LSU defensive backs show out, Emery Jones returns and more!
It has been an eventful last two practices for LSU football as some of the top recruits came to pay a visit and some players stepped up in a big way.
LSU let the media watch the practice in its entirety for the first time this spring on March 23 and there were no disappointments throughout the whole practice. They also allowed the media to watch the first 20 minutes of practice.
The defense looked impressive from the beginning to the end as it seemed like a cohesive unit that knew exactly what was going on. The defense also showed flashes of what LSU’s defense used to be like: physical, intense and lots of trash talk.
Here are some observations from the last two practices.
Offense
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was the quarterback of the first team. Although he had a lot of good moments, he threw three interceptions. However, those had a lot to do with the strong wind and the fact that the defense started to pick up on the offensive side of the ball as we got into the fourth week of spring camp. It also should be noted that the coaching staff and his teammates have seen Nussmeier take a huge step forward in his approach and demeanor.
Rickie Collins and Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann continue to battle it out for the backup spot behind Nussmeier. It is expected that Swann will beat out Collins for the backup role due to his experience as a starting quarterback at Vanderbilt.
Kyren Lacy, Chris Hilton and Aaron Anderson were the first-team receivers on Saturday and Tuesday. Redshirt freshman Kyle Parker is battling Anderson for the WR3 and is currently the No.4 on the depth chart. Parker has been very impressive so far this spring.
Along with Parker, Liberty transfer CJ Daniels and Mississippi State transfer Zavion Thomas make up the second-team group of receivers.
Lacy made the play of the day when he jumped over safety Jardin Gilbert on a deep ball to an out-of-world snag. Not only did he make the catch, he bounced off of Gilbert and ran into the end zone for the score.
Starting right tackle Emery Jones returned on Tuesday and he was a full-go. In Jones’ absence, Tyree Adams and Bo Bordelon were getting first-team reps on the offensive line Saturday. Because of the reps he took in Jones’ absence, offensive line coach Brad Davis liked Adams as the backup tackle. Will Campbell, Garrett Dellinger, Miles Frazier, and DJ Chester at center continue to make up the starting five.
Defense
On the defensive line, Jacobian Guillory, Jalen Lee and Savion Jones have been getting most of the starting reps on the inside as expected because of the lack of depth on the interior. On the edge, Bradyn Swinson and Da’Shawn Womack have been getting a good amount of reps at the JACK position.
Preston Hickey, Shone Washington, Dashawn Womack and true freshman De’Myrion Jonson are a part of the second-team defensive line.
At linebacker, All-American Harold Perkins and Greg Penn have been the two starters. The Weeks brothers, West and Whit, have been getting a good share of the reps as well.
The secondary looked very impressive on Saturday as they were in complete lockdown mode. They looked fast, played with physicality and there were all kinds of trash talk.
The best performance from Saturday’s open practice was veteran safety Sage Ryan. Ryan was a ball magnet during practice as he intercepted Garrett Nussmeier three times including a pick-six. Ryan is one of the veterans with experience returning to the secondary and he showed his anticipation plenty of times during the practice. So far through four practices, the media has seen him get starting reps at both safety and nickel. LSU head coach Brian Kelly is a key piece to this defense because of his experience and versatility.
“Sage has got speed, athleticism, and obviously, that is a position that we needed some depth and he provided us that experience we were lacking at that position,” Kelly said.
Another big-time winner was true freshman Dashawn McBryde. The Denham Springs native went up against multiple receivers. Due to his wingspan and unique size, opposing wide receivers and tight ends had a tough time trying to get any leverage over McBryde.
From the last two practices, Ashton Stamps and Javien Toviano have been getting first-team reps at cornerback while Ohio State transfer Jyaire Brown, freshman PJ Woodland, Jeremiah Hughes, and JK Johnson have been getting a lot of repetitions with cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond.
Starting cornerback Zy Alexander was present at the last two practices but he was doing rehab off to the side. However, Alexander is ahead of schedule and should be back for summer workouts.
While Texas A&M Jardin Gilbert has been getting most of the first team reps at safety, Ryan and Major Burns have been rotating at the STAR position. Burns, who has been mostly played further away from the line of scrimmage as a free safety, will be more of a rover going into this season.
“The star gives us a lot more versatility within your defensive structure,” Kelly said. It is a guy that can cover, a guy that can blitz, a guy that can play zone coverage, a really good tackler that is athletic in space, but also somebody that is rugged enough to handle himself at the line of scrimmage against a tight end. We felt that Major really fit that mold in terms of the star. He is closer to the football and he has those skills that we are looking for.”