It’s hard to know what to expect from this year’s LSU squad.
On one hand, the Tigers have a lot of talent to replace, especially on offense. On the other, there’s optimism with the current roster and hope that the defense will take a step forward after it proved to be a limiting factor last season.
With the expanded College Football Playoff, LSU will have a wider margin for error this season. But what will it take for the Tigers to win it all?
ESPN’s Bill Connelly attempted to answer this question for every college football playoff contender. He identified four key “ifs” for LSU this season: the skill position group, Joe Sloan’s play-calling, the [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] conundrum and the pass defense.
If … Garrett Nussmeier has a skill corps. Granted, it’s not succeeding Nick Saban, but succeeding Heisman winner Jayden Daniels will still be tricky. Nussmeier did his best to alleviate concerns with an excellent bowl performance, but the receiving corps lost first-round receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Kyren Lacy is a potential star, Liberty transfer CJ Daniels was incredible in Conference USA, and LSU doesn’t usually struggle to produce big-time receivers. But the receivers are only semi-proven, and the running backs less proven.
If … Joe Sloan’s ready. When head coach Brian Kelly lost offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock to Notre Dame, he justifiably promoted Sloan, last year’s QBs coach. If he’s as good at calling plays as he was at getting the most from Daniels, LSU’s offense will be fine.
If … Blake Baker figures out Harold Perkins Jr. Baker left his gig as Missouri’s defensive coordinator to become the best-paid assistant in the country. Baker’s defenses are aggressive, physical and fun, but he’s inheriting the pieces of a defense that ranked just 52nd in defensive SP+.
He’s also inheriting Perkins. Perkins was one of the most disruptive freshmen we’ve ever seen in 2022, but he was merely very good last year while playing less in an outside linebacker role, his most effective position. Baker has talked about playing Perkins on the inside, but he’ll need to get the most out of the junior one way or another.
If … the pass defense defends the pass. LSU ranked a dismal 107th in yards allowed per dropback last year. Most of last year’s secondary returns, and Kelly added Texas A&M safety Jardin Gilbert and Ohio State corner Jyaire Brown, among others, from the transfer portal. How long might it take for Baker to create something more effective from these ingredients?
It’s easy to see how it could go wrong for the Tigers with so many questions, but there is a lot of talent on the roster and the expectation for development, especially when it comes to young players who saw key reps on defense last fall.
A lot will have to go right for LSU to win a national title this season, but a potential path is clearly visible.
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