Quotes – Page 65 – Syndication Server

Brian Kelly offers high praise for OC Mike Denbrock: ‘I believe he’s the best in the country’

Denbrock comes to the bayou after helping lead Cincinnati to a CFP appearance in 2021.

There’s a lot of optimism in Baton Rouge surrounding the Brian Kelly hire.

Kelly comes to the bayou after a very successful 12-year stint at Notre Dame, and he’s expected to reverse the disappointment from the last two seasons. However, just as important as Kelly’s addition are the assistant coaches he brought with him.

LSU has struggled to find a competent offensive play-caller since [autotag]Joe Brady[/autotag] left for the NFL after the 2019 season, but it hopes to have found one in [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], who comes in from Cincinnati after developing an NFL quarterback in Desmond Ridder, who led the Bearcats to a College Football Playoff appearance last season.

“I just think that he’s always been a really smart, intuitive play-caller,” Kelly said. “That’s why I’ve asked him to be my play-caller here at the top of the top. This is LSU. We’re here to win a national championship. So I get the chance to pick the best play-callers in the country. I think he’s the best play-caller. I’ve been together with him for a long time. I just think he’s intuitive. He’s smart, he knows football, he knows the offense I like to run and what I like to do.

“That’s obviously really key because our conversations are on point. I don’t have to explain a lot to him. He can go and go, ‘I know what you’re looking for there. Let’s go ahead and do that.’ I don’t know that there’s been this epiphany of he’s changed as much as he likes to do what I like to do. We like to control the line of scrimmage, we want physicalness within the offensive structure, we want to use a tight end and three wide receivers and we want to push the ball down the field. We want big chunk plays. I think that’s kind of stayed consistent with his philosophy.”

Kelly and Denbrock have a long history of working together. Before joining Cincy, Denbrock spent seven seasons as an assistant with the Fighting Irish in varying capacities. The pair also spent time together during the late 1980s and early 1990s at Grand Valley State, where Kelly landed his first head coaching job.

This is high praise from Kelly, but as he said, he took the LSU job with the hopes of capturing his first national title. He clearly thinks Denbrock is the play-caller to put the team in that position, and Denbrock should bring a schematically improved offense to the table that will look very different from what Tigers fans are used to seeing over the past couple of seasons.

[mm-video type=video id=01gaw89ez85ttrbvk1kw playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gaw89ez85ttrbvk1kw/01gaw89ez85ttrbvk1kw-500d368cb1d4f4c58fc45e3836d0e58b.jpg]

[listicle id=56303]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

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.

[listicle id=56303]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU is close to naming a starting quarterback, per Brian Kelly

Kelly said he expects to name a starter by the beginning of next week.

After an offseason in which it seemed like the three-man race for LSU’s starting quarterback job was anyone’s to win, we finally have some clarity regarding that situation.

[autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] opted to retire from football, leaving [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] to compete against [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag]. Daniels is considered the favorite and has seen the bulk of first-team reps recently.

That could become official in just a few days, as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said at his press conference on Tuesday that the team hopes to name a starting quarterback by early next week.

“I think we’re pretty much closing in on making a decision,” Kelly said. “The two of them are outstanding quarterbacks. If you were voting as a group in here, it might be split in this room. It’s pretty close. I think you can probably understand why, for us, we’re not jumping out there giving you a quarterback because they’re both fine quarterbacks and it’s that close. But we’re going to have to make a decision here in the next few days.”

Kelly elaborated on that timeline a bit.

“As long as we’ve got our decision made by the end of the weekend,” he said, “and we make some kind of announcement, whether it’s Monday or Tuesday of next week, we feel like we’ll be in a pretty good position.”

While it’s possible the competition could continue into the season, it’s clear the coaching staff wants to at least announce an initial starter heading into the season-opener against Florida State on Sept. 4. That quarterback will likely be Daniels, though Kelly still describes the competition as close.

The Tigers’ quarterback battle has been one of the most interesting to watch in the entire country this offseason, but it’s clearly winding down as kickoff is now just a week and a half away.

[listicle id=56303]

[pickup_prop id=”21372″]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

John Emery Jr.’s status unclear entering season after cryptic comments from Brian Kelly

Kelly declined to comment on Emery’s availability entering the season.

Though much has been made about LSU’s quarterback competition, the ground game is really where the team needs to improve the most on offense this fall.

Last year, the team ranked second to last in the SEC in rushing with just over 109 yards per game, finishing ahead of only Mississippi State, which runs the air raid. That won’t cut it in 2022, and after leading rusher Ty Davis-Price’s departure for the NFL, it’s a fair area of concern.

LSU is hoping to have a piece it didn’t have access to last time around in [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who missed all of last season due to academic ineligibility.

Emery was expected to return this fall, but after coach Brian Kelly’s press conference on Saturday, that has been called into question.

“There’s obviously things that I can’t talk about,” Kelly said. “He’s in good standing in football. So everything that he’s done, he’s done a great job with us in football.”

Asked specifically about Emery’s status entering the season, Kelly once again deflected.

“Everything that he’s done for us has been outstanding in football,” he said. “Anything else that arises would not be anything that I can comment on because of privacy rights, so I think you guys can put the rest together.”

Emery was a solid contributor during his first two seasons, reaching 378 yards and three touchdowns during his last available season as a sophomore in 2020. His presence became even more important after [autotag]Corey Kiner[/autotag] transferred to Cincinnati.

However, it remains unclear whether he will join the Tigers when they take the field against Florida State on Sept. 4, and if he isn’t available, LSU will likely rely on Penn State transfer [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag], as well as players like [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] to carry the running game.

[listicle id=55257]

[vertical-gallery id=50119]

[pickup_prop id=”26565″]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Garrett Nussmeier gives insight into relationship with Jayden Daniels

Nussmeier touched on the dynamic of his relationship with Daniels.

Position battles can create some interesting dynamics within a team. You have two guys battling for playing time, both of whom also have to work together to help the team find success.

The most watched battle at LSU’s fall camp has been the quarterback race. With [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] out, it’s now down to [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. Both Nussmeier and Daniels spoke to the media earlier this week, where Nussmeier was asked about his relationship with Daniels.

“If I’m in then you know, I think Jayden would say the same – he’s going to support me,” Nussmeier said of Daniels, “If Jayden’s in, it’s the same and I’m going to support him.”

Neither Daniels or Nussmeier is entering their final year of eligibility. That might take some pressure off both, knowing it’s not the end of the world if they don’t win the job.

It’s still a guessing game, but the general feeling over the past week has been Daniels has the slight edge. Nussmeier missed some time with an ankle injury, allowing Daniels to take all the reps with the first team.

It’s unclear when the starter will be announced. Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] might want to have some continuity leading up to the opener. In that case, an announcement could come soon, allowing the starter to gel with the first team and the offense to be built around him.

[mm-video type=video id=01g9k1zff4bq9pc57j06 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g9k1zff4bq9pc57j06/01g9k1zff4bq9pc57j06-be23944232a282f50b095d1d49716cbe.jpg]

[listicle id=56129]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Brian Kelly updates quarterback battle after Myles Brennan’s departure, Wednesday’s scrimage

Kelly praised both passers, but he still largely kept things vague regarding the competition.

We may have more clarity regarding LSU’s quarterback battle after sixth-year passer [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] chose to retire from football, which left a seemingly two-man race between [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], a transfer from Arizona State, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], a redshirt freshman who saw some action late last fall.

But things are far from decided.

Daniels is seen as the favorite, given his three years of Power Five starting experience. Still, Nussmeier can’t be counted out, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] kept things vague when discussing the position at his press conference after Wednesday’s open-to-the-media practice session.

“I thought what they did well was distribute the football timely, protected themselves,” he said. “I thought (Tuesday) we made some untimely errors… You know, I don’t like talking about ‘managing,’ because ‘managing’ gets a definition of they’re just doing well enough to get by. They were smart with the football (Wednesday). They made plays and, I thought, did a really good job of operating.”

Kelly would get into some specifics about each passer, but he still kept things mostly cryptic.

“In particular,” Kelly, said, “I thought the ball came out of Daniels’ hand really well today, especially off the RPOs. It was accurate.

“I thought (Nussmeier) made some really good reads off of zone read action, which has been one of the things that we’ve been working on.”

That’s not a ton to go off of, and it’s clear Kelly isn’t trying to say too much, even with the season opener just over two weeks away. It seems Daniels and Nussmeier will continue to compete for at least the next couple weeks, if not into the season.

[listicle id=56129]

[pickup_prop id=”21372″]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Brian Kelly calls out veteran LSU receiver Jaray Jenkins regarding leadership

Kelly sent a message to the receiver room’s elder statesman.

LSU has one of the most intriguing wide receiver groups in the SEC (and potentially one of the league’s best).

With elite playmaker [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] returning from injury and sophomores [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] looking to build on solid true freshman campaigns, there’s a lot to be excited about — assuming the Tigers can find a quarterback capable of delivering the ball to them.

However, there’s one thing this young group is lacking: Experience, and the leadership that comes with it. That’s where fifth-year receiver [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] comes in.

Jenkins has made a moderate impact so far at LSU, and he’s coming off his most productive season. Boutte’s return will limit his opportunities a bit, but he can still be a major part of this passing attack.

Asked if Jenkins has stepped up as a leader in the receiver room after the Tigers’ open scrimmage on Wednesday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] called out the senior wideout.

“Yeah, that’s a good question,” Kelly said when asked if Jenkins had stepped up. “I wish he would take more of a leadership role. You’re hearing me, Jaray? Can he hear me? He’ll hear me won’t he?

“We need that leadership, and it comes from consistency. Will he hear that too? …He’s a great kid, we just need that (consistency) every single day. If we can get that from him every day, that room is going to be in great shape.”

Kelly certainly didn’t mince words here, and it’s clear from the way he said it that the coaching staff has been hoping for Jenkins to take a step up. He didn’t go super in-depth on what the veteran needs to do better, aside from being more consistent.

Jenkins started six games last fall, including five of LSU’s last seven after Boutte’s campaign was ended by a broken ankle. He finished with 34 catches (which ranked third on the team) for 502 yards and six touchdowns (both of which ranked second).

Even with a talented group, Jenkins is expected to take another leap this fall after mostly being a role player to this point in his career. We’ll see if he responds to this challenge from Kelly.

[listicle id=54588]

[pickup_prop id=”25678″]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

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.

[listicle id=56244]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Frustrating practices vs. Saints has Aaron Rodgers criticizing his receivers

Frustrating practices versus the Saints defense has led to Aaron Rodgers criticizing his receivers:

This may be a shocker, but the team that stunned Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers by a margin of 38-3 last year just spent a couple of days frustrating them again in practice. The New Orleans Saints defense is the real deal, and proof of that can be found in the criticism that Rodgers leveled on his receiving corps this week.

“The young guys, especially young receivers, we’ve got to be way more consistent,” Rodgers told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky after Tuesday’s joint practice session with the Saints. “A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We’ve got to get better in that area.”

Green Bay moved on from Rodgers’ favorite receiver this offseason, trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, and they didn’t adequately replace him. Plenty of ink has been spilled about his lack of first-round help at receiver over the years, so it’s gratifying to see him, say, chatting up Chris Olave between drills all week. Surrounding an aging quarterback who talks like he’s already got a foot out the door with past-their-prime receivers like Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb is certainly a choice.

Rodgers spoke “extensively” in an early-morning meeting before Wednesday’s second practice session, sharing input on what rookies like Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure can do better, and it led to a few nice moments like a long touchdown reception and an end-of-day two-point conversion. But Rodgers still struggled on the whole — he completed just two more passes on Wednesday than he did during Tuesday’s practice. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill charted the back-to-back league MVP with 26 completions against 54 pass attempts in team drills over two days. That’s a completion percentage of just 48.1%, well beneath his career rate of 65.3% and the impressive 68.9% and 70.7% numbers he posted the last two years.

Obviously these practices are not the same thing as a real game. Both teams are going to be scheming up differently and planning for each other as opposed to running basic plays and rotating starters in and out of the lineup. The stakes will be higher. But it’s really hard to not feel encouraged about this. Seeing all of the investments the Saints have made in their secondary pay off — big money deals with Marshon Lattimore, Tyrann Mathieu, and Marcus Maye, and premium draft picks spent on Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — is exciting. New Orleans is counting on its secondary to carry the defense this year, and while it’s early (it’s still August!), these results are exciting. Expectations are high as the regular season approaches.

[pickup_prop id=”22181″]

[listicle id=112512]

Kayshon Boutte explains why he only briefly considered leaving LSU

Boutte said he was weighing his options this offseason.

[autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] is one of college football’s most electric players, and he’s expected to have a massive 2022 season with the Tigers.

However, the preseason First Team All-SEC selection apparently briefly considered heading elsewhere. There were rumors earlier in the offseason that Boutte planned to enter the transfer portal, and he was somewhat called out by coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag].

Luckily for the Tigers, it seems things have smoothed over, and Boutte addressed the rumors at the start of fall camp.

“I thought about it, I really did,” Boutte said. “There was just a lot going on but I felt like as a player, I felt like it was better for me to stay and overcome this process.

“I felt comfortable what they were telling us coming in and I trusted they would hold themselves to that.”

Boutte was on pace for a monster season before a broken ankle sidelined him for the second half of 2021. He’s expected to be healthy this fall, and many see him as one of the top receivers in the country.

Keeping him in the fold was a major win for Kelly and the Tigers.

[mm-video type=video id=01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2-ef51b5048ea298e9e80d8f945de30f85.jpg]

[listicle id=54673]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno