Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; LSU head coach Brian Kelly speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers came in at No. 12 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll entering the 2024 season, and that seems to be the general consensus opinion of where this team stacks up.
On3 released its preseason rankings on Saturday, and while Jesse Simonton is not quite as high on LSU entering Year 3 under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] as the coaches were, he still has it in the top 15 entering the year, coming in at the No. 15 spot.
The Tigers have a lot to replace, but they’ve also made what they hope will be upgrades to the staff, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Here’s what Simonton said about their outlook.
The Tigers are in a curious spot entering Brian Kelly’s third season in Baton Rouge. The exceeded expectations in 2022, making the SEC Championship, only to be letdown by a porous defense and wasting a Heisman Trophy season from quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2023. They’ve suffered significant departures to the NFL, and yet, the program’s ceiling is still high will all the blue-chip talent remaining. Kelly significantly upgraded LSU’s defensive staff (Blake Baker, Bo Davis), but is the personnel good enough to overcome a likely drop-off offensively?
ONE THING TO KNOW: Could CJ Daniels be LSU’s next receiver star? The Louisiana native returns home after shining at Liberty the last few seasons. Daniels slides into Brian Thomas’ spot after finishing No. 2 in C-USA in touchdowns (10) and yards (1,067).
As Simonton mentions, at least some dropoff is likely to be expected on offense this fall after the team saw three skill position players drafted in the first round after last fall, including Heisman-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag].
But if…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lsu-cracks-top-15-on3s-192445729.html
Author : LSU Tigers Wire
Publish date : 2024-08-10 19:24:45
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