Tag: 2-Deep Depth Chart

LSU’s two-deep defensive projection ahead of the season opener

Projecting how the LSU Tigers’ 2-deep defensive depth chart could look when they play UCLA on Sept. 4.

There is just a week until the LSU Tigers head to Pasadena, California, for a week one battle with the UCLA Bruins. For head coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, they are hoping for a better defensive effort in 2021.

Under the guidance of then coordinator Bo Pelini, the Tigers defense was abysmal. In 10 games last year, they allowed more points and yards than we have seen in 70 years. This is the reason that Jones is now the man to lead the defense heading into 2021.

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Eli Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr look for better efforts from a secondary that allowed 323 yards per game through the air. As a whole, the defense allowed almost 500 yards per game.

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As we did with the offense, here is how we are projecting the two-deep depth chart on that side of the ball ahead of the UCLA game.

LSU’s two-deep offensive projection ahead of the season opener

Projecting how the LSU Tigers’ offensive two-deep depth chart could look for the opener against UCLA.

The LSU Tigers are going back to the offense they ran in 2019. That year Joe Brady dialed it up and the team scored over 48 points per game. Last year under Steve Ensminger and passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, they scored 32 points per game.

Needing a more explosive offense to keep up with the rest of the SEC, head coach Ed Orgeron wanted to go back to Brady’s offense. He brought in two of Brady’s assistants in Carolina with Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas. The duo will bring back that RPO attack that gave defenses fits in 2019 en route to a national championship.

Sophomore quarterback Max Johnson is a dual-threat behind center, so the RPO-based attack will fit his style. He led the Tigers to back-to-back wins to close out 2020 while throwing for 784 yards and six touchdowns. The connection between him and fellow sophomore, Kayshon Boutte, was deadly down the stretch.

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If the running game can get up to speed as well, this offense could be a lot more dynamic than it was a season ago.

Here is how I see the LSU Tigers two-deep roster projection on offense: