Tag: LSU Spring Practice

Brian Kelly expalins the structure for LSU’s 2024 spring game

Here’s how LSU will structure its spring game on Saturday.

LSU football will put on the uniforms and take to Tiger Stadium on Saturday, but it will look different than you’re regular football game.

Over the years, we’ve seen coaches get creative, structuring spring games in different ways, whether it be with personnel or adjusted scoring systems.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] explained what LSU’s spring game will look like, saying it will be offense vs. defense, but keep the same creative scoring from last year.

Scoring was as usual for the offense, but the defense was awarded five points for a stop or sack.

Kelly said this game isn’t about the score, but rather giving certain players the opportunity to compete.

It’s hard to glean much from spring games. A lot can change between now and Labor Day weekend. More important than anything else, it is critical that LSU leaves the scrimmage healthy and intact.

In recent years, we’ve seen LSU use the spring game to bring back some prominent alumni to meet with top recruits.

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Brian Kelly asked Packers head coach Matt LaFleur for advice on college football’s new headsets

Brian Kelly spoke with the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur for advice as on-field radio comes to college football.

Beginning this season, college quarterbacks will have radio in their helmets. This might be new to college sports, but it’s been a thing in the NFL for some time.

With the adjustment, LSU head coach said he spoke with Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

“I leaned on Matt LaFleur. He was my quarterback coach, talked to him a little bit about it,” Kelly said, “Obviously, he’s been using it since he’s been in the league, which is a long time.”

Kelly was referencing LaFleur’s time on his Central Michigan staff in 2004 and 2005.

“His biggest concerns are when it goes out. He talked about all the horror stories of when it will go out, when they can’t hear, and how that is really the biggest issue. You have to have a few standard plays the quarterback can call on his own,” Kelly said.

Kelly added the extra communication allows the offense to do a quick huddle and change the tempo of the game.

This is an area where LSU having a veteran fourth-year player like [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] could give the Tigers an added advantage.

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Brian Kelly on Kyren Lacy’s improvement as LSU’s top receiver

Brian Kelly says wide receiver Kyren Lacy is set for a breakout campaign in 2024.

With [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] gone, LSU’s looking for a new WR1 to step up. So far, that’s been fifth-year senior [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] spoke with the media on Saturday and discussed Lacy’s strides in the absence of Nabers and Thomas.

“One of the things that has clearly been present is that consistency,” Kelly said. “That wasn’t necessarily the case with Kyren, he was easily distracted at times and I think what has happened here more than anything else is he has found the right zone to be in as it relates to practice and preparation.”

Kelly added that Lacy benefitted from seeing Nabers and Thomas perform day in and day out.

Lacy began his career under Billy Napier at Louisiana before transferring to LSU in 2022. With NFL receivers like [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], Nabers and Thomas on the roster, Lacy hasn’t been featured in the offense. Now, that opportunity is there.

Despite being LSU’s third option last year, Lacy still managed to post career-high totals with 30 catches for 558 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll look to build on those numbers further in 2024.

“He’s going to have a breakout season,” Kelly said.

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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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True freshman LSU cornerback PJ Woodland reportedly pushing for first-team reps in spring camp

The early enrollee was just a three-star coming out of high school, but he may compete for early playing time.

Freshman cornerback [autotag]PJ Woodland[/autotag] was not one of the most heralded prospects in LSU’s 2024 signing class, but the early enrollee is quickly turning heads at spring practice.

The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native was just a three-star recruit and ranked outside the top 500 nationally, yet he may compete for early reps this season as he’s been spotted running with the first team opposite [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] at cornerback, according to On3’s Matthew Brune.

“Competitiveness. PJ Woodland is a competitor,” new defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] said, per Brune. “ He’s feisty, he’s physical, and he can run. More than anything, for a freshman, we’ve thrown him out there with the ones some and thrown him out there against our top receivers and he competes. That’s where it starts, but he has the physical tools. He has long levers, he’s physical and he can run, so I’ve been impressed with him. It wasn’t easy. Those first three days before spring break I guarantee you he was saying ‘what in the world did I do coming here early?’ but he’s been really impressive these last few days.”

Woodland has reportedly shined in Baker’s new, more aggressive defensive scheme, which will ask cornerbacks to be a lot more physical and play more press. With a 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, that may be difficult for him early on, but it seems he’s made an impression on the new defensive staff, particularly Baker and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], who returned to LSU after spending the previous two years at Florida.

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Brian Kelly doesn’t want Garrett Nussmeier to feel like he has ‘gotta prove something’

Brian Kelly wants to avoid putting too much pressure on his starting quarterback.

New LSU starting quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has some big shoes to fill.

He’ll be replacing the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] after waiting several years for the opportunity to start. Nussmeier has impressed in limited action, but given the fact that he lacks Daniels’ mobility, it’s a safe assumption that the offense will look quite a bit different in 2024.

Regardless, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] isn’t trying to put too much pressure on his new signal-caller. He said he doesn’t want Nussmeier to enter the spring game looking for too much to prove.

“Well, I think he’s gotta settle into the position and not feel like ‘I’ve gotta go prove something,’” Kelly said, per On3.

Kelly explained that Nussmeier has a tendency to force things, and he wants him to instead play naturally and loosely, letting things come to him.

“He comes in as the starter and just let the offense come to you,” Kelly said. “Sometimes he has a tendency that he wants to push things a little bit too far. Let it come to you. And I think every day it’s about feeling more comfortable with the offense. It’s kind of, you know these things from playing the position, touchdown or check down. You hear that all the time. And every play doesn’t need to be a touchdown. We can check it down here and there.

“And I think as he continues to feel more comfortable with the starting position. I think you’ll see him kind of settle into that.”

Nussmeier’s debut has been highly anticipated, but it’s clear Kelly is trying to avoid putting too much pressure on his new starter.

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Brian Kelly praises Garrett Nussmeier’s leadership ability

Brian Kelly praised Garrett Nussmeier’s leadership as he takes over for Jayden Daniels.

LSU quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has some big shoes to fill after [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ Heisman campaign in 2023. Both on the field and in the locker room.

According to [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], Nussmeier is doing his job in the leadership department.

“He has the ears of everybody on the offense. He backs up what he says by deed. If he says he’s gonna do something, he does it,” Kelly said of Nussmeier.

Kelly said that even last year, when Nussmeier was second on the depth chart, he was one of the top leaders on the offense.

“He holds others accountable,” Kelly said.

Kelly said Nussmeier’s S.W.A.T (Spring Workout Accountability Team) is near the top of LSU’s leaderboard each week.

LSU’s offense will look a lot different in 2024 after losing its starting QB and offensive coordinator. Having a leader at QB who can guide the group through that transition is a big plus for this offense.

“Guys follow guys that mean what they say and do it,” Kelly said.

Nussmeier made his first career start in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin. He capped the game off by leading LSU on a 98-yard game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

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LSU receiver Kyle Parker could be poised for breakout redshirt freshman season

Kyle Parker has reportedly seen first-team receiver reps at LSU’s spring practice.

As LSU works its way through spring ball, there’s one pressing question on the offensive side: Who can replace the production departing with first-round receivers [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag]?

While the Tigers may lack the experience in the receiver room, it’s a talented group with a number of players who could earn reps. One, however, has been a standout so far in spring ball.

Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kyle Parker[/autotag] — an Allen, Texas, native who appeared in four games as a true freshman in 2023 — was spotted taking reps with the first team along with [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

Parker was part of a talented receiver class in 2023 that also featured [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag]. The latter has since transferred, but with Sampson and a group that also features Liberty transfer [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], a transfer addition who played occasionally in 2023, there are options for the Tigers.

However, it seems Parker is making an impression, with quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] recently saying that he had “worked his tail off.”

The Tigers have to replace a combined 2,746 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns from a season ago. The emergence of a player like Parker would certainly make that much more manageable.

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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.