Tag: Joe Sloan

LSU QB commit Bryce Underwood remains top recruit in 2025 class after On3 update

LSU QB commit Bryce Underwood remained the top overall recruit in On3’s latest update.

On3 released its updated recruiting rankings on Monday, but LSU quarterback commit [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag] held firm at the top spot.

Underwood, who committed to LSU in January, ranks as the nation’s top recruit at both On3 and 247Sports. He’s not that far behind on the other sites either, ranking second at ESPN and third at Rivals.

On3 calls Underwood a “top arm talent” and said he “is among the more physically gifted quarterback prospects in recent cycles.”

Underwood is the headlining piece of an LSU class that features a few of the nation’s top prospects. According to On3, the Tigers’ 2025 class sits second nationally, trailing only Ohio State.

Underwood would be the top-rated QB recruit in LSU’s history and the first No. 1 overall recruit to sign with LSU since [autotag]Leonard Fournette[/autotag] inked his letter of intent in 2014.

LSU went all the way to Michigan to secure Underwood’s commitment, which speaks to the recruiting talent of offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag].

With [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] set the lead the Tigers in 2024 and Underwood on the horizon, LSU’s quarterback room is in good hands for the foreseeable future.

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LSU Co-OC Joe Sloan has high praise for TE Mason Taylor

LSU’s offensive coordinator recently talked about utilizing the tight ends this season.

LSU’s offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] recently talked about utilizing the tight ends this season. One player he is very high on is [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag].

Taylor is a 6-foot-6, 253-pound tight end from Plantation, Florida, and has spent his last two seasons with LSU. During his freshman year, he served as the hero for the LSU Tigers in their overtime win over Alabama. He caught the game-winning reception for the two-point conversion.

Taylor has played in 26 games and started in 25 of those during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He has recorded 74 receptions for 762 yards and four touchdowns. He is now without [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], but he still has the tools to be productive.

When your offensive coordinator has that high of an opinion of you, it has to drive you to want to succeed even more. Sloan wants to get [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] off to a nice start for his first season as a starter and what better way to do that than by getting the tight ends active?

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Co-OC Joe Sloan is excited about LSU’s top-rated transfer CJ Daniels

New LSU OC Joe Sloan is excited about the leadership and playmaking ability CJ Daniels brings to the WR room.

LSU football is in the final stretch of spring practice. Coaches have now got their eyes on a few newcomers, including LSU’s top-rated transfer [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag].

Earlier this week, offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] was asked about what Daniels brings to the receiver room.

“CJ just brings such a level of consistency. You can see the experience in how he plays. He’s such a smart player,” Sloan said.

This will be Daniels’ fifth year of college football and Sloan said the leadership and work habits Daniels brings to the room have been nice to see.

LSU is losing two 1,000-yard receivers with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] off to the NFL. That’s what made the addition of Daniels, who racked up 1.067 yards with Liberty in 2023, critical.

Sloan noted Daniels is still learning and adjusting to the playbook and doesn’t offer the continuity of the returning guys, but he’s excited about his ability to produce.

“He’s physical and he’s strong through the catch. I think he’s going to be a huge piece for what we’re doing in the fall,” Sloan said.

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Joe Sloan discusses working together with new co-OC Cortez Hankton

New LSU OC Joe Sloan is excited to be working alongside co-OC Cortez Hankton.

When former LSU offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] took a job at Notre Dame, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] didn’t have to look far to find replacements.

QBs coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] was promoted to OC while WRs coach and passing game coordinator got the bump to co-OC.

Sloan spoke with the media this week, elaborating on his working relationship with Hankton.

“Cortez, everybody sees his development at the receiver position with the way Malik and BT played and how they’re gonna go on and obviously be first-round draft picks,” Sloan said. “I think what people don’t see is his ability to game plan, his ability to understand how to attack defenses in the passing game, and he was doing a ton of that last year.”

Sloan says his relationship with Hankton goes back to Sloan’s days as a GA at South Florida.

“He and I met. He was trying to get into coaching. He and I met and stayed in touch for a long time. Almost worked together a couple of other times and I think our relationship together is really good working relationship. We keep each other centered and play off each other really well,” Sloan said.

“I think we have an unbelievable offensive staff,” Sloan added.

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Cordae Hankton joins LSU football staff as analyst

LSU added Cordae Hankton, the brother of Cortez Hankton, to the offensive support staff.

Another Hankton has joined the LSU staff. [autotag]Cordae Hankton[/autotag], brother of LSU wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], was hired as a lead offensive analyst.

Cordae is the younger of the brothers but brings a wealth of Power Five coaching experience to the staff.

He’s made stops at Michigan State, Virginia, Texas and Colorado in support staff roles. He has on-field coaching experience too, working with the running backs at Charlotte in 2022.

With [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and Cortez Hankton now leading the offense, we’ve seen LSU move to get some new analysts in the door that have previous familiarity with Sloan and Hankton.

Cordae took to social media to announce the news himself, writing “Feels good to be home,” in a post.

Cordae played safety at Jackson State in 2006 and 2007 before working as a police officer in New Orleans. He later returned to school and earned a degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge.

This addition strengthens this staff’s already strong ties to the state.

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LSU hiring Trey Holtz as an offensive analyst working with quarterbacks

Trey Holtz, son of Skip Holtz and grandson of Lou Holtz, is reuniting with Joe Sloan at LSU.

LSU continues to build its off-field support staff, and the Tigers are now adding someone new co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] has a lot of familiarity with.

Houston analyst [autotag]Trey Holtz[/autotag] is joining LSU as an offensive analyst who will primarily work with quarterbacks. The news was first reported by Chris Hummer of 247Sports.

Holtz is the son of former Louisiana Tech Skip Holtz and the grandson of longtime former college coach Lou Holtz.

Holtz spent the 2023 season on staff at Houston as an offensive analyst but was recently moved to the defensive side. Previously, he was an offensive quality control coach at Charlotte and an inside receivers coach at Louisiana Tech, where he worked with Sloan.

Before that, he spent three years as a graduate assistant at Ohio State working with tight ends and running backs.

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Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Report: LSU hiring veteran offensive assistant to analyst role

Todd Fitch has spent the last three years at Ohio State but previously worked with Joe Sloan at Louisiana Tech.

LSU will have a pair of new offensive play-callers in up-and-coming staffers [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag]. To help out that group, it seems Brian Kelly is bringing in an industry veteran.

The Tigers are reportedly set to hire Ohio State offensive analyst [autotag]Todd Fitch[/autotag] to the same position, where he’ll work with LSU’s quarterback room. The news was first reported by The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.

Fitch has spent the last three seasons with the Buckeyes after a stint at Vanderbilt, where he was the offensive coordinator and later interim head coach during the 2020 season.

The 60-year-old has been a journeyman assistant with a number of programs dating back to 1986, and that includes a stint working with Sloan at Louisiana Tech, where they were co-offensive coordinators together in 2019 before Fitch left for Nashville.

Fitch also coached in the SEC at South Carolina from 1999-03, and he’s 0-1 in his career as a head coach.

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LSU Spring Football Outlook: How do Tigers replace Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. at WR?

With two of the most productive receivers in the nation moving on, what does LSU still have at the position heading into 2024?

Spring practice is the first real sign we’re moving away from 2023 and heading for the 2024 season.

At LSU, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just a few weeks away from his third spring practice with the Tigers.

Throughout the spring, I’ll be taking a look at how LSU stacks up at every position. There’s still plenty to figure out at this point, some of which we’ll learn in the spring, but we know where LSU stands personnel-wise at these spots.

Now, we move on to the wide receiver position. LSU finds itself in an intriguing spot with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] gone. Let’s see what [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] have to work with in 2024.

LSU Spring Football Outlook: Quarterbacks

Here’s where LSU QB room stands heading into spring practice.

Spring practice is the first real sign we’re moving away from 2023 and heading for the 2024 season.

At LSU, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just a few weeks away from his third spring practice with the Tigers.

Throughout the spring, I’ll be taking a look at how LSU stacks up at every position. There’s still plenty to figure out at this point, some of which we’ll learn in the spring, but we know where LSU stands personnel-wise at these spots.

Today, we’ll start with the quarterback position. LSU likes what it has in [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who sits seventh in preseason Heisman odds. But let’s take a look at what to expect from LSU’s new QB1 and the rest of the room.

On3 lists Garrett Nussmeier as a breakout star in 2024

On3’s JD Pickell has high hopes for Garrett Nussmeier in 2024.

With [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] off to the NFL, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to be LSU’s next starting quarterback.

Nussmeier’s time has been long awaited and highly anticipated. He’s played sparingly his first three years in Baton Rouge but has 1,720 yards and 11 touchdowns under his belt.

Now taking over the full-time role, the hopes are high. On3’s JD Pickell agrees.

“If he’s guilty of anything, it’s loving to sling that football downfield,” Pickell said.

With LSU’s talent at wide receiver and [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] taking over at offensive coordinator, Pickell expects the offense to look similar to what it was last year.

“Dude can sling it. I want to make sure you leave this segment knowing that,” Pickell said.

“I think you’ll see that offense continue to churn at a really high level,” he added.

Nussmeier led LSU to a win in the bowl game, throwing for 395 yards and three touchdowns, including leading a game-winning 98-yard touchdown drive.

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