2024 NFLSU Season in Review

DBU is now QBU

With the 2024 NFL season in the books, it’s time to look back at the year that was for Tiger alumni. We will start off by recapping the final game of the year.

Super Bowl LIX: Chiefs 22 vs Eagles 40

Not a single LSU player active. We actually finished this mostly incredible season with a goose egg in the title game… but hey two guys got rings!

Personally I enjoyed the previous football championship game played in the Superdome. But hey, now the Chiefs understand the punishment for cutting Clyde Edwards-Helaire!

NFLSU Score: .5/10 (only because the team with practice squad LSU players beat the team with no LSU players)

Now let’s get to individual awards!

NFLSU MVP: Joe Burrow

2024 Stats: 4,918 yards, 43 TDs, 9 INTs, 70.6 completion percentage (all career bests)

Not even a question. The only reason he wasn’t league MVP is because the part of the team that he has nothing to do with was so bad they barely had a winning record. Joe Burrow is everything Bengals fans hoped he would be. Even if the wins aren’t there right now, it’s a delight to watch him play football.

Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase

2024 Stats: 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, 17 TDs (all league-bests)

As great as Joe Burrow was, he didn’t do it alone. The greatest quarterback-receiver combo in LSU history is far and away the best one in the pros right now. After an uncomfortable offseason where Chase did not get the mega contract everyone with eyeballs knows he deserves, he left no doubt he deserves every penny.

Defensive Player of the Year: Derek Stingley Jr.

2024 Stats: 37 tackles, 5 INTs, 18 PDs (last two top three in league)

Throw in a Wild Card win that saw Sting snag two more picks and force a fumble and you have a man on a mission to restore the legacy of DBU. The 1st Team All-Pro was huge in helping the Texans win a second straight division title and is showing he was absolutely worth the third overall pick. Hopefully his organization doesn’t cheap out on his rookie extension this year.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jayden Daniels

2024 Stats: 3,568 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs, 891 rush yards (rookie QB record), 6 rush TDs

It’s been some time since a rookie captivated the league quite like Jayden Daniels. To take the most putrid, down in the dumps franchise in the league and effortlessly win nail-biting games week after week until they found themselves in the Playoffs. That was enough to make him the talk of the town, but he wasn’t done. He took the Commanders on the road and won two playoff games. The franchise hadn’t won one in almost two decades! I’ve been watching football for awhile, but I don’t think I’ve ever said this: it’s hard to not excited about the future of Washington’s NFL team.

Also Offensive Rookie of the Year: Malik Nabers

2024 Sats: 109 receptions, 1,204 yards, 7 TDs

Look, I’m sorry, I can’t not give Nabers an award. He had an electric season for the most miserable team in the league last year. He’s gonna be awesome and deserves flowers for rewriting the rookie record book with absolute garbage QBs attempting to throw him the ball. Now onto the Defensive Rookie of the Y- hang on, what’s that? ANOTH-

Third and Final Offensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Thomas Jr.

2024 Stats: 87 receptions, 1,282 yards, 10 TDs

Yet again, despite playing for a team committing crimes against football, Brian Thomas Jr. was a delight every time he was on our screens. Initially projected to be the fourth, maybe third option for an explosive Jags offense, he ended up being basically the entire offense as the QB, WR1, WR2, RB1 and TE1 missed a majority of the season. BTJ is a blossoming star and his new offensive-minded head coach will hopefully take advantage of his skillset.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Omar Speights

2024 Stats: 67 tackles, 2 PDs

While not extremely flashy, Speights went from being undrafted to an every down LB for a second-round playoff time. While I want to be happy for him, his success will always just make me think about what an evil idiot Matt House is. I am running out of ways to say I hate that guy.

Now we move onto the All-NFLSU Team! While LSU alumni have almost every position covered, some liberties were taken. We will break every position down.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK: Joe Burrow (CIN)

Pretty easy call for our MVP. He’s definitively in the top tier of QBs in the league right now. This All-NFLSU Team is pretty normal so far. I don’t know what Evan was talking abo-

RUNNING BACK: Jayden Daniels (WAS)

Okay, hear me out. The only two LSU RBs who played this year were Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Tyrion Davis-Price, who ran for 46 and 7 yards, respectively. Jayden ran for 891 yards and 6 TDs, while adding another 135 yards and a TD in his three playoff games. He was a top 3 NFLSU player this year and deserves to be on this list!

WIDE RECEIVER: Ja’Marr Chase (CIN), Justin Jefferson (MIN), Brian Thomas Jr.

The only debate here is choosing between the two rookie receivers. I went with Thomas because as bad as the Giants QBs were, they did try to build the offense around Malik Nabers. I thought it was more impressive the way BTJ exploded onto the scene. Both will have their days in the sun. Also shoutout to Kayshon Boutte who had a respectable 589 yards on 43 catches. With a franchise QB in place, he has a chance to go even bigger next year.

TIGHT END: Foster Moreau (NO)

He’s had this spot on lock by default his whole career, but Moreau’s 2024 was really good. His 5 TDs tied a career high, while his 32 catches and 413 yards nearly matched it. If not for the Saints’ QB instability, midseason coaching change and injury plague, he definitely could’ve put up bigger numbers the way the offense started the year. It will be interesting to see if Mason Taylor gives him a run for this spot next year.

TACKLE: Anthony Bradford (SEA), Austin Deculus (NO, HOU)

Now here’s a position where next year’s rookies should definitely take over. Deculus spent almost the whole season on the practice squad and was only called up in the Playoffs because the Texans were banged up. Bradford occasionally plays tackle, but is mostly a guard. He still makes the cut here because we barely have any other options. Congrats, Anthony!

GUARD: Damien Lewis (CAR), Ed Ingram (MIN)

Ingram lost his starting spot midseason, but again… no other options. Lewis had an incredible year though. He played every game but 1 for a Panthers offense that slowly found its footing as the year went on. He is easily one of the most underrated NFLSU players out there.

CENTER: Ethan Pocic (CLE)

Speaking of offensive linemen who busted their ass for an inconsistent offense, Pocic showed up to work and blocked regardless of the mess behind him.

DEFENSE

EDGE: Danielle Hunter (HOU), Arden Key (TEN)

While Danielle Hunter’s numbers were slightly down from his stellar 2023, 46 tackles and 12 sacks were well worth the free agency price Houston paid. Key set a career high with 42 tackles, and tied career highs with 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

INTERIOR DL: Davon Godchaux (NE), Maason Smith (JAX)

Godchaux’s 67 tackles were the second-most of his eight-year career, and the most since he’s been in Foxborough. Smith only had 17 tackles, but three of them were sacks. That’s pretty good efficiency.

LINEBACKER: Patrick Queen (PIT), Omar Speights (LAR), K’Lavon Chaisson (LV)

Queen is still a tackling machine with 129, which included a sack and two forced fumbles. Speights’ 67 were far less gaudy, but still impressive for a guy most didn’t expect to make the roster. Chaisson probably should be in the EDGE category, but this is far from the worst position fraud I’ve committed. He was originally with the Panthers in the preseason, but was cut and signed by the Raiders. His 32 tackles were a career high, his 5 sacks were as many as he had in his four seasons in Jacksonville, and he got his first career forced fumble and interception.

CORNERBACK: Derek Stingley Jr. (HOU), Donte Jackson (PIT)

One of the easiest positions on this list. Both guys had six interceptions, which tied with a handful of other player for third in the league.

SAEFTY: Grant Delpit (CLE), Tyrann Mathieu (NO)

Another easy call. The rising star and the elder statesman. Two former No. 7s with a knack for making life miserable on offenses. If only the teams around them weren’t so sad.

SPECIAL TEAMS

KICKER: Cade York (WAS, CIN)

After a disastrous Week 1, York found himself jobless for a few months until the Bengals needed help. In five games in Cincinnati, he went 9/11 on field goals, 14/15 on extra points, made a franchise-record 59-yarder and most importantly, the 4-8 Bengals won 5-0 with him in uniform. All I’m saying is that when Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Cade York are on a team together, they are 20-0.

LONG SNAPPER: Reid Ferguson (BUF)

I really wanted them in the Super Bowl, man.

PUNTER; somebody please sign Brad Wing again

KICK RETURNER: Trey Palmer (TB)

One return for 14 yards. Surely we have a real punt returner, right?

PUNT RETURNER: Trey Palmer (TB)

17 returns for for 136 yards, which is an average of 8 yards per return. Thank you for keeping us from the shutout, Trey!

For our last two categories, we have NFLSU Game of the Year and NFLSU Play of the Year. While I would normally split them up, the Play of the Year happened in the Game of the Year. Go figure! So without further ado…

2024 NFLSU Game of the Year: Week 3 – Commanders 38 at Bengals 33

Wow, who could have guessed that a Monday Night game between LSU’s only two Heisman-winning QBs that featured over 70 total points and was the first game since 1940 with no turnovers or punts would be the best NFLSU game of the season?

Joe Burrow was electric, going 29/38 for 324 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs.

It’s easy to forget after the 2024 he went on to have, but Ja’Marr Chase’s first two games of the season were nothing special. The numbers were middle of the road and an emotional Week 2 outburst may have swung a potential upset win at Kansas City. That’s why it was even more of a delight to see him torch the Washington defense for 118 yards and 2 TDs on 6 catches.

But the Bengals fireworks were still mostly expected. As excited as I was for this game, I was afraid the prime time environment would be difficult for Jayden Daniels to manage. Shame on me for doubting him for one second.

Besides a kneeldown to end the first half, the Commanders scored on every offensive possession. Daniels ran an offensive masterclass, consistently converting third and fourth downs with his signature ease. He was a hilariously efficient 21/23 for 254 yards, the first two TD passes of his career while adding 39 yards and a TD on the ground.

Despite scoring on every drive, the Bengals were right on their heels. Facing a 3rd and 7, settling for a field goal would give Cincy the opportunity to tie the game and force OT. The way their offense was playing, that was essentially a given, unlike the Commanders actually making the long field goal. It was at this moment Jayden put the entire league on notice. Which is why this is the…

2024 NFLSU Play of the Year: Jayden Daniels 27-yard TD pass to Terry McLaurin

NFL fans will always talk about the Hail Mary against the Bears (I support the Hail Maryland nickname) or the road upsets in the playoffs when discussing Jayden Daniels’ magical rookie season. That’s valid because those were all awesome, but this touchdown was something else. With a free blitzer running full sprint at him, Jayden launches a missile with deadly accuracy that lands right in Scary Terry’s hands. Every time I watch it I still expect the ball to flutter and come up short. It never does. The number of QBs I’ve seen make this throw can be counted on one hand. It might just be him.

From this moment on I never doubted Jayden again. No game was unwinnable, no situation was too much pressure. No rookie quarterback was, or ever has been, this good this fast. Jayden Daniels is a star. That’s what we will always remember from the 2024 NFLSU season.

See y’all in September.