Tag: 2023 fall camp

Five stories that have defined LSU’s 2023 fall camp

These five storylines have defined LSU’s fall camp.

LSU’s fall camp is coming to a close.

By this time next week, LSU’s preparation for Florida State will be in full swing and football season will be officially underway.

The Tigers’ fall practice thus far has featured heightened pressure and expectations that weren’t there last year. LSU enters the year at No. 5 in the AP Poll, but talking season is just about over.

You never really know anything until the team steps out onto the field. This is college football after all. But there have been some stories and rumblings out of camp that shed light on some things we can expect to see out of LSU this fall.

Here are five things that have defined LSU’s fall camp.

LSU dealing with several injuries in secondary ahead of season

The Tigers could enter the season with some depth concerns in the defensive backfield.

We’re less than two weeks away from LSU beginning its 2023 campaign against the Florida State Seminoles in Orlando, but the Tigers are currently battling a few injuries in one of the thinner position groups on the field.

LSU currently has several players in the secondary working to get back to full health. The most significant is cornerback [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag], an Ohio State transfer who was expected to compete for a starting job but is currently out indefinitely with a fractured foot.

On3’s Matthew Brune also provided injury reports on two other players. [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag], who’s having a good camp and could win the nickel job, was injured during Saturday’s scrimmage, ending his day.

If Ryan is unavailable for the opener, it’s possible we could see safety [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] move back to nickel, where he began the 2022 season.

Safety [autotag]Matthew Langlois[/autotag] has missed a lot of camp, which is concerning given his injury history. He was expected to provide some key depth, and his absence for the start of the season would raise even more questions about the group.

That’s not even mentioning the status of [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag], who returned to the field on Saturday after missing a week of practice. It’s still not entirely clear if he’s going to play against the Seminoles.

LSU has luckily managed to stay healthy among starters in the defensive backfield, but it could enter the season with some serious depth concerns.

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Is Kaleb Jackson LSU’s next star running back?

LSU could have its next rushing star with freshman Kaleb Jackson

LSU’s running back room is flush with veteran options.

[autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag],[autotag] Logan Diggs[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag], [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] have 17 combined years under their belt. [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag], who had a cup of tea with Oklahoma after beginning his career at LSU in 2020 is back with the team too.

LSU lacks a proven star there, but there’s plenty of depth and experience.

But in fall camp, it’s a true freshman stealing the show.

[autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag], a blue-chip recruit who was top 10 overall in the state and top 10 nationally at his position, impressed in Saturday’s scrimmage.

He took a swing pass from [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], made a couple of guys miss and turned on the jets to take it to the house.

Jackson also notched an 18-yard touchdown run on the day and was tracked reaching speeds over 21 miles per hour.

For a guy who weighs in at 225, that’s elite speed.

From a physicality and athletic standpoint, Jackson looks to have everything you want in a running back. He’s shifty and can make defenders miss, but he also has the size to run through tackles.

That size paired with his pass-catching ability should make him a formidable option on passing downs too.

Expect LSU to stick with its veterans early in the year. Cain and Williams have the trust of the coaching staff right now, so it would make sense if they got the bulk of the snaps against Florida State.

But if Brian Kelly’s 2022 at LSU taught us anything, it’s that he’s going to get guys that can play in the game, even if it means making some schematic adjustments.

It’s early and Jackson will have to keep it up to chip away at the workload slated for the older guys, but expect to see Jackson contribute for LSU at some point this year.

He has the tools to be a star.

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LSU cornerback Denver Harris returns to practice field

Denver Harris missed the last week of practices but returned to the field on Saturday.

LSU got some good news on Saturday as cornerback [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] was spotted at practice.

Harris had missed the last week of practices — three in total — as he dealt with what coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] described as “personal matters.” Kelly said that Harris could potentially return to the field this weekend, and that proved to be the case.

It’s not entirely clear what Harris’ status is or the reason behind his recent absence. It had been reported that he played a big role in the mid-practice fight during an open session last week.

Harris has had some off-the-field issues in the past, facing multiple suspensions as a true freshman last fall at Texas A&M. When the Tigers took him in the transfer portal, Kelly said the staff “did our due diligence” before agreeing to take him.

The former five-star prospect is now back working with the team, and we’ll see what his availability looks like for the season opener.

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LSU cornerback Denver Harris dealing ‘personal matters,’ could return to team this weekend

Denver Harris has missed the last three practices but could return to the field by the weekend, Brian Kelly said.

As LSU has progressed with its fall camp, one of the biggest question marks has been [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag].

The Texas A&M cornerback transfer has been absent at practice recently, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] told the media Wednesday that he’s been away from the team while “handling some personal matters” but could return to the field as soon as this weekend.

“If he takes care of everything, we could have him back this weekend,” Kelly said per Wilson Alexander of The Advocate.

247Sports’ Sonny Shipp reported that Harris had a “pretty big role” in the fight at practice earlier in camp, and he’s missed three straight practices. His absence from the team photo also drew some attention.

Harris, a former five-star prospect, had some discipline issues with the Aggies as a freshman and was suspended twice last fall. He’s expected to play a key role in the secondary this season, and LSU will hope to get him back sooner rather than later.

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LSU DC Matt House evaluates secondary play in fall camp

The Tigers have a lot of talent in the secondary, but it also remains the team’s biggest question mark entering 2023.

LSU returns a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but if there’s one position group that remains a pretty big question mark, it’s the secondary.

The Tigers lost a good bit there, and though they return their starting safeties, things will look different at the cornerback spots with a number of transfer portal and recruiting additions.

Speaking to the media, defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] praised the play of the group so far.

“Yeah, I think guys are still competing for roles at this point.” House said, according to 247Sports’ Bryce Koon. “You know you see good things out of them, but what we are looking for is consistency. Day in and day out exhibiting our traits and really being the guy that you can count on every snap.

“We have had some guys that flashed with Duce (Chestnut) putting together some strong practices this week…I think Duce is just a “heady” player, he’s got a unique skill set for baiting players and you can just tell he has played a lot of football. You know [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] is growing up really fast and [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] has done some good things, but overall we just have to grow.”

Alexander is a particularly interesting player. A standout at Southeastern Louisiana, there were questions about whether the FCS transfer would be able to cut it in the SEC. However, he’s impressed in camp and seems to be in line to win a starting job on the outside.

“I think it is his length and then just how smart he is,” House said of Alexander. “He’s just a really smart player and that is a trait that we value. You can tell he is a high school quarterback and then you add in his length, which really helps him on the edge.”

House also praised true freshman [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag], who seems to be shining in camp and could be earning himself a role in the rotation.

The Tigers have a lot of new faces in the defensive backfield, but they also have a lot of talent. That group remains a question, but House seems confident in the strides it is taking.

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LSU cornerback JK Johnson to miss extended time with leg injury

The Ohio State transfer may be set to miss a decent chunk of time this fall.

LSU’s secondary has been missing one of its key pieces in fall camp as [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag] has been held out with a leg injury.

He was spotted wearing a cast earlier in camp, and while the team worked at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank on Wednesday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said that Johnson will miss an extended period of time with what he described as a “fracture,” according to LSU Country’s Zack Nagy.

“JK has a fracture,” Kelly said. “That’s got to get set. That looks to be a long-term situation that he’s going to be out.”

If Johnson is unavailable for a decent portion of the year, it would be quite a blow to the secondary. The Ohio State transfer was expected to compete for a starting spot on the outside, and with him out, the Tigers will turn to other transfers in [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag], as well as returning player [autotag]Laterrance Welch[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag].

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LSU cornerback JK Johnson spotted in cast at practice on Monday

The Ohio State transfer will seemingly be unavailable for at least the near future.

LSU seems to be dealing with a potentially major issue in the secondary.

[autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag], a transfer addition from Ohio State this offseason, was spotted at Monday’s practice wearing a cast and using a scooter to move around. It’s unclear exactly how long Johnson will be unavailable.

In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Johnson appeared in five games and made five starts, all of which came last season. He finished the season with 20 tackles, and now the St. Louis native is reunited with his high school coach in LSU cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag].

If Johnson is unable to go by the start of the season, it would certainly impact the team’s depth in the secondary as he was expected to compete for a starting spot on the outside alongside fellow transfers [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag].

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Fight breaks out at LSU fall practice, according to multiple reports

Kyren Lacy and Malik Nabers were reportedly sent to the locker room, while Harold Perkins didn’t play another snap in the scrimmage.

There was reportedly a fight during LSU’s practice on Monday. The details of the fight are not clear, but among the players reported to be involved are [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag].

According to Koki Riley of The Daily Advertiser, there were three separate scuffles. He noted that Perkins and Lacy appeared to start the first one.

Per Wilson Alexander of The Advocate, the fight involved punches thrown and players taken to the ground. Nabers and Lacy were sent to the locker room, while Perkins attempted to return to the 11-on-11 scrimmage but was pulled aside by coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and didn’t play another snap after that.

After the practice session, defensive end [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag] told the media that Kelly’s frustrated message to the team following the fight was to “respect the brotherhood.”

This is currently a developing story, and we’ll keep you posted regarding any updates.

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WATCH: Garrett Nussmeier, Jalen Brown give LSU fans a glimpse at the future

The Garrett Nussmeier to Jalen Brown connection could be one to watch in the future.

While neither player is likely to have a huge impact on the field in 2023, the connection between quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and true freshman receiver [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag] could be one to remember in the years to come.

Brown, a blue-chip receiver from Miami who was part of a talented receiver signing class for the Tigers, has impressed so far at LSU camp, and he seems to be building a connection with his potential future starting quarterback in Nussmeier.

In a clip posted by LSU, Nussmeier absolutely fired a deep ball to Brown, who had a step on fellow true freshman [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag]. Brown made an impressive catch at the sideline for a big gain.

This is a deep receiver room, but Brown could break through and make an impact as a true freshman. Regardless, it’s good to see him building rapport with the likely starting signal-caller in 2024.

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