Tag: Garrett Dellinger

Garrett Dellinger undergoes hand surgery, likely to miss contest vs. Auburn

Dellinger is “doubtful” to play Saturday, per coach Brian Kelly.

The Tigers have seemingly found their best starting five along the offensive line, but that group is poised to see a shakeup heading into Saturday’s game against Auburn.

During the SEC coaches teleconference call on Wednesday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said that starting left guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] is “doubtful” for Saturday’s road game after undergoing hand surgery. The injury doesn’t seem serious, and LSU should be able to get him back soon.

In the meantime, Kelly said the team will likely slide right guard [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag] over to the left side, opening the door for veteran [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag] to start on the right. Bradford has seen action at right guard in several games this season.

This is a young offensive line that features true freshmen starting at the left and right tackle spots. The Tigers have more experience on the interior, but that will be tested this weekend, assuming Dellinger is unable to go.

He is one of several Tigers players whose statuses range from questionable to doubtful heading into Saturday’s game.

This offensive line group has looked much improved since a rough outing in Week 1, and LSU will hope it can continue that success even with a starter likely unavailable.

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COLUMN: LSU might lose this week, and that’s okay

LSU might lose to Mississippi State on Saturday. Tiger fans should not overreact to a loss.

Conference play is once again upon us.

LSU will host Mike Leach and Mississippi State on Saturday night as the underdog. The Tigers aren’t supposed to be an underdog at home against MSU, right?

Well, these are different times, and LSU is in the midst of a rebuild.

A 65-17 win against Southern has helped reset the negative feelings that dwelled after the loss to Florida State. LSU begins conference play in a similar spot to where it began the season — with a lot of questions, but also a lot of potential. If the team that showed up in the fourth quarter against Florida State shows up against Mississippi State, LSU will win this game.

However, I’m not sure how wise it would be to count on that team to show up. That loss was just two weeks ago, and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] might be a good coach, but he doesn’t have a magic wand.

LSU has made adjustments. [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] is now at the nickel spot and [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] will slide back to safety. We saw a new-look offensive line last week with [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] at center, [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] at guard and [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag] bumping over to right tackle.

On top of personnel adjustments, these coordinators should have a better understanding of these players and we should see improved playcalling. Even after the loss to Florida State, I said this LSU team is better than the one we have seen the last two years.

It still might not be enough. This is a hard league to play in. Mississippi State is a good team, but it’s far from the best LSU will see this year. Mike Leach has his program close to where he wants it to be while Kelly is rebuilding. These programs are on different planes right now, even if the teams are similar in ability.

My expectation is that LSU will lose this game. That’s okay.

Nobody wants to start 1-2, especially after the way 2020 and 2021 played out, but it’s part of the process. Mississippi State has experience. It’s a group that’s well-coached on both sides of the ball.

It’s not that LSU isn’t well-coached. I have faith in this coaching staff, but it’s going to take some time for LSU to be able to compete on a consistent basis. I think the players have bought in and I think this is a team committed to winning, but again, issues can’t be fixed overnight or one offseason.

I’m excited to see where this LSU team goes over the course of the year, but we should be prepared for a few more growing pains in the meantime.

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COLUMN: Where do we go from here?

After a loss like that, it’s tough to make sense of everything. Here are some initial thoughts about where this LSU team is headed.

LSU’s loss to Florida State is one that will linger in the minds of the fans for a long time. It didn’t have many expectations heading into 2022. It’s the first year of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] administration, and we knew this was going to be a rebuild.

This team is full of transfers and young guys. Even players that do have experience, like offensive lineman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag], found themselves in a new role and position.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] had never played a game with these wide receivers. The defenders are still developing chemistry and learning how to communicate with one another.

There’s a lot that’s new here. New pieces can be cause for excitement, and in this case, many still are. Things needed to change, new players needed to be brought in. That doesn’t mean a transition is going to be easy.

We didn’t expect much, but that’s still a loss that hurts.

Optimism built throughout the summer as LSU gained momentum on the recruiting trail and we heard good thing after good thing about how players looked in camp.

After dropping the season opener in 2020 and 2021, this looked like a time where LSU might be able to start the year on the right foot.

With the way that game ended, what’s important here can become blurry. There’s so much to think about here and the blame doesn’t belong at the feet of any single entity. This was as much of a team loss as a loss can be.

Every unit had their good moments and their bad and the same can be said for individual players. Jayden Daniels legs kept LSU in the game, creating big first downs when LSU needed it most. He also marched LSU the entire length of the field to set up that final touchdown.

Daniels struggled in the first half, though. It’s hard to tell how much of his struggles were his own doing, the offensive line, the playcalling or the wide receivers. In the first half, nobody on offense really stepped up.

Daniels showed enough to keep the job moving forward. LSU doesn’t need to play musical chairs at quarterback right now. The Tigers need consistency, and it needs to allow someone to get comfortable back there.

It shouldn’t be lost on us that LSU did not quit. This team crawled back into this game and made some big plays in some big moments. The heartbreaking way in which it ended can make that easy to forget, but this was a one-point loss where a lot of the underlying numbers were solid.

Going forward, my opinion of this team has not changed much. It’s going to take some time to fix some of these issues, it always was, but they showed enough to where I think a fix is possible.

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LSU starting offensive line mostly solidified, Brian Kelly says

Kelly said the coaches are close to figuring out the starting five.

Aside from the quarterback battle, which seems to be drawing to a conclusion as fall camp winds to a close, the most interesting position group on this Tigers roster is the offensive line.

Where the team either returns starters or added plug-and-play transfers for most other position groups, the offensive line requires a bit more deliberation. This team has to replace four of five starters from a year ago.

Two of the spots seem to be locked down. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] is just a true freshman, but he has impressed the staff quite a bit since arriving as an early enrollee in the spring. He seems to have earned the starting left tackle job, and experienced East Tennessee State transfer [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] is all but a shoo-in for the left guard spot.

Another starting spot may be off the board, as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said at his press conference on Tuesday that redshirt freshman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] has all but locked down the starting center job, which some thought would go to veteran [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag].

That leaves what appears to be three players vying for two spots on the right side: Florida International transfer [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag], who can play both guard and tackle but is likely the favorite to start at right guard, along with [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag] and [autotag]Cameron Wire[/autotag].

Bradford and Wire have worked inside and outside during spring and fall camps, but Kelly said Bradford has recently been working at guard while Wire has worked at tackle, where he started most of the season last year.

“We’re still moving some pieces around. You know I can tell you that the good part is Garrett Dellinger’s really settled in at the center position,” Kelly said. “I think, you know it was last week where I was pretty vocal about the snaps. He’s really settled in nicely since that day and has taken ownership at that position and has been extremely consistent, so we feel really good there at the center position. You know, we’ve been working Bradford at some guard position. But as you know, earlier he’s played a lot of tackle. So that’s giving Cam Wire some opportunity there.”

Kelly said that the staff is close to narrowing down the starting five and that the bulk of the work is now going into solidifying the rotation.

“I think what we’re looking for is some key backup situations,” Kelly said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good sense of the five, six guys — and now it’s about getting that seventh, seventh maybe eighth guy. But we’re, we feel pretty comfortable with knowing that we’ve got seven, eight guys and that’s going to be our rotation.”

Despite its offensive inconsistencies last fall, the Tigers return a lot of talent (and added some more) at the skill positions in 2022. But offensive line play could prove to be a limiting factor, and it’s encouraging that the best five seem to be separating themselves from the pack.

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Brian Kelly still working to determine starting offensive line

Kelly said the starting OL group is far from decided after the open scrimmage.

The media got its first real impression of what the 2022 LSU football team may look like on Wednesday as coach Brian Kelly held the first open scrimmage.

The team reportedly had some issues snapping the ball, and the first questions Kelly fielded in his press conference following the scrimmage regarded the players in the offensive trenches.

“No,” Kelly said when asked if the starting offensive line was settled. “There are still opportunities. Cam Wire is still in the picture, (Marcus) Dumervil is just getting back with an ankle. Those two guys are still competing, and (Charles) Turner is still in competition. I’d say those three guys, in particular, are still vying for an opportunity.”

LSU has some players who seem to be locked into starting roles in [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag], a four-year starter Kelly landed in the transfer portal from East Tennessee State, and [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], a true freshman who was an elite recruit coming out of high school. Campbell has quickly asserted himself as one of the Tigers’ best linemen.

It also added [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag], a transfer from Florida International that is likely to start, and it returns redshirt freshman utility lineman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag].

Kelly said we can expect some tweaking in the coming weeks as the team prepares for the season opener against Florida State.

“We’ll move that group around a little bit, we’re going to move (Anthony) Bradford inside, we’ll kick Cam Wire out to tackle, so there’s still some moving around on the offensive line to see what the best five guys are,” Kelly said.

The offensive line is among the biggest question marks entering Kelly’s first season. The Tigers lost four of their five starters from a year ago, with Wire being the only returning starter. It addressed the line in the transfer portal, but this group is still largely unproven.

It has the potential to be a limiting factor, and LSU will hope to nail down its starting group sooner rather than later as the regular season kicks off in just over two weeks.

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LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 72 Garrett Dellinger

Dellinger could play a key role for LSU’s offensive line this fall.

Going into the 2022 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] this season.

LSU will have a largely new-look offensive line this fall, and one player who could be poised to benefit from an experience vacuum in the offensive trenches is sophomore guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag]. The Michigan native saw quite a bit of playing time as a true freshman last fall and could earn a starting job at one of the guard spots this fall.

Garrett Dellinger Preseason Player Profile

LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 71 Xavier Hill

Xavier Hill is one of several players who will compete for a starting job at one of the guard spots.

Going into the 2022 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] this season.

We continue our look at this team’s offensive linemen with a player who has seen limited action in his first two seasons with the team but could be asked to provide some major depth up front this fall. [autotag]Xavier Hill[/autotag], a Mississippi native, looks to be one of the beneficiaries of the Tigers’ offensive line turnover this offseason.

Xavier Hill Preseason Player Profile

Veteran LSU guard breaks down offensive line, quarterback competitions

Anthony Bradford provided some insight on the Tigers’ biggest question marks.

The Tigers have a lot of potential this fall, but they have more unanswered questions in June than fans may be used to.

With a new coaching staff under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and a number of crucial position battles that are still yet to be resolved, there will be a lot to watch for when fall camp begins later this summer.

One of the biggest question marks surrounds the offensive line, where the Tigers are tasked with replacing four of five starters from a year ago. Luckily, they return a number of veterans with at least some experience. One of those players is junior guard [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag].

Bradford played in six games last season, starting five at left tackle before an injury ended his season. He will likely slide back to his natural position on the inside this season, where he will face stiff competition if he wants to retain a starting spot.

Speaking to On3’s Bengal Tiger Podcast, Bradford elaborated on where he stands right now. He said he remains in the mix at right guard and that he doesn’t worry about competition from players like redshirt freshman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] and East Tennessee State graduate transfer [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag], who may be the favorites to start at guard this fall, stating that “iron sharpens iron.”

Bradford also offered his take on the quarterback situation, which doesn’t seem much closer to an answer after the spring game. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] is the technical incumbent, but he hasn’t played in a game in nearly two years. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], meanwhile, has three generally positive years of starting experience, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] lacks the experience but has impressed with his arm talent when he’s had the chance.

“I feel like the quarterback situation, everybody’s getting better together,” Bradford said. “They take a piece of the game for each other. I feel like this quarterback room is really special to me. I’m excited to see what they do when they compete in fall camp.”

That may not provide much insight into who will win the job, but it seems to reinforce the idea that LSU has three options with their own strengths who have the talent to start in the SEC.

While we aren’t all that far away from the 2022 team taking the field, we will have to wait a while longer to have answers to some of these questions, including what Bradford’s role will be on this team. Regardless, it sounds like Kelly has done a good job of getting buy-in from veterans like Bradford.

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Five remaining questions for LSU’s football team heading into fall camp

We have some more clarity as we emerge from the spring, but there’s a lot more to be learned as LSU heads into the summer.

LSU had its spring game on Saturday, marking the end of the first spring practice with coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] at the helm.

The quarterbacks have been the biggest discussion point all spring and that won’t change as we move toward the fall. There are also some areas where we have more clarity now, such as the offensive line and linebacker rooms.

In the secondary, it looks like [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], both Louisiana natives who transferred from Arkansas, are emerging as leaders.

However, there are plenty of questions that remain as Kelly has only been on the job for a few months. Much of spring practice was about solidifying the transition and installing the new playbooks.

On top of that, there could still be some players yet to come and go. After spring, players could have a better idea of their situation at a given school and elect to transfer. That could kick off a second round of transfers, and LSU still has a couple of roster spots left to use.

It’ll be a long time until we see LSU out on the field again, which means a lot can change before LSU takes the field against Florida State in New Orleans. Here are some remaining questions as it gears up for the break during the summer.

LSU breakout candidates: What can linebacker Mike Jones Jr. be this year?

Jones found his groove down the stretch in 2021. Can he build on that in 2022?

Recently, we took a look at [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] and [autotag]John Emery[/autotag], two guys who LSU could be counting on to breakout.

Today, we’ll take a look at linebacker [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], who could also be critical to the Tigers’ efforts in 2022.

Jones transferred to LSU in the summer of 2021, and it seemed like a perfect match. LSU needed help after a dreadful 2020 on defense that saw some of its worst play at safety and linebacker in years. Jones was seen as a guy that could aid the team in both places.

In 2020 at Clemson, he was named to the All-ACC list by Pro Football Focus. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, he saw action in all 15 games, including special teams snaps against LSU in the national championship game.

When Jones only played one snap in the opener against UCLA, many were surprised. The next three games presented more snaps for Jones, but against Auburn, he was back down to just two snaps. A couple of weeks later against Florida, just one again.

It wasn’t until after the bye week, against Alabama, that Jones saw more time. That bye week is also the period in which LSU almost entirely reinvented its defense, resulting in it looking like one of the best units in the country down the stretch.

In that Alabama game, Jones lined up all over the place, much like people thought he would when he first joined LSU. Playing a role in its new blitz packages, Jones recorded three pressures and a sack.

Jones saw a healthy amount of playing time the next week against Arkansas, where LSU held the Razorbacks to just one touchdown all night. Against ULM the next week, Jones added three more pressures.

While he never became a dominant or All-SEC player with LSU in 2021, he found a role, starting the final five games, something that wasn’t close to guaranteed when he was riding the bench against UCLA.

Jones is a former four-star recruit and was ranked as the 210th best player in 2018 on the 247Sports Composite. He’s talented and versatile, a combination defensive coordinators love to see.

With the loss of [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag], a linebacker whose speed allowed him to have an effect in the passing game, LSU needs Jones to step up. The opportunity is there with a new staff and some open spots on that defense.

In a conference where speed is the name of the game, and a sport where defense is more about making plays than trying to play consistently from drive to drive, someone with Jones’ ability is invaluable.

Will he be one of the best defenders in the SEC? Probably not, but it is on the high end of probabilities. Can he be a real difference-maker for LSU? Yes, and the Tigers probably need him to be.

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