by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
When I looked at the depth chart LSU released, my stomach made some odd noises...and no, I don't think it was the madness & revelry of New Year's Eve...I shuddered at the sheer lack of players the Tigers had left.
Heading into our program's first bowl game since the January 2020 National Championship Game, taking on Kansas State at Houston's NRG Stadium, LSU have just 2 quarterbacks available as of this publishing, just 2 total cornerbacks, 3 overall running backs, 8 total receivers counting Jack Bech, 6 total safeties including Sage Ryan, and also crazily to me, just 4 linebackers appear on paper here....with some notable absentees.
Obviously there is room for LSU's walk-on talent to come in and take places, but how many scholarships will the team want to activate for a bowl game?
And why would LSU not include Cordale Flott, Darren Evans, Raydarious Jones, Dwight McGlothern, Zavier Carter, Garrett Dellinger, and walk-on QB Matt O'Dowd, among others???
The answer?
There will obviously be a few academic absentees, one more opt-out declaring for the Draft expected, one or two transfers, and of course....a few out sick with positive Covid tests.
LSU's roster reality is far worse than the "50 scholarship players" we heard were available for so long...this is beyond the pale.....this is the truth and evidence of the Orgeron Era's stain upon the program...everlasting...ever burgeoning with more bad news & repercussions of him & his staff's post 2019 sloth...until finally the new guy can take the team over officially once the 2021 season comes to its long and endlessly drawn out conclusion.....(a game on January 4th...seriously people???)....
LSU's interim Head Coach Brad Davis has also received the waiver news concerning QB Garrett Nussmeier's red shirt availability for the Texas Bowl, however he told WAFB's Jacques Doucet that he "will not reveal that news to the media", not wanting to tip off Kansas State on who the Tigers are starting on Tuesday.
I'm certain it will be either Jontre Kirklin or Nussmeier, with Taivion Faulk a potential possibility; most likely Garrett will be handed his waiver, although we've seen the same requests normally granted to Georgia, Florida, Alabama or A&M hardly given to LSU....
Our Tigers are in a far worse position than anyone anticipated, and it would be nasty and cruel of the NCAA to block Nussmeier from participation.
We need every player we can possibly get to suit up, to the point I'm wondering how many new guys we'll be introduced to during this game....Ralph Walker, Everett Girard, Quenton "Pig" Cage stepping up at DB......Maason Smith & Jacobian Guillory ready for their moment to shine next to Jaquelin Roy.......Sage Ryan playing in only his 3rd game...where's Antoine Sampah stepping up at linebacker....yet he doesn't even make the roster list?
Instead, Lane Blue, Kyler Rodriguez, Matt Jayne and Hunter Faust will have to back up Mike Jones Jr and freshman future powerhouse Greg Penn III.
It's going to be wild coming up here for LSU fans....buckle up....
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
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