Tag: will Campbell

LSU OT Will Campbell named one of the top 10 players in college football by CBS

Will Campbell enters his junior season with high expectations.

CBS Sports recently made a post of the pyramid of the best players in college football as we enter the 2024 season. The list was created by [autotag]Blake Brockermeyer[/autotag] from 247Sports.

According to Brockermeyer, LSU offensive lineman [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] is one of the top players in the country. There is a reason why [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] awarded Campbell the historic No. 7 jersey when he was only a Sophomore. Due to NCAA rules, Campbell is not allowed to wear the No. 7 jersey during games. So, Kelly placed a No. 7 patch on his jersey.

Brockermeyer has Campbell listed as the No. 6 player in college football. Here is what he had to say about him.

“The top offensive tackle in the country, Campbell has excellent technique as a pass protector and does a nice job getting to the proper spot in protection with square shoulders,” Blake Brockermeyer wrote. “Campbell is generally a two-hand puncher, which can lead to problems if done exclusively, but generally stones his opponents and has excellent feet to recover if he slightly gets beat. He has strong hands and grip strength and if he’s able to get them on defenders, it’s over.”

Campbell will be entering his junior season this fall for the Tigers. As the top offensive tackle in college football, this is likely his last season in college before being drafted by the NFL.

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Ranking the top 20 returning offensive linemen in the SEC

You need good offensive linemen to win in the SEC. Here are the top 20 returning in 2024.

College football has changed quite a bit over the years, but one fact remains unchanged. You need good offensive linemen to win big in this sport.

Georgia and Alabama have won national titles behind an offensive line filled with future NFL players. LSU’s national title-winning team in 2019 featured an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award.

The most recent title game, with Michigan and Washington, featured two offensive lines that were finalists for the Joe Moore Award.

The bottom line is you need to be good in the trenches to win.

Here, we’ll be taking a look at the best returning offensive linemen in the SEC.

Former LSU offensive tackle Lance Heard commits to Tennessee

Lance Heard appeared in 12 games for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2023.

As was largely expected, former LSU offensive tackle [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] made his commitment to Tennessee official on Sunday.

The former five-star recruit from Monroe appeared in 12 games as a true freshman this season, starting one of them at right tackle. Though he appeared poised to compete for a starting role in 2024, he didn’t travel with the team to the ReliaQuest Bowl as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said he was evaluating his future with the program.

That process ultimately led him to enter the portal, where Tennessee quickly emerged as the favorite to land him. He’ll have three remaining years of eligibility with the Vols.

It’s a tough loss for the Tigers because you never want to lose a prized recruit, especially to an SEC rival, but they do return both starting tackles in 2024. With [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] coming back, the path to the field for Heard wasn’t exactly clear.

Now, he’ll look to compete for a starting job in Knoxville.

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LSU offensive lineman Lance Heard expected to transfer to Tennessee

Lance Heard’s name reportedly appeared in the University of Tennessee’s student directory Friday.

LSU transfer offensive lineman [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] has reportedly found a home.

On Thursday, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Heard was expected to transfer to Tennessee. We seemingly got confirmation of that move on Friday as Heard’s name appeared in the University of Tennessee’s student directory, according to On3’s Austin Price.

Heard was a true freshman in 2023 and a former five-star recruit from Monroe. He appeared in 12 of 13 games as the swing tackle this season, making one start at right tackle.

He was expected to contend for a starting job in 2024, but with both tackles returning in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag], he’s heading elsewhere.

Now it seems he’ll be staying in the SEC, though he won’t appear on the Tigers’ schedule in 2024 unless both teams meet in the conference title game.

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Pair of LSU offensive lineman plan to return in 2024

The Tigers will be bringing four of five starting offensive linemen back in 2024.

LSU is set to return four of its five starters along the offensive line.

Both starting guards [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] and [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag] plan to return to Baton Rouge in 2024 despite being draft-eligible, they reportedly told On3’s Shea Dixon. With tackles [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] not being draft-eligible, center [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] is the only starter who won’t be back next season.

The pair has seen a lot of action in the last few seasons. Dellinger has started 23 of 34 games he’s appeared in over the last three seasons, including all 13 this past fall. Frazier, meanwhile, is a transfer from Florida International and has started all but one of the 26 games he’s appeared in since joining the Tigers in 2022.

LSU has seen some losses along the offensive line as [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] entered the portal and [autotag]Mason Lunsford[/autotag] retired, but it brings back a lot of starting experience and a promising young center in [autotag]DJ Chester[/autotag], who will likely replace Turner.

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Former LSU offensive tackle Lance Heard receives transfer prediction in favor of SEC foe

Lance Heard may be staying in the SEC after entering the transfer portal.

Former LSU offensive tackle [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] may be staying in the SEC.

After appearing in 12 games as a true freshman with one start at right tackle, the former five-star recruit from Monroe, Louisiana, opted to enter the transfer portal. And on Friday, he received a prediction in favor of the Tennessee Volunteers from On3.

We’ll see if that ultimately comes to pass given the fact that it was only logged as a 70% confidence prediction. Heard took a visit to Knoxville last weekend followed by a trip to Norman to visit Oklahoma this week.

Many thought Heard could compete for a starting job next season, but with both tackles returning in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag], it was far from a guarantee.

At least Heard and Tennessee won’t be on LSU’s schedule in 2024, if that is ultimately his transfer decision.

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Analysis: LSU’s Lance Heard enters the transfer portal

Here’s what LSU is losing with offensive tackle Lance Heard hitting the transfer portal.

The transfer portal window is now closed, but LSU took one of its biggest hits at the buzzer this week.

Offensive linemen [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] entered the portal. It was no surprise after Heard didn’t travel for the bowl game as head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Heard was evaluating his role with the program.

The writing was on the wall here.

Out of all the Tigers to hit the portal, Heard is the most talented. There’s no getting around that. He was a five-star recruit in 2023 and according to PFF, he was the top-graded freshman offensive lineman. This is a guy that’s ready to play now.

Where does this leave LSU?

The offensive line will be fine. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] are two of the best in the SEC, and there are enough pieces that the interior will work itself out.

But if Heard was on the roster, that would allow LSU to play him at right tackle and bump Jones to guard. The bottom line is with Campbell, Jones and Heard, LSU had three tackles that are capable of playing at an All-SEC level.

That’s something you usually don’t find and an incredible luxury.

Now, LSU doesn’t have that luxury. It’ll be counting on Campbell and Jones to stay healthy, which they’ve done so far, and another young lineman to make a jump.

LSU signed two more blue-chip tackles in the 2023 class, [autotag]Tyree Adams[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Chester[/autotag]. Adams played just three offensive snaps this year and Chester has a bright future, but it’s at the center position.

LSU doesn’t have an immediate answer to solve its depth issue at tackle now. And again, every team in the country has depth issues on the offensive line. That’s what made LSU having Campbell, Jones and Heard so special.

[autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] is one of the best offensive line coaches in the business and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had Adams ready to compete on the two-deep next year. [autotag]Bo Bordelon[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Mubenga[/autotag] were three-star recruits who could pan out too.

Or maybe it’s one of the 2024 signees like [autotag]Weston Davis[/autotag] or [autotag]Ethan Calloway[/autotag], two more blue-chip tackle recruits set to join that room.

Regardless, LSU needs an answer now. Heard was projected as an All-American level player. That’s now one less player of that caliber on LSU’s roster.

It’s on Davis to develop another one of these guys to fill that gap.

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BREAKING: Former 5-star LSU OT Lance Heard enters transfer portal

Lance Heard didn’t travel with the Tigers to Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl.

LSU managed to avoid any major losses in the transfer portal, but that changed on the final day before it closed.

On Tuesday, true freshman offensive tackle [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] announced his intentions to transfer from LSU after one season. The news wasn’t exactly a surprise as the former five-star recruit from Monroe didn’t travel with the team to Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said that Heard —  who ranked as a top-15 prospect nationally coming out of high school — was evaluating his future with the program at the time. In 2023, he appeared in 12 games and made one start at right tackle.

LSU is expected to return both starting tackles in 2024 as [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] are not draft-eligible. Heard didn’t have a clear path to start, but losing the highest-rated recruit from the 2023 signing class will certainly hurt.

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COLUMN: Brad Davis provides safety net for the LSU offense

LSU’s offensive line is set to be one of the best in the conference for years to come.

It’s hard to find good offensive linemen.

No matter the level of football, no matter the league, it’s rare to find five guys that can lineup and block consistently. And if you’re lucky enough to have a solid five, it’s even harder to keep them all healthy over the course of the season.

Depth is usually tested, and more often than not, that test is failed. Even the top programs have trouble stashing competent and experienced players on second line.

LSU struggled with this for a long time. In the final years of the [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] era, offensive line play started to decline. Ed Orgeron’s first few years weren’t much better, until a veteran line gelled together in 2019.

But after that, it got rough again, and in the summer of 2021, Orgeron hired [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] to take over the offensive line.

Davis is a Baton Rouge native and upon arriving at LSU, he was already a SEC veteran who had spent the last year working under Sam Pittman.

Orgeron and LSU agreed to separate later that year, leading Davis to serve as the interim coach for the bowl game as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] got settled in Baton Rouge.

Kelly came with his own program, wanting to put together his own staff. Assistants who had been at LSU for years, like [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommy Moffitt[/autotag] were let go. But Davis wasn’t, making him the lone assistant from the previous staff.

That decision has paid off with LSU’s offensive line emerging as one of the best in the country, with the future looking bright too.

LSU’s losing a lot on offense next year. Between [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], LSU will be saying bye to the Heisman winner, the nation’s leading receiver, and the FBS leader in receiving touchdowns.

On top of that, someone else will be calling the plays with [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] taking the job at Notre Dame.

Changes are coming. Turnover is part of college football. But on the offensive line, LSU will have continuity.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] will be back at the tackle spots and there’s plenty of talent returning on the interior too.

Nussmeier will be stepping into a well-protected pocket, which is important given LSU will be taking a step back at receiver and Nussmeier doesn’t possess the same scrambling ability as Daniels.

That’s what this offensive line is, a safety net for an offense about to enter a transition period. Every unit on this team will go through growing pains next year, but the guys up front shouldn’t.

This is positioned to be one of the best offensive lines in the SEC for years to come.

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10 Tigers crack LSWA’s All-Louisiana college football team

LSU is the preeminent program in Louisiana, and it dominates the all-state selections.

LSU is the premier football program in the state of Louisiana, and after a 9-3 season that saw the team deliver one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in recent college football memory, its players litter the LWSA All-Louisiana Team.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is the headliner having also been named the LWSA’s Offensive Player of the Year. He’s a first-teamer and is joined by his receiving duo of [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], as well as offensive tackles [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag].

LSU added four more players on the Second Team with center [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] on offense and linebacker [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and safety Andre Sam on defense. Kicker [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] was also named to the Second Team.

The Tigers will look to cap off the season with win No. 10 as they take on Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday morning.

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