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There were so many Tigers to name here....but we went for the cream of the crop in our eyes at this moment; Though you may wonder why some exclusions are here, I would say we are focusing on the players we feel have made a season-altering impact & impression throughout Spring....we have evidence to suggest these Tigers are all key players LSU's coaching staff will be relying on when the going gets rough, while also ignoring some obvious choices....for one example that may help with a few questions, we all know Whit Weeks is a legit talent & a likely starter, no need to say he's standing out.
We went for Tigers who made Spring 2024 the ground zero for their rise....
KYREN LACY
Inspired by WRU teammates Malik Nabers & Brian Thomas Jr's epic 2023 season & rise to the top of the upcoming NFL Draft, senior WR Kyren Lacy is making Spring his own playground thus far, taking over practices at will.
Becoming Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels' #3 option, reeling in a respectable 7 TDs last fall, Lacy is matching his never-ending confidence with grinding dedication to his craft, and it's showing on the practice field.
Lacy is towering above, separating beyond, and driving past Tiger defenders all over the field....evolving into an elite overall receiving weapon this off-season.
We've always known Lacy holds the attributes to be a 1st or 2nd Round pick in the NFL Draft as a receiving prospect, we've always understood he could be that #1 guy at LSU if given the opportunity, platform and if he invested himself more than ever before..........on the cusp of the 2024 Spring Game next week, Kyren is proving he is yet another top tier, Louisiana-made WRU juggernaut.
If Lacy fulfills his ultimate potential, incessantly replicates the same form he's showcased during every practice, and delivers upon his own promise throughout 2024, there is no limit to the possibilities for #2.
JAVIEN TOVIANO & ASHTON STAMPS
Taking the bulk of starting reps at each corner position, echoing their freshman stand last fall against Alabama, A&M & Wisconsin, both Toviano and Stamps have made it clear to all others within the cornerbacks room: the rest will need to get through these two thoroughbred red shirt freshmen to claim their spot.
Yes, PJ Woodland has made a serious push for one of the two cornerback slots, while Zy Alexander stands to be in heavy consideration as a starter upon his return post-Spring, plus both Ohio State transfers JK Johnson & Jyaire Brown have recovered from their respective injuries to be in contention, etc upon etc, but above all else, Toviano & Stamps may just have the mental edge to outlast all who stand in their way.
There's something about being thrown into the fire while playing for a disastrous defense that usually ignites results (when good coaching and solid teammates finally align with those shared experiences)...almost like old war stories and wounds....the defenders who survived Matt House's "Captain Ahab 2023 defense" will not only have revenge on their minds, but enhanced commitment to improve.
For Toviano and Stamps, two 2023 freshmen thrown straight from the practice field and into starting debuts @ Alabama, LSU's 2024 opener in Vegas vs USC will be nothing too bothersome for these two dawgs.
SAGE RYAN
Snagging a hat trick of INTs during a single practice (all 3 from starting QB Garrett Nussmeier), Sage Ryan's stock continues to rise since his long awaited move back to free safety. Not only was he the first name out of Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker's mouth when speaking about his improved secondary, he discussed the red shirt junior's ability to take the ball away: "...we've done a really good job of creating turnovers at the backend, especially Sage Ryan sticks out to me, he's had several takeaways this Spring..."
Finally playing the position LSU recruited him for, Ryan is looking more confident & complete by the day, ascending into the ball-hawking, playmaking 5 star Tigers fans envisioned back in 2020....current Tiger DBs Coach Corey Raymond fending off a hard charging Alabama pursuit of Ryan, .
Hopefully LSU's defensive coaching staff will resist the temptation and allure of his versatility, moving him from nickel to corner and back and forth; At the free safety spot, Ryan is performing at an increasingly high level....any deviation from his natural safety role could further delay his skyrocketing development.
BRADYN SWINSON & DASHAWN WOMACK
With veteran Swinson operating on one wing, opposite the youngblood swagger of Womack on the other flank, Edge Rushing Coach Kevin Peoples may have already identified his starting edge tandem for the 2024 season.
Bradyn Swinson is ready to follow up a promising 2023 Tiger debut by making a far more significant impact wire to wire, just as he was able to do with game-altering strip sacks @ Mizzou and vs Florida.
Ahead of year 2 at LSU, currently drilled by a Broyles Award-nominated pass rushing specialist in Coach Peoples, following a highly promising SEC debut (ranking 3rd at LSU with 22 pressures & 2.5 sacks), after an off-season living in Baton Rouge for a 2nd straight year, subsequently becoming even more acclimated to the area, Swinson isn't merely a talented piece of LSU's defensive puzzle, he is starting to exhibit the leadership and elite example Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker will need within Peoples / Davis' young pass rushing / D-line groups.
"At lunch the other day, we all said #13 should be disappointed if he doesn't hit double digit sacks," one LSU defensive assistant told LSUOdyssey, "he is a great young man and steward of his teammates. I'm expecting a lot from Bradyn because he's capable...."
As for Swinson's prodigy edge partner, former 5 star recruit Dashawn Womack, is yet another LSU Tiger star from the Washington DC area (Angel Reese, Greg Penn III, Tyrell Ward to name a few). A palpable thrill races through the Death Valley crowd every time he takes to the field.....and much like Swinson, that excitement extends to LSU's coaching staff.
Considering his production, Womack appeared in a criminal amount of snaps last fall: just 79 snaps while earning 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFLs and 8 pressures.
Against Arkansas, Womack incredibly registered 3 pressures, 2 tackles, 1 sack (without his helmet) and 1 TFL in just 5 overall snaps.....still, former defensive coordinator Matt House refused to believe in his debutant star.
This season, things are different.
He's flying around with calculated fury, earning multiple touch sacks against starting QB Garrett Nussmeier's strong pocket manipulation & movement away from pressure, and showing increased strength when attacking the backfield via the middle on stunting actions.
If Womack doesn't appear in significant reps this fall, it will surely only be due to injury or the rise of a veteran rusher like Saivion Jones, such is his boundless ceiling as a backfield disruptor off the edge. The only worry??? At 255 pounds, will the sophomore be able to shed blocks & overcome the savage girth of opposition O-linemen?
JARDIN GILBERT
It's safe to say transfer safety Jardin Gilbert will be starting for the Tigers this season.
Providing hard hitting, ruthless tackling, speed within the secondary, high pre-snap IQ, and steady-handed reliability, the new Tigers #14 is, as of right now, the most important transfer of the off-season.
The former U-High superstar's arrival provides an equilibrium of competition, the know-how of a veteran who's started within the SEC before, and the swagger of a young man who's back home and ready to make a household name for himself and his family.
Gilbert's trajectory has given Corey Raymond & Jake Olsen's secondary the necessary balance & "starpower kick in the ass" to push Major Burns beyond his prior output...either adapting his game or suffering on the sidelines. Now, Burns is featuring at the star position, backed by both Jardin Gilbert and Sage Ryan, and the possibilities look fascinating.
CHRIS HILTON JR
Dominating through the air for the first time in an entire Spring camp, not content with stretches or merely supplying "moments", Hilton Jr, now closing in on his 4th season, is finally seeing his fortunes align.
Following his first full season without injury at LSU, the former Zachary High state football & track champion displays the same brand of burst he possessed back in 2021, but more than anything, he appears stronger, filled out with more steel in much the same way WR Brian Thomas Jr evolved from 2022-2023.
Catching nearly everything thrown his way, Chris Hilton is torching first team Tiger corners in coverage, off the line, through the air, over the middle, making plays after the catch, making tacklers miss, Hilton is putting it all together at the right time.
I'd be stunned if he wasn't a major part of the 2024 LSU offense....in fact, I'd be shocked if he wasn't at least among the Top 10 names in contention for a Biletnikoff Award come season's end.
DJ CHESTER
For a red shirt freshman, DJ Chester is making an alarming impression at one of the game's most important positions:
Midway through his first Spring as a Tiger, DJ is a commanding, demanding, vocally aggressive pit bull in the trenches, already leading the veteran O-linemen on either side of him, all older than Chester by at least 2 years.....and yet he has no problems being "the man"....he accepts the pressure with zero qualms and a very rare shaken snap.
Perhaps Chester could have dips in form here and there (his propensity for low snaps when he's out of his groove), maybe some growing pains amid the regular season ahead, however his Spring performances have been an exceptional forecast of the Tigers' solid new center.
With uncertainty behind him on roster, Chester will be expected to stick it out for the long haul, every game on the schedule.....and due to his youth, his stout 318 pounds, towering 6'6 height, Chester likely has the athletic prowess to maintain his availability & sustain a powerful motor without injury.
KALEB JACKSON
Putting the running game on his back as just one of 2 available scholarship running backs, Jackson has matured and developed every facet of his footballing life, from his on-field game to how he takes care of his body, according to Head Coach Brian Kelly.
With a massive season ahead, Jackson is expected to be one of the Tigers' elite performers in a campaign where the running backs will have a far more expansive role in the Sloan / Hankton offensive axis......and behind this veteran offensive line, Kaleb's multiple skillsets as a rusher & receiver should become a weapon that could keep LSU in every game, against any opponent.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
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