Today marked the first day of media availability for LSU Spring football, and it started answering a few of the many questions we have going into the season. The big news was the first sighting of new D-Line coach Kyle Williams, the former LSU legend and 6-time pro bowl defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills. Williams was hired just a few days before spring football began, and we got to see him coaching in the purple and gold for the first time today.
“The thing that stands out to me is his attention to the finer points of playing the position. He’s someone that clearly understands the nuances of the position, and can articulate and communicate that effectively to the ones playing now at LSU. I got a chance to spend some time out there today just listening to him and the way he connects with the players, and I know he’s going to make an impact for us.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly on Kyle Williams
The other big thing we got today was the first look at an offense that has a lot of new faces going into the year. With a lot of competition in the wide receiver room, Coach Kelly assured that we would see a lot of shifts in who is starting throughout the spring. For now though, we saw Chris Hilton Jr., Aaron Anderson, and Zavion Thomas as the starting trio out wide. Trey’Dez Green started at TE, but was unsurprisingly lining up off the line of scrimmage a lot as well, giving him a chance to play almost as a fourth wide receiver when he is out there at times.
“It’s all about building a relationship with his receivers. He has deep threats and guys that give him plenty of options . It’s been about getting as much work with the receiving crew and getting on the same page, and that seems to be coming along well. I think we will have a quarterback comfortable with the options that he has.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly on Garrett Nussmeier and the Wide Receivers
Garrett Nussmeier has QB1 locked down of course, and there will be a lot of questions surrounding his progression and potential jump in his 2nd year as starter, but the big question today surrounded the identity of his backup. To answer that question for now, we got to see Mississippi St transfer Michael Van Buren Jr. get the 2nd team reps today. There was a lot of buzz surrounding Louisiana High School record breaking QB Ju’Juan Johnson making the position change back to being under center for the spring, and he is slotting in as the QB3 for now. That’s no surprise, but it will be interesting to see how that room develops throughout the spring.
The most intriguing question regarding the offensive starters, however, lies on the offensive line. They only return one of their 5 starters from last year’s highly touted squad, Center DJ Chester. For now, we’re seeing Tyree Adams and Weston Davis lock down the first team tackle spots, and Paul Mubenga and Bo Borderlon lock down the first team guard spots. However, the offensive line is even more up in the air than the wide receivers, as Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson will join the team next week and potentially slot in to one of the starting spots.
“We lost them after the Oklahoma game, and we went to work starting against Baylor with a new group, so it doesn’t really feel like we’re replacing four offensive lineman. It’s more that we need to just fill a couple of holes. They are going to be pretty good SEC players. The bar is pretty high after Will Campbell and Emery Jones, but these are good players that will help us in time. There’s enough experience that we’re going to put together a good offensive line.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly on the Offensive Line
Thompson is one of the many transfers that LSU brought in this offseason, helping the Tigers secure the #1 transfer portal class in the entire FBS. This is our first look at many of those new additions, seeing them don the purple and gold for the first time here in practice.
“There isn’t a player that has disappointed. Each one of them has shown us something that says they can contribute and help our football team in some way. All of them have a presence in our 2 deep, and that’s saying a lot. We are very pleased with all of them.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly on the Transfer Portal class
The transfers aren’t the only new faces here in Baton Rouge, as many of the top recruits in LSU’s top 10 recruiting class are taking the field for their first spring here with the Tigers. Among the top names in that class is the #1 RB in the class, 5 star Harlem Berry from St. Martin’s Episcopal. Many are excited to see what kind of impact he can make early alongside starter Caden Durham, and it seems like he’s off to a promising start so far.
“I’m pleased with some of the little things that you need to see from a running back. We run a lot of inside run, and that requires you to slog it away, where 3 or 4 yards is a good run. For Harlem, a touchdown was a good run in high school. It requires a change of his mindset, and he clearly understands that. Early indications are really positive.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly on Harlem Berry
We’re only one practice into spring, but with all the fun new faces making their first impact in Baton Rouge, there’s sure to be an exciting season to come. We will have more updates throughout the spring, with the next practice report coming March 14th.
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