Tag: LSU Tigers

What’s at stake in the Texas Bowl between LSU and Baylor?

What’s really at stake in the 2024 Kinder’s Texas Bowl?

The Texas Bowl is on Tuesday, December 31, in Houston, Texas.

The LSU Tigers arrive at Tuesday’s matchup with an 8-4 record after winning their last two games, a welcomed sight after an unfortunate three-game skid knocked the team out of the college football playoffs. The Baylor Bears also arrive in Texas with an 8-4 record, including winning six straight to close out the season.

So, what’s really at stake in Tuesday’s head-to-head?

The Tigers’ program can win a third straight bowl game and reach nine wins.

If LSU walks away with a victory, it’ll be behind a slightly revamped team. While there haven’t been many changes to the defense, the offensive line will be practically new. Several players opted out of playing the bowl game.

For the Bears, head coach Dave Aranda has a chance to get a win over his former team.

Aranda spent the 2016-2019 seasons with the team and was on the staff that won a national championship. The matchup against LSU presents a unique challenge. Unfortunately, Baylor lost seven defensive players to the transfer portal, and that likely won’t help a Bears squad that allowed 34 or more points six times this season.

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Chiefs scouting report: LSU Tigers OL Garrett Dellinger

The Kansas City #Chiefs should consider taking LSU #Tigers OL Garrett Dellinger in the third or fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs have the best interior offensive line in the NFL but risk losing Trey Smith this spring and Joe Thuney the following year. It’s unlikely the team keeps both guards beyond next season, which means Brett Veach should select interior offensive line depth in the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy, LSU Tigers standout Garrett Dellinger is a verified 6’4.5″, 320 lbs. His thick frame packs impressive power in pass protection. Defensive linemen lack the power to rush through Dellinger’s frame. He needs to tighten his hand usage to protect his chest more, but his raw power lets him succeed with poor technique.

Dellinger’s anchor isn’t his only weapon in pass protection. He delivers impressive power through his hands. His punches and shoves send defensive linemen stumbling away. Dellinger’s limited arm length prevents him from maximizing this power, but his highlights in pass protection rank among the best in the 2025 class.

Dellinger plays with an elevated pad level and inconsistent hand usage. His frame limits his agility and foot speed. He struggles to mirror twitchy defenders and sometimes stops moving his feet when he extends to punch the rusher. These flaws prevent Dellinger from earning a top 60 grade in the class.

Dellinger’s impact in the run game varies. His movement skills help him execute some reach blocks and pull for gap runs, but he lacks the ideal open field speed and agility to mirror defenders. Dellinger uses his power to displace or seal defenders to create massive run lanes. He climbs to the second level on combo blocks to eliminate linebackers.

Dellinger’s inconsistent balance causes him to fall off some blocks in the run game. He lunges into blocks, which makes him vulnerable to swim moves. When he makes solid contact, Dellinger uses his leg drive to displace and pancake defenders. He doesn’t post those dominant plays consistently.

Dellinger missed time late in the season with a high ankle sprain that he suffered versus Texas A&M. He plans to add more tape before the draft by attending the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. in late January. Dellinger projects as a third or fourth-round selection.

USC ended its 2024 season the same way it started

The bookends of USC’s 2024 football season were wins over SEC opponents in Vegas. Everything in between went wrong, but 2-0 vs the SEC is a fun fact.

Way back on September 1, USC football scored a last-second touchdown to complete a come-from-behind victory over an SEC opponent in Las Vegas. On Friday night, USC scored a last-second touchdown to complete a come-from-behind victory over an SEC opponent in Las Vegas.

In a rather ironic twist, the Trojans concluded the 2024 season in the same place that they opened it, against an opponent from the same conference. Both times, they scored the game-winning touchdown with exactly 8 seconds left on the clock to prevail in thrilling fashion.

What happened in the 11 games in between the Trojans defeating LSU in the season opener and taking down Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl Friday night was a complete different story. USC finished the 2024 season a disappointing 7-6, including a 4-5 mark in Big Ten play. They consistently struggled to close out games, having led in the fourth quarter of five of their six losses.

But under the bright lights of Vegas, the Trojans were at their best. USC bookended its 2024 season with a result stunningly similar to the seaon opener.

USC may have had a losing record against Big Ten opponents in 2024, but the Trojans did go 2-0 against the SEC. In a season full of frustrations, that is at least something to hang your hat on.

Darren Rizzi says Saints were high on Clyde Edwards-Helaire in 2020 draft

The New Orleans Saints have had their eye on Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a while, and they finally had the chance to bring him in:

The New Orleans Saints jumped at the opportunity to add Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the practice squad, head coach Darren Rizzi says their interest goes back years.

In speaking to the press about their recent running back addition, Rizzi spoke of the Saints’ thoughts on him coming out of college and says the signing had nothing to do with Alvin Kamara’s injury.

“I loved him when he was back at LSU,” Rizzi said. “Studied him a lot coming out. He was high on our draft boards. Just always kind of kept an eye on him. We had the opportunity, when they waived him, to get him on the practice squad. I know it looks like very coincidental with Alvin, it really had nothing to do with that. We just wanted to get the player in the building.”

Edwards-Helaire was a local legend in college, playing a large role in the dream 2019 season for the LSU Tigers. He had 1,867 yards and 17 touchdowns from scrimmage that year, getting the job done in every phase.

New Orleans never really had a chance to draft the small running back. The Kansas City Chiefs took him at the end of the first round. Those are very big expectations for a back and Edwards-Helaire never really met them.

He battled injuries and inconsistencies for the Chiefs, but did have some flashes of what he showed in college. Perhaps a new environment and offense could lead to him finally breaking out.

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Chiefs hail former first-round pick as ‘an inspiration’ after waiving him

The Kansas City #Chiefs hailed veteran RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire as an “inspiration” after waiving him earlier this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to waive veteran running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire this week came as a surprise to many fans, despite the fact that the former LSU Tiger hadn’t made an impact on the team’s offense this season.

Edwards-Helaire was the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft and played a key role in Kansas City’s rushing attack before Isiah Pacheco arrived in Western Missouri back in 2022.

After parting ways with the two-time Super Bowl champion, the Chiefs commemorated Edwards-Helaire’s tenure in Kansas City with a post to Twitter, in which the team hailed him as an “inspiration.”

Check out the Chiefs’ post about Edwards-Helaire below:

Though it is unclear if Edwards-Helaire will catch on with another team—or find his way back to Kansas City’s practice squad—it is clear that the Chiefs have no ill will toward him.

Stay tuned to see what is next for Edwards-Helaire as the regular season draws to a close.

Saints sign former LSU star, ex-Chiefs first-round draft pick

The New Orleans Saints signed former LSU star Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The ex-Chiefs first-round draft pick arrives after an injury to Alvin Kamara:


The New Orleans Saints have made a move at the running back position, after Alvin Kamara’s groin injury. The team signed former LSU star Clyde Edwards-Helaire, adding depth to the running back room, announcing that defensive tackle Kendall Vickers was let go from the practice squad to make room.

Edwards-Helaire started his career with the Kansas City Chiefs as the 32nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. In his first season with the team, he got off to a hot start totaling 1,100 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in 13 games. In the following year, Edwards-Helaire still proved to be productive in scoring six touchdowns in ten games but his yardage numbers would dip down a bit.

With the emergence of Isiah Pacheco in 2022, Edwards-Helaire saw his opportunities lessen significantly as a result and there would be more of the same in 2023. This season however, he would spend the majority on the NFI list as he’s battled with post-traumatic stress disorder.

At only 25 years old though, Edwards-Helaire likely has a lot of tread left on the tires and could provide some decent depth behind what will likely be Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams on Monday night in Green Bay. It will be interesting to see if he’ll fit in as a spell back potentially with Kamara possibly out this week.

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Twitter reacts: Chiefs waive RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

See what users on Twitter had to say about the Kansas City #Chiefs’ decision to waive veteran RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs waived veteran running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Monday ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Edwards-Helaire was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft after an illustrious collegiate career in which he played a key role in the LSU Tigers’ 2019 College Football Playoff national championship victory.

At LSU, Edwards-Helaire was part of a Tigers offense that featured Cincinnati Bengals stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and All-Pro Minnesota Vikings pass-catcher Justin Jefferson.

He has spent the entirety of his professional career in Kansas City, and will now get a chance to earn a role with another team before the playoffs begin.

Edwards-Helaire posted a message about his departure from the team in a post to Twitter on Monday shortly before the Chiefs announced that he had been waived:

 

Take a look at what Chiefs fans and various members of the media had to say about Edwards-Helaire’s release:

Top Reactions

 

LSU desperately needs Flau’jae Johnson’s leadership to thrive in post-Angel Reese era

It’s time, Flau’jae. This is your team.

Looking at the LSU Lady Tigers this season, it’s clear that Kim Mulkey’s squad is struggling to find its leader. Team staple Angel Reese is no longer on the roster, and without her, LSU has seemingly lost its swagger, grit, and tough, no-nonsense type of basketball.

At the time of publishing, the Tigers are undefeated (12-0), and many wouldn’t bat an eye about a team steamrolling its competition. However, a light non-conference schedule hasn’t quelled the concerns about LSU. For example, there isn’t a ranked team with more 20-turnover games (5) than LSU. Moreover, Mulkey and her staff don’t believe the Lady Tigers have a clear leader.

Per Cory Diaz of the Lafayette Observer, LSU associate coach Bob Starkey expressed concern. “I think we have a void at leadership,” Starkey said. “When you do that, that can affect your team chemistry. We have certain players that want to lead at certain times, and that’s another area where we’re not consistent.”

To Starkey’s point, that couldn’t have been more evident during LSU’s win against Stanford. It took a combination of efforts from players like Mikaylah Williams and Kailyn Gilbert to walk away victorious. The win also included 21 points from Flau’jae Johnson, but she fouled out in overtime.

Transparently, a player of Flau’jae’s caliber can’t be off the floor with such a massive game on the line. It was a silent reminder that without Reese, Flau’jae has yet to step into the full-time leadership role that was left for her. Maybe she doesn’t have to lead the Tigers alone, but it’s clear. This is Flau’jae’s team.

There isn’t any other way around that, and to think otherwise is foolish. No one on the floor can do what she can at both ends or take over quite like she does. LSU is escaping with wins now because its schedule favors that. However, the road will only get more challenging when conference play begins, and until Flau’jae fully steps into the leadership spotlight, LSU will underachieve.

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Jayden Daniels enjoyed his return to the Caesars Superdome in Week 15 win

Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels drew a pointed comparison between his first game at the Caesars Superdome and his return in Week 15:

It doesn’t matter if you spend just one year in Louisiana or twenty four — the Caesars Superdome is one of the most storied venues in the history of American football, and anyone who’s worn cleats and a helmet knows the arena has a different atmosphere. And that goes for former LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels, too.

Daniels returned to the Superdome on Sunday and led the Washington Commanders to a win over the New Orleans Saints on their home turf. It was a close one, too, at 20-19. And that tight margin meant something special to Daniels.

“My first game in the Dome, we lost by one point,” Daniels told reporters after the game, recalling his Tigers’ 24-23 loss to Florida State back in the 2022 season opener. “So it feels good to win by one point.”

It didn’t seem to matter how many times the Saints sacked Daniels (five times in the first half, and eight in total); he just kept bouncing back up and threading passes into tight windows while scrambling to make plays with his legs. The Commanders got their quarterback in this year’s NFL draft.

Maybe the Saints can find theirs next year. Spencer Rattler had some nice flashes in a second-half rally, but he isn’t on the same level as Daniels just yet. Neither is Jake Haener. Derek Carr’s best days are behind him at this point too. We’ll see if the Saints can finally draft a quarterback who can lead them to success next April, but in the meantime they’ve got to find a way to get some positivity going through the last three weeks of their season.

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Former Kentucky star receiver Barion Brown has chosen his next home

Former Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown has chosen his destination for 2025.

Barion Brown has been one of the most exciting players in Kentucky football history over the past three seasons. The speedy wide receiver has made big plays catching the ball, but has also been an elite kick returner. It was a disappointment for fans when he entered the transfer portal.

The talented playmaker certainly had any number of suitors for his services next fall, but has chosen where he will play in 2025. Brown will play for the LSU Tigers, per Pete Nakos.

Related: How much Kentucky assistant football coaches make

Brown, like the rest of the Wildcats offense, had a disappointing 2024 season, with just 29 receptions for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his three seasons in Lexington, he totaled 122 catches for 1,528 yards and 11 scores. He also returned five kickoffs back for touchdowns during that time.

Kentucky fans are certain to miss him, but Brown will join an LSU team that hopes to compete for a College Football Playoff spot next year. Big Blue Nation wishes him well.