LSU 2024 Season Primer

Erik Trosclair • August 30, 2024

Let's get into it!

The LSU 2024 Football Season is upon us! Let's meet the Tigers!



Quarterbacks


#13 Garrett Nussmeier - It is his time to shine. This is his 4th season with the Tigers, but his first time entering the season as a starter. Nussmeier has made 18 appearances for the Tigers. He is a tough quarterback who will let it fly. He is surrounded by weapons, and if he can build off of his ReliaQuest bowl game performance, the Tiger offense is in good hands. 11th best Heisman odds (DraftKings), Maxwell Award Watch List, and Unitas Golden Arm Watch List.


#15 AJ Swann - The Vanderbilt transfer has over 20 TDs with over 2700 passing yards. He is an quality backup with SEC experience.


#10 Rickie Collins - The former 4-star had an excellent offseason and turned a lot of heads at camp.


#16 Colin Hurley - Colin walked on to LSU's campus as a 16 year old. He made his varsity high school debut in 8th grade. He gained praise from Coach Kelly in fall camp.


Running Backs - Experience, Depth, Quality


#18 Josh Williams - A 6th year senior who carries everything you want in someone wearing number 18. He has over 1000 career rushing yards. He will play a lot of big downs for the Tigers.


#22 John Emery Jr. - Another 6th year senior who made real contributions on the 2019 national championship team. It is hard not to be a fan of this guy. He has battled lots of adversity. He opted to stay with the Tigers after briefly committing to UCLA. He had positive camp reviews from Coach Kelly and Coach Frank Wilson. He provides big play ability.


#28 Kaleb Jackson - I am really looking forward to seeing Kaleb play this season. He is an old school running back who can run through the defender or can shake you out of your shoes. He packed on some muscle in the offseason. He is an every down threat.


#29 Caden Durham - The former 4-star is a really exciting prospect with a bright future.


Tight Ends - LSU's new tight end coach, Slade Nagle has a truly stacked room.


#86 Mason Taylor - Mason was named to the Preseason 3rd-team All-SEC team. He will play a massive role in this offense. Coming off to back to back 30+ catch seasons, the third year starter is a top tight end in the nation. Named to the Mackey Award watch list.


#88 Ka'Morreum Pimpton - The true sophomore will play a big role as a red zone/down the seam threat. It will be interesting to see how they utilitize the 6'6" tight end.


#14 Trey'Dez Green - The 6'7" freshman turned heads in camp this year with his big play ability. It will be tough to keep him off of the field.


#45 GiVanni Peterson - The former walk on will get some playing time this season.


Offensive Line - This is an exciting group with four returning starters. This group averages 6'5 1/2" and 321.4 lbs.


#66/#7 Will Campbell - Will was named to the Preseason 1st Team All-SEC team. The 6'6'' junior was named to the Lombardi Award watch list, the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, and the Outland Trophy watch list. Campbell will more than likely be a top 10 selection in the next NFL draft.


#50 Emery Jones Jr. - Emery was named to the Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC team. The 6'6'' tackle has true top 10 draft pick potential. He was named to the Outland Trophy watch list and the Lombardi Award watch list.


#72 Garrett Dellinger - The versatile senior can start anywhere on the offensive line. He played a whopping 797 snaps last season.


#70 Miles Frazier - The former Freshman All-American has played a ton of football in his college career. This is a three year starter on the Tiger offensive line.


#79 DJ Chester - The lone first year starter on the Tiger offensive line. He did see some meaningful action last season in SEC play. The 6'6'' Redshirt Freshman has made quite the impression on the coaching staff.


Wide Receivers - In my opinion, this is the most exciting position group on this team. This is an extremely deep room full of PLAYMAKERS!


#2 Kyren Lacy - The 5th year senior was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. This season is massive for Kyren. He had a great offseason. He made a lot of big plays at camp. He is on the Maxwell Award watch list.


#3 Chris Hilton Jr. - The redshirt junior can absolutely fly! He has big play ability. He had a great fall camp. He is a little dinged up coming into the season.


#4 CJ Daniels - The explosive transfer was named 2nd Team All-Conference USA in 2023. He is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list. CJ can take the top off of the defense.


#12 Kyle Parker - The 5'11'' redshirt freshman is the next man up in the receiving room. He will play big snaps for the Tigers this season.


#1 Aaron Anderson - He can take one to the house from anywhere on the field.


#0 Zavion Thomas - The Mississippi State transfer had some big games last season for the Bulldogs. He provides big playmaking ability.


#6 Shelton Sampson Jr., #17 Jelani Watkins, #82 Kylan Billiot - These are all younger guys who will provide excellent depth for the receiver room, but don't let that fool you; these guys have big play ability.


Defense - I'll always say one of the biggest what ifs in LSU history is what if the 2023 LSU was "middle of the road." New defensive coordinator Blake Baker has quite the job on his hands, but he is the right guy for the job. This guy wears cleats to practice and is very hands on. He seems to have made a big impression on players so far.


Defensive Line - New defensive line coach Bo Davis will be a key to LSU's success for years to come.


Interior Defensive Line


#90 Jacobian Guillory - Guillory is one of the most experienced Tigers on the roster. He has a chip on his shoulder coming into the season. It is his time to shine.


#99 Gio Paez - The Wisconsin transfer flew up the depth chart for the Tigers. He is extremely experienced.


#93 Jalen Lee - The former Florida Gator will be providing quality depth and may even start on the interior of the defensive line.


#56 Kimo Makane'ole - The redshirt junior made the switch from the offensive line to the defensive line over the offseason. It was said he made some serious progress in camp.


#96 Dominick McKinley - At 6'6'' 315 the freshman will be hard to keep off of the field this season. He had positive camp reports.


#95 Shone Washington - The former Georgia Bulldog comes to LSU from the JUCO ranks. He will provide quality depth along the defensive line.


#31 Jay'Vair Suggs - Suggs is someone I am very interested in watching because of one comment Coach Kelly made. Coach Kelly said he is a "natural pass rusher." The Grand Valley State transfer has a lot of experience. He is a perfect example of the saying, "If you are talented, they will find you."


#93 Ahmad Breaux - Coach Kelly has said Breaux has earned snaps in the opener. Over the offseason, it was said Breaux was one of a handful of Tigers who opted to stay on campus working out rather than return home. This is huge for the freshman!


Defensive End/JACK


#35 Sai'vion Jones - The 6'6'' senior is very experienced. It is his time to shine. Jones had a great fall camp. He is one Tiger I am excited to watch.


#13 Bradyn Swinson - The former Oregon Duck is entering his second season with the Tigers. Swinson has a ton of potential to become a force coming off the edge.


#0 Paris "Agent 0" Shand - Paris is in for a big season. Although he may not start, he will provide excellent depth for the Tigers this season.


#15 Da'Shawn Womack - Womack is stepping into a big role this season. He had a great fall camp. When asked about Womack, Coach Kelly said, "I think Da'Shawn Womack is going to have a big year for us."


#19 Gabriel Reiford - Reiford had an excellent fall camp. He will fit squarely into the rotation at defensive end.


#97 Dylan Carpenter - The 6'4'' redshirt freshman will provide depth at the defensive end position.


Linebackers


#18 Greg Penn III - Penn is stepping into a massive role on this team. The newest member of the #18 club is ready for the challenge, as he said, "This whole team has a chip on its shoulder."


#33 West Weeks - The older Weeks brother is a ballhawk. He is a true playmaker who is always in the action. He is in for a big season.


#40 Whit Weeks - The younger Weeks brother had a huge fall camp. He didn't miss a step from his freshman season. I am excited to watch this guy play.


#7 Harold Perkins Jr. - The newest member of the #7 club has a massive season loading. He was named to the Preseason 1st Team All-SEC Team. Perkins was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, Walter Camp Award watch list, Bednarik Award watch list, and the Lombardi Award watch list. The defense will go as Harold Perkins Jr. goes.


STAR Position - The STAR position is a safety/linebacker hybrid in Blake Baker's defense.


#8 Major Burns - Burns was named to the Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC Team. Stepping into the STAR position allows new opportunities for Burns. He made a lot of plays in camp.


#23 Kylin Jackson - It will be impossible to keep this guy off the field. He will see time at safety as well. He made a ton of plays during fall camp. He is a playmaker!


#24 Ju'Juan Johnson - The true freshman mixed in with the 2nd team defense at the STAR position over fall camp. He will be a big part of this defense for years.


Cornerback


#1 Ashton Stamps - Stamps put on some muscle over the offseason. He had a massive camp. I am excited to watch him perform.


#12 JK Johnson - After missing the 2023 season from an injury, JK will play a massive role at the cornerback position. The former Ohio State Buckeye has a ton of potential.


#11 PJ Woodland - Coach Kelly said PJ has "earned" snaps in the opener. The freshman had a huge camp. He has an eye for the football.


#14 Zy Alexander - Although Zy is coming off of a late season ending knee injury, he is not on the injury report. It will be interesting to see how much he plays. He had an impressive camp.


#17 Jyaire Brown - The Ohio State transfer mixed in with the first and second team defense, and you will see him all around the defensive backfield.


#25 Javien Toviano - Toviano will play a big rotational role in this defense. He showed a lot of promise last season.


#3 Sage Ryan - Sage is one of the most versatile and experienced Tigers on the roster. Sage may move around the entire defensive backfield. I am excited to see Sage this season.


Safety


#6 Jordan Allen - The redshirt sophomore will burst onto the scene this season. Allen has a ton of potential. He had an excellent camp.


#10 Dashawn Spears - The freshman is a true playmaker. It will be hard to keep him off the field. He turned a lot of heads in fall camp. Coach Kelly mentioned his name when speaking about freshman who have "earned" snaps against USC.


#2 Jardin Gilbert - The Texas A&M transfer will more than likely start opposite of Jordan Allen. This playmaking safety will play a massive role on this defense.


Special Teams - This has been Coach Kelly's weakness during his time at LSU. It is crazy to me why LSU does not have a special teams coordinator.


Kickoff Specialist


#31 Nathan Dibert - Dibert tore his ACL late in the season, but he did participate in fall camp. It would be nice to get him back so quickly.


Kicker


#34 Damian Ramos - Damian is about as steady as they come. I am not worried at all about the kicker position. Ramos made several 50+ yard field goals during fall camp.


Punter - Here are where my worries lie.


#38 Peyton Tood - This was Todd's position, but he cannot find the consistency Coach Kelly would like to see. If you need a booming punt, Peyton is your guy.


#99 Blake Ochsendorf - The Louisiana Tech transfer was 1st Team All Conference USA last season. Coach Kelly has commented about his lack of consistency as well. If you need to pin someone, Blake is your guy. Coach Kelly said the Tigers will use both punters.


Long/Deep Snapper


#44 Slade Roy - Roy was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. Roy was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award watch list as well. He is one of the top players at his position in the nation. He has made some big tackles in his LSU career.


Return Specialist


#0 Zavion Thomas - Thomas was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. The Mississippi State transfer was a Freshman All-American punt returner in 2022. Zavion can flip the field in a hurry. He is a true "X-Factor" in my opinion. If he can provide you with good field position periodically, that is a massive leg up.


GEAUX TIGERS!


Thank you for checking out my article.


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By Greyson Jenkins January 4, 2026
New Orleans Saints 17 - 19 Atlanta Falcons The Saints' season is officially over. As sad as it is to say that, this season ended on a much more positive note than I expected, and has me actually looking forward to the offseason, not dreading it. The defense finished on a positive note, Tyler Shough is definitely the guy for at least the next few seasons, and Kellen Moore improved over the second half of the year. If the season finished how we expected prior to Shough saving the team, this offseason would be much more bleak in appearance. This is supposed to be a week 18 recap, but why recap a game no one really had any expectations for or cared about? No one, not even us Saints fans or analysts, really expected Shough to be able to do much with this offensive group, and he couldn’t really. Sure, he made a few really good plays, but you could tell Kellen Moore was struggling to find plays that he felt confident running with the receivers, and I don’t view that as a negative, just a bad scenario for everyone. Because of this, I am not going to write this really as a week 18 recap, but more as a short preview of this offseason. Chase Young Chase Young has made it clear that he is the best young player on this Saints team. Maybe you could swap him out with Chris Olave, but I struggle to overlook his incredible performances and constant clutch play in big moments to close out the year. He finished this game with one and a half sacks and three tackles for losses, but should have even had one more sack and a forced fumble on his stat sheet. Mickey Loomis seemingly has gotten away with the deal of a lifetime, sorry Loomis haters, by signing Young to a three-year deal for only $17 million per year on average. That is more than $10 million less than what the top 10 defensive end salaries are on a per-year basis, and Young has 10 sacks in 12 games played. While watching this one, I texted my buddies and said that Young is a top 10 EDGE in the league at this point, but they disagree. Although he may not be right now, Chase Young is quickly improving and becoming what everyone expected him to be when he came into the league. If he continues down this path, it would be extremely reasonable for him to try and get a pay raise after next season. Going into this offseason, the Saints must add at least one other piece to the defensive end rotation, so teams are forced to take their focus off of Young and open up the opportunity for even more plays by him. Tyler Shough Tyler Shough did not by any means have a perfect game; he finished 23 of 39 for 259 yards and a touchdown and an interception. However, as I said earlier, I don’t think anyone expected him to with the weapons at his disposal. He led the team down the field multiple times, and a Charlie Smyth missed field goal, and Dante Pettis offensive pass interference made this game appear worse offensively than it was. He made some throws and plays out of scheme that once again added to the current mindset that he is the team’s future, so I am not worried about the interception that came late in the fourth quarter on the tenth or so double slant pattern of the game. However, I will say that Shough’s ability to make things work at times with this battered of a weapon room is impressive in itself, and means that if the team decides to go and get him weapons in the draft or free agency, he can be even more successful. I’d really like the Saints to leave the draft with one of the following: Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, or Elijah Sarratt. If they do that, I think this offense alongside Shough would be extremely fun to watch next season. The Defense The Saints' defense finished the season without allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown since Week 11 against the Falcons. Yes, week 11. Although I felt the defense started off pretty rough, the second half of the season was a true testament to Brandon Staley’s abilities as a defensive coordinator. The Saints' defense improved this season in both total scoring and yardage allowed in comparison to last season, at 17th and 9th, respectively, before this game. They played another great game here with what should have been two turnovers if it weren’t for a bad call by the refs on the Chase Young strip-sack. Quincy Riley and Jonas Sanker both have been massive additions to this side of the ball, and Danny Stutsman appears to have the potential to be good whenever Werner or Davis leave. If the Saints decide to run it back with this same defense and bring back the vets, it would not be the worst thing in the world, but I would still like to see them bring in more young talent. Closing Time This season was my first writing for the team, and I really enjoyed recapping all of the highs and lows of the season and trying to let you guys know exactly how I felt about the team week in, week out. As much as I hate this team missing the playoffs and the season ending today, I’m happy I had this opportunity and look forward to doing the same next season. I may write a few offseason articles, but if not, I will definitely have a few Saints-focused episodes on my YouTube channel, Jenks Island. Until next time, Who Dat!! Offensive MVP: Tyler Shough Defensive MVP: Chase Young Special Teams MVP: NONE (Please fire Phil Galiano)
By Caleb Yaccarino January 3, 2026
The final game of the season is here!
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