Even losing quarterback Stetson Bennett IV and a large contingent of defensive players to the NFL draft, Georgia looks to be the team that LSU and everyone else in the SEC will be chasing once again in 2023.
While UGA is likely the top dog in the conference, what’s particularly interesting is the question of who its top competition will be. Coming off an SEC West-winning season, it could be the Tigers.
On3’s Jesse Simonton concurs. In his post-spring SEC power rankings, he listed LSU second, behind the Bulldogs and ahead of Nick Saban’s Alabama team.
Here’s his reasoning behind the decision:
Brian Kelly exceeded expectations in Year 1 with the Tigers, upsetting Alabama and winning the SEC West. Now, he returns an even better team in Year 2, with all five starting o-linemen back, plus quarterback Jayden Daniels, the best set of wideouts in the SEC and freaky linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. headlining a loaded front-seven, which also returns 5-star DL Maason Smith.
LSU has once again re-loaded its secondary via the transfer portal this offseason, and while the Tigers must play rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa this year, they enter the summer with fewer question marks than the Tide.
The Tigers certainly return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and had a huge portal haul, once again. The Crimson Tide lose a lot, conversely, and there are plenty of reasons to believe LSU can repeat as champions of the West.
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