Saints Roster Preview: Position Groups Rankings

Jamie UK • September 3, 2023

Ranking The Saints Position Groups Entering The 2023 Season

Now the initial 53-man roster is set (for now) and the practice squad has been compiled. This felt like a good time to see where the team is at not just looking at the starters but also the depth behind them. Injuries are of course going to happen with certain groups more at risk of those. Looking at both the active roster and the practice squad to see where the Saints are strong and where they should still look to add.

These rankings will be based on previous performance and some projection of how I think those players will perform this year.

Note- I will be leaving suspended players on my lists as this is more of a projection for the year rather than just for week 1 etc.

1- Running Back

Active roster- Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, Kirk Merritt, and Adam Prentice.

Practice squad- Tony Jones Jr. and Jordan Mims

Taking the top spot for me is RB, which is quite something considering if I had done this exercise before free agency I'd have probably ranked RB if not last very close to it. The Saints have done a good job of adding to the room behind Alvin Kamara. Williams should be the lead back whilst Kamara is suspended and although he’s billed as more of a power back Williams can still be practical catching passes and crucially is a really good pass blocker.

All of RBs the registered a pass-blocking snap last season. Jamaal Williams ranked:

Tied for 13th in pass blocking snaps with 58.

Of the 24 RBs with over 50 pass-blocking snaps, Williams graded out 5th best in PFF’s pass-blocking score and allowed the joint fewest number of pressures with 2 (1 sack and 1 hurry).

Being a good pass blocker is crucial in the Saints offense and was part of the reason we saw Alvin Kamara taken off the field at times on third down last year.

The nagging injuries that Kendre Miller has sustained throughout the off-season gives me pause but I’m trying to not let my pessimism get the better of me after Miller has looked so explosive when he has been on the field this off-season.

I’ve also included FB Adam Prentice in the RB room and he’s worth mentioning due to his excellent run blocking. I think he’s going to be more of a factor in the passing game this year too. Also, I haven’t included him in the list but Taysom Hill does add to the depth of this group as he is expected to feature heavily again in the running game this year.

2-Safety

Active roster- Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Jordan Howden, J.T. Gray, Lonnie Johnson Jr and Ugo Amadi

Practice squad- Jonathan Abram

Coming up just behind is the Safeties, this is a little more of a projection than it is based on proven play. I think we see a drastic improvement from the starting pair of Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye. Both had disrupted off-seasons and Maye missed a lot of time last year due to injury. This year both have played every possible snap in camp apart from vet rest days. I’m banking on this extended play time together boosts their on-field chemistry and thus boosts their play, I think both Mathieu and Maye are going to greatly improve compared to last year and be real playmakers for the team. This theory is why I have this group as high as I do.

Behind them, the Saints have a lot of versatile players with upside. Particularly 5th round rookie Jordan Howden who has impressed coaches in camp, he’s played both safety spots in camp and he also has a tonne of experience covering the slot with 1257 snaps there in college, which shows he has the coverage skills required to be a good matchup player for the Saints to use in a range of different ways. The same logic applies to veteran safety/CB Ugo Amadi who may start in the slot for the Saints whilst Alontae Taylor gets up to speed or at the very least be the primary backup.

Versatility continues to be the theme of the day in the safety room with Lonnie Johnson Jr. who in his NFL career has played snaps at outside CB, Slot CB, and both safety spots. The group is rounded out by special teams ace J.T. Gray who has also shown improvements each year on defense and could be a solid enough starter if called upon. The depth is so strong at the position that the Saints have former first-round pick Jonathan Abrams on the practice squad.

3-Quarterback

Active roster- Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, and Jake Haener

This is a strange concept to put QB here as in theory we hope to never see the quality depth used to start any meaningful games, however, that doesn’t mean the depth doesn’t still exist. Of course, the hope is Carr continues his Iron Man-like career (he’s only missed 2 regular season games in his 9-year NFL career). If not, the Saints have one of the best backup options in the league, last year’s starting QB Jameis Winston.

Behind them, the Saints have 4th round rookie Jake Haener who had an up-and-down preseason but thoroughly impressed in training camp touch wood, Haener should never have to see the field (unless the Saints are resting starters after securing the number 1 seed in the NFC) but if that did have to happen I think Haener could be solid enough for the Saints to be able to survive a few games without their top 2 options here.

4- Tight End

Active roster- Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham and Taysom Hill

Similarly, to RB If I’d done this exercise prior to free agency I'd have put this group towards the bottom. However, behind future star TE Juwan Johnson (yes, I said star) they have added a solid group who can all contribute in different ways.

First, the Saints added Foster Moreau after the draft, who gives you the more traditional inline TE with solid blocking skills, he should feature heavily in 12 personnel this season. He is more than just a blocker though and should provide ample threat in the passing game to keep defenses guessing whilst he’s on the field, he’s shown great chemistry with QB Derek Carr from their time as teammates on the Raiders.

Then the Saints shocked the NFL by bringing back former standout TE Jimmy Graham. Graham should have a very specific role on this team tailored to his 6ft7 frame; contested catch situations, red zone, and obvious pass downs. All roles which he’s proven to still be more than effective at.

Finally, you have Taysom Hill who will still feature in the QB/RB rushing game, but the Saints have made it clear that they also want to feature him more as a pass catcher, which Taysom has shown promise at in the past. He’s also a solid blocker when called upon so should provide the Saints some play-call flexibility when he is on the field. My only slight concern with this group is they do feel a little light in the blocking department unless Johnson has continued to make big strides in this area as he did last year.

5- Wide Receiver

Active roster - Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood and A.T. Perry

Practice squad- Shaq Davis, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Jontre Kirklin

If you guarantee me 17 games of Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed then this group is probably number 1, however, you can’t guarantee that for any WR room in the league let alone a group where 2 of the top 3 have prevalent injury histories. I would also be more confident here if Thomas had been his dominant self throughout camp, but it has been a slow built-up for him, now Am I counting him out? God no, he’s one of the most competitive and hard-working players in the league.

Behind the top 3 is where I have my concerns, it’s already been reported that Tre’Quan isn’t going to be healthy for week 1 and has a proven track record of not being available. Keith Kirkwood has been excellent in camp but has struggled to produce when the lights get turned up in the regular season, Don’t forget he was on this team last year and didn’t produce much.

I'll lump off-season standouts A.T. Perry and Shaq Davis in the same category here, the ‘prove it’ category. Both hope to turn out to be excellent NFL WRs but we’ve seen too many before not replicate their off-season success in regular-season action (look no further than now former Saints WR Marquez Callaway). This group has true boom potential but there is a path here (I hope desperately this isn’t the case) where this group is surviving on star second-year WR Chris Olave in a similar way they had to last season. I’d certainly feel a lot better if they had one more proven player here i.e., a trade for Hunter Renfrow or alike.

6- Cornerback

Active roster- Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom

Practice Squad- Anthony Johnson

A group that plummeted because of one move, the release of Bradley Roby, it may seem extreme to rate a unit with a CB who on his day is the best in the league in Marshon Lattimore and 2 ascending young CBs in Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor this low because of the release of a 31-year-old slot CB but Roby was the perfect safety blanket for the depth of this group. He could be an above average/ average starter in the slot and on the outside.

Now the Saints are likely to start Alontae Taylor there who if you’re starting him on the outside, I have no concerns about but in the slot? This off-season gives you plenty to be concerned about with Taylor playing that role. He has 86 total snaps in the slot in his NFL and in college (including this preseason) and hasn’t looked the same caliber of player as he did when he played at an extremely high level outside his rookie season (2022).

The release of Roby also leaves your depth very thin, one injury on the outside likely means Taylor moves back outside or you are playing Amadi there who may turn out fine or could play like Justin Evans did in the slot last season (hint not well). Outside of the top three, you have Isaac Yiadom who made the team for his excellent special teams play. Not his play on defense, although he has shown improvement in that area I would not feel good if he was starting games at CB this season, and rookie UDFA Anthony Johnson who has impressed coaches and media this offseason in camp but is still an unproven player at this stage.

7- Defensive line

Active roster- Cam Jordan, Carl Granderson, Payton Turner, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Isiah Foskey, Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders and Malcolm Roach

Practice squad- Jack Heflin, Kyle Phillps, and Niko Lalos

This is the biggest boom or bust group for me, Cam Jordan is entering his 13th NFL season and his now 34, Yes, he still averaging 10.5 sacks over his last 2 seasons but there is evidence that he needs a lot more help to achieve that now than he did in his prime years. If you told me by the end of this year this was the best d-line the Saints have had in several years I wouldn’t be surprised, if you told me they struggled and could not generate consistent pressure I also wouldn’t be surprised.

Although I’m very encouraged by the off-seasons Carl Granderson and Payton Turner have had I can’t comfortably say it is definitely going to translate to regular-season dominance, I’m in wait-and-see mode with both players. I’m higher on Tanoh Kpassagnon than most (I actually predicted he would be a breakout player this time last year) and given the suitable usage (more rushes from the interior) I think he could be a plus starter for this team but again, I can’t bank on a player who since joining the Saints has 6 sacks in 23 games. I’m expecting nearly nothing from second-round pick Isiah Foskey at this stage and I'd expect him to be a healthy inactive a fair amount this year whilst he adjusts to the NFL game.

The defensive interior is the part of the D-line that I’m most confident about I think Khalen Saunders will be a force in the run game and Bryan Bresee will be a real force in his rookie season, especially as a pass rusher. With Malcolm Roach (who Cam Jordan called the best interior D-lineman in Saints camp) and Nathan Shepherd providing a really strong rotation. I’m even quite high on practice squad DT Jack Heflin, I think he would be a solid player to add to the rotation if injuries were to strike. This was the group I found the hardest to place and the ranking I may be the most wrong on come the end of the season and I hope that’s the case.

8- Linebacker

Active roster- Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Zack Baun, D'Marco Jackson and Nephi Sewell

Practice Squad- Jaylon Smith and Anfernee Orji

Despite being 8th I’m not that concerned about this group and that’s because of the Jaylon Smith signing, I’ll admit I wasn’t that high on the signing when it happened, but Smith impressed me with his range and coverage skills in the preseason and impressed Saints media constantly in camp. The reason this signing alleviates my concerns for this group is now the Saints have an answer to the at both MIKE and WILL LB should there be an injury to Demario Davis or Pete Werner (with the latter’s injury history that’s important)

The depth behind those three isn’t necessarily bad but unproven, both Jackson and Sewell had a chance to grab the primary backup LB spot with both hands and not let go and neither did hence the signing of Smith, with both now expected to be much bigger factors on special teams than on defense.

Finally, that leaves me with Zack Baun, could Baun succeed as a pass rusher from the LB spot absolutely in fact this is of course (as a converted college DE) his best trait but his switch to off-ball LB still hasn’t progressed in a crucial area his coverage skills, which in my opinion still drastically limits his effectiveness.

9- Offensive line

Active roster- Trevor Penning, James Hurst, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Ryan Ramczyk, Andrus Peat, Nick Saldiveri, Landon Young and Max Garcia

Practice Squad- Mark Evans III, Tommy Kraemer and Storm Norton

This was the group in which health played the biggest factor. Trevor Penning and Cesar Ruiz are both coming off season-ending foot injuries that required surgery, both have participated fully in training camp (baring one day for Penning) but it is still a concern and Penning is still very raw we know he’s going to be excellent as a run blocker but he is still raw in pass protection (has made strides here this off-season).

Ramczyk has a knee injury that media have reported he will have to play through for the rest of his career, so health is always a question mark for him, and he has not looked like the player who was on a hall-of-fame trajectory before suffering that knee injury in 2021.

That leaves new starting LG James Hurst and Erik McCoy. McCoy is a top Center in the league, and someone to have little concern about. Hurst was the team’s starter at LT last season and has now taken the starting job LG spot from incumbent starter Andrus Peat. He’s reliable and the player I’m least concerned with being available based on his injury history, however, he is the weakest link on the line, especially from an athletic perspective a trait that the Saints value for their screen and run games.

Behind them, the depth is shaky (as it is pretty much around the whole league) but because of the injuries that have plagued this team on the O-line the last 2 years that depth is more prevalent to be looking at. Andrus Peat has had one of his worst off-seasons as a Saint and that’s saying something! Landon Young has struggled in limited game action since the Saints drafted him in the 6th round in 2021 and despite that, the team seemed to have high hopes for him this year but that has been de-railed a bit after missing the last several weeks with an MCL injury. The team also has high hopes for 4th round rookie Nick Saldiveri, his play in the preseason was mixed so I don’t think we can expect too much from him this year after making the lofty transition from Old Dominion to the NFL. If possible, this is a group that the Saints could do with adding to but so could the rest of the NFL.

That was a much harder exercise to do than I anticipated and I expect a lot of Saints fans would see this list differently so let me know your thoughts!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content and discussion throughout this season and beyond.

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Vanderbilt - 11, LSU - 3

By David Billiot Jr • March 15, 2026

The big question following LSU’s heartbreaking loss on Friday night was how they would respond. Game 1 was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with the Tigers scoring first, giving up the lead, Jake Brown crushing a homerun to retake the lead, then the pitching staff collapsing to fall behind 10-4, followed by 8 unanswered runs by LSU, only to be walked off in the 9th inning while being just an out of securing the dramatic comeback victory. Having that happen will test a team mentally under normal circumstances, but considering the timing, it was an even bigger challenge. It happened on the road, in the first game of SEC play, and on the heels of a pretty bad multi-week stretch for the Tigers. LSU was going to need a quick start on Saturday night to regain momentum, but Vanderbilt beat them to it by scoring first while Wyatt Nadeau carved up Jay Johnson’s lineup the first time through the order. The Tigers answered back to tie the game, but as Cooper Moore battled through the early innings, he was also playing with fire. He finally got burned in the 5th inning and things went downhill in a hurry for LSU. Before you knew it, they were down 10-1 and, again, in deep trouble. What was most concerning was Saturday’s results seemed to indicate that what we watched transpire on Friday had more to do with the Commodores choking, rather than the Tigers storming back on their own merit. LSU would go down quietly this time, dropping their first series of conference play. Pitching Cooper Moore entered Saturday coming off of his worst start of the season thus far. It wasn’t bad last week, but it was a far cry from his first three. He looked good early against Vanderbilt, breezing 1-2-3 through the 1st inning. Despite getting in to early trouble in the 2nd, Moore battled out of a 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs situation by only allowing 1 run. That was a massive win in the moment. The leadoff hitter got on base in the 3rd, but, again, he fought through it and didn’t allow the baserunner past 2nd base. We saw more of the same in the 4th, as the inning started with an infield hit, a single, then the chopper that bounced high over Zach Yorke’s head and rolled down the 1st baseline to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 and, once again, put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. Moore struck out Ryker Waite, who came in to the series with a .560 on base percentage. Then, thanks to the magician that LSU has playing shortstop, a double play ended yet another big threat. Korbin Reynolds hit a laser right at Steven Milam, who was playing on the grass with the infield in. The ball go on to Milam so quickly, he had to fall backwards to catch it, but his impeccable reaction time somehow allowed him to snag the ball, fall to his butt, and toss it Trent Caraway at 3rd base. Unfortunately for Moore, the trouble would catch up to him in the 5th, though. A four pitch walk to the Commodores 9-hole hitter was the omen of bad things to come, as that was followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt attempt that no one fielded as they hoped it would roll foul, and then another single loaded the bases with 0 outs and Moore’s night was over. The first inning was the only inning that he was able to pitch from the windup, as the leadoff hitter was on base for the next four innings. Despite the talent of starting pitchers, that will forever be tough to overcome, especially against good teams. Final line: 4.0 IP / 7 hits / 5 runs / 4 Ks / 2 BBs / 79 pitches (48 strikes, 61%) Ethan Plog entered in an impossible situation and promptly got he ball he was hoping for. A high chopper ground ball made Yorke leave his feet, but he snagged it and fired home for the force out attempt. Unfortunately, the throw was poor and Omar Serna was unable to go down and get it, scoring a run and the bases remained loaded with no outs. Plog would then walk a hitter and give up a sacrifice fly, pushing Vanderbilt’s lead to 5-1. Chris Maldonado then stepped to the plate to pinch hit and blasted a 3 run homerun over Derek Curiel’s leaping attempt in dead center and the Commodores had blowing things open with 6 run 5th inning. Plog has been fantastic, but that’s where his first SEC appearance would come to an end. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 K / 2 BBs Freshman Zion Theophilus was called upon to try and finish off the disaster of an inning for LSU pitching and he did just that, recording a strikeout and a flyout to end the 5th. Back for the 6th, he recorded the leadoff hitter for the first time since the 1st inning, but was unable to record another out after that. He then issued 3 walks (1 intentional) and a hit by pitch and his day was done. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 3 BBs From one high promise freshman pitcher to another, Reagan Ricken entered with the bases loaded and 1 out. He did exactly what Jay Johnon called upon him to do, drawing a ground ball to record an out and striking out Waite looking to keep the damage from getting worse. Even though a run scored on the groundout, LSU pitchers have struggled to simply record outs in some of these tough spots, which allows things to get worse and worse, much like we saw in the 5th. Ricken returned for the 7th and despite allowing a solo homerun and 2 two out walks, was able to navigate through the entire inning and get out of trouble. Ricken continues to flash plenty of traits to very excited about as he grows as a Tiger. Final line: 1.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 2 BBs With LSU down 11-3 and the tensity of the moment being low, Jay Johnson inserted Marcos Paz for the 8th inning in a great spot to get his feet wet. As he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery, he’s flashed his talent that made him a possible draft risk, while also battling through rust. In his first SEC appearance, he looked fantastic. Despite a walk, Paz struck out the side, including Maldonado that hit the big homerun earlier. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB Hitting There isn’t a lot of offensive production to get to, so this will be quick. Steven Milam followed up his 3 hit performance on Friday with a 1-4 game, including a fantastic piece of opposite field hitting for a double. Derek Curiel, Cade Arrambide, and Omar Serna each had a single hit, to give you the 4 total LSU hits. Arrambide’s was a double and Serna’s was a 2 run single that brought his RBI total for the week up to 6. Jake Brown entered the game with only 9 strikeouts so far this season, but Nadeau’s stuff was so good, he was able to get LSU’s offensive MVP twice. Brown did draw 2 walks, finishing the night 0-2. Up Next LSU and Vanderbilt will wrap up SEC opening weekend tomorrow. First pitch will be at 3 pm central. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers as they look to avoid being swept on SEC opening weekend for the first time since 2006 when Arkansas took three in Alex Box during Smoke Laval’s final season. The Tigers have fallen to 13-7, which matches Vanderbilt’s record after back to back wins to start the series. The Commodores will send Nate Taylor to the mound on Sunday, who has started all four Sundays for them this season. Taylor has a record of 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA. His batting average against is the highest of any of the top Vanderbilt pitchers that LSU has seen so far at .242. Taylor has given up 12 runs in 18.1 innings of work, so the opportunities for the Tiger offense to get back on track could be there.

Vanderbilt - 13, LSU - 12

By David Billiot Jr • March 14, 2026

Gut-wrenching. There’s no other way to put it. LSU fought all the way back from a 10-4 deficit to have the game ripped from them at the very last second. They say that the 27th out in baseball is the hardest one to get and tonight, we saw why. If you told Jay Johnson that he could be in that situation with the tying run at 3rd base with 2 outs in the 9th inning and Gavin Guidry on the mound, I can guarantee you that he’d take that scenario 10 out of 10 times. In majority of those times, it would work in the Tiger’s favor, too. Not tonight. Sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other team for making the necessary plays and that’s what happened in the final inning on Friday night. Vanderbilt earned their victory. Not without some help from the LSU pitching staff early in the game, but when it mattered most, the Commadores stepped up. Although we learned a lot about the resilience of the Tigers in game 1 with their willingness to to fight back, we will learn even more about their ability to rebound from a tough loss. There were plenty of silver linings despite the L, which could be huge for the future success of this LSU team. Pitching Casan Evans had been on a steady upwards trajectory with his transition from ace bullpen piece to Friday night ace. That trend hit a brick wall tonight. Despite having a lead before stepping on to the mound, Evans was way off from his very first pitch. He walked 3 of the first 4 hitters of the game. Though he was able to strike out two, a two out 2-run single flipped the scoreboard to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 lead. The offense retook the lead, but the struggles remained as the LSU ace gave up another run in the 2nd on walk and a couple of singles. It was more of the same in the 3rd, as Evans continued to battle control problems, allowing another 2 runs on only 1 hit. The free passes were a haunting presence for his entire outing. Surprisingly, he returned for the 4th having already thrown 82 pitches. He’d finish with 83, though, as Braden Holcomb would blast a solo homerun to right center and that would be the end of the night for Casan Evans. Final line: 3.0 IP / 5 hits / 6 runs / 5 Ks / 5 BBs / 1 HBP / 83 pitches (46 strikes, 55%) The expectations for Cooper Williams were high coming in to his sophomore season, but he has failed to come even close to them, so far. That continued tonight when he relieved Casan Evans in the 4th inning. He entered with no one out in the inning, but failed to record an out. Williams walked the bases loaded and then started the next hitter with back to back balls and Jay had seen enough. Williams desperately needs to figure it out. Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 4 runs / 0 Ks / 4 BBs Jaden Noot inherited the 2-0 count from Williams and promptly allowed the walk with a few more pitches out of the zone. He followed with back to back outs to get close to being out of the inning, but another walk, then a 2 run single, followed by yet another walk would allow Vanderbilt to extend their lead to 10-4 and that would be all for Noot. Final line: .2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 2 BB Although it’s fairly subjective, it’s safe to say that Zac Cowan has been the most disappointing pitcher on LSU’s staff thus far in 2026. Considering how dominant he was for almost all of his 2025 season, the coaching staff had high hopes that they were bringing back a pitcher that could be trusted against anyone on the schedule. With the way some of Cowan’s outings had gone through the first four weeks of the season, he was borderline unable to be trusted against anyone. That changed Friday night. He was marvelous. Looking like the rock solid bullpen piece from a year ago, Cowan mowed through the Commadores lineup, allowing just one baserunner. One single was all that he allowed, while striking out 5 and throwing 73% strikes. As much credit as the offense deserves for fighting back in this game, Cowan deserves just as much for stabilizing things for the staff and allowing the bats to go to work. Final line: 3.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 5 Ks / 0 BBs Once the Tigers took the lead in the top of the 8th, Jay Johnson turned to Gavin Guidry. The argument could be heard that Cowan may have had more in the tank as he was rolling strong, but we’ve seen Guidry come in to close the final 6 outs of a ballgame before. It’s almost never the wrong move to put the game in his hands. At first, he was proving why. He went 3 up, 3 down in the 8th while striking out two hitters looking. But as I said in the beginning, sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opponent and admit that they beat you. In the 9th, Vanderbilt recorded back to back singles to start the inning. A passed ball then allowed both runners to advance, putting the tying run at 2nd base in a 12-10 ballgame. Guidry was able to record an out, although it was a sacrifice fly that drew the Commadores within a run and top hitter Braden Holcomb coming to the plate. Guidry painted a perfectly executed slider on the outside corner to freeze Holcomb for the second out of the inning, putting LSU just an out away from the comeback win. Unfortunately, an 0-1 slider to Logan Johnstone hung up just a little and the ball took flight in to right center to give Vanderbilt a walk off victory. Guidry just got beat. Plain and simple. Final line: 1.2 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs Hitting Moving up in to the leadoff role, Steven Milam acted like he belonged there. He recorded hits in his first three at bats, leading to a 3-6 day with 3 runs scored. Milam has been hitting the ball hard, severely lowering his strikeout rate from 2025. His lone strikeout tonight was only his 4th of the season, showing why concerns of his performance have been largely overblown. This spot for Jake Brown might as well be written in permanent marker at this point. He finds his way on to the top offensive performer list ever single game and he is year yet again. The 3 run homerun in the 2nd seemed like the perfect opportunity for Casan Evans to settle in and roll, but as we know, the offense would be relied upon for even more. Brown’s final line was 3-5 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk, the homerun, and also a double. His third hit came on a beautifully executed drag bunt in the 8th inning, helping get the rally together that eventually took the lead. Derek Curiel moved down to third in the order with Milam swapping to leadoff. Curiel has been LSU’s best hitter not named Jake Brown and he continued that on Friday. It doesn’t matter where he hits in the lineup, he’s going to just simply…hit. He finished 2-4, which included the 2 run double over the center fielder’s head to pull LSU within a run with a 10-9 deficit. He finished with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and also walked. Cade Arrambide has gone through the bumps on the road as he adjusts to being the primary starting catcher. Both offensively and defensively, LSU has needed him to be better. He was just that on Friday night. His defense was solid, blocking up multiple pitches in the dirt. His 2-4 line with 2 runs scored and a walk further boosted his bounce back game from a rough week or two. Seth Dardar didn’t get the start, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning for Brayden Simpson and delivered what I would say was the biggest swing of the night for the Tigers. With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 5th, Connor Fennell was very close from escaping without damage, but Dardar ripped a base-clearing double to drive in 3 runs and cut LSU’s deficit in half to 10-7. If he doesn’t come through in that moment, who knows how the rest of the night would have went for the Tigers. He finished 1-3 with that double and the 3 RBI. Zach Yorke entered the game with a 4 game hitting streak that started in game 1 against Sacramento St. That streak came to an end on Friday, but he did draw 3 walks, which led to a .600 on base percentage. Last, but certainly not least, is Chris Stanfield, who provided the much needed spark that the lineup had been missing in his absence. In that 9-hole spot in the bottom of the order, his ability to find his way on base is invaluable. He is, essentially, a second lead off hitter. His biggest value in that spot is to be a table setter for the table setters in the top of the lineup and that’s exactly what he did Friday in his first start since opening weekend. Stanfield was 2-4 with a couple of singles, while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Up Next LSU will be faced with the enormous task of bouncing back from that heart breaking loss to try and win the next two games and head back to Baton Rouge with an opening SEC weekend series win. The loss dropped the Tigers to 13-6. Cooper Moore (3-1) will take the mound on Saturday with the goal to go deeper in the game and compete to give his team the best chance to win. Vanderbilt improved to 12-7 on the season and will send Wyatt Nadeau to the mound on Saturday night. Nadeau has made 4 appearances thus far, with last Saturday being his only start. He is filling in for Austin Nye in the weekend rotation, who is injured. First pitch between LSU and Vanderbilt will be for 7 pm central on Saturday night.