Welcome back, Tiger fans! With the season only 4 days away I’ve completely checked out of work and anything else productive until Sunday. This will be my last post before my Game 1 preview on Friday. Conveniently enough, Coach Orgeron had his first game week press conference of the year yesterday AND released a depth chart. I found it interesting that Coach O expressed a lot of confidence in true freshman cornerback Cordale Flott, from Saraland, AL. The depth chart reflected his confidence in listing Flott as All-American Kristian Fulton’s immediate backup. Maybe the former 3 star recruit is another case of LSU effectively evaluating talent, ignoring rankings, and stealing a diamond in the rough out of Alabama. Maybe beyond the starting CB’s he’s the best we’ve got out of a group that needs experience (more on this later), and Coach O is trying to build his confidence. Time will tell. I also noticed that DE Glen Logan was listed as a starter and returning starter Breiden Fehoko was not. I’m not reading too much into this as I’m sure both of them will get their share of snaps, but it does say how the staff feels about Logan’s off season. This bodes well for the defensive line.

In my first post I told you all the reasons LSU will be better, but like every other team, there are flaws. For every sunshine pumper there is a negatiger (shout out TigerDroppings), and both will be right at times. Now I’ll address my concerns for the team.

Cornerback

Believe me, I’m not crazy. I realize we have All American Kristian Fulton at one corner and freshman phenom Derek Stingley at the other. I know this is DBU. I also know that no team will go the whole season with both starting corners on the field for every snap. Be it injuries or suspensions, at some point someone will have to step up at one of these positions. Nobody seemed to care when sophomore Kelvin Joseph entered the transfer portal (twice), but Joseph played well as a true freshman last year. He was effective against the run, and good but not great in coverage. He hadn’t attained the comfort level to take his eyes off the WR and find the ball, but he was in position to do so more times than not. His departure leaves 3 true freshmen as backups, Raydarious Jones (6’1″ 161), Jay Ward (6’2″ 167), and the aforementioned Cordale Flottt. Flott’s slim 6’2″, 160 lb frame reminds me of Greedy Williams his freshman year; the difference is Williams was able to redshirt. This team won’t have that luxury. The typical, physical SEC X or Z (outside) WR’s have the strength to create separation as well as the speed and quickness. This puts the freshmen at a significant disadvantage. Let’s just hope neither starter goes down for an extended period of time.

Offensive Line

The offensive line was bad for a variety of reasons last year, starting with lingering injuries to left tackle Saahdiq Charles. Budding star guard Ed Ingram was dismissed and right tackle Austin Deculus struggled. However, the line did get better as the year went on. Lloyd Cushenberry was unquestionably the most consistent lineman, and juco transfer Damien Lewis stood out at guard. It’s reasonable to assume Deculus and backup Badore Traore will be better with experience, and a healthy Charles can return to his freshman form. Obviously, this is not a given. At the very least, the interior of the line is proven this year.

The New Offense’s Impact on the LSU Defense

I expect the uptempo spread offense to present problems for opposing defenses, but LSU also has to consider how it affects their own defense. No offense operates at its full potential 100% of the time. When ineffective, an uptempo offense can mean quick 3 and outs which wears your defense down. When you see defensive linemen with their hands on their hips, bet the over. That defense is in trouble. Of course Offensive Coordinator Steve Ensminger and Passing Game Coordinator Joe Brady (the real OC with a different title) can adjust their tempo when needed. I’ll be watching closely to see how they react when the offense isn’t at its best.

I have other concerns, such as kickers and dropped passes, but that’s already enough negativity in my life for one entry. As the year progresses I’ll provide game previews and recaps, interviews with LSU legends, coverage of other Louisiana college teams, and Saints talk. Come back Friday for the game 1 Georgia Southern preview.