Tag: Joe Foucha

Film Breakdown: This series from 2022 Ole Miss game shows Jayden Daniels’ 2023 potential

This drive against Ole Miss from 2022 shows the potential Jayden Daniels has in 2023.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] was up and down in 2022.

The year ended with more ups than downs, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing as Daniels adjusted to a new offense with new personnel as a first-year transfer.

It began to click in October when Daniels played his most efficient game of the year against Florida. The next week, he got off to a rough start against Ole Miss, but by the second half, he figured it out again.

There’s one drive from that game that really stands out. It came after [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] intercepted Jaxson Dart in the end zone. LSU was set up on its own 20 and leading by four.

A touchdown would put LSU up two possessions and firmly in control. Daniels responded with one of his best series of the year. Let’s take a closer look.

LSU boasts one of college football’s top defenses entering 2023

Despite losing several key pieces, this defense has a lot of potential this fall.

As the offseason hype grows around LSU, much of the discussion has had to do with the offense.

Indeed, the Tigers bring back perhaps the SEC’s top returning quarterback/receiver duo in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag]. Pair that with a young, promising offensive line and a running back room with plenty of options, and you have the makings of a great unit.

But defensively, the Tigers have a lot of potential, as well. There are players to replace, certainly, such as edge defenders [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and secondary starters [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag].

Still, LSU returns a lot of promising players. [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is widely expected to become one of the best players in the country, while [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] returns after a breakout season on the defensive line. He’ll be paired up inside with the player he replaced in [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag], who many expect to have a huge season, as well, as he returns from an ACL tear.

While the secondary will feature a lot of new faces, LSU will get veterans [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] back,

That’s not even mentioning the transfers who will see immediate action like defensive linemen [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag].

This group has a lot of talent, and ESPN ranked it as the No. 8 defensive unit entering 2023.

It always starts right up front with any defense, and getting back a healthyMaason Smithat tackle is a huge boost for an LSU unit that finished fifth in the SEC last season in scoring defense (22.5 points per game) and sixth in total defense (354.6 yards per game). Smith earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021, but tore his ACL in the opener last season against Florida State while celebrating a tackle. The 6-6, 310-pound Smith is a force in the middle of that defense, andMekhi Wingoshowed a year ago he was also capable of being a dominant interior defender. Throw in one of the best pass-rushers in the SEC, outside linebackerHarold Perkins Jr., and the Tigers will be a load for any opposing offensive line trying to block them. Perkins had 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a freshman last season.

LSU will also benefit from having defensive coordinator Matt House and his staff back for another season. The continuity and carryover from 2022 should allow the Tigers to play even faster and more instinctively, and one of the keys will be how well several transfers fit on defense.

LinebackerOmar Speightstransferred in fromOregon State, where he was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season. There are some question marks in the secondary, although veteran safetyGreg Brooks Jr. is back. A number of transfers will get chances to win cornerback jobs. Among them:JK Johnson(Ohio State),Duce Chestnut(Syracuse),Denver Harris(Texas A&M) andZy Alexander(Southeastern Louisiana).

[autotag]Matt House[/autotag] is viewed as one of the top up-and-coming defensive minds in the game, and he’ll have a lot to work with as LSU has the makings of a potential College Football Playoff team this fall.

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Best photos of LSU’s NFL draft prospects at Tigers pro day

The Tigers’ draft hopefuls took the field in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, LSU’s draft hopefuls took the field at the team’s pro day in Baton Rouge looking to put on a show for the NFL scouts in attendance.

The major story on the day was [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who struggled at the NFL scouting combine. His pro day was highly anticipated, but he only participated in drills and not in athletic testing, meaning his subpar combine numbers — including a 4.50 40-yard dash — will stand.

In addition to Boutte, [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] didn’t participate in athletic testing.

[autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Harris Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] were full participants.

Here were the best photos of LSU players participating in drills on Wednesday.

LSU State of the Program: Secondary looks to build a foundation

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s secondary this year and moving forward.

Thinking about the lead-up to last season, I think I wrote more about LSU’s new-look secondary than anything else. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] rebuilding the room from scratch was a major storyline.

A year later, I’m getting deja vu. LSU, once again, has taken to the portal to fill out the secondary.

Several of last year’s additions were on the older side, approaching the end of their eligibility or in the case of [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag], ready to declare for the draft.

[autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag] are gone, too.

A few younger players choose to exit through the portal. [autotag]Raydarious Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Jaelyn Davis-Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Damarius McGhee[/autotag] will all be playing elsewhere.

There’s no cause for concern yet with some of the portal’s best corners set to wear purple and gold. Here’s what the group looks like in 2023 and beyond.

Analyzing every LSU cornerback transfer addition

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s key transfer additions at corner.

For the second year in a row, LSU was forced to rebuild its secondary through the portal.

Last year’s additions — [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] — proved to be essential to the success of LSU’s defense.

Garner, Bernard-Converse and Foucha are off to the NFL, and a couple of LSU’s younger corners have hit the portal themselves. The attrition left LSU with few options to start at corner in 2023, none of them proven.

Those concerns have been squashed as LSU is set to bring in a slew of transfer corners. At least a couple from this crew should be in Baton Rouge for more than a year.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see these guys earn starting roles, or at least, make big contributions.

Here’s a look at LSU’s corner additions in the portal.

WATCH: Drew Brees signed autographs for LSU players after Citrus Bowl

“Imma tell my kids about this one day,” safety Joe Foucha said. “We beat Drew Brees!”

[autotag]Drew Brees[/autotag] may have been coaching on the opposite sidelines for his alma mater Purdue in LSU’s Citrus Bowl victory on Monday, but that doesn’t mean LSU’s players weren’t starstruck to meet the Louisiana sports legend and future NFL Hall of Famer.

Brees — who served as an interim assistant coach working with quarterbacks on Purdue’s shorthanded coaching staff in the bowl game — took the time after the game to meet with and sign autographs for several LSU players.

Safety [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], a New Orleans native, asked Brees to sign his gloves before also asking the former Saints star to sign his game jersey.

“Imma tell my kids about this one day,” Foucha was heard saying on video, courtesy of Orlando Spectrum News 13 anchor Josh Miller. “We beat Drew Brees!”

It was certainly a cool moment to see between Brees and the LSU players, considering many of them likely watched him throughout their childhoods. This was a unique situation for the Boilermakers in the bowl game, but it presented a special opportunity for the Tigers athletes.

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Transfer portal aggressiveness paid dividends for LSU in 2022

The Tigers needed an influx of talent in 2022, and Brian Kelly’s portal strategy worked wonders.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took over LSU’s program 13 months ago, the roster situation was — frankly — a mess.

In the Tigers’ Texas Bowl loss to Kansas State, they had just 39 scholarship players available. It was clear that to have any chance of immediate competitiveness, Kelly needed to add talent and do so quickly.

That’s exactly what he did, bringing in one of the top transfer classes in the country. He rebuilt the secondary essentially from scratch, adding players like [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], but perhaps the most impactful addition was quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], one of the top signal-callers in the SEC this fall.

On3’s Mike Huguenin broke down LSU’s success in the portal this past offseason.

2021 record: 6-7
2022 record: 10-4, SEC title game loss, Citrus Bowl win
Coaching change?: Yes
Transfer quarterback?: Yes, Jayden Daniels (from Arizona State)
The buzz: New coach Brian Kelly went heavily into the portal, especially on defense. The key newcomer, though, was Daniels, whose mobility became a big part of the offense. He was a key reason LSU surprisingly (heck, stunningly) won the SEC West title. Transfers played a huge role in the secondary, with four seeing important playing time. And DT Mekhi Wingo, who transferred from Missouri, became vital when rising-star DT Maason Smith was injured and lost for the season in the opener.
2023 transfer commitments: 7

As Huguenin notes, some transfers like Wingo saw an even bigger role than expected due to injury. It’s hard to picture where this team would have ended up without some of these incredibly impactful additions.

Kelly has made it clear he doesn’t intend to use the portal as aggressively this offseason. LSU has seven commitments in the portal right now, and it may not add anymore until the second transfer window in the spring.

Now that Kelly has a foundation in place, he wants to focus more on high school recruiting — an understandable step. Still, this team needed an influx of talent badly in 2022, and Kelly’s aggressiveness paid off big time.

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WATCH: Drew Brees swarmed by LSU players looking for autographs after Citrus Bowl

WATCH: Drew Brees swarmed by LSU players looking for autographs after Citrus Bowl

How cool is this? Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees didn’t get the result he wanted when his Purdue Boilermakers got run over by the LSU Tigers in a 63-7 finish during this year’s Citrus Bowl, but the future Pro Football Hall of Famer still made an impact on the next generation. Spectrum News 13’s Josh Miller caught up with Brees after the final whistle.

Brees stepped in as an interim assistant coach for Purdue after the Boilermakers lost a lot of help to the college football hiring cycle, including former head coach Jeff Brohm. And many LSU players sought Brees’ autograph after the game, mobbing him with whatever they had on hand: their gloves, their jerseys, even their towels. It’s not every day you get to meet a living legend, much less claim some bragging rights after a big bowl win.

“I’m gonna tell my kids this one day, you heard me? I beat Drew Brees, we beat Drew Brees,” grinned safety Joe Foucha, a New Orleans native from McDonogh 35 Senior High School. Many players on the field grew up watching Brees lead the Saints to the team’s brightest era of football, and several of them were in the crowd seeking Brees’ signature — guys like wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (of Zachary, La.) and safety Greg Brooks Jr. (from Harvey, La.).

So while Brees’ turn as a coach may have not gone as hoped, he still has a great reputation among the next players dreaming of turning pro. It’s good to see his day — and theirs — ended on a high note. That was the case for Brees’ children, too, who petitioned LSU running back John Emery for photos and autographs after the game while decked out in Tigers gear (unlike their dad, still wearing his Purdue colors). WAFB 9’s Jacques Doucet captured the moment:

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Key LSU defender announces plans to return in 2023

Greg Brooks Jr. is coming back to Baton Rouge for one more ride.

The Tigers will once again be undergoing a full-on rebuild of the secondary this offseason, but they won’t have to start from scratch.

On Friday, starter [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] announced that he would be returning to LSU for one more season. A transfer from Arkansas, Brooks began the 2022 seasons as a starter at corner before eventually swapping spots with [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] and moving to safety.

He started 12 games and appeared in all 13, totaling 61 tackles (two for loss), a sack, a forced fumble, four pass deflections and an interception, which sealed the win over Auburn.

“Normally, this is where you hear the part about moving on to the next chapter, but I believe my story in Baton Rouge is not over,” Brooks said. “I will continue on this Path to Greatness at LSU for one more year. I want to close this chapter the right way alongside my brothers and Tiger Nation.”

Between transfers and the exits of [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and Ward for the draft (plus the expected exit of [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag]), LSU will definitely have a new-look secondary next year. But Brooks should bring a much-needed veteran presence to the room.

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LSU’s five best plays from the 2022 season

Here are the best five plays from LSU’s season.

My favorite thing about the sport of football is the individual moments it creates.

We construct stories and narratives around the sport and then get to watch it play out in real time on Saturdays. Some of these moments are special. These are the ones that deconstruct the narrative and give us something we never expected.

There are also times when everything we did expect comes to fruition, like the perfect payoff at the end of the story. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as something we’ve never seen before.

LSU had no shortage of these big moments this year. Some might be better to forget, like the blocked extra point in the opener. But LSU had big wins too and they gave fans plenty of good times.

With that in mind, here are the top five plays from LSU in 2022.