Tag: 2024 sec media days

Photos of LSU coach Brian Kelly, players at 2024 SEC Media Days

Brian Kelly and LSU’s player representatives took center stage in Dallas on Monday.

Ahead of a season of monumental change in the league, SEC players and coaches descended on Dallas this week for 2024 SEC Media Days.

LSU led off the event on Monday as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took the podium and was joined by a contingent of player representatives that included quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag].

It’s set to be a season of change for the Tigers, which lost their three biggest offensive stars to the draft on top of multiple defensive starters. Nussmeier replaces a Heisman in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] as he hopes to lead the Tigers to their first College Football Playoff berth under Kelly in the first year that it expands to 12 teams.

Here are the best photos of LSU’s representation in Dallas on Monday.

Brian Kelly identifies 3 true freshmen who could make an immediate impact in 2024

Expect to see these first-year players take the field early in 2024.

After taking a much smaller transfer portal class than it has in the past two offseasons, LSU is mainly banking on the development of the players already on the roster as it enters the 2024 season.

However, the Tigers could get some help from their incoming true freshmen in the 2024 signing class. At SEC Media Days on Monday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] identified three true freshmen who could make a Day 1 impact at LSU: defensive tackle [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Gabriel Reliford[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Jelani Watkins[/autotag].

“We have some freshmen that I think are poised and ready to play,” Brian Kelly said, per On3. “We’ve got a defensive tackle in Dom McKinley. We’ve got a defensive end in Gabe Reliford. We’ve got a wide receiver in Jelani Watkins, who is maybe one of the fastest players in the country, that I think are poised, based on our summer workouts, that I think can contribute right away. And that’s just to say a few guys.”

McKinley is an understandable choice. A five-star prospect and the top player in Louisiana last cycle, it was a big recruiting win for the staff to flip him from Texas A&M last winter.

Reliford could also see some action on a defensive line that lacks depth, and LSU linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag], who was also in Dallas for SEC Media Days, also spoke highly of him.

“Gabe is somebody that I’ve been watching quietly,” Perkins said per On3. “He’s humble, he puts in the work every single day, he comes in every day and busts his tail to be the best. I’ve just watched him put in the work. He reminds me of myself. Just coming in, not trying to step on anybody’s toes. ‘I just want to be the best. I’m here to take somebody’s spot.’

“So, that’s kind of what he reminds me of myself a little bit in that remarks. Quiet, just trying to put in his work and be great.”

Watkins may have trouble breaking through in a receiving corps that remains talented despite the offseason losses, but his speed as a former high school track star makes him an intriguing potential weapon on offense.

LSU has questions at several positions entering the season, especially when it comes to depth. But if some of these true freshmen are able to contribute right away, it would certainly ease some of those concerns.

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Brian Kelly explains how LSU will replace lost production at receiver in 2024

Brian Kelly explained how LSU will replace Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. this fall.

While much of the attention has been placed on LSU’s new starting quarterback in 2024, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], perhaps the even bigger question revolves around who he’ll be throwing to.

The Tigers lost their top two pass-catchers from last year in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], and while there’s talent on the roster, replacing two of the nation’s most productive receivers isn’t going to be easy.

The obvious next-man-up is [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], who enters his fifth season of college football poised to be the top option after turning in a productive 2023 season despite not seeing as many targets as Nabers and Thomas.

“I don’t think you look towards one player,” coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Monday at SEC Media Days per On3. “I think when we look at our football team in its totality, there will be a number of players that we’ll count on. Kyren Lacey, he will be certainly a player that we lean on. But I think at the wide receiver position, there is probably six to eight players that will get the opportunity to contribute and make an impact.”

Kelly also mentioned [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] as a returning player who could break out, while he’s optimistic about the transfer additions of [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag], a 1,000-yard receiver at Liberty last season, and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag], who also served as a return specialist at Mississippi State.

“I think that’s what I like about our receiving corps more than anything else, is the depth,” Kelly said. “I think we’ve got speed on the perimeter. Chris Hilton showed that in our bowl game against Wisconsin, his ability to track the ball down the field. I think we’ve got the ability to play inside out at the slot receiver position. I think we’ve got great depth there.

“We brought in CJ Daniels, I think he will help us. Zavion [Thomas] will help us, transfer from Mississippi State. I think we brought in the right mix of players to give us the depth necessary inside and out to make up for that lost production.”

The Tigers are optimistic about Nussmeier’s potential given his talent and the flashes of strong processing that he has shown when he’s seen game action. But that won’t matter if he doesn’t have playmakers in the passing game, which Kelly seems to be confident he does.

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LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. has bulked up ahead of potentially huge season

After playing at 217 pounds last season, Harold Perkins Jr. said he has bulked up to 225.

LSU’s defense is going to be a major question in 2024.

After turning in one of the SEC’s worst units in 2023, LSU made a change. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was replaced with [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who did yeoman’s work at Missouri but now inherits a Tigers defense that lost several starters and will be relying on young players developing and a handful of transfers.

However, that defense may have at least one potential superstar in linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] After a huge true freshman season in which he was mostly used as a pass rusher off the edge, Perkins moved off the ball last season to middling results.

He remains in that spot in 2024, though his role will change a bit in the new system. Only time will tell how he adjusts, but one thing is certain: He has put in the work this offseason.

Speaking at SEC Media Days on Monday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said that Perkins has gotten quite a bit bigger and now weighs over 220 pounds. Kelly said that’s a necessity if he’s going to stay off the ball.

Perkins was also in attendance at the event in Dallas and offered some more specificity about his transformation. He said he now weighs 225 pounds after playing last season at 217.

He is the subject of quite a bit of offseason hype and is seen as a likely early first-round pick. It’s certainly easy to see that potential with the former five-star talent, but Perkins needs to put together a much more complete season this fall.

It seems he’s done the requisite work in the offseason.

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Brian Kelly wants to see LSU play a game in Ireland

Brian Kelly said he wants to see the Tigers play an international game, potentially in Ireland.

LSU has certainly been a well-traveled program in recent years.

The Tigers have opened the last three seasons with non-conference games away from home and will begin their 2024 campaign in Las Vegas against USC. However, there’s one frontier LSU hasn’t explored: the international game.

They’re rare in college — though they used to be less so — but they’ve happened several times in recent memory. Sydney held a Week 0 season-opener in 2016 and 2017 while opening week matchups have also been sporadically held in Ireland — including in each of the past two seasons and again in 2024.

LSU has never participated, but it’s apparently on Brian Kelly’s radar. At SEC Media Days on Monday, Kelly said he would like to see the team play internationally, particularly on the Emerald Isle, citing the relatively easy travel.

While it’s far from unprecedented in college football, playing internationally is not something the SEC does very often. Seemingly the last time an SEC team played abroad was in 1937 when Auburn tied Villanova in Havana, Cuba.

Kelly also previously coached a game in Ireland, leading Notre Dame to a 50-10 win over Navy in 2012.

It’s not quite clear how LSU would benefit from such a game, especially if it came at the expense of a home game in Baton Rouge. But it’s something Kelly is clearly lobbying the administration for, so it’s worth keeping in the back of your mind as future schedules are finalized.

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Brian Kelly is confident Garrett Nussmeier is ready for opportunity as LSU’s starting QB

Garrett Nussmeier has waited three years for the opportunity to start. Brian Kelly explained the change he’s seen in the quarterback since taking that role.

LSU will have quite a few changes entering the 2024 season, but arguably the biggest comes at the quarterback position.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], the 2023 Heisman winner, has moved on. Now, after waiting three years as a backup, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] will finally get his chance to start.

While hopes are high for Nussmeier, who has impressed when given extended action, his experience is limited as he has just one career start under his belt. However, he’s had a different approach this offseason, which coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] compared to owning a car rather than renting it at SEC Media Days on Monday.

“When you’re the No. 2, it’s kind of like a rental,” Kelly said. “You don’t care if you ding it up or get a dent here… You’re not as careful I guess. But when you own the car, there’s a sense of pride, you’re very thoughtful in everything you do, and you can see that transformation with Garrett.

“He’s waited for this opportunity to drive this car, and nobody is going to mess with it. Not one player is going to take away the opportunity for it to be successful. He’s not afraid to call somebody out if they’re not doing it the right way… He’s waited for this chance… I use that analogy only in the sense that this is such an important thing to him that he’s dedicated himself to be the quarterback at LSU. It means so much to him.”

Nussmeier has only started one game in his career, last season’s bowl win over Wisconsin. It was a tantalizing showing, however, as he threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns while leading a game-winning drive.

He’s earned a bit of a reputation as a gunslinger, and while those tendencies remain, Kelly said he’s done a better job of playing within himself this offseason.

“More than anything else, I think it’s given him a sense that he can be Garrett Nussmeier, but he can be a Garrett Nussmeier that doesn’t put our football team in a negative situation,” Kelly said. “He’s got weapons, he’s got the ability to lead this football team without having to be cavalier or careless. And I think that’s what he’s learned.”

With Nussmeier and a receiving corps that lost its two top options from last season, there are certainly some questions about the offense. But the staff feels confident in what it has with Nussmeier, who has now spent three offseasons in the system.

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Brian Kelly says LSU expecting young guys to take next step on defense

LSU and Brian Kelly are expecting a group of young defenders to take a step in 2024.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] knows his defense wasn’t up to par last year. It led to a change-up with the entire defensive staff with Kelly firing defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] and hiring [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag]. Along with Baker, LSU brought in [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. Two of the most heralded assistant coaches in the country.

“We know that defensively, we need to reach a higher level of play,” Kelly told the SEC Network on Monday morning.

“We played a lot of young guys on defense that we expect to take that next step this year,” Kelly said.

LSU didn’t land many top prospects in the transfer portal, so LSU will be counting on the development of the younger defenders to be the answer on defense.

Eight underclassmen played 70 snaps or more on defense for LSU last year. The biggest name in that group is [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag], who has All-American potential as he enters his junior year.

Up front, LSU will need a step forward from [autotag]Da’Shawn Womack[/autotag]. The former five-star recruit showed flashes in 2023, but will have a bigger opportunity in 2024.

On the backend, defensive backs [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag] fit the same bill. Both were thrown into the fire as true freshmen last year and it’s hard to imagine the LSU secondary finding success if they don’t contribute this fall.

LSU remains talented and has the chance for a strong young core of defenders to emerge this fall. If it all comes together, expect to see LSU back in the College Football Playoff.

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Brian Kelly on falling short of expectations in 2023 despite reaching 10 wins

LSU head coach Brian Kelly talked about the Tigers falling short of expectations last year, saying LSU expects more.

LSU managed to win 10 games in 2023 behind Heisman-winning QB [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and a high-octane offense. Yet, the year left a bad taste in some fans’ mouths after a poor defense prevented LSU from taking the next step.

It’s LSU’s turn at SEC Media Days on Monday and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] kicked it off with an interview on the SEC Network Monday morning. Kelly was asked about LSU falling short of expectations in 2023 and had this to say.

“When we’re measuring success at LSU, and obviously top programs, being in the playoffs, playing for championships is the measuring stick, and we fell short of that. Whatever word you want to use, disappointment, failure, it all comes together in the same fashion,” Kelly said.

“10-win seasons are very difficult to come by, no matter what you do in this business, but at the end of the day I let go of my entire defensive staff, and those were good coaches, and they were good people, and they’ve been successful, so I must have seen that as a need to get better,” he added.

Kelly said 10 wins might be good enough for some coaches and some programs, but he knows that doesn’t cut it at LSU.

“It’s not good enough, and we need to be better,” Kelly said.

With the playoff expanding to 12, the expectation is for LSU to compete for a spot. But for that to happen, LSU needs to take a step forward on defense under new DC [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag].

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‘I really earned it,’ Texas A&M LB Taurean York shares reaction to SEC Media Days invite

“I really feel like it was a blessing because I know that I really earned it. I know that I came from a 3-star and not many people knew me.”

In a recent interview with TexAgs, Texas A&M sophomore linebacker Taurean York shared his reaction to finding out that he’d be attending SEC Football Media Days in Dallas next week.

“I really feel like it was a blessing because I know that I really earned it. I know that I came from a 3-star and not too many people knew me whenever I signed here. But I think it’s a blessing just to have the ability to represent my teammates and that my teammates and my coaching staff feels like I’m capable and applicable to represent them at media day,” York explained. “We’re here to stay and we’re here to prove a point. Really, I feel like we have a lot of experience. We got coach Elko, obviously he’s a brilliant defensive mind but he’s a great head coach as well. He breaks us down how to win the game. Coach Moffitt has championship experience.

“So those two combined, I like our chances this year.”

York will be joined by teammates, senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner and junior offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III.

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Where does Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman rank among the rest of the SEC signal callers?

Is Conner Weigman a Top 5 quarterback in the SEC?

With the 2024 college football season less than two months away, rankings season, which happens to coincide with “talkin’ season,” is in full swing, especially over at SEC Unfiltered.

For those unfamiliar with the site’s entertaining podcast and YouTube channel, founder Chris Phillips has slowly but surely become a household name in the SEC football landscape. With SEC media days next week, all of us, including Phillips, will be present for the annual event, which will surely create an abundance of storylines.

Before the festivities, Phillips released his SEC quarterback rankings earlier this week, which stirred up some controversy among SEC fan bases, including Texas A&M.

Set to return after missing the final eight games of the 2023 season due to a foot injury, redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman has added more mass to his frame and looked highly impressive during his performance at the Manning Passing Academy last week.

As you can see, Phillips is taking the “way and see” approach with Weigman, ranking him eighth. Outside of Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava, the six quarterbacks ahead of him have a more proven track record.

However, from a talent standpoint, Weigman’s quick release, accuracy and elite touch have several NFL draft analysts considering him the top quarterback in the 2025 class. Again, this depends on whether he can complete a full season.

Texas A&M’s roster is filled with enough talent and experience to win at least eight. The ceiling is likely nine to 10 wins if everything falls into place, especially if the offensive line improves after a disastrous 2023 season and can hold its own alongside a borderline elite defensive line and hopefully improved secondary.

In just four games last season, Conner Weigman completed 68% of his passes while throwing for 979 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions on the year.

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