After a few days off, our 2018 'Gator Bait' series returns, as we continue to countdown to the season ahead. This time we focus on another SEC rival, LSU.
The Tigers ended last season with a 9-4 record (6-2 in the SEC) and losing to Notre Dame 17-21 in the Citrus Bowl.
Ed Orgeron does return 13 starters, however, with just four returners on offense, there are a lot of question marks this LSU side needs to answer as the season draws closer.
THE OFFENSE
Stop me if you've heard this before in this series, there is a question at quarterback for the Tigers. Myles Brennan, Justin McMillian and Lowell Narcisse all battled for the starting job in the spring, however, no quarterback showed enough to become the clear starter.
Fast forward a few weeks after spring and Orgeron added a grad transfer, Joe Burrow. Burrow could very well come in and battle for a starting position, however, one must remember that the Ohio State transfer does have much as far as college football experience.
Although LSU has had a number of elite running backs and wide receivers in recent years, this season those are two positions filled with uncertainty. Gone are running backs Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams, and wide receivers DJ Chark and Russell Gage, and here comes a group that remains unproven.
At receiver, Orgeron added Texas Tech transfer Jonathan Giles, which should help matters. Giles had 69 catches for 1,158 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Red Raiders in 2016. Tight end Foster Moreau should help alleviate things in the passing game as well; the 6-foot-6, 255 pounder finished second on the team with 24 grabs and three touchdowns.
At running back, however, questions loom, as the Tigers will field a unit that did not rush for a single touchdown in 2017-something that has not happened in Baton Rouge in over 40 years. Senior Nick Brosette is the top returning back, and he only recorded 96 yards last year. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is also expected to shoulder the load for the Tigers ground attack.
All these questions come when LSU is also trying to break in a new offensive coordinator. Matt Canada is now at Maryland and Orgeron promoted tight ends coach Steve Ensminger to the position. Ensminger hopes to find the reason behind LSU's lack of efficiency in the Red Zone. The offense was one of the worst in the conference, only coming away with points 77 percent of the time.
Good news for LSU? They return some good quality in the trenches, and it's safe to say they will be reliant on the offensive line as the offense adjusts to a new scheme and to new players taking up new roles.
DEFENSE
Not as many question marks for Orgeron on the defensive side of the ball, however.
Rashard Lawrence and K'Lavon Chaisson return up front, and will be joined by Texas Tech transfer, defensive end Breiden Fehoko, who is now eligible. Fehoko is expected to pair up with tackle Tyler Shevin, who also sat out the 2017 season for academic reasons. Shelvin could also serve as backup for Ed Alexander, who is also returning for LSU.
At linebacker, the Tigers return Devin White, who led the SEC with 10.2 tackles per game in 2017 and led his team with 133 tackles.
The secondary is once again a strength for the LSU defense. It returns cornerback Greedy Williams, who had six picks last season, and safeties John Battle (61 tackles last season) and Grant Delpit. Sophomores Jontre Kirklin and Kary Vincent, freshman Kelvin Joseph and grad transfer Terrence Alexander are battling to play opposite Williams in the fall.
FINAL THOUGHTS
LSU is expected to be a good team this season, however, it remains to be seen is good will be good enough in the SEC West. The defense will give Florida some problems when they meet up in Gainesville, however, both sides have a few question marks offensively - although in the end Florida does have a few more playmakers with game experience on that side of the ball compared to the Tigers.
