg.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Traore struggled adapting as a junior college transfer last season, and Orgeron said Thursday that the coaching staff is essentially using Traore as the team's "third tackle," which means he'll provide support to both Charles and Deculus.

Thomas, a Southern Lab graduate, was the nation's No. 4 guard of the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and Orgeron said the true freshman could be an option at left guard.

Missing players

The players who were not spotted during Friday's media viewing were senior wide receiver Dee Anderson, senior tight end Stephen Sullivan, junior tight end Jamal Pettigrew, true freshman receiver Trey Palmer, and true freshman linebacker Donte Starks, who Orgeron said Thursday has still not reported to camp because he is not yet academically eligible.

Anderson was the team's sixth-leading receiver in 2018 with 20 catches for 274 yards and a touchdown.

Sullivan, a 6-foot-5, 242-pound former receiver, graduated on Friday along with defensive end Breiden Fehoko, who attended practice, and he posted a picture of him with Fehoko on social media before practice. Sullivan was LSU's second-leading receiver in 2018 with 23 catches for 363 yards and two touchdowns and Orgeron has mentioned Sullivan will be a factor at tight end.

Pettigrew, who missed last season with an offseason ACL injury, has caught one pass for 18 yards in his three-year career at LSU.

Palmer, who was seen wearing a knee brace when checking into camp Thursday morning, has a minor, non-football related injury, according to 247Sports, and he will only be held back for the opening portion of preseason camp.

Three scholarship quarterbacks

LSU practiced with three scholarship quarterbacks for the first time since former quarterbacks Justin McMillanand Lowell Narcisse transferred out of the program during the 2018 preseason camp.

True freshman Peter Parrish wore No. 8, and he rotated third in line behind Burrow and returning backup Myles Brennan.

Brooks Kubena@BKubena

 

 

#LSU has three scholarship quarterbacks.
- Joe Burrow (9)
- Myles Brennan (15)
- Peter Parrish (8)

 

 

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4:27 PM - Aug 2, 2019

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After last season's attrition, Orgeron said he was "concerned" entering the year with only two scholarship quarterbacks. Truly, for most of the season, he only had one: Brennan didn't play until Week 11 because he had a stress fracture in his back.

The depth limited the offense, Orgeron said, since they weren't able to run Burrow as often because they didn't want to risk his injury.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Parrish, who led Central High in Alabama to an undefeated state title in 2018, was accurate in short-range passing drills and mobile in zone-read option drills.

But the young quarterback showed some lack in arm strength and accuracy on deep throws. During a drill where the quarterbacks rotated throwing deep passes to wide receivers, Burrow and Brennan both hit their marks with careless flips of their wrists, and Parrish put more effort into a throw that sailed high an wide right of his intended receiver.

Pecking order at running back

True freshmen running backs John Emery and Tyrion Davis-Price may have arrived on campus as highly-touted running back recruits, but they waited their turn in line for position reps during his first day of practice.

During individual drills, Edwards-Helaire received the first handoff, followed by senior running back Lanard Fournette and redshirt freshman Chris Curry.

The 6-foot, 203-pound Emery, LSU's highest-rated running back recruit since Leonard Fournette, rushed for 1,693 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior year at Destrehan High. He went fourth, and he was followed by Davis-Price.

The 6-foot-1, 226-pound Davis-Price, the nation's No. 8 overall running back, per 247Sports, rushed for 2,500 yards and 29 touchdowns during his senior year at Southern Lab.

[LSUDad]

WR Dee Anderson, has been suspended. 

[LSUDad]

Ed Orgeron says LSU will make defensive tweaks to improve rush 'no matter what it takes'

• BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER
• AUG 2, 2019 - 8:20 PM

 

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Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (7) is stuffed by LSU defensive end Rashard Lawrence (90), LSU defensive end Glen Logan (97), LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips (6) and LSU safety Grant Delpit (9) during the first half of LSU's football game against Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium Saturday Oct. 20, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La.

ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY BILL FEIG

 

 

 

Brooks Kubena

After Ed Orgeron's analysts poured over game tape and data from the 2018 season, they returned to LSU's head coach with a statistic.

When the LSU defense recorded a sack or a tackle for loss in any given drive, they found, the opposing offense only scored 25 percent of the time.

"You know what I told them?" Orgeron said Wednesday. "Let's get tackles for loss and sacks. It's not that hard."

Orgeron had the same objective a year ago, when he said defensive coordinator Dave Aranda was going to use more movement and more blitzing to create more sacks, tackles for loss and interceptions.

By ranging All-American safety Grant Delpit all over the field and creating favorable one-on-one blocking matchups on blitzes for All-American linebacker Devin White, Aranda manufactured enough havoc for LSU to rank 16th in the nation with 25 forced turnovers and 45th with 83 tackles for loss.

The turnover and tackles for loss totals were both LSU's highest since 2012. The Tigers defense produced those results last season without promising pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear near the end of the season opener against Miami. 

Chaisson's absence was more noticeable in LSU's underwhelming pass rush, which sputtered at times in 2018. During a seven-game stretch from Week 3 at Auburn to Week 10 against Alabama, the team only produced 10 sacks.

The LSU pass rush improved by producing 15 sacks in the final four games, which included Arkansas and Rice (combined 4-21 record). Most of those 15 sacks came on the defensive line, from defensive ends Rashard Lawrence (3), Glen Logan (3) and nose tackle Tyler Shelvin (1½).

Orgeron is looking to the defensive line to boost the sack and tackle-for-loss totals in 2019, and he said the position group is switching to a scheme in which the linemen will attack more.

Orgeron said at SEC media days July 15 that he would be "a lot more loud" on the defensive line as a coach "than I've ever been."

The 58-year-old Orgeron built his coaching career by becoming one of the nation's most respected defensive line coaches, molding All-Americans such as Warren Sapp at Miami and Leonard Williams at Southern Cal.

Orgeron said Thursday that this year's LSU defensive line will be playing a lot more like the units he "was accustomed to coaching" at Miami and USC.

Last season, he said, Tigers defensive linemen were reading offensive linemen off the snap and judging their movements before deciding where the point of attack was.

"This year, we're going to be attacking, getting off, making plays in the backfield, stunting more," said Orgeron, who coached defensive line at Miami from 1988-1992 and at USC from 1998-2004 and from 2010-2013.

The scheme was effective during Orgeron's second tenure at USC. Each player who led the Trojans in tackles for loss from 2010 to 2013 was a defensive lineman (Jurrell Casey, 2010; Nick Perry, 2011; Morgan Breslin, 2012; and Williams, 2013).

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BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER

In the past three seasons at LSU, the leader in tackles for loss was a linebacker (Arden Key, 2016; Devin White, 2017-2018).

Orgeron said LSU will use multiple defensive alignments to stimulate a rush.

LSU, which has regularly used a 3-4 defense under Aranda, will use some 4-3 alignments, Orgeron said. They'll even use their depth of defensive backs by going to a "Bandit" package — a defense that uses three defensive linemen, one linebacker and seven defensive backs, made famous by Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks.

The bandit package helps LSU "put a lot of speed on the field," Orgeron said, including a safety such as five-star freshman Marcel Brooks.

 

"We want to make sure we've got our ducks in a row," Orgeron said, "that we're enabled to have a better pass rush and we're more effective sacking the quarterback, getting quarterback pressures, this year no matter what it takes."

LSU players report for preseason football camp; Joe Burrow: 'You ready to go? I know I am.'

In order to keep defensive linemen aggressive throughout an entire game, Orgeron said LSU will be relying on a rotation between defensive ends Rashard Lawrence, Glen Logan and Breiden Fehoko and nose tackles Tyler Shelvin and Siaki "Apu" Ika.

"Against the spread (offense), you've got to be able to rotate these guys," Orgeron said. "In a spread offense, you can run 100 plays. You ain't gonna ask a 356-pound guy to play 100 plays full speed. It's not gonna happen. So we'll rotate those guys and keep them fresh."

LSU football, baseball player Maurice Hampton recovered from fractured bone, source says

Orgeron will be building that scheme in Baton Rouge, with the complication that defensive line coach Dennis Johnson is in a wheelchair after injuring both knees playing basketball.

Orgeron said Friday that Johnson tore both patellar tendons when he landed and that the injury happened sometime after the Fourth of July.

LSU received a waiver from the NCAA that allowed analyst Kenechi Udeze, a former All-American defensive end at USC under Orgeron, to coach on the field. When the team goes into the meeting rooms, Johnson returns to coaching and Udeze won't coach during that time.

[LSUDad]

Q&A: Joe Burrow discusses LSU's potential, offensive tweaks, more after Tigers' second practice

• BY WILSON ALEXANDER | STAFF WRITER
• PUBLISHED AUG 3, 2019 AT 7:35 PM | UPDATED AUG 3, 2019 AT 8:39 PM
•  

 

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LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass as LSU holds its first fall practice, Friday, August 2, 2019, at the Tigers' practice facility on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

 

 

Wilson Alexander

Joe Burrow settled into a folding chair inside LSU's practice facility on Saturday afternoon a few hours before the Tigers held their second practice.

In the midst of preseason camp, he had just woken up from a nap.

The senior quarterback discussed a wide range of topics. He touched on the installation of LSU's new offense, the talent on its defense, his admiration for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova and more.

 

How was the first day?

Burrow: It was all right. I mean, with the first day, there's going to be lot of kinks and missed assignments. As far as first days go, it was pretty good.

What are you looking for this week?

Just getting chemistry with all the new guys. We have a lot of new faces on the team, some players playing new positions. So, getting timing with routes. Just chemistry with the team right now.

On center Lloyd Cushenberry getting No. 18...

There's nobody who deserves it more than Lloyd. I didn't know, but he said he was the last guy they offered in his class, the last guy to sign. He's worked his tail off his entire career. I'm excited that he gets to wear that number.

 

 

What's he like in the huddle?

He holds everybody accountable. He knows what he's doing, and if people have questions, they'll come to Lloyd. He'll answer them right away.

What does Stephen Sullivan bring as a tight end?

He brings a lot of versatility there. He's going to be a matchup issue for a lot of people this year.

Has he bought into that role?

Absolutely. He's always hitting me up wanting to throw routes. Even if he tweaked a hamstring he was always there, even if he couldn't run. He's completely bought into this thing.

What did you see from (wide receivers) Ja'Marr (Chase) and Terrace (Marshall) over the last year as far as their development?

They are some of the hardest workers on the team. When you have that, along with their talent, they're going to skyrocket.

Have you napped in your pod yet?

Oh, yeah. I was just taking a nap if you can't tell.

What's been the buzz around the team about the sleeping pods?

We didn't even know about it. It's a lot more comfortable than I thought it was, a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. My legs don't hang off the edge of it, which you can't say for a lot of beds. It's a pretty comfortable place.

On showing up to camp in a Matthew Dellavedova T-shirt...

I had my shirt thing at Ohio State. Camp check-in day, I would wear a crazy shirt. I think I wore Delly my first year. I thought I'd throw it back to old Delly considering he's the second-best Cavs player of all-time, arguably the first best. That's debatable.

 

You've been on some playoff teams. Is this a team that's talented enough to make a run?

We're definitely talented enough. If we put it all together, we're going to be tough to beat. Playoffs is obviously the end goal, but we're talented enough to do anything we want to.

How much installation is there at this point of camp compared to last year?

We have a lot more going in. Every day, there's new stuff coming. If you're falling behind, you're going to keep getting left behind. We have so much new stuff going in every day compared to last year, I would say we have a lot more concepts and a lot more formations.

How much is throwing to the running backs a part of the offense?

We have some really good running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield. We're trying to utilize that as much as we can. Guys like Clyde (Edwards-Helaire), Lanard (Fournette), they're really good out of the backfield.

You've used the word "special" to describe the potential of this team. Why is this team set-up better than last year?

No. 1 is experience. We lost some really good players last year, but we have a lot of players who have a lot of experience coming back. I say "special," it's kind of hard to describe it. I'm sure you guys feel it a little bit, too, just the way we talk about it. There's something about this team this year, these coaches, that feels right.

What have you seen from the defensive front?

It's really good to have (outside linebacker) K'Lavon (Chaisson) back. He's one of the hardest workers, most talented guys on the team. He's going to have a big year. As far as the other guys, we're as talented as anybody upfront. When they get off the ball, they're tough to block.

 

I guess he (K'Lavon) can't hit you in practice —

No. Thank God.

When you see K'Lavon across the line, are you sliding protection his way?

We try to. You're not going to be able to block K'Lavon one-on-one. As much as you can chip him, make it tough for him, that's what you need to do.

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When did you get comfortable last season?

After that Auburn game. That's when I started to gel with my teammates the most. And then really, really comfortable with the offense was probably halfway through the year. I couldn't point it out like I can the Auburn game, but after that Auburn game, it started to gel really well with us.

Y'all lost the Texas A&M game, but that must have been a blast to play in.

Blast is... I don't know if I would use that word. Seven overtimes, I don't know if that is ever a blast. It was an interesting game? Let's put it that way.

Did your whole body cramp afterward?

I didn't cramp, but I passed out. They had to give me an IV. I had to chug like five of those GoGo squeeZ applesauces to get my blood sugar up so I could walk around.

How do you view this secondary?

Those guys are so talented. It's tough. There's not going to be a lot of people in the country who can complete balls on the outside with Kristian (Fulton) and Derrick (Stingley) and then obviously you have Grant (Delpit) and Todd (Harris) back there at safety. Those guys are as talented as anybody in the country.

Freshmen can be prone to mental busts. Are you able to get Derrick sometimes?

I thought I would be able to, but you don't see anything like that with Sting. He's as advanced a freshman as I've ever been around.

[LSUDad]

Sullivan leads LSU's tight ends into 2019

BySHEA DIXON Aug 2, 8:03 AM  

 

(Photo: Jesse Johnson, 247Sports)

LSU's tight end position is one that has been talked up all offseason.

Between offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger - a longtime tight ends coach - and first-year assistant Joe Brady's thoughts on utilizing tight ends in the passing game, all signs point to the tight end finding a role beyond just blocking for the Tigers, something that became a constant during the Les Miles era.

Last season, senior Foster Moreau caught 22 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns on the year, averaging 1.7 catches and 20.9 yards per game. His numbers were nearly similar the year prior, finishing with an average of 1.8 catches and 21.4 yards per game.

Now, LSU's hoping to change that week-by-week production by featuring a pass-catching tight end who flexes out wide as much as line up off tackle.

"We have to get better at tight end," LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said during Thursday's check-in for fall camp.

The top name to watch: 6-foot-7, 232-pounder Stephen Sullivan. He's played a role as a backup wide receiver for much of his career, appearing in 34 games with nine starts. And with every wide receiver minus Jonathan Giles back from last year's roster, Sullivan was handpicked by the staff to transition to tight end, where they hope his size and athleticism can cause some mismatches in the passing attack.

"I'm excited about Stephen Sullivanplaying tight end," Orgeron said.

The pitch to get Sullivan, now a senior, to leave the wide receiver room and test out tight end? Brady, a former New Orleans Saints staff member, turned out film of Drew Brees working with former Saints standout tight end Jimmy Graham, another 6-foot-7 target who has made a lengthy career out of mismatches with 71 career touchdowns.

"I think watching Jimmy Graham plays with Joe Brady kind of sold on him," Orgeron said. "If we can run the same type of plays, I think he has totally bought into that. I think that’s a big reason."

The Tigers also have other tight ends in the mix for playing time this fall, including the likes of Jamal Pettigrew, Thaddeus Moss, T.K. McClendon, Ray Parker, Aaron Moffitt and Tory Carter, who is listed on the roster as a fullback, but sees action in practices with the tight ends.

On Thursday, Orgeron circled Sullivan, Moss and Carter as guys who impressed the staff over the months of June and July.

"Those guys had excellent, excellent summers," Orgeron said.

[houtiger]

Pictures from first week.

http://www.lsusports.net/PhotoAlbum.dbml?PALBID=2206818&DB_OEM_ID=5200

[LSUDad]

 

Green means go: Inside LSU's 'Green Team' defense that uses the Tigers' four best pass rushers

BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER

AUG 4, 2019 - 6:15 PM

 

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LSU Tigers defensive end Rashard Lawrence (90) sacks Miami Hurricanes quarterback Malik Rosier (12) during the 2018 Advocare Classic between the Miami Hurricanes and LSU Tigers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, September 2, 

Brooks Kubena

 

Ed Orgeron listed out the position battles of LSU's preseason camp: at left guard and running back, at nose tackle and defensive end.

One of the most crucial pieces for the Tigers defense came next.

"There will be a big battle for the Green Team," Orgeron said Thursday.

The Green Team?

Yeah, you heard that right.

That's the name of the defensive package reserved for LSU's top four pass rushers, the platoon of sack-master specialists whom defensive coordinator Dave Aranda often deploys on third-and-long.

It's the speedy, energized quartet named after a lesson traffic lights have been teaching for years:

Green means go.

The Quiet Man: From last-day signee to No. 18, LSU's Lloyd Cushenberry becomes voice of the Tigers

"That's Coach O's baby," safety JaCoby Stevens said. "He loves the Green Team."

Maybe you recall another pass-rush package from LSU's recent past called "Cheetah," a third-down defense the Tigers used in 2017. They're quite similar, linebacker Michael Divinity said.

Cheetah used five defensive backs, two down linemen and four linebackers. Aranda would scatter the linemen and linebackers in various spots on the line of scrimmage to overload a confused opposing offensive line.

The Green Team is more about finding and exploiting the best matchups, arranging any four pass rushers across the line of scrimmage.

Those four players can be nose tackles or defensive ends or linebackers or defensive backs.

"If you're the best pass rusher on the team," sophomore outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson said, "you're on the Green Team."

LSU football practice report (Aug. 4): Fulton, Chaisson among missing, Chasen Hines held out

The Green Team was used last season, and it often included Divinity and outside linebackers Andre Anthony and Ray Thornton, plus a rotation of either Breiden Fehoko or Rashard Lawrence on the defensive line.

Sometimes the unit was deployed for a whole possession against pass-happy teams — like against Central Florida in LSU's 40-32 Fiesta Bowl victory.

When the Knights had one final drive with 1:42 left in a one-possession game, LSU's Green Team forced quarterback Darriel Mack to force a throw downfield that bounced off Devin White's helmet and was intercepted by Stevens.

ESPN

BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER

"The ball's got to come out in a couple seconds or you're going to get sacked," safety Grant Delpit said.

One, Mississippi.

Two, Mississ...

Chaisson said the coaching staff recently showed them a study that said the average time for a quarterback to get the ball off, from snap to throw, is 2.6 seconds.

"It's crazy short," Chaisson said.

Ed Orgeron says LSU will make defensive tweaks to improve rush 'no matter what it takes'

That's the puzzle defensive coaches are trying to solve in the era of the run-pass option offense, a scheme that LSU itself is using and something even Aranda has said is confounding for his pass rushers.

Several offenses, not just RPOs, are built off taking advantage of the number of defenders who are rushing. So the fewer defenders LSU can send while still being able to get to the quarterback, the better.

"If we can have a four-man rush and play coverage, that'll be great for us," Orgeron said. "That's what we want to do."

LSU players report for preseason football camp; Joe Burrow: 'You ready to go? I know I am.'

But the Green Team package isn't just limited to four-man rushes. It's also installed with a plethora of blitzes, Divinity said, that can send up to as many as six defenders screaming after the quarterback.

Last year, LSU had to adjust to offenses that were sending running backs out of the backfield on pass patterns. Last year, the All-American White was matched up on the running back while the Green Team was in, Divinity said. If the running back stayed back in pass protection, White would blitz.

White led the team with 12 tackles for loss, including three sacks.

With Divinity replacing White at inside linebacker in the spring, it's likely that he'll have a similar role, although his five sacks as an outside linebacker last season might call for him to be more diverse on the Green Team — if he gets named to the squad, that is.

"Oh, I'm gonna make sure I get in there," Divinity said.

Joe Burrow Q&A: On LSU's potential, offensive tweaks, more as Tigers dive into camp

And that's a big question of the preseason: Just who will be on the Green Team?

Ask anyone on the defense, and they'll tell you they are.

That includes Chaisson, who missed last season because of a season-ending ACL tear in Week 1 against Miami.

The chiseled, 6-foot-4, 250-pound Texas native could be the best pass rusher on the team, and Orgeron said he expected Chaisson to be a 12-to-15 sack guy this season.

So Chaisson's got to be on the Green Team, right?

Chaisson laughed: "Is water wet?"

LSU wide receiver Dee Anderson 'suspended from all team activities,' Ed Orgeron says

The Green Team's members change week to week depending on who's hot at the time, Stevens said. But whomever it is, there's a spirited camaraderie that takes place when they're sent onto the field.

"We literally talk about it as soon as we get the Green Team to come out there," Divinity said. "We're arguing about who's going to get the sack. Usually the person who gets off (the ball) first gets the sack, but sometimes that first person makes the quarterback come up into the person who got off the ball last."

That's exactly what happened late in the third quarter in LSU's 74-72, seven-overtime loss to Texas A&M.

Divinity rushed off the right edge, and Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond stepped straight into a charging Lawrence.

ESPN

BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER

"I went on the sideline and said, 'I want a point-five (as in a half-sack),' " Divinity said. "'Call ESPN and tell 'em to give me a point-five for the sack you got.' "

The Green Team of 2019 will need to boost a pass rush that sputtered at times last season. LSU tied for 32nd nationally with 34 sacks, but there was a seven-game stretch from Week 3 at Auburn to Week 10 against Alabama when the Tigers only produced 10 sacks.

And more sacks works out into a mutually beneficial equation: more glory, more wins, more of a shot at the NFL.

"When we think of green, not only does it mean 'Go'; we think of green as, 'That's our money right there,' " Divinity said. "(Like) they say: If you don't get sacks, you don't get no money."

[Fishhead]

On 7/25/2019 at 7:48 AM, NS Mom said:

Daisy has started her two-a-days and will be ready for the start of football season

This season, she has dog to dog coverage,  Hank Williams plays dirty and is always flagged for pass interference. 

Will try to get some good pics of them.  

Hank looks more like Ishmael Sopsher at Alabama...out of shape and poor conditioning.  Daisy looks like Odell

[LSUDad]

 

 

 

LSU freshman LB Donte Starks will not report to preseason camp, Ed Orgeron says

• BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER
• PUBLISHED JUL 31, 2019 AT 1:40 PM | UPDATED JUL 31, 2019 AT 5:31 PM

 

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John Ehret High School linebacker Donte Starks signs a letter of intent to play football for LSU during a ceremony at John Ehret High School in Marrero, La., Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018.

Advocate staff photo by SHAWN FINK

 

 

LSU true freshman linebacker Donte Starks will not report to preseason camp Aug. 1, coach Ed Orgeron said Wednesday at a Baton Rouge Rotary Club event at Tiger Stadium.

The 6-foot-1, 212-pound John Ehret graduate did not arrive on campus in June, and Orgeron said at the time that he had not yet arrived on campus because he needed to complete academic requirements.

 

"We don't know what's going to happen," Orgeron said. "He's not going to report to camp. We're still waiting to see. Hopefully he'll be eligible for this year, but he still has a little bit of work to do."

Starks posted on Twitter later Wednesday afternoon saying he will “manage to keep my composure.”

“Only if y’all knew what I’m going through to get into school,” Starks wrote. “But I manage to keep my composure... this storm will end soon and at the end I will have a story to tell and release to y’all I’m sorry for the wait.”

Only if y’all knew what I’m going through to get into schoolbut I manage to keep my composure this storm will end soon and at the end I will have a story to tell and release to y’all I’m sorry for the wait .

— TheOne&OnlyD.Starks. (@donte_starks8) July 31, 2019

Junior college transfer Soni Fonua also did not arrive on campus in June due to academics, and he will be reporting to preseason camp on Thursday.

Starks was the No. 10-ranked inside linebacker of the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and he and Alabama native Kendall McCallum were the two inside linebackers of the class.

LSU football returns starting inside linebacker Jacob Phillips, whom Orgeron said enters spring practice with a "big contest" against returning reserve linebacker Patrick Queen, who backed up former All-American linebacker Devin White last season.

The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Queen, recorded 40 tackles and a sack in 2018, when the Livonia High graduate started in the final three games at outside linebacker.

"Those two guys will be battling for that position," Orgeron said.

Senior Michael Divinity will start at the other inside linebacker position, the "Stack" position, which Divinity moved to from outside linebacker in the spring — a move Orgeron called "one of the biggest moves we made in the offseason."

Orgeron said sophomore Damone Clark will back up Divinity. Orgeron compared the 6-foot-4, 238-pound Southern Lab graduate to "Tarzan," and said "he's going to be an excellent linebacker once he matures and learns how to play the game." 

Clark mostly played on special teams as a true freshman last season, when he played in 12 games and recorded one tackle.

[LSUDad]

Ed Orgeron runs down improved offensive line, injuries and more

ByBILLY EMBODY 5 hours ago 

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LSU head coach Ed Orgeron met with the media Tuesday night after practice as the team is now in full pads in fall camp. The coach of the Tigers broke down plenty as the freshmen are emerging, offensive line is vastly improved, injuries were updated and plenty more. Here's everything Orgeron said in the indoor practice facility.

Opening statement... "Today was the first day we put in third downs. The quarterbacks looked very good. Justin Jefferson made some big plays on some screens, short passes, deep balls. He's having an outstanding camp.

"John Emery has made some big plays so had Tyrion Davis. Clyde Edwards-Helairehas been phenomenal running the football.

"The group I'm most proud of is the offensive line. I do believe our offensive line is right now at this point in camp is the most improved group. They're blocking, they're protecting. No one is hurt. They're going through camp. They're tough. They got great leadership with Lloyd (Cushenberry) in there. Our tackles have improved so I'm really pleased with them.

"I'm really pleased with Thaddeus Moss. He's practiced every practice. Him and Tory Carter are very tough. Stephen Sullivan is practicing at tight end and looking very good. Racey McMath is having a good camp along with Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall. Those guys are ready to go. Devonta Lee, we went Big Cat today, he's a physical, physical receiver. Catches every ball and is showing some signs of being an outstanding player. Joe (Burrow) is having an excellent camp and so is Myles (Brennan).

Want the latest VIP scoop out of fall camp? Sign up for Geaux247 today and get 30 percent off an Annual subscription today! Details on how and why to sign up are here.

 

"On defense, we're banged up on defense. Got a lot of guys out right now, which are some things that guys are going to get back, but I wish they could be there every rep just like the offensive line is to get better.

"On defensive line, Jarell Cherry had an excellent day. He's playing inside, outside. Tyler Shelvin has gone through every rep the last couple days. Very tough practices. Shown that he's in good condition, not great condition. So is Apu Ika. Those guys are showing up.

"Derek Stingley is having one great camp. Cordale Flott, Jay Ward, Raydarious (Jones), those guys are outstanding. Mo Hampton showed today he can make some plays. Cade York has had a phenomenal camp so far."

 

On the offensive line standouts... "I think the tackles, No. 1. I knew that Lloyd that would have a good camp, no question. Damien Lewis, they had a great summer. Saahdiq has really improved on his pass protection. He's in shape. They worked his technique, they changed his technique a little bit. Again, coach Cregg worked all summer researching and developing, what was going wrong, talked to some guys and I think he's had a great camp. Austin Deculus has to finish more. He's in better shape, probably the best shape he's been. So those guys are having a good camp."

 

On if Saahdiq Charles had something going on last year... "Nope. I think he's in better shape not. That's what was holding him back. Just gotta get technique. Get lower. Great mindset. I think it was his pass protection. Gotta block those guys coming off the edge. He went 1-on-1 with K'Lavon and won some of those reps. He's very very consistent on the things that we teach him."

On Peter Parrish... "Good quarterback, good young man. Got a ways to go just like everybody else. It's a new offense, new timing for him. Very athletic. Had a good 60-yard run, dual-threat quarterback. Great young man."

 

On Dee Anderson... "Still the same."

On injuries... "Camp injuries. Sprain here, sprain there. Guys should be coming back. Nothing that would keep somebody out too long."

On Jamal Pettigrew... "Yea, he's not coming back yet, but I think that I don't know exactly when he'll come back. I talked to him today, but it won't be soon. Injury happened this summer."

On wanting more aggressive defensive line play... "Yes, that's what we're looking for. Attack. We haven't done that for three years here so I gotta teach it. I've got to get them ready."

 

On how hard he's coaching the defensive line... "No, I just think it's my method. It's just the way I've coached the defensive line and I think that those guys play a very violent position. Have to be in great shape. First contact, we have to learn how to attack instead of sit back and reading. That takes a little bit of talent to live in the backfield, making plays and running down stuff. Just trying to get the mentality now. Once I get that down, I think Kenechi (Udeze) will take over along with Christian Lacouture and I can be more of a hands on head coach."

 

On Rashard Lawrence's conditioning..."He needed to take the day off. Yea, he's been pushing it very hard. Didn't want to injure his leg at all. He's sore a little bit, but I think he needed some rest on it."

On young running backs on the depth chart... "I want those guys to climb the charts just like we did with Joe (Burrow). Earn the respect of the football team. Lanard is doing some good things. Chris is doing some good things so we're just going to let them compete, work them into significant plays and give them a chance to scrimmage. I will say this, they've been excellent so far. They have not disappointed."

 

On John Emery's move in practice..."There's about 15 more that he didn't post."

On Grant Delpit's motivation... "No question. I do believe this team understands this is a new year. Block out the noise, but they do understand the margin of error to get where we want to go is a lot smaller this year. We can't make the same mistakes we made in those games to win those football games so we're practicing like that, they're studying like that. The leaders are approaching camp like that and the season like that. I really appreciate that."

 

On Justin Jefferson... "His ability to catch the ball and route running. The way we're using him now, we're using him a lot more in the short passing game. More screens. Get the ball in his hands and let him make plays in space and I think he's just maturing. He's going to have a great year."

On Chasen Hines at center and Charles Turner being out... "Yea, Charles is going to be back in the next week or so. Have the second team center leave like he did left us a little hole so if something goes down with Lloyd right now, Chasen would have to be center."

 

On team attitude... "Awesome. The attitude has been phenomenal. Ya know, John Robinson looked at me. He makes observations. He said, 'Coach, they look you in the eye, they're observing everything, they're early to meetings, there's enthusiasm. I've never seen a team practice so hard.' I told the team to get in the huddle and they looked at me like they don't know what a huddle is. Everything's a lot faster. Guys have been having a phenomenal attitude.

"I will say this to you, there's good leadership on this team and we recruited some young men with some great character. They've blended in nice."

 

On injuries impacting scrimmage on Saturday... "Those guys, it'll take a while for some of those guys. We're going to work them in. It's just regular camp injuries."

On what he wants to see Saturday... "Us protect the football. Block like we've been blocking. Tackle on defense. Complete passes. Have minimal penalties. Just play a good, solid basic game."

On cornerback depth... "I think we'll be fine. I think Kristian is going to be back soon. I think that Jay Ward has made some outstanding plays out there. So has Cordale Flott. We always have Kary we can put there so we're in good shape. We can put Mo Hampton there too. He made a bunch of plays."

[houtiger]

Good report up there Dad!  This team can improve from 9-3 to 11-1 (my prediction for the regular season).  We return a lot of experience.  We need an upgrade at RB from last year and hopefully we get it.  We needed improvement on the o-line, and O says he sees that.  I will say O has said some things that turned out to be exaggerations, like last year he led us to believe that CEH was popping long runs in practice, but he was not that outstanding during the season.  I'll need to see that Deculus and Charles really are better at tackle.

The most important thing in the report above is an intangible.  It's motivation, responsibility, and the perception that you MIGHT be a champion, IF you aim for continuous improvement and put in the work to make the improvement a reality. 

Quote

 

On team attitude... "Awesome. The attitude has been phenomenal. Ya know, John Robinson looked at me. He makes observations. He said, 'Coach, they look you in the eye, they're observing everything, they're early to meetings, there's enthusiasm. I've never seen a team practice so hard.' I told the team to get in the huddle and they looked at me like they don't know what a huddle is. Everything's a lot faster. Guys have been having a phenomenal attitude.

"I will say this to you, there's good leadership on this team and we recruited some young men with some great character.

 

Attitude, enthusiasm, early to meetings, "never seen a team practice so hard", good leadership, young men with great character.  Most Tiger teams possess these intangibles, it is a question of DEGREE.  Just how committed to doing what is necessary to win.  Maybe this is a year where the intangibles are just a little higher than normal, and that helps us pull out a couple of extra wins this year.

[LSUDad]

 

 

 

LSU's Jarell Cherry hauls bricks in his backpack - literal bricks - as he bulks up for season

• BY BROOKS KUBENA | STAFF WRITER
• PUBLISHED AUG 7, 2019 AT 7:25 PM | UPDATED AUG 8, 2019 AT 8:31 PM

 

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LSU head coach Ed Orgeron watches as LSU defensive end Jarell Cherry (55) runs through a drill with LSU graduate assistant Christian LaCouture as the Tigers hold their first fall practice in full pads, Tuesday, August 6, 2019, on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La.

STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK

 

 

Brooks Kubena

Jake Riedel noticed a backpack on the floor of the weight room.

The LSU assistant strength coach walked over, and a few Tigers football players looked up from their offseason weight training.

Who's backpack was it?

 

Jarell Cherry's.

Cherry was outside running, returning starting defensive end Breiden Fehoko remembers.

Cherry had entered the program at 224 pounds as a true freshman in 2018, and after redshirting his first season as an outside linebacker, he has undergone a substantial body transformation in his move to the defensive line.

Fehoko said Cherry's up to 280 pounds — nearly 20 more pounds than his 6-foot-3, 264-pound listed frame on the official roster. Teammates are calling him "Whole Cherry" now, sophomore outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson said.

 

"He's strong as a rock," Fehoko said. "He benches 485 (pounds). For his size? He's a freak of nature."

And on that summer day, Riedel figured out just how much of a freak of nature Cherry was.

 

Riedel bent to lift Cherry's backpack and pulled.

It barely moved.

Too heavy.

He tried again.

Too heavy again.

Fehoko remembers Riedel just gave up and dragged Cherry's backpack across the floor and out of the way.

 

 

When Cherry returned from his run, he lifted his backpack with ease.

Riedel asked Cherry: Hey, why is your bag so heavy? What classes are you taking?

Cherry was confused: What's up coach?

Riedel: What classes are you taking? I tried to lift your bag and it was heavy. What kind of textbooks you got in there?

Cherry laughed: No, Coach. I got bricks in there.

 

"Jarell's carrying bricks every day to school in his backpack," Fehoko said. "He's crazy, man."

[LSUDad]

2019 LSU Football Preview: Offensive Line

11

Starting our position previews with the biggest question mark on offense for the Tigers.

By Billy Gomila@ATVS_ChefBilly  Aug 8, 2019, 8:15am CDT

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Terrill Weil

We’re used to talking about quarterback being the big question holding back LSU’s skill talent, but last year the biggest problem was the offensive line.

The Tigers used six different lineups in the first seven games under a new position coach, and the overall result yielded the program’s lowest yards-per-carry average in nearly 10 years, with sack and tackle-for-loss numbers in the bottom quarter of the country.

But four starters return, along with several key experienced backups. Overall depth and numbers are better than they’ve been in several years. The ingredients are in place for this line to take a jump into the top half of the SEC, but keeping a healthy and consistent lineup will be the key.

Offensive line coach James Cregg moved this group more towards the Alex Gibbs style of wide/tight zone blocking, and that’s a system that relies heavily on communication between players and continuity of lineup. Keeping a steady and consistent rotation will be the key.

 

Expect the starting lineup to look something like this:

Saahdiq Charles (LT), Adrian Magee (LG), Lloyd Cushenberry (C), Damien Lewis (RG), Austin Deculus (RT)

Look for sophomore Chasen Hines to push Magee, and maybe supplant him eventually, while true freshman Kardell Thomas pushes for playing time as well.

The tackles are likely set with Charles and Deculus, and keeping both healthy will be a huge key, as they played through injuries last season. Charles can be dominant at times, and I still believe has the potential to play himself into a high draft rating. Deculus can be a mauler one-on-one but struggles in space or with speed rushers. 

Inside, Cushenberry and Lewis return. The former was one of the most consistent centers in the SEC last year, and has clearly emerged as a team rock in earning the No. 18. Lewis can be dominant at times, but struggled with consistency.

Look for Magee and Hines to be the two primary backups at a couple of positions. Overall, depth is much better here with veterans like Badara Traore and Donovaughn Campbell. Players like Dare Rosenthal and Cameron Wire should have the freedom to grow into future roles. Both would likely get on the field in an injury situation, but neither should be needed yet. And most of this freshman class should have the luxury of a redshirt. Although I do think we’ll see Thomas get on the field, as he’ll likely be eyeing a starting job in 2020.

There could be some additional depth added if Ed Ingram comes off his suspension — there have been rumors that sexual assault charges in Texas could be dropped. But until those charges are dropped, which won’t happen before the season opener, he remains out and the staff isn’t planning on having him.

[LSUDad]

20 Minutes and Out: Glimpse of LSU preseason practice No. 9

 

Ron Higgins • TigerDetails

@RonHigg

 

A heat warning from the National Weather Service didn’t slow down LSU one iota in preseason practice No. 9 Monday afternoon at The Ponderosa.

After a day off Sunday following Saturday’s scrimmage that Tigers’ coach Ed Orgeron said was won by the defense, players seemed to have a little pep in their step.

Here’s some observations:

1. Starting quarterback Joe Burrow, who missed Friday’s practice and Saturday’s scrimmage with an undisclosed injury, was back in action Monday. As you can see from the video below, whatever injury that was nagging Burrow has subsided. He was throwing passes and running downfield with the rest of the first-team offense.

2. Cornerback Kristan Fulton and offensive lineman Kardell Thomas, both of whom missed several practices last week, also returned to practice.

3. In an interview session earlier in the day, linebacker Michael Divinity was still laughing about defensive line Breidan Fehoko getting run down on a 40-yard fumble recovery and run by backup quarterback Myles Brennan in Saturday’s scrimmage.

“One minute we saw Myles pitch and then we saw Breidan take off,” Divinity said. “We’re running behind him (yelling) `go, go, go’ and then Myles Brennan, a quarterback, catches him.

“He (Fehoko) had a 20-yard burst and his engine blew out.”

Said Fehoko, “All of the defense was trash talking when I got to the sideline. . .but it was good to see everybody happy and celebrating.”

[LSUDad]

Kardell Thomas will be out approx two months. 

[LSUDad]

2019 LSU Football Preview: Running Backs

2

Are LSU’s backs moving into a new era in a new offense?

By Billy Gomila@ATVS_ChefBilly  Aug 18, 2019, 3:50pm CDT

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Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

For the past few seasons, LSU has relied on a veteran stable of tailbacks. From Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice to Guice and Darrel Williams to Nick Brossette last season.

This year, the Tigers return just one experienced runner, and will look to a talent infusion from freshmen to, hopefully, spark a return to the explosive running games we’ve gotten used to in recent seasons.

 

Juniors Clyde Edwards Helaire and Tory Carter will be the starters here nominally, but those roles won’t exactly mean what we’ve been used to in recent years.

Carter already moved into more of an H-back tight end role who occasionally lines up in the backfield, and this spring we saw that Joe Brady’s influence will see him line up all over the field, which should just fit his skill set fine. He’s already a devastating blocker and a real tone-setter for the offense, but Carter has soft hands as a receiver as well. He’s no big-play threat, but he can certainly serve his purpose and give Steve Ensminger a chess piece to move around to create leverage in certain sets.

Edwards-Helaire was a solid backup to Brossette last season, and could be a better fit in the spread style we saw in the spring where he can be used more as a receiver and weapon in space. He’s not the biggest back, but he’s a tough runner that doesn’t go down easy. Likewise, he’s also not the fastest, but still tough to handle in a short area. Not a true lead back, but a nice complementary weapon.

The hope is that freshmen John Emery Jr.and Tyrion Davis-Price will add more punch. Emery, a five-star recruit that was the subject of a very heated recruitment between LSU and Georgia, is one of the more explosive multi-purpose backs Louisiana has produced in a while. He’s a gifted receiver, an electric runner and willing blocker as well. 

The fact that his and Edwards-Helaire’s skillsets are so similar should make it easier to make things relatively interchangeable at times with them in the game. We may see them make impacts early as pass-catchers underneath as well, to help set up the receivers down the field.

Davis-Price is much more of the one-cut, power/speed combination we’ve been used to seeing, and it would not surprise me at all if he carves out a role in this offense more quickly.

If LSU’s passing game really does get things going fast this season, Davis-Price is the ideal back to step in for short-yardage scenarios, and to help salt away big leads. He flashes a vision and burst similar to former Tiger Jeremy Hill, which could be deadly in a wide/tight zone scheme out of spread sets.

Redshirt frosh Chris Curry gives another power back similar to Davis-Price, which again, brings some interchangeability to the offense. I was bullish on his prospects as a true freshman but things never quite broke his way, leading to the redshirt. But I would not give up on him yet.

[LSUDad]

Rabalais: As season draws near, LSU left with compartively few questions to answer

• BY SCOTT RABALAIS | SPORTS COLUMNIST
• PUBLISHED AUG 17, 2019 AT 6:51 PM | UPDATED AUG 17, 2019 AT 7:11 PM
•  

 

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LSU coach Ed Orgeron, right, watches closely as players work in position drills during LSU football practice Monday, Aug. 12, 2019.

PHOTO BY PATRICK DENNIS

 

 

Scott Rabalais

The traffic Saturday in and around LSU was regular-season home game caliber, as thousands of students stormed their campus dorm rooms and apartments for the fall semester.

Over in Tiger Stadium, a comparative island of calm away from the sea of red taillights and carbon monoxide, the football team that those students will be screaming for this fall was going through the second of its three preseason scrimmage “games.”

There is still one more scrimmage on the schedule next Saturday, one week before the Tigers launch the campaign Aug. 31 against Georgia Southern. But that will be a glorified walk-through sans pads and real hitting, with more of an emphasis on substitutions and other logistics.

 

 

This was the scrimmage that likely will go a long way to determining who starts and who comes off the bench.

Given where LSU has been most of this preseason camp with injuries, things for the most part sounded upbeat.

Yes, freshman guard Kardell Thomas from Southern Lab is done for the foreseeable future after having surgery on last week’s leg injury. Coach Ed Orgeron wouldn’t say Thomas won’t play at all in 2019, but he won’t be back anytime soon. And yes, defensive stars Grant Delpit, Kristian Fulton and K’Lavon Chassion were held out once again. So was nose tackle Apu Ika, locked in a battle for the starting spot with Tyler Shelvin but missing lots of practice time of late.

Coach O made sure to point out that Delpit, Fulton and Chaisson could have played if there was a real game Saturday. Though there are still a lot of practices to go before Georgia Southern, it appears the Tigers are “coming to health,” as former coach Les Miles might have said.

 

Orgeron says more about injuries than Miles used to allow, which is what might have contributed to the concern around the program that Tigers have been going down at an alarming rate. But other than Thomas, no one appears to be out long-term, which is fairly encouraging at this late stage of the preseason.

The offensive line continues to be a concern, though. LSU fans will recall that last year the Tigers went through something like 106 starting combinations because of a parade of injuries.

The shuffling and position flipping has continued at a high spin rate during preseason camp. Jakori Savage has moved from defense back to offense, while freshman Anthony Bradford is sliding over from tackle to guard. Coach O spoke of senior Badara Traore being able to play both spots.

 

Left guard continues to be one big question mark.

“I'd like another Damien Lewis” there, Orgeron said, referring to his entrenched starting right guard. “Chasen Hines has all the physical tools and skills to be an outstanding player, but he's had a hampering injury. He hasn't been put through the fire yet. Adrian Magee is another guy who's a veteran there, has played some good football. I think those two guys are vying for that starting spot right now.

“Obviously, we're thin on the offensive line, so we have some guys who are going to have to play both positions.”

That is hardly what anyone wants to hear two weeks before their season opener, but it’s worth remembering that every college team out there has issues. At Alabama, for example, they’re lamenting a lack of depth at linebacker despite having All-American and former U-High star Dylan Moses in a starring role.

 

Speaking of linebacker, though, it was interesting that Orgeron spoke almost nonchalantly about the battle at the rover linebacker spot between Jacob Phillips (LSU’s top returning tackler with 87 stops), Patrick Queen and Damone Clark. The latter has been hyped so much this month I’m starting to expect a hybrid of Patrick Willis and Dick Butkus come the regular season.

“I don’t think we have to make that decision now,” Orgeron said of naming a starter there.

 

Any uncertainty, though, does add to an air of concern on that side of the ball. Especially after former LSU great Ryan Clark got on WNXX-FM’s “After Further Review” radio show this week and said that at least early on, the defense could be a concern.

“For the first time in a while I think the offense is going to have to play well and carry the defense for a little bit,” Clark said.

 

Clark also tweeted that after watching practice, he was more impressed with Joe Burrow than he was when the former Ohio State transfer first arrived last summer.

“I’m standing next to a scout at practice and there’s a throw he makes from the opposite hash, a deep out route; he puts it right over one defender and in between another,” Clark said. “It couldn’t have been thrown anyplace else and be caught.

“Three plays earlier there was a throw down the sideline to JaMarr Chase. He hits Terrace Marshall on a deep post and it’s right where it’s supposed to be. We didn’t see those things from the offense last year, so we didn’t get to see him (Burrow) in those moments.

“I’m not saying he’s a great player. But if you’ve ever been on a team with a great player, you see these people do things in practice. To see Joe Burrow, in that type atmosphere, make those throws, be as focused as he was throughout the practice, I think he has something to prove.”

 

So do the Tigers in general. But if this week's preparations were any indications, they're finding the answers to the big questions.

Now if they could just find a way to do something about the traffic ...

[LSUDad]

2019 LSU Football Preview: Quarterbacks

Tigers are on solid ground, we just don’t know how high it is yet.

By Billy Gomila@ATVS_ChefBilly  Aug 17, 2019, 3:18pm CDT

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

The transfer of Joe Burrow was a game-changer for the LSU program for a number of reasons. But the biggest one is that he was a stop-gap measure that allowed Ed Orgeron and his staff to reset the depth chart. 

A year later, the overall health and depth at the position is at its best place in a while, with a senior starter, a third-year backup seemingly poised to take over in a year, a 2019 freshman in the pipeline to develop and two talented commitments for the 2020 recruiting class.

It’s an undeniably good situation overall. The question is, will the state of play for the 2019 season takes another step forward.

 

Burrow is the man at QB1, and third-year sophomore Myles Brennan is entrenched at No. 2 with freshman Peter Parrish at No. 3.

Burrow’s first season here — his first overall as a starter in college on a team he joined in June — could best be described as aggressively fine. In the beginning, he could be best described as the game-manager archetype. He kept LSU’s offense moving and avoided major mistakes, for the most part, but the numbers were nothing to write home about. But by the end of the season, things started to come together. In the last five games (including the Fiesta Bowl), Burrow completed 63 percent of his throws at 8.7 yards per attempt with 10 touchdowns against two picks, plus three more touchdowns on the ground. 

The question is, which half of the season paints the real picture?

There’s no question that Burrow has the intangibles you’d want from a quarterback. He is quite literally the son of a coach. He threw himself into his playbook as a graduate student, and ingratiated himself to his teammates pretty quickly, even jumping in the middle of a pre-game scrum with Miami in the opener. He’s a tough bastard, playing himself to the point of complete exhaustion against Texas A&M and then shrugging off an interception and a dirty hit in the Fiesta Bowl to complete nine of his next 11 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns.

We just need to see more of the tangible portion of the game. Overall, he’s a good decision maker who protects the football. At times, he’s pressed for the big play to the detriment of getting the ball out or breaking from the pocket. He’s a plus runner — something LSU should be able to utilize better this season — but sometimes made questionable reads on option plays. He’s an accurate short passer, although his deep ball is lacking a bit. Although he does back-shoulder deep routes down the sidelines well.

But with another year of development, and an offense that should be geared more towards his strengths and comfort, we should see improvement just in terms of chemistry and timing. I’m not sure he has it in him to break out and be one of the top playmakers in the SEC, but if the rest of his teammates can raise their games, he’ll meet them at a level that should be better than any quarterback we’ve seen since Zach Mettenberger. 

If he does have a higher gear? Well, that could be something we haven’t seen in an even longer time.

Behind him, Brennan appears to be The Quarterback Of The Future. He was able to get a redshirt year back in 2018, and had a strong offseason that saw him put on some very obvious weight in the spring. In terms of the actual passing part of the position, Brennan has it down pat. He’s got a fantastic arm and gets the ball where its supposed to go. The question comes down to decision making under live game action, something that’s still a bit of a mystery. Although hopefully, he gets to see more relief time this year building towards taking over the job in 2020.

The freshman Parrish was an intriguing 2019 prospect who came up outside of the elite QB prospect system, but one who worked his way into an offer from LSU and then followed that up with a state-championship senior season. He should be looking at a redshirt year and at least another year of development after that before any of us really find out what he’s got.