LSU SATURDAY PRACTICE NOTES

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

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- There were a lot of recruits, families and even Tyrann Mathieu on the sidelines, including Martin Bech, Jamie Howard and plenty of kids (Kaleb Jackson & more).

- Jack Bech was banged up for a bit today. He suffered a little injury to his back and will be likely resting for the rest of Spring ball for precautionary reasons.

- QB Myles Brennan escaped a sack & made a 60+ yard bomb to Jaray Jenkins for a TD. Myles is receiving rave reviews after today's exploits, however....while I did see a lot of eye-popping throws from Brennan, he also missed on a handful of contested routes.

- QB Jayden Daniels wasted some throws today and escaped the pocket too quickly.

- Center Fitzgerald West, a freshman, is still practicing with the 2nd string.

- As lsuodyssey.com posted first, CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse was injured last Saturday and was out today.

-Even though Matthew Langlois was beaten on a long route over the top by WR/TE L.J Gilyot, he recovered to force a fumble at the end of the play.

-Damarius McGhee was beaten on a long bomb catch by Jaray Jenkins, though he also recovered to poke it out at the final moments; regardless of whether a ref throws a flag due to the contact, or if Jenkins had already crossed the white line, it showcases McGhee's willingness to never give up. I like it.

- At Left Guard, Xavier Hill has begun to cement his position, a player we've been rooting for since last year. He had some great battles vs Maason Smith.

- QB Garrett Nussmeier looked great today.

- Greg Brooks Jr had 2 interceptions & a fumble recovery today, continuing to rise after we placed him on our 5 Rising Tigers list.

- DT Maason Smith was fantastic today, beastly along the front as he continues to raise his profile for Year Two.

- DL Saivion Jones beat LT Will Campbell on a few reps in one on one drills....a very impressive feat concerning Campbell's nonstop competitive drive.

- I don't like the reps from DT Bryce Langston today; he was thrown around by Kimo Makane'ole, he was abused by Kardell Thomas, and received an absolute throbbing by freshman Fitz West Jr at one point. It's one thing being beaten at the point of attack, it's one thing being beaten on any rep, but it's an entirely different degree of hellishness when a freshman center manhandles your sophomore DT....a player Coach Ed Orgeron called "potentially the greatest DL I've recruited at LSU"....

I need to see it and fast, or we could actually watch Langston depart Baton Rouge.

- At Safety, both Jay Ward and Joe Foucha appear to be the Tigers two starting safeties, taking the bulk of the reps & making plays. Ward grabbed an interception today.

-LB Mike Jones Jr is really taking that next step; expect him to be among LSU's best linebackers this season, given his athleticism, his change of mindset and eating habits.

-LB Jared Small was given his first full reps of Spring practice, today.

-WR Malik Nabers was back in full pads, though his participation was limited to mostly special teams return game drills. He made some nice catches at mostly full speed though.

-1st team OL Starters: RT Marcus Dumervil, RG Kardell Thomas, C Charles Turner, LG Xavier Hill, LT Cam Wire.

-2nd team OL Starters: RT Miles Frazier RG Kimo Makane'ole, C Fitzgerald West Jr, LG Lanson Smith, LT Will Campbell

-At one point, OL Lanson Smith (#63) threw DeShaun Richardson (#56) out of the drill and on to the ground, burying his teammate and causing Brad Davis to hand Lanson Smith additional reps for the day.

-As we said on our recent Mark Rogers appearance, WR Jaray Jenkins stuck out to us in early practices due to his maximum physical growth this offseason. Now, he's showing off his improved game, making some brilliant catches when covered today, including that long 60+ yard TD bomb from Myles Brennan.

-Though Jordan Toles was beaten on that long TD from Brennan to Jenkins, Jordan fought back to makes some solid plays throughout the end of practice, mainly during tackling drills. I like his angles, I like his physicality and aggression, but I feel like he has a tendency to over-run the tackle, losing control when in closed quarters & hesitating too much before he pounces. Today, Toles wasn't as reactionary and went flying into tackles.

He also worked with the cornerbacks today....very interesting, making a change from safety to cornerback.

-WR Chris Hilton, who's looked strong throughout early Spring ball, dropped a few passes today, including a high, looping, uncovered pass to the end zone right through his hands (pass from Garrett Nussmeier), plus a dropped hitch route from an accurate Myles Brennan pass.

-DB Aristotle Abraham grabbed an INT from a bobbled pass, touching a foot in bounds & sealing possession after solid coverage.

-Absences from practice / unavailable for drills: Jaquelin Roy, Soni Fonua, Todd Harris Jr, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Antoine Sampah, Major Burns, Phillip Webb, Tre'Mond Shorts, Jarell Cherry, Anthony Bradford and Thomas Perry.

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips
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