SPRING SCOUTING NOTES III: HOW LSU'S NEW COACHING STAFF HANDLED THEIR FIRST ACTION

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by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

-Let's all petition LSU to release the scrimmage tape for the fans as there's so much we're dying to see, especially when you only get a taste of what this team could potentially look like this fall....however, what we're seeing from LSU's first padded contact scrimmage was exceedingly exciting.

AND WE WANT MORE!

The gas pedal is firmly rammed down to the floor with this coaching staff and here at LSU Odyssey we've been all aboard the Jones/Carter/Baker/Peetz/Mangas hires from the get go....why?

Because of their intensity, willingness to innovate and get creative with their philosophies...their humility, ingenuity, and energy of course...

These men are students of the game who've absorbed all of this knowledge from their many stops and are now filtering their new football amalgamations into the makeup of this 2021 purple & gold roster....and while the results are at their embryonic stage, the evidence is exciting regardless:

-I am continuously impressed by the work of Passing Game Coordinator D.J Mangas, someone who I questioned during last offseason's analysis of the 2019 staff.

Back then, I wondered why "Joe Brady's bro D.J Mangas" was even sitting in the booth while Jorge Munoz was out there stalking the sidelines...what did Mangas bring to the table???

Well, it turns out Brady's bro is actually a chip off of the ol' block, flying around and jamming LSU's receivers at the line staring 'em down...competing as a coach....which is what Coach Orgeron loves more than anything.

And it's a personality trait all LSU fans respect.

I've been told Mangas tried his best to match Offensive Coordinator Jake Peetz's vocal leadership during the scrimmage, becoming yet another presence on the sideline...

Remember, these guys could be coaching from a booth come the fall...this is an important and crucial time for Mangas, Peetz and Munoz to understand their guys (I'd expect Munoz and Callaway to stay on the sidelines with Mangas & Peetz up in the booth, but we'll see...this staff seems extremely flexible and open to experimentation, both extra pluses for Coach Orgeron and Special Assistant Derek Ponamsky).

-Speaking of another returning 2019 offensive assistant, analyst Jorge Munoz has hid below the radar, the man is as slippery as an eel, flowing from one part of the sidelines to another with the elusiveness of O.J Simpson in a Ford Bronco.

Munoz was an interesting re-hire for LSU, given the acrimony of his exit from Aranda's Baylor...but it appears the man does well in Baton Rouge.

Every quarterback seems to love the guy for some special reason, Joe Burrow, Myles Brennan, now T.J Finley, Max Johnson even Garrett Nussmeier.

-We don't know the complete statistics or know everyone who appeared during the Tigers' first under wraps scrimmage just yet, however I'm told Monday morning the statistics will be released through LSU as well as a chunk of the footage, most likely a 2 minute clip.

I'm hoping for more: from what I was able to see (via a sideways phone), this 2021 squad doesn't just make me feel like the Tigers can be good in the future...they elicit those feelzzz already, they're just a fun team to see in action;

Even during the sloppy first scrimmage there was an air of competitive mischief, a vibe of "stoking the fires" as Coach O calls it...where often some of the brightest fireworks went off on the sidelines instead of the field.

Watching LSU's new coaches find their footing was interesting...mostly I saw the back of their heads from my point of view....and yet this told me everything:

I found myself witnessing every single coach dialed in, facing the field, engaged in every facet of the scrimmage, while every analyst or equipment manager stalked the sidelines like they've got more street cred and badass juice than Vic Mackie from The Shield, everyone aware of their role, in their lane and capable of multi-tasking, improvising...it was very intriguing to see just how vocal this staff is compared to 2020's graveyard silence.

The words I kept hearing back at me to describe this staff's debut performance?

"Streamlined", "efficient", then one source filled us in a little more about what they saw on the sidelines:

"Daronte Jones didn't hesitate to bring anyone over for a Come to Jesus, ya know and i feel he sets an example so many follow."

Also, it appears our 2021 defense has 3 core leaders: Daronte Jones, Corey Raymond and Andre Carter, with Jones & Carter as the most vocal & omnipresent twin pillars, firing (together and exclusively) on all cylinders.

Both will be fantastic head coaches one day.

LBs Coach Blake Baker really stood out, showing a kind of chill intensity, completely "reverting back to his LA Tech days".

The more experienced linebackers have had a smooth time relating to him so far, although there have been a few hiccups Baker addressed throughout the scrimmage.

Much like every position group on the team, it's too early to tell if Baker's time spent with his younger linebackers has improved their overall levels, especially since we saw so little of these guys last year, but I will say this:

Antoine Sampah will need some time but everyone is impressed with the young linebacker, Josh White is "coming on strong" (we watched him make one blasting gang tackle with Damone Clark) and Zavier Carter has been practicing with the linebackers, standing high above his LB teammates, showing he's adept at either DE or LB.

-Offense:

1. Kayshon Boutte

2. Trey Palmer

3. Jontre Kirklin

4. Max Johnson

5. Koy Moore

6. Myles Brennan

7. Tre Bradford

-Defense:

1. B.J Ojulari

2. Todd Harris

3. Phillip Webb

4. Joseph Evans

5. Jay Ward

6. Navonteque Strong

7. Jacobian Guillory

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

Copyright 2021 Uninterupted Writings Inc LLC

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