Will this be the year for LSU football?
In the first year under former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, the Tigers earned a 10-4 record and faced off against the Purdue Boilermakers in the Citrus Bowl.
As the Southeastern Conference changes around it, the Tigers will look to keep the same mentality that brought them their first winning season since 2019.
LSU head football coach Brian Kelly had a simple message following the release of a nine-game conference schedule proposal in early March.
“I've been in this for three decades, and no disrespect to any of the other schools that we play outside of the SEC, but they just don't excite me,” said Kelly. “I want to play the best—I came down here to the SEC because I wanted to play against Alabama.
“I want to play A&M; I want to play Auburn, the great teams, and in our new scheduling we get to play Alabama every year, Ole Miss every year and A&M, and that's really why I came down here. I want to play those games, and I think playing nine SEC games is great for your schedule, and it prepares you for the opportunity to play for a championship but also play for the national championship.”
What will be LSU football's toughest position battles as spring practice marches on? And who will be some of the defining players in a potential quest for another national title?
Interior offensive line
Junior guards Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier look to take up the starting spots for the Tigers at both guard spots. Once listed as an offensive tackle by 247Sports, Garrett Dellinger chose the Tigers over offers from Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, among others, in 2021.
Frazier, a transfer from Florida International, earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021. He appeared in 12 games and made 11 starts with FIU.
Kardell Thomas, a senior who has been a critical backup for LSU in his first four years with the football program, has the chance to be right behind Frazier as a right guard. The 350-pound lineman appeared in 11 games and made two starts for LSU. Both starts were at the right guard spot.
Senior Charles Turner III, the likely starter at center, said it was not more difficult to guard a more mobile quarterback in a September interview. Will he be able to back up his statement in 2023?
The versatile offensive lineman enters his fourth year with the Tigers, earning his first season where he started in every game he played in 2022. Center Marlon Martinez, who played snaps at center against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl, played in 12 games and started in one for LSU last season.
Defensive line
Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith can take up the starting roles for LSU football as defensive tackles. Wingo, a sophomore tackle out of St. Louis, Missouri, earned stats in 2021 and 2022. Kelly gave a positive update on Smith after he missed the season due to an ACL injury.
“He's doing well. He's obviously focused on his academics and his rehabilitation. He's had no setbacks,” Kelly said. “We expect him to be ready for our off-season program and progressing into spring ball. We'll be excited to see him get back.”
Senior Jordan Jefferson and junior Jacobian Guillory will likely take up the spots behind them in spring practice. Jefferson, a transfer from West Virginia, appeared in 42 games and started in 17 as a nose tackle for the Mountaineers. He started in all 12 games in 2022
Ovie Oghoufo and Bradyn Swinson may play crucial roles on the line as “Jack” linebackers, or linebackers who can rush the passer and drop into coverage as needed. Both transferred in for the 2023 class, with Oghoufo playing for Texas and Swinson playing for the Oregon Ducks.
Cornerbacks
Nickel cornerback Duce Chestnut will miss LSU's spring football practice. Will Sage Ryan be able to take his place? The 5-foot-11-inch safety from Lafayette, Louisiana, earned 23 tackles and deflected one pass for the Tigers in 2022 after appearing in four games as a freshman in 2021.
Denver Harris and Zy Alexander look to take the starting left and right cornerback roles, respectively. Harris, a transfer from Texas A&M, was a former five-star recruit from Northshore High School in Houston, Texas. He appeared in five games as a freshman for the Aggies in 2022, dishing 14 total tackles and deflecting three passes. Southeast Louisiana transfer Zy Alexander took down three interceptions in 2022 after he intercepted six passes in the 2021 season for the Lions.
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