Tag: will Campbell

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.

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Two Tigers land on the On3 True Freshman All-American Team

Will Campbell and Harold Perkins are expected to be immediate impact players for LSU.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] were both listed on the On3 True Freshman All-American Team.

Perkins is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound middle linebacker from Cypress, Texas, who was LSU’s lone five-star commit in the 2022 recruiting class. He was ranked as a five-star, No. 12 overall player, No. 1 linebacker and No. 2 player from the state of Texas by On3.

Campbell is a 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive tackle from Monroe, Louisiana, that was ranked as a four-star, No. 38 overall player, No. 2 offensive lineman and the No. 3 player from Louisiana by the On3’s consensus rankings.

Both Campbell and Perkins are set to have impactful freshmen seasons on the bayou for coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers. Campbell has been penciled in as the starting left tackle for the Tigers since he arrived on campus in the spring.

Perkins was a summer enrollee for the Tigers and he has been learning all of the new defensive schemes. There is no denying his talent. He may not start on day one, but by the end of the season everyone will know who he is.

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Here’s everything Mike Denbrock said at his press conference

LSU OC Mike Denbrock met with the media to discuss everything from the QB battle to the progression of the tight ends.

With fall camp in full swing, coaches are speaking to the media for the first time in a minute.

Earlier this week, LSU’s offensive coordinator took to the stand.

Mike Denbrock said the offense was starting to take shape and he’s happy with the direction the unit is going. He’s been pleased with the effort as well.

Denbrock spoke some about every position on the offense, from the QBs to the TEs.

Before arriving at LSU, Denbrock spent the last five years at Cincinnati. Under Denbrock, UC QB Desmond Ridder became an NFL draft pick.

Prior to Cincinnati, Denbrock spent seven years with Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. His relationship with Kelly goes back to the 80s when they both got their start at Grand Valley State.

Denbrock has done a lot of different things on offense in his career. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what his scheme will look like at LSU. Brian Kelly and Joe Sloan could also have some input in the design.

With that said, let’s take a look at what Denbrock said when he met with the media.

Will Campbell and Mekhi Wingo ranked among top newcomers in 2022

LSU has a lot of new faces in 2022. These two should be some of the best.

A new season means new faces.

There will be plenty of those for LSU in 2022 after the roster turnover brought on by the coaching change.

ESPN ranked the top 50 newcomers in college football, whether they be transfers or freshmen.

A couple of Tigers appeared on the list.

OT Will Campbell ranked 16th. ESPN has been high on Campbell since he was a recruit, ranking him 14th in the ESPN 300.

“It’s rare to see a true freshman come in and start at left tackle for an SEC program, but Campbell is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman who has the talent and strength to play right away.”

DL Mekhi Wingo came in a few spots later at 20. ESPN wrote that Wingo was one of the more coveted defensive linemen in the portal and should be part of an excellent rotation for LSU.

It’s promising to see a pair of guys on this list that will be in the trenches for LSU. Having a strong OL and DL are critical to success in the SEC and Campbell and Wingo should be central pieces for the next two to three years.

When it came to guys leaving LSU, Eli Ricks ranked fifth. Ricks was a big loss for the Tigers only made worse by the fact that he went to Alabama.

Louisiana prospect, top LSU target receives 5th star from On3

Zalance Heard continues to shoot up the rankings.

One of the top recruits in Louisiana was given a bump by On3 this week.

According to On3’s rankings, offensive tackle [autotag]Zalance Heard[/autotag] is now a five-star and the 13th-best player in the country. They rate him as the third-best offensive tackle in the class and the second-best player in Louisiana.

On3’s NFL comparison to Heard is Ronnie Stanley, who was the sixth overall pick in 2016.

Heard is a must-get for LSU. Over the years, Louisiana hasn’t always produced a well of talent along the offensive line. The 2023 class will be the second consecutive year the Tigers have had talent on the OL in-state.

If LSU lands Heard one year after landing [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], the Tigers would be working with a solid foundation up front. That’s not something LSU has had much of in recent years.

Coincidentally, Heard and Campbell both came from Neville High School in Monroe. Former LSU star [autotag]Rashard Lawrence[/autotag] is a Neville alumnus, as well.

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LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 72 Garrett Dellinger

Dellinger could play a key role for LSU’s offensive line this fall.

Going into the 2022 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] this season.

LSU will have a largely new-look offensive line this fall, and one player who could be poised to benefit from an experience vacuum in the offensive trenches is sophomore guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag]. The Michigan native saw quite a bit of playing time as a true freshman last fall and could earn a starting job at one of the guard spots this fall.

Garrett Dellinger Preseason Player Profile

Five hypothetical SEC trades that would make sense for LSU

In an imaginary world where college football had trades, here are five moves that LSU could make.

Very few discussions can eat up space like a good old trade debate.

Anytime the trade deadline rolls around in professional sports, fans wait on the edge of their seats eager to see what their team might do. College football has the transfer portal, but it’s just not as much fun as a trade. With it being the off-season, it’s time to look at what could happen if trades were allowed.

I’m not advocating for trades to be a thing in college sports. Since players are also getting an education, they should be able to choose which school they attend and not be at the whim of a general manager like many professional athletes are. This is just a fun way to look at rosters for the upcoming year.

LSU patched up a few holes in the transfer portal this year, but there are still some glaring needs. It could use a tight end, and there are some SEC teams that have a tight end to give away. The Tigers are also well positioned at other places, such as running back, where they have some room to trade a player away.

In the imaginary world of college football trades, here’s what would make the most sense for LSU.

Plenty of reasons for optimism as LSU finishes up spring ball

Spring practice has now concluded, and LSU fans have plenty of reasons for spring optimism.

Spring practice is now over, and tt will be a while before things pick up again for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU.

It was an eventful spring with more buzz than usual. That’s what happens when a $95 million coach is making his first impressions leading a team with a handful of new players.

Not to mention the position battle at quarterback, the new-look secondary, and all the question marks on the offensive line. We had a lot to talk about this spring. So, now that’s it over and the dust has settled, how should Tigers fans be feeling?

We’re going to take some time to feel good about where LSU is at, some spring optimism if you will.

Spring practice served as a reminder that there is still plenty of talent on this team, some of which we didn’t even get to see over the last few weeks. The wide receiver group looks like a strength, and that was without [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who could be one of the best players in the country upon his return this fall.

These pass catchers are going to be fun to watch and be a major boost to whoever ends up throwing to them.

On defense, the front looks good, almost great. Defensive lines are critical to finding success in the SEC, and LSU has a handful of guys up front with NFL talent. They can pose a threat to even the best offensive lines in the SEC.

Linebacker looks like it’s the deepest it’s been in years with [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] taking steps forward along with returning veterans like [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag]. That doesn’t even account for [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], one of the highest-rated linebackers ever signed by LSU who will be arriving soon.

The secondary is still a huge question mark, but [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] look like they’re going to be reliable players that play a big part in the rebuild of that group.

The defense is in a much better spot than it was a year ago.

It won’t matter how good the defense is if the quarterback and offensive line aren’t figured out, but there are some reasons to start feeling good there.

There are talented options in the quarterback room, and each of them seems to be progressing while also earning the respect of the team. LSU doesn’t need a Heisman candidate under center next year, just someone who can run the offense. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] all seem capable at this point, and at least one of them should turn into an SEC level starter by the fall.

The offensive line is going to have its bad moments this year, but it finished spring with some consistency as [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] held down the left tackle position. If Campbell ends up starting there, he will have times where he looks like a true freshman, but at the same time, you can’t help but wonder if LSU has found their elite left tackle to anchor the line for a few years.

Spring practice served as a time for Kelly to implement his program, to right the ship. It seems like that is what happened. This looks like a program with a clear direction led by someone who knows where he’s going. LSU hasn’t had that for a couple of years, and it’s refreshing to see.

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Five remaining questions for LSU’s football team heading into fall camp

We have some more clarity as we emerge from the spring, but there’s a lot more to be learned as LSU heads into the summer.

LSU had its spring game on Saturday, marking the end of the first spring practice with coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] at the helm.

The quarterbacks have been the biggest discussion point all spring and that won’t change as we move toward the fall. There are also some areas where we have more clarity now, such as the offensive line and linebacker rooms.

In the secondary, it looks like [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], both Louisiana natives who transferred from Arkansas, are emerging as leaders.

However, there are plenty of questions that remain as Kelly has only been on the job for a few months. Much of spring practice was about solidifying the transition and installing the new playbooks.

On top of that, there could still be some players yet to come and go. After spring, players could have a better idea of their situation at a given school and elect to transfer. That could kick off a second round of transfers, and LSU still has a couple of roster spots left to use.

It’ll be a long time until we see LSU out on the field again, which means a lot can change before LSU takes the field against Florida State in New Orleans. Here are some remaining questions as it gears up for the break during the summer.

Rapid reactions from LSU’s spring game

Here’s what everyone thought about Brian Kelly’s first spring game in Baton Rouge.

Football is back. At least, for one day.

As coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers took the field for the annual spring game, there were a lot of questions about how the four horsemen quarterback race would play out, how the freshmen would look and what would be the big difference between an [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] spring game and a Kelly spring game.

Not only that, but it was a massive day for recruiting as the Tigers had a ton of top talent in the house, and Kelly pulled out all the stops as he welcomed back some of the top LSU players of all time. [autotag]Tyrann Mathieu[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag], [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag], and more were on hand to witness the future of LSU football.

So, let’s take a look at some of the reactions on social media to see what people thought about the game.