Good news, college football fans: we’re officially less than 100 days away from the first Saturday of the season.
To mark the occasion, we on the SEC blog will take a look at where all the conference teams stand right now.
Up next is LSU.
What we learned on offense: In a word: nothing. OK, so maybe that comes with a healthy amount of skepticism, but let’s be honest about the supposed progress of Brandon Harris and the passing game. If you’ve been listening, we’ve heard this song and dance before from Les Miles. In the end, we’re talking about the same offensive coordinator, the same scheme and the same nucleus of players (Harris, Leonard Fournette, Travin Dural, Malachi Dupre, etc.). Everything hinges on Harris’ improvement. A solid spring game (11-of-16 for 106 yards and an interception) and a nice quote (Miles: “He’s going to make improvements, strides all summer long.”) are hardly concrete evidence of change.
What we learned on defense: You want to know how loaded LSU’s defense is this season? Go look at Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest top 10 ranking for draft-eligible players on defense by position. There are four LSU players who make the cut, including two prospects who could make for a menacing secondary in safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Tre’Davious White. Thanks to White’s decision to return for his senior year and the development of standout freshman Kevin Toliver II, LSU boasts arguably the best crop of DBs in the SEC.
Breakout player: LSU is already in great shape at receiver with Dural and Dupre out wide, but the Tigers could get even more help in the form of D.J. Chark, who could see more reps now that John Diarse, Trey Quinn and Kevin Spears have all transferred out of the program. The 6-foot-3 former four-star prospect from Alexandria, Louisiana, didn’t see the field much the last two seasons but he ended last year on a good note with a 79-yard touchdown against Texas Tech.
Key storyline: In a way, it’s the storyline no one spoke about. But that’s what made it so interesting. After all, it was only a few months ago that LSU was getting ready to shove Miles out the door. Boosters were revolting, athletic director Joe Alleva was hardly giving ringing endorsements for his coach and the media was lining up its list of candidates to replace Miles. Then, it all got flipped on its head. LSU beat Texas A&M, Miles was carried off the field on the shoulders of his players and won the war. Now, he’s back to being firmly entrenched with not a peep coming out of Baton Rouge this spring about his job security.