The LSU football program enters the 2024 season with a lot of changes on the roster. The most notable piece out the door is quarterback Jaylen Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy and was selected second overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL Draft. Kelly also fired a ton of coaches following the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin, so there are new coaches on the staff as well.
During SEC Media Days, LSU head coach Brian Kelly admitted his expectations for the Tigers in 2024 with a big statement, per Brett McMurphy of The Action Network.
“I don't deal in expectations. Are we doing things necessary that allow us to stick w/our progress? Are we making progress to our ultimate goals? We're in year 3. This is most accountable this group has ever been. This is the deepest team we've ever had.”
That is a bold claim as Kelly enters his third season in Baton Route since leaving Notre Dame in a stunning move. In 2023, LSU had one of the top offenses in the league in a number of statistical categories, but they finished 10-3 overall and 6-2 in SEC play, tied with Ole Miss and Missouri for fifth in the SEC.
Brian Kelly reflects on LSU football's 2023 season
The LSU football team lost just three games last season. One of those came to Florida State in the opening matchup, and then they fell to Ole Miss and Alabama, so they were a win or two away from being a top team in the SEC.
But, Kelly knows that they have to do better and he reflected on what the 2023 season was like, per Matthew Brune of On3.
“Being in the playoff and playing for championships is the measuring stick and we fell short of that, but ten win seasons are difficult to come by no matter what. At the end of the day, I let go of my entire defensive staff, so I knew we needed to get better.”
Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are also gone from last year's dangerous offensive group as well as Daniels, so there are some expectations that the offense will take a step back. But, the new defensive coaching staff and some new faces on that side could help in the long run.
Garrett Nussmeier is expected to be the starting quarterback for LSU this season, and it will be interesting to see how he does replacing Daniels. All in all, there are plenty of changes, but Kelly caught attention when he said this is the deepest team they've had.
The LSU football team begins the year with USC in Las Vegas then Nicholls and South Carolina before playing UCLA and South Alabama. The Tigers' SEC schedule prevents them from playing Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri, but they play Alabama and Oklahoma in the final month of the season. Only time will tell if this 2024 roster is the best team the Tigers have had since Brian Kelly came over from South Bend.
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