Tomorrow begins the start of LSU fall camp, and for the 2024 Tigers, there are plenty of tantalizing storylines to follow and a lot of questions that will need to be answered out on the Ponderosa over the next couple of weeks leading up to when the Tigers kickoff the season in Las Vegas against USC on Sunday, September 1st. Led by a new offensive coordinator in Joe Sloan and a new defensive coordinator in Blake Baker, year three of the Brian Kelly era is going to be a crucial year for the program.
Here are a couple of storylines that we will be paying close attention to throughout fall camp!
1. Garrett Nussmeier is running the show as QB1:
After waiting in the wing behind Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, it is finally time for the Nuss Bus. Garrett Nussmeier silenced any doubters and proved that he is ready leading the Tigers offense after a flawless spring game performance. While there is going to be a competition to see who will backup Nussmeier, there is no question that he is the guy coming into the season. He has also performed well when given the opportunity to play highlighted by a ReliaQuest Bowl MVP performance last season. Seeing Nussmeier running the first team offense is a given, but seeing how he operates the offense and how he leads the team throughout practice can go a long way into him having the breakout season that everybody expects him to have.
2. Who is going to make up for the lost production in the running game?
Not only are the Tigers losing their top passer, but they are also replacing their top rusher in Jayden Daniels. Daniels and Logan Diggs, who now has transferred to Ole Miss, accounted for nearly 70% of the LSU rushing attack last fall. With Garrett Nussmeier not being near the running threat as Daniels was, the offensive rushing attack is going to have to come from more natural options, which are the running backs. The good news is that the starting offensive line is expected to be one of the best in the entire country, and there are some options that can help carry the load and take some pressure off the passing game.
First, there is Kaleb Jackson, who after averaging over five yards per carry last season, has bulked up to 235 pounds and is the leading candidate to be the every down back. There is also the veteran graduate student Josh Williams, who is the savvy veteran and has been a reliable player for the Tigers as a blocker, receiver, and as a runner. Freshman Caden Durham will also make his debut with the Tigers during fall camp and has a great opportunity to earn some reps.
The two question marks on how much we will see them during fall camp are John Emery Jr. and Trey Holly as Emery returns and is still recovering from a torn ACL injury last year while Holly still has another hearing scheduled for September 18th after he was found not guilty of an attempted murder charge. The leading ball carrier last season was Josh Williams, but only with 55 carries so whoever ends up as RB1 will have a lot of fresh tread on the tires.
3. Who will replace the receiver production left by Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.?
At LSU, wide receiver has always been a consistent position group for this program and 2024 should prove to be no different despite having to replace two first round receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. The two leading options to continue the Tigers’ highly efficient and big play passing attack are Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton Jr. Lacy was the team’s number three last season with 30 grabs for 558 yards and seven touchdowns. After an incredible spring, Lacy is on pace for a huge breakout season as possibly the Tigers’ number one receiver. Meanwhile, Hilton has shown flashes over his career and of his big playmaking ability, but injuries have gotten in the way for most of his time on campus. When healthy, Hilton has a chance to show why he was so highly recruited coming out of Zachary High School.
The biggest question at the receiver position is who will end up being the number three and four wide receiver. Aaron Anderson, Liberty transfer CJ Daniels, Mississippi State transfer Zavion Thomas, and Kyle Parker have all been rotating at some point as the number three or four receiver so it is going to be something to follow when it comes to see who will separate themselves for targets. Daniels and Thomas were both incredibly productive players from their previous stops as Daniels was a 1,000 yard receiver for Liberty while Thomas was Mississippi State’s leading receiver and return specialist.
Those targets could also come from the tight end position, which is loaded led by tight end Mason Taylor, who has been a reliable playmaker for the Tigers with 74 grabs for 762 yards and four touchdowns over his career. Mac Markway, Ka’Morreun Pimpton, and Trey’Dez Green round out a talented and diverse tight end group that can all make plays when needed.
4. First year freshmen defenders can make an immediate impact on defense.
With a lot of the problems the defense faced last year, reinforcements can come in young, but talented options. Three defensive candidates that a lot of people will keep their eyes on are safety Dashawn Spears, defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, and cornerback PJ Woodland.
Woodland took a lot of headlines during the spring as he took first team reps with the defense. The coaching staff has loved his competitiveness and his willingness to take on some of the toughest challenges. He has the skillset, but as long as he continues to add weight and get bigger, he will have a chance to get starting reps just coming in.
As far as McKinley is concerned, the former number one player in Louisiana and five star prospect needs to hit the field early because of lack of depth at the position. Fortunately, McKinley has been impressing teammates and coaches with how he has attacked the weight room during the summer. How he translates early to SEC competition will show where this defensive line group can be as a whole.
Finally, there is Dashawn Spears, who was arguably the most impressive freshman during the spring as he shutdown every receiver he went up against and even had an interception in the spring game. He has stood out with his reps with his physicality, length, and ball hawking skills. With his stock continuing to rise, Spears will have a chance to make an impact on the field.
5. Numerous position battles will be played out during fall camp.
There are still a lot of position battles that will be played out onto the football field during practice. A couple were already mentioned like the starting running back spot and at wide receiver, but there are other positions that need to be monitored as well. Everybody knows about Garrett Nussmeier as the starting quarterback, but the backup quarterback position spot is still being played out as AJ Swann and Rickie Collins will get more opportunities for reps behind Nussmeier.
The defensive line has a glaring weakness on the interior as besides Jacobian Guillory, there is not a lot of reliable experience or depth at defensive tackle. Wisconsin transfer Gio Paez, Grand Valley State transfer Jayviar Suggs, and East Mississippi Community College transfer Shone Washington have come through the transfer portal while Jalen Lee, Kimo Makane’ole, and Dominick McKinley are also battling for starting reps.
Cornerback is what a lot of fans are keeping their eyes on as there are some options to look at including Ashton Stamps, PJ Woodland, JK Johnson, Zy Alexander, Jyaire Brown, and others, but so far, nobody has stood out or emerged from the rest of the pack. Under Corey Raymond, who makes his return as LSU’s cornerback coach, this is an open competition to see who impresses him the most.
There is even competition on special teams including at the punter position as the Tigers are trying to find their replacement after Jay Bramblett was the team’s punter the last couple of seasons. Peyton Todd, Badger Hargett, and Louisiana Tech punter Blake Ochsendorf are competing for the starting job.
With LSU football starting fall camp, we will have highlights and analysis for every practice that the media has availability. We will also post more in-depth position group previews for the upcoming season during fall practice. To keep up with all of our content, make sure to go to www.gridironfootballusa.com!
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