by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
-Coach O on the importance of Spring Practice and it's effect on last year: "I think that the building of the team. We're building a foundation. 4th quarter, our team fighting together and getting to learn each other. Going offense, defense, competing. Getting in football shape. Having the reps. You look at Kayshon Boutte going against Derek Stingley, you're not going to get better than that. It's just not going to happen.....best against best, competing. Finding out about our football team, finding about the eighth day of practice when everybody's tired and don't want to go, grinding it out, having to scrimmage in Tiger Stadium. Finding out who's going to play hard, who's going to be able to perform under pressure. Those are the things that we're going to do this year. We're going to be in great shape. We're going to be a physically tough football team and we're going to find out who wants to perform at a high level."
-Coach O on Day 1 of Spring Practice: "The guys were very well prepared today..."This was one of the toughest first days since I've been here...All the QBs shared reps, Garrett Nussmeier showed us he can scramble & make plays on his feet. "Ali Gaye had a great day of rushing the passer...."
-Coach O on the team's energy going into Spring with new blood: "It's good. It's energy, man. These guys, it was their first time being at LSU. They're hungry....they're here early in the morning, they're here late at night. I think that they're doing a tremendous job of preparing this football team. Both of them are very capable....both of them are bright coaches...probably both of them will be head coaches one day."
"They're great leaders, they have great organization about themselves & the players believe in them. I think both of them have made tremendous connections with our players & I think that was the most important thing on both of the interviews. When they spoke, I was listening to them like I was a player. Are our players going to respond well to these guys? That's why I hired them."
-Coach Orgeron revealed sophomore Max Johnson "is taking the first snaps, he won the last 2 games for us. Myles Brennan did a tremendous job, T.J Finley did a tremendous job, Nussmeier looked very good today."
-"Kayshon Boutte caught some great passes. Max hit him on a back shoulder route. Fantastic. I thought for the most part, it was a good day. Obviously, we've got to watch the film. I challenged the guys for 15 great days, one day at a time. We've got Football School tomorrow. We're going to make corrections. Coaching staff is going to watch the film tonight and we'll get after it tomorrow."
-Coach O on Myles' injury status: "There was no surgery, uh nothing like that, it was something that had to heal on its own with rehab and uh as far as I know he's ready to go cause he hasn't missed a thing."
-Eli Ricks is out due to injury for the Spring at the moment and will "come back towards the end of Spring." When asked about why, Coach O said "Yeah injury-related, yes."
- LB Micha Baskerville is out due to "academic reasons" according to Coach Orgeron.
- No #7 has been issued to any player, although expect Stingley, Ricks or even Kayshon Boutte
-DT Maason Smith becomes the first ever LSU Tiger to rock the number "0"
-DE Landon Jackson takes his #40
-OT Garrett Dellinger wears Glen Dorsey's #72, a number Tyler Shelvin also wore
-QB Garrett Nussmeier will wear the #5 jersey
-Safety Derrick Davis Jr takes #6
-WR Deion Smith wears #6
-DE Zavier Carter rocking #17
-LB Navonteque Strong #22
-Punter Peyton Todd takes #38 (ZVR's #!!!!!!)
-LB Nick Demas takes Devin White's #45
-LB/DE Desmond Little now wears #59
-2021 freshman Jack Bech will also feature at tight end as well as wide receiver, according to Coach Ed Orgeron and lsusports.net
-Coach O talking about rebounding from 5-5: “I was born in Louisiana, I understand LSU’s expectations and I said it when I was hired. Nobody has to tell me about LSU’s expectations. I know exactly what LSU’s expectations are and I invite them. And I expect that of me and my staff and we did that two years ago when we had the best football team in the world...but it seems like some people have forgot that & I understand that.
5-5 doesn’t cut it and there’s no excuse, gotta get better.
We do have a lot of guys returning but I totally understand the expectations at LSU & I don’t need to be told that by anyone.
Me & Scott have a great relationship...I love LSU and I wanna represent the state of Louisiana the best that I can every day. I feel like I do that.”
Coach O talking up Austin Thomas's contributions to the support staff:
"Austin Thomas came and I let him basically make those hires. Those are some guys that he knew throughout his travels and he thought it was best for our program."
-"We could move a corner to safety..." Coach O said, continuing to say he could see freshmen safeties Sage Ryan, Matthew Langlois or Derrick Davis Jr "may have to start right away".
-Coach O asked about the new coaching staff: "I just tried to get the best guys for our program. LSU is going to attract some of the best coaches. Obviously on offense, I wanted Joe Brady's offense so we got two guys that were working with him....that's why we did that.
Daronte came up, had a great interview, was very highly recommended by Dave Aranda. His strength is the back end. He knows the front end. My strength's the front end. I thought it was a good deal.
Andre Carter, I wanted a guy to teach our guys tremendous pass rush. We have pass rush guys...you look at 80.5 sacks....he's got a lot of energy. He had a great interview. He was highly recommended by Joe Vitt, who I worked with at the Saints. Those guys came highly recommended and they want to be here. Lot of want to in that staff so I'm very impressed with all of them."
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
SHOUTOUTS: Michael Dineen is an awesome dood!
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