New Orleans Saints assistant coach Jahri Evans will be working with the American Team offensive line at this year’s Senior Bowl, including three LSU Tigers stars:
New Orleans Saints legend and current offensive assistant Jahri Evans is getting a nice opportunity to be an offensive line coach at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Earlier today, the Senior Bowls announced the group of players that he will be coaching and they could end up being some intriguing names to keep an eye on in the 2025 NFL draft for the Saints. Many New Orleans fans will already recognize a few of the names from their college days.
Evans will be coaching the American Team offensive line, which includes Kansas Jayhawks tackle Logan Brown, Missouri Tigers tackle Armand Membou and then a trio of former LSU Tigers stars: Garrett Dellinger, Miles Frazier and Emery Jones.
The most interesting player to watch during the week of practices will be Jones. He entered the year with hopes of being drafted in the top-10, but struggled statistically to the point that he could now be a Day 2 pick.
He still has all of the tools needed to play in the league and at a high level. His game might project more to a guard spot, though, which teams will get a chance to look at during practice.
Two big names entered the transfer portal at a position of need for LSU football
Big names continue to enter the transfer portal. On Tuesday, two players appeared at a position of need for LSU.
Tackles Conner Moore of Montana State and Monroe Mills of Louisville decided to explore their options. Both players are expected to draw attention from several Power Four programs.
It’s rare to find a proven offensive tackle in the transfer portal, but both of these players meet the criteria.
LSU is set to lose four starters from its 2024 offensive line, including offensive tackles [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones.[/autotag] LSU already signed two transfer portal offensive linemen, but both were interior players. The Tigers are still in the market for a tackle.
Moore is an FCS transfer, and it can be tough to project FCS linemen when moving up, but he helped pave the way for one of the top run games in the FCS at Montana State.
Mills will be a sixth-year player looking for his fourth school. This is the rare case where that isn’t a red flag. Mills has three years of starting experience between Texas Tech and Louisville and was one of the best tackles in the ACC in 2024.
We should learn LSU’s level of interest in the coming days.
Here’s everything you need to know before LSU takes on Baylor in the Texas Bowl
LSU football will bring its 2024 season to a close when it faces Baylor in the Texas Bowl.
After weeks of focus on the transfer portal and recruiting, the focus returns to football.
LSU enters the game at 8-4. Brian Kelly and the Tigers can’t match the 10-win marks from 2022 and 2023, but LSU can finish the year on a three-game winning streak with a win. That’s needed after a three-game losing streak ended the Tigers’ playoff hopes in November.
Bowl game momentum can be overrated, but LSU wants to go into the offseason on a high note.
Vibes are good with LSU building one of the top transfer classes in the country. A loss doesn’t negate that, but a win carries momentum into 2025.
Baylor and LSU haven’t met since 1987 — that’s somewhat of a surprise given the school’s regionality.
Let’s jump right in and talk about and break down what we’ll see on the field.
Can Baylor take advantage of LSU’s makeshift offensive line?
The big story in this one is LSU’s offensive line. Both starting tackles, [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. LSU was already without guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag], who missed the entire month of November with an ankle injury.
Just two offensive linemen who started the opener are taking the field for LSU: DJ Chester and Miles Frazier.
With Jones out, Frazier will bump out to tackle. Chester will remain at center.
LSU is the underdog, largely in part due to the changes we’ve seen upfront. If LSU can block Baylor, the Tigers win this game. If the line struggles, Nussmeier and the offense are in for a long night.
Baylor’s interior defensive line is one of the best in the Big 12. Defensive tackle Jackie Marshall will be a lot for Chester and company to handle. Chester played his best football in LSU’s final two games — LSU needs that to continue vs. Baylor.
Tyree Adams will make his first career start at left tackle. The pressure is on Adams and Frazier to keep Nussmeier clean. Baylor ranks 75th nationally in sack rate, and the Bears’ pass rush isn’t scary. LSU has the talent to keep Baylor’s pass rush in check, but it remains a question until we see it happen.
Can Garrett Nussmeier continue his breakout?
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Breakout may not be the right word. College football has known about Nussmeier for some time now. But he was inconsistent as a starter in 2024.
He made NFL-level throws to lead LSU’s upset of Ole Miss, but his play fell off as LSU embarked on the three-game losing streak.
Nussmeier bounced back as the regular season wrapped up, with strong performances against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. He’ll look for a repeat performance vs. Baylor.
In the Oklahoma win, LSU’s offense found the big play element. Nussmeier connected with wide receiver Chris Hilton twice for 40+ yard touchdowns. After the game, Brian Kelly said establishing the deep ball was pivotal to opening up LSU’s offense.
With LSU throwing over the top, more space opens up in the intermediate passing lanes, an area Nussmeier works well.
At 79.3, Nussmeier’s QBR ranks 12th nationally. When he’s on, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country. LSU needs the good Garrett Nussmeier if it wants to pull the upset.
What should we expect from the LSU defense?
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The LSU defense took a major leap in Blake Baker’s first year as defensive coordinator. Last year, the unit finished 52nd in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings.
In the latest 2024 rankings, the Tigers’ defense sat 31st. With a few more weeks of bowl practice, could we see another step?
Depth is thin thanks to losses in the transfer portal, but LSU will have its key difference makers. Cornerback Zy Alexander and defensive end Bradyn Swinson are both playing.
According to PFF, Baylor’s pass block grade is 75.9 — middle of the pack in the Big 12. Swinson and the LSU pass rush can take advantage of that.
Baylor’s offense is good, but the Bears were inconsistent when they played the better Big 12 defenses. Baylor scored just 20 points against Houston and 21 vs. Iowa State.
That’s about the level this LSU unit is on.
Players to watch
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LSU WR AaronAnderson: With Kyren Lacy preparing for the draft and CJ Daniels transferring, all the attention will be on Anderson at wide receiver. LSU needs the redshirt sophomore to create some big plays.
Baylor DT Jackie Marshall: Marshall is one of the top run-defending defensive tackles in the country. He can impact the passer, too, with 22 pressures on the year.
LSU RB Caden Durham: With potential struggles on the offensive line, more pressure may be on Durham to make things happen. He has the explosiveness to do it.
Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson: Baylor’s offensive emergence begins with quarterback Sawyer Robertson. He was one of the most productive passers in the Big 12 this fall.
LSU DE Bradyn Swinson: LSU’s defense is at its best when it’s getting after the passer. LSU is one of the most sack-happy teams in the country. A big game from Swinson alleviates pressure elsewhere on the unit.
Who will LSU start on the offensive line when it faces Baylor in the Texas Bowl?
LSU football will meet Baylor in the Texas Bowl in just over a week. As usual, LSU’s roster will look different than it did in the regular season. That’s the norm for bowl games in this era.
LSU’s dealt with NFL draft opt-outs and players hitting the transfer portal. The most notable draft opt-outs are on the offensive line, where LSU will be without both tackles, [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones. [/autotag]
The status of guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] remains unclear, too, who has not played since leaving the Texas A&M loss with an ankle injury.
The opt-outs and injuries put LSU’s offensive line in a precarious spot entering the bowl game. The Tigers will be relying on inexperienced options to protect QB Garrett Nussmeier and pave the way for RBs [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Williams.[/autotag]
But despite the inexperience, the group remains talented. This will be a good chance for LSU to see where its young offensive linemen stand entering the offseason.
With the bowl game fast approaching, here’s what we expect the offensive line to look like when LSU takes on Baylor.
Left tackle Tyree Adams
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Adams was a four-star recruit in LSU’s 2023 class. According to On3 and Rivals, he was a top-12 tackle in the class.
Adams played just three snaps in 2023 but saw more action in 2024. He missed a portion of the season with an injury before returning vs. Florida.
Adams is versatile and appeared at four different positions this season. Most of Adams’ action came at guard, but he played 11 snaps at left tackle in LSU’s blowout win over South Alabama.
With his 6’7′ frame, his future is likely at tackle. This is a chance for Adams to stake his claim on that role entering 2024.
Left guard Paul Mubenga
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LSU fans are familiar with Mubenga by now. Mubenga stepped in after Dellinger went down vs. Texas A&M and served as LSU’s primary left guard down the stretch.
Mubenga’s initial impression was rough. He allowed a combined 15 pressures against Alabama and Florida and struggled to get any push in the run game.
LSU saw steady improvement from Mubenga down the stretch and will hope that continues in the postseason.
Center DJ Chester
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Chester started at center for LSU all year. The redshirt freshman was inconsistent for much of the season but played his best football in LSU’s two wins to close out the regular season.
If LSU gets a similar performance against Baylor, the interior offensive line is in good shape.
Right guard Bo Bordelon
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Bordelon wore No. 89 for much of 2024, so LSU could use him as an extra blocker at tight end. With LSU needing depth on the offensive line, expect Bordelon to shift back to a big man’s jersey vs. Baylor.
Bordelon has more experience than some of the guys here, having signed with LSU in 2022. He’s sparingly seen action in his three years, but this is a chance to carve out a bigger role.
According to PFF, Bordelon posted an admirable grade of 70.4 in 46 snaps this season.
Right tackle Miles Frazier
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Frazier was one of Brian Kelly’s first recruits at LSU. He transferred to LSU for the 2022 season, giving experience and talent to an offensive line room that needed it.
He’s played all over the offensive line in three seasons at LSU but settled into guard in 2023 and 2024. Now, with LSU needing help, that versatility is coming in handy.
Frazier has the tools to bump out to tackle, and that’s where we expect him to play when LSU takes on Baylor.
Depth
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That five is not set in stone. If LSU begins to struggle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see LSU try something different.
If LSU wants to make a change at tackle, or needs to slide Frazier back to guard, Weston Davis would be the next man up. LSU likes the progress the true freshman made throughout the fall.
At center, Chester is backed up by another youngster in true freshman Coen Echols.
But LSU’s options are thin. Outside of the starting five listed here, LSU’s left with true freshmen.
What round will LSU’s Will Campbell and Emery Jones hear their name called in the 2025 NFL Draft?
LSU football’s offensive line was one of the most talented in college football in 2023 and 2024. Headlined by tackles [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones, [/autotag]the Tigers had a handful of future NFL players protecting the quarterback.
Campbell and Jones both made decisions on their future following the conclusion of the regular season, electing to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. LSU will be without both when it faces Baylor in the Texas Bowl.
On the interior, guards Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger are heading to the next level as well.
Campbell has a chance to be one of the top picks in the draft, while the picture is less clear for the rest of the group.
Today, we’ll look at how the bunch stacks up on early draft big boards. PFF ranks all three inside the top 180 and one inside the top 10 on its 2025 Big Board.
Will Campbell
PFF slots Campbell at No. 8 on the big board, the highest rank for an offensive lineman, with a season grade of 71.3. One of the most decorated players in program history, Campbell led all LSU offensive linemen with 866 snaps played in 2024 and played every offensive snap in 11 of the team’s 12 games.
Campbell ranks three spots higher than fellow tackle standout Kevin Banks Jr from Texas. The Monroe, LA native allowed just three sacks through his three seasons donning the purple and gold.
Emery Jones Jr.
Jones played all but 33 snaps at right tackle through his three seasons in Baton Rouge. PFF gave him a 61.5 season grade while also ranking him No. 151 overall in the draft class and No. 18 at tackle.
Jones is ranked as a tackle here, but his future at the next level is likely at guard.
Miles Frazier
Frazier enters the draft, offering NFL teams plenty of versatility. In his first season at LSU, he played every position except center, totaling the most snaps at left guard with 594. He also played 190 at right guard, 28 at right tackle, and ten at left tackle.
The Camden, NJ native settled into right guard, totaling 785 snaps in 2023 and 839 in 2024. He began his career at FIU, and his transfer to LSU was key to the Tigers’ rebuild of the offensive line under Brian Kelly.
PFF gave him a 69.6 grade in his final year and ranked him the No. 8 guard and No. 177 overall in the draft.
Garrett Dellinger
Dellinger is absent from the PFF big board, but he has a chance to hear his name called. Dellinger began his LSU career as a tackle and saw action as a true freshman in 2021.
LSU prepared to play Dellinger at center in 2022, but that was short-lived as he moved back to guard. He settled in at left guard in 2023 and has been one of the SEC’s top guards over the last two years.
LSU is losing another offensive lineman to the NFL
LSU is losing another offensive lineman as right tackle [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] announced his plans to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Jones’ announcement comes after left tackle Will Campbell elected to declare earlier this month.
Campbell, a projected top-10 pick, was obvious, but there was speculation about Jones returning in 2025.
Now, LSU will be replacing both tackles and both guards entering 2025. The one starter slated to return is center [autotag]DJ Chester.[/autotag]
Jones took over the starting job at right tackle in week three of his freshman campaign. There were growing pains in 2022, but in 2023, Jones became one of the best tackles in the SEC. It led to Jones appearing in the first round of some mock drafts entering 2024.
Jones didn’t quite replicate his sophomore campaign, but the NFL tools remain.
Jones is likely to slide to guard at the next level. Guard won’t be entirely new to Jones, who saw 33 snaps at right guard in 2023. Jones earned all-conference honors in 2023 and 2024 and leaves LSU as one of the most productive tackles in program history.
Here are five big portal names LSU fans should know
After the transfer portal opened on Monday, names continued to flood the market. LSU football is already active, setting up visits with several top prospects.
LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] signaled an aggressive approach from the Tigers, and while dominoes are yet to fall, LSU is setting up for a massive portal haul.
Things are moving fast, and more names are entering than the average fan has time to keep up with. We’ll take some time to update you on recent entries that make sense for LSU.
These are prospects at positions of need for LSU, whether the Tigers are looking to add a star or just build depth.
LSU’s roster has quite a few holes, especially with most of the 2023 signing class not working out. Ideally, those prospects would be entering their junior years ready for central roles at LSU, but only a handful of 2023 signees remain with the Tigers. LSU needs to add proven veterans to make up for that.
Here are some transfer portal names to know as of Thursday.
He only played four games with the Bobcats in 2024 in hopes of getting another year to transfer up. But in those four games, Bell posted 23 pressures and four sacks. Last year, Bell had 53 pressures.
It’s rare to see a player on the transfer market with 123 pressures and 20 sacks in his career, but Bell is a proven producer.
Xavier Chaplin, Tackle — Virginia Tech
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LSU is losing at least three offensive linemen to the NFL this year. If [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] declares, that total grows to four.
LSU needs portal addition across the board on the offensive line. The Tigers need guys that can start and depth pieces. Chaplin is the former. According to On3, he’s the No. 6 ranked transfer.
He’s 6’7′ with two years of starting experience at left tackle. He’s a good run blocker, and that’s something LSU needs after struggling to get a push on the ground in 2024.
Tacario Davis, Cornerback — Arizona
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Davis is one of the top names in the transfer portal. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he’s the No. 7 overall available prospect.
LSU is losing [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag] to the NFL. Davis would make a fine replacement.
Alexander had the size to cover SEC wide receivers man-to-man. Davis has the same ability at 6’3′. LSU needs corners it can trust on an island in Blake Baker’s defense — Tacario Davis is just that.
Josh Moten, Cornerback — Marshall
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He played in the Sun Belt, but Moten was one of the top cornerbacks in the country in 2024. Per PFF, the only CB with a better coverage grade than Moten was Heisman trophy favorite Travis Hunter.
LSU’s secondary is still young. It’s talented but young. LSU needs to go out and land a veteran like Moten to pair with corners like [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Pickett.[/autotag]
Brice Pollock, Cornerback — Mississippi State
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Cornerback isn’t the highest priority for LSU, but if LSU can land a proven SEC starter, they’ll take it.
Mississippi State’s defense struggled in 2024, but Pollock wasn’t to blame. According to PFF, he posted a 75.8 defensive grade while playing 720 snaps for the Bulldogs. He recorded five pass breakups and posted an 81.2 passer rating when targeted.
LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux is set to make an immediate impact.
Depth at defensive line has been a question for LSU all summer. That puts a spotlight on the young guys in that room.
A freshman making an immediate impact on the interior would be significant, potentially changing LSU’s outlook at the position.
The name to watch early could be [autotag]Ahmad Breaux[/autotag]. Brian Kelly said Breaux was LSU’s most physically and mentally ready freshman.
Breaux was a three-star in the 2024 class, but he’s looked like a blue chip thus far. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Breaux was the No. 59 ranked defensive lineman in his class and the No. 21 ranked recruit in Louisiana.
The most notable defensive tackle signing for LSU in the 2024 class was five-star [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], but Breaux might be seeing the field first.
LSU hired Bo Davis to develop difference-makers at defensive tackle. LSU had three NFL draft picks on the interior last year, but the level of play was below the talent level. It’s looking like LSU will get immediate results from Davis in week one.
Brian Kelly doesn’t shy away from playing true freshman up front. In 2022, we saw LSU rely on two freshmen at the offensive tackle spots in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag]. That completely flipped the trajectory of that room with Campbell and Jones emerging as stars.
LSU hopes the 2024 defensive tackle class will make a similar impact.
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The Tigers will need to be 100% healthy if they want to win their first season opener since 2019.
If LSU wants to have a shot at winning another SEC Championship and competing for another national championship, the Tigers must stay healthy. I mean that in more ways than just being the usual football injuries. The players have got to be able to fight off illnesses.
[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] recently revealed that a few players on the team have been dealing with an illness that has kept them from participating in practice. It is hard enough to deal with any illness, but add to that practices in full pads on what could be a 100-degree day and you have a recipe for disaster.
“So, we’ve had a bug going around, a lower GI bug. Through the o-line. And Emery Jones was affected greatly from it today. You saw he was in and out. He probably shouldn’t have been out there, but you couldn’t keep him from practice. That’s what he was suffering from. We sent him home,” Kelly said, per On3.
“I don’t know how Whit Weeks and West Weeks made it through practice. They had a similar bug. We’ve sprayed the offices. We’ve cleaned them down. But you know, we’re fighting that now with a number of guys.”
The Tigers will need to be 100% healthy if they want to win their first season opener since 2019.
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LSU boasts what could be the top offensive tackle duo in the country this fall.
It’s never too early to start thinking about the [autotag]2025 NFL draft[/autotag] and ranking future prospects. Pro Football Focus has done just that as they have ranked the top tackles of the 2025 NFL draft class.
Two Tigers have made the top 10 of the rankings. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] were both recognized. Campbell and Jones Jr. have been the anchors of the Tigers’ offensive line for the past two seasons on the Bayou.
Campbell has become one of the biggest leaders on the team. Last season he earned the famed No. 7 patch to wear on his uniform. He was a Joe Moore Award finalist and a First Team All-SEC selection by the SEC coaches in 2023.
Jones Jr. earned Second-Team All-SEC honors from the SEC coaches in 2023 and was a key to keeping [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] on his feet last fall. Both of these guys are entering their Junior seasons this fall and will be eligible for the next NFL draft.
2025 Senior Bowl Roster
