At the midway point, which five players have been most critical to LSU’s success?
With six games in the books, LSU is 5-1 at the midway point of its regular season. LSU is one win away from bowl eligibility, but the Tigers have much bigger goals than that.
LSU notched its biggest win of the year on Saturday, upsetting No. 9 Ole Miss in front of a packed Tiger Stadium crowd. The win jolted LSU back into the playoff discussion while delivering a blow to the Rebels’ title odds.
Here, we’ll take a look at LSU’s five most impactful players through the first six games. A few names on this list are playing as expected. We knew a guy like [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] would have a big year. But we’ll also look at the defensive side of the ball, where stars have emerged.
If LSU wants to make the playoff and compete for the SEC, it will need these five players to continue to play like stars.
1. QB Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier had big shoes to fill stepping in for Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], but he’s delivered so far.
Nussmeier is nearing 2,000 yards on the year and surpassed 300 yards in five of six starts. Nussmeier’s thrown 18 touchdowns and ran for two more.
The play isn’t perfect and Nussmeier lacks the rushing ability Daniels had, but Nussmeier’s best moments are brilliant.
He makes NFL throws, showcasing arm strength, accuracy, and anticipation. Nussmeier struggled early against Ole Miss but was flawless late in the fourth quarter and in overtime. LSU has a QB that can the plays to will its team to a win.
2. EDGE Bradyn Swinson
LSU needed a star to emerge in its front seven and that’s exactly what Bradyn Swinson’s done in 2024.
Swinson is tied for the SEC lead with 25 pressures and leads the conference with seven sacks. He’s strong against the run too, notching 16 stops.
Swinson’s best moments come right when LSU needs them. He did it against South Carolina and he did it again vs. Ole Miss, shooting the gap to make a stop on fourth and one and force a turnover.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart was under pressure all night and Swinson’s efforts deserve most of the credit.
If LSU keeps getting this level of play from Swinson, the defense will continue its upward trend.
3. WR Kyren Lacy
Kyren Lacy isn’t putting up the numbers Malik Nabers did last year, but he’s giving LSU what it needs from a No. 1 receiver.
Lacy went over the 100-yard mark in each of his last two games. His biggest moment of the year came in overtime against Ole Miss, where Lacy won a one-on-one battle with an Ole Miss DB to secure the game-winning touchdown.
On the year, Lacy ranks fifth in the SEC with 463 receiving yards. His six touchdowns are tied for the most in the conference.
4. LT Will Campbell
Campbell is LSU’s best player and should be one of the first players off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s in his third year as a starter after winning the left tackle job as a true freshman.
Campbell is in the midst of another all-conference campaign. Campbell is yet to allow a sack and his PFF pass-blocking grade of 84.9 is one of the best in the SEC.
Few QBs are kept as clean as Garrett Nussmeier and Campbell plays a large part in that.
5. LB Whit Weeks
LSU’s linebackers struggled last year. When DC [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] arrived at LSU this year, there wasn’t just excitement about what he’d do with the defense, but also the impact he’d make on the linebacker room.
Baker developed Damone Clark into one of the SEC’s best linebackers at LSU in 2021 and now Weeks is making a similar jump in 2024.
Weeks’ 32 stops lead all SEC linebackers and his 10 pressures are tied for second among the same group. LSU knew Weeks was talented, but a breakout campaign of this magnitude, this soon, is a pleasant surprise.
Few players were as critical to LSU’s success in the Ole Miss win than Weeks.
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