Tag: Brian Kelly

LSU football hosts Oklahoma on Saturday night. It’s senior night, and for many, it will be their last game in Tiger Stadium.

With the seniors being honored, let’s look at the future. It’s the final game of the year, which means a few true freshmen have worked their way into the rotation by now.

LSU’s 2024 recruiting class was a good one. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is counting on the core of that group to get LSU where it needs to be in 2025. That class is even more important as we’ve seen more inconsistent results from the 2023 recruiting class.

If LSU’s 2024 class takes the step you expect an elite recruiting class to take, LSU can get back in the playoff hunt next year.

We’ll look at guys on both sides of the ball, from a couple of defensive tackles to a playmaking running back.

Here are five true freshmen to watch when LSU faces Oklahoma in Death Valley on Saturday night.

DT Dominick McKinley

McKinley was a five-star and No. 3 ranked defensive tackle in the class. He’s the exact type of talent LSU needed on the interior defensive line given the Tigers’ struggles at the position.

McKinley didn’t enroll early and nursed an injury throughout training camp. Because of that, he didn’t see the field right away, but he’s since joined the rotation.

With 105 snaps on the year, McKinley ranks fourth among true freshman defenders at LSU. He’s pressured the QB four times and made three stops, per PFF.

McKinley was a difference maker in LSU’s win over Ole Miss. Last week against Vanderbilt, he recorded two pressures in just eight pass rush snaps.

DT Ahmad Breaux

We’ll stick with the defensive tackle position here and talk about a guy who made an immediate impact.

With 240 defensive snaps, Breaux leads all LSU true freshman. Brian Kelly said he was the most physically and mentally ready freshman on the team and Breaux’s playing time reflects that.

Breaux has posted an impressive PFF 79.3 tackling grade. He has eight stops and four pressures on the year. Keep an eye on Breaux tonight as he looks to put an exclamation point on a good freshman campaign.

ED Gabe Reliford

Reliford’s playing time is up and down. He didn’t see the field in the opener vs. USC but got 25 snaps vs. FCS Nicholls.

He played 13 snaps at South Carolina, but just one at home vs. UCLA. Later in SEC play, he played one against Texas A&M and Vanderbilt but played a combined 26 snaps vs. Alabama and Florida.

Reliford’s best game of the year came against South Alabama, with three pressures and a sack.

LSU has two senior edge defenders with Bradyn Swinson and Sai’Vion Jones. Reliford is a guy LSU needs to take a step. Saturday night is a good time to start.

CB PJ Woodland

Cornerback was a problem position for LSU in 2023. Many expected the Tigers to attack the transfer portal, but LSU stayed put, relying on what it already had and incoming freshmen.

One of those new arrivals was PJ Woodland, who impressed early.

There was talk about Woodland taking over a starting role after a strong fall camp. Woodland started two games this year but has mostly stuck to a rotational role.

Woodland is good for about 5-15 snaps a game and I expect the same on Saturday night.

Woodland’s last three games have been inconsistent. In just 17 coverage snaps, he’s allowed 60 yards. Oklahoma isn’t expected to throw it a ton, but when the Sooners do, LSU corners just need to prevent the big play.

RB Caden Durham

Few freshmen have made the same splash as running back Caden Durham.

Durham, a four-star recruit, quickly became LSU’s most efficient running back. Durham’s breakaway rate ranks top 10 among SEC running backs, as does his 5.2 yards per carry.

Only two true freshmen in the Power Four have more rushing yards and his 226 receiving yards lead the same group.

Durham has battled a toe injury in recent weeks and took a backseat to Josh Williams in the Vanderbilt win.

Oklahoma’s run defense is one of the best in the country and LSU will need to find a way to create some big plays on the ground. Durham is the guy to do it.

LSU is a program that expects to win national championships. The last three head coaches to [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] all won a ring. It’s a key reason Kelly took this job.

But year three hasn’t gone to plan for Kelly and LSU. The Tigers were in the College Football Playoff hunt at 6-1, but a three-game losing streak killed those hopes.

LSU got back in the win column against Vanderbilt last week and now needs a win over Oklahoma to finish 8-4.

LSU got down early last week and the student section began chanting, “Fire Brian Kelly.”

The chants cooled as LSU took control of the game, but the pressure is still on in Baton Rouge.

It begs the question: How much does Kelly need to beat Oklahoma?

Momentum is already shot heading into the offseason, but a loss to close the regular season would let even more air out of the balloon.

As far as the immediate future goes, I don’t think Kelly’s job is in jeopardy entering the Oklahoma game. LSU could lose 50-0 and Kelly would begin 2025 as LSU’s head coach.

And if a loss wouldn’t do Kelly in, I’m not sure this one matters at all from a job security standpoint. Win or lose, Kelly gets 2025 to prove he’s the man for the job.

LSU could steamroll the Sooners but struggles in 2025 would make it mute. On the flipside, LSU could drop the OU game, but get off to a 7-0 start next year and everyone would forget how this year ended.

It does matter from a narrative standpoint.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is taking hits with three blue-chip decommitments in the last two weeks and more are expected.

LSU needs to stop the bleeding and create some excitement heading into National Signing Day and the bowl game.

It’s going to be a long offseason if LSU loses this one, but Kelly’s job is not on the line tomorrow.

The 2024 season hasn’t turned out the way LSU planned.

Barely qualifying for a bowl game. Missing the SEC championship and the 12-team College Football Playoff. Losing the No. 1 overall prospect who was slated to be the future at the quarterback position.

Is Brian Kelly further from winning a title at LSU than he was at Notre Dame? The Athletic’s Ralph D. Russo and Bruce Feldman set out to answer that question.

The pair pointed to heated sideline interactions between Kelly and multiple players along with the snap of his 10-win seasons that ran for seven straight years.

While several staffers commented on the state of the program under Kelly on the condition of anonymity, one former Tiger who played under the fourth-year head coach spoke candidly about his experiences.

Charles Turner’s first season in Baton Rouge happened to be the Tigers’ national championship-winning season in 2019. He was the team’s starting center for 2022 and ’23 though he hardly had any personal interactions with Kelly through those two years.

Turner told Feldman and Russo that Kelly’s culture standards included a system to schedule meetings, contrary to former LSU coach Ed Orgeron’s open-door policy, according to Turner.

“When I started playing for Kelly the last two years, I didn’t talk to him,” Turner said. “I started every game for him. Just, ‘Hey, hi. How you doing?’ And that was it. We never talked Xs and Os. I never sat in his office and got personal with him. He really never got to know me.”

While Turner expressed hopefulness that Kelly turns the program around, he admitted Kelly “might not be the best fit” for LSU.

Sources close to the program expressed concerns about Kelly’s abilities to recruit in the SEC, citing the importance of being “hands-on and immersed” in the process.

Though LSU found success in the transfer portal in the form of Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, Kelly pointed to an enhanced strategy to attract established top talents in college football.

“We want to engage, build relationships,” Kelly said. “We want to develop, retain, and have success. We’re not in the market of buying players and unfortunately, right now, that’s what some guys are looking for. They want to be bought.”

Kelly won’t be going anywhere soon, thanks to a 10-year guaranteed contract with a current $64.5 million buyout that decreases by $9.5 million annually.

However, the head coach’s strong relationship with athletic director Scott Woodward signals trust and an aligned vision for the future of the Tigers’ championship hopes.