LSU makes strong impression on Georgia offensive tackle ahead of commitment date

LSU seems to be the clear leader for Marcus Mascoll following his official visit.

With a commitment date of June 19 closing in, LSU’s staff seems to be in a good spot with Peach State offensive tackle [autotag]Marcus Mascoll[/autotag].

The three-star Atlanta South Gwinnett prospect was on campus this weekend for an official visit during LSU’s OL/DL camp, and he walked away from the visit impressed, according to On3’s Billy Embody (subscription required).

Mascoll said the campus “feels like another home” and he had positive conversations about his development with offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag], graduate assistant [autotag]Steve Demeo[/autotag] and even head coach Brian Kelly.

The Tigers are currently a 93.6% favorite to land Mascoll, who On3 ranks as the No. 653 player and No. 45 offensive tackle in the 2024 class. This isn’t over yet as he plans visits to Florida and NC State ahead of his commitment date, but LSU seems like the clear team to beat right now.

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Recently offered Utah OL prospect impressed by LSU visit

Baton Rouge reportedly felt like home for Darius Afalava.

Baton Rouge may be quite a distance from 2025 offensive lineman Darius Afalava’s home in Lehi, Utah, but the three-star rising junior told On3’s Shea Dixon that LSU felt like home during his visit this weekend.

Afalava ranks as the No. 336 player nationally and No. 24 offensive tackle in On3’s industry rankings, and he picked up an offer while he was on campus.

He had positive things to say about his discussions with offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag], and he said he hopes to make another trip later this summer, potentially in June or July.

It’s certainly still early in his recruitment, but LSU has a wide lead for Afalava per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine at 64.1%. The Tigers currently have just two players committed in the 2025 class, legacy offensive lineman [autotag]Brett Bordelon[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Jaylen Bell[/autotag].

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LSU makes the cut for 4-star Texas OT

The Tigers made the cut for one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2024 class.

The Tigers are making a push for one of the top offensive linemen available in the 2024 class, and they made the top six for Beaumont (Tex.) Beaumont United offensive tackle [autotag]Weston Davis[/autotag].

Davis, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect, is unrated by the 247Sports Composite but ranks No. 114 nationally per the On3 industry consensus rankings, as well as being the No. 7 offensive tackle. He recently trimmed his list down to four teams: Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, TCU and LSU.

There are currently no Crystal Ball predictions for Davis, but Alabama is a 66.8% favorite to land him, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. LSU has the next highest percentage at 66.8%.

Davis was on campus this fall for the win over Southern, and he had positive things to say about his trip and meetings with the coaching staff, especially offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag]. The Tigers will hope to add another talented prospect to their second-ranked 2024 class.

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4-star Texas offensive tackle plans to stop by LSU after the dead period

The Tigers will host Blake Frazier on March 4.

When the dead period comes to an end on Feb. 28, LSU will be the first stop Austin (Tex.) Vandegrift offensive tackle [autotag]Blake Frazier[/autotag] makes.

The four-star prospect picked up an LSU offer back in January, and he told On3’s Sam Spiegelman (subscription required) that the Tigers — and particularly offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] — have been among the most vocal staffs when it comes to communicating with him.

Frazier, who ranks No. 152 nationally per 247Sports and No. 173 according to On3, will return to Baton Rouge on March 4.

He’s seen his interest pick up quite a bit over the last few months after a breakout junior season playing right tackle. His recruitment will almost certainly heat up heading into his junior season, and LSU seems to be in a good spot as things currently stand.

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Could LSU’s entire staff remain intact in 2023?

Could LSU’s entire coaching staff stick together this cycle?

LSU’s returning plenty of on-field talent in 2023.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] along with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and key offensive linemen are back on offense. On defense, [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] headline key returning contributors.

But on the sideline and in the booth, there could be a lot coming back, too. LSU fans might want to knock on wood, but to this point, the entire on-field staff has remained intact. Names haven’t even been popping up in the rumor mill.

It’s easier to get a read on some of these situations than others. It’s hard to imagine a guy like offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] leaving his current situation. He’s not a head coaching candidate, and there are very few coordinator jobs that pay better than LSU.

Something similar could be said for [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag]. He’s a Baton Rouge native who already left an SEC job to coach at LSU. It’s doubtful he’d head elsewhere.

[autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], current position coaches at LSU, both have a good track record and could be candidates for OC jobs, but many potential landing spots have been filled. [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag] has left LSU before to take a head coaching job but gave it up to return to LSU.

On defense, defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] has NFL experience. There’s a chance an NFL team could take a look as new coaches begin to fill out their staffs, but there’s no smoke there yet. The rest of the defensive staff appears primed for a return, too.

Returning an entire staff at a place like LSU is rare. Even in good years, there’s usually some turnover. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Coordinators getting promotions means you probably had a good team.

But there’s something to be said for an entire staff returning, especially considering the wealth of talent LSU is bringing back. These coaches will have a better understanding of the personnel, which means, hopefully, there won’t be weeks spent tinkering in September.

Whoever the quarterback is will take the field with an offense entirely built for their skillset. Receivers, running backs and tight ends will be placed in formations that best suit them.

On defense, House could have the right blitz packages installed before the year even begins. That stuff is critically important, especially to a team with title hopes.

Again, coaching season isn’t over, but keep an eye on this heading into the offseason.

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Kevin Mawae replaces Trent Dilfer at Nashville high school

The former LSU star has found a new home.

A former LSU standout and pro football hall of famer is taking a new job heading up a Nashville high school.

[autotag]Kevin Mawae[/autotag], who played offensive line for LSU in the ’90s, is set to lead Lipscomb Academy. He replaces former NFL QB Trent Dilfer, who took the UAB job late last year.

Lipscomb Academy went 13-0 under Dilfer last year. According to a report, it also targeted former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

Mawae spent the last couple of years on the Indianapolis Colts staff. Prior to that, he was an offensive analyst at Arizona State.  In the past, LSU fans suggested he could eventually end up in Baton Rouge, but LSU’s offensive line is in good shape with Brad Davis.

Mawae earned all-conference and All-American honors while at LSU. In the NFL, he played for the Seahawks, Jets and Titans. He was First-Team All-Pro on seven occasions and made eight Pro Bowls.

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Five coaches who could be LSU’s future head coach

Five coaches who could lead LSU in the future whenever the Brian Kelly era comes to an end.

The [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era is young.

Kelly had a successful first year in Baton Rouge, and if he remains on that track, he’ll stick around for awhile.

But this is the coaching industry — nothing is certain and nothing is forever. Things happen. Coaches take unexpected jobs, retire without warning or get canned after one bad year.

Point being, change happens and it happens fast.

I think Kelly will remain at LSU for some time. I’ve always been optimistic about this administration, and Year 1 only furthered that belief. But there will be a day when Kelly is no longer leading LSU, and a replacement will be needed. It could be in two years or it could be in 10. This exercise is just for fun — until it isn’t.

Here are some coaches who could lead LSU in the future.

Five takeaways from LSU’s early signing day

Here’s what we learned from the first day of the early signing period.

Despite the term “early signing day,” make no mistake about it — this is where the bulk of the work is done.

Classes aren’t final and transfers will still come and go, but the majority of major high school prospects sign in December. Unless a school is going through a coaching transition, it should have a pretty good idea about how its class is shaping up by now.

Schools will receive letters of intent and commitments become official.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU have to like where they sit. It’s a top 10 class at worst and top five at best. It’s a well-rounded group, with players from Louisiana and around the country, filling multiple needs for the Tigers.

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s early signing day.

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ESPN predicts outcome of LSU’s Citrus Bowl matchup against Purdue

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg makes his pick for the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2.

The Tigers are still searching for their first bowl win since walking off the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans as national champions in January of 2020.

LSU returned to a bowl last fall after missing one in the 2020 season, but the shorthanded team led by interim coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] was no match for Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.

The Tigers will hope to get back in the win column this time around when it travels to Orlando to take on a fellow conference runner-up in Purdue, which lost to Michigan in the Big Ten title game last weekend.

In his predictions for each bowl game, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg gave the Tigers the slight edge, in spite of potential opt-outs.

The SEC and Big Ten championship game runners up meet in Orlando, where Purdue hasn’t played since the 2004 game. Purdue shouldn’t be overly impacted by opt-outs, while LSU always has a group who must decide if they want to participate in a non-CFP bowl. Purdue showed last year it could outscore an SEC team in a bowl. Coach Jeff Brohm will employ an aggressive game plan with quarterback Aidan O’Connell, wide receiver Charlie Jones and the offense, but LSU is a much better defense than Tennessee was last season and the Boilers will fall just short.

Prediction: LSU 31, Purdue 27

The Boilermakers finished the regular season at 8-5, but a 6-3 record in conference play was enough for Jeff Brohm’s team to emerge from the messy Big Ten West.

As Rittenberg mentions, this isn’t a Purdue program that’s accustomed to playing in high-level bowl games, and it is less likely to be impacted by opt-outs, which could prove to be something of an equalizer. Still, Rittenberg thinks Matt House’s defense gives LSU the edge.

The Tigers face the Boilermakers at Camping World Stadium on Jan. 2, 2023.

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Tigers heading to the New Year’s Six in these latest bowl projections

The Tigers draw a familiar foe in the Sugar Bowl in these projections from Jerry Palm.

Sitting at 8-2 on the season with a division title in hand a shot at Georgia in the SEC Championship, LSU is thinking about the College Football Playoff right now.

The Tigers need to win out to have a shot at making the final four, and even then, it’s not necessarily a given that they make the field. Still, this team seems well poised to reach the New Year’s Six in Brian Kelly’s first season for the first time since 2019.

That’s exactly where the latest bowl projections from CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm send LSU. Palm has this team staying within the state of Louisiana to take on Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl in what would be a rematch of January’s Texas Bowl.

The Tigers entered that one extremely shorthanded and had to start a receiver at quarterback in Jontre Kirklin. The Wildcats took down an LSU teamed helmed by interim coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] 42-20. Both teams have improved this fall, as KSU sits at 7-3 and has a good chance of reaching the Big 12 title game.

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