It’s hard to believe that we’re only 39 days away from LSU football, and it can’t get here soon enough. Offseason news of name, image, and likeness profitability and the potential addition of Texas and Oklahoma have been met with mixed reviews amongst fans. One thing we can all agree on is nothing matches the excitement of the first kickoff of the year for your favorite team, especially when it comes against an out of conference Power 5 opponent. From 2019 to 2020 LSU went from one extreme to another with arguably the most impressive season in history to a .500 team that couldn’t get a defensive stop against the Prarieville Broncos. The good news is this team brings back a substantial amount of talent and new, motivated coordinators to help the product on the field reflect the yearly top 5 recruiting classes. Even with a championship, Coach Orgeron understands the expectations at LSU. At some point the program has to sustain its place among the elite regardless of assistant coach turnover. With that being said, what should we expect this year? Today I’ll delve into expectations on offense, one position group at a time.

Quarterbacks

I won’t waste time; everyone wants to know who’ll get the start, senior Myles Brennan, or sophomore Max Johnson. Brennan is the exception to the rule in the age of the transfer portal. He patiently waited his turn behind Joe Burrow, played well early in the season, then one bad decision against Missouri ended his season. Brennan has always had a strong arm, and has now bulked his 6’3″ frame up to 220 lbs. He’s not a threat to keep the ball in RPO’s or QB reads, but he can make all the throws. Max Johnson led the Tigers to two conference wins at the end of 2020 that gave LSU positive momentum going into the offseason. Johnson showed touch, but more importantly, poise in big moments. He’s more mobile than Brennan, but does not display the arm talent to drive the ball on deep outs or far hash throws. Both quarterbacks are capable of effectively running the offense, but Brennan allows the offense to use more of the field. Although he won’t start, freshman Garrett Nussmeier is intriguing. At 6’1″ he’s smaller than the other quarterbacks, but elusive in the pocket. In limited reps he’s shown the ability to throw accurately off balance and from different arm angles.

Offensive Line

With all the talk about quarterbacks, much of their success hinges on the performance of the veteran LSU offensive line. The line returns starters Ed Ingram at left guard, Liam Shanahan at center, and Austin Deculus at right tackle. The loss of left tackle Dare Rosenthal is not ideal, but would be a bigger problem if not for an experienced Cam Wire available to fill in at that spot. Experience is great, but this position group as a whole underwhelmed last year, particularly in the run game. The offensive line never consistently generated a push up front, and that limited the production of the running backs. Unless you’re Barry Sanders, you have to be able to gain positive momentum before contact or the running game is going to suffer. LSU will need younger linemen to step up to improve in this aspect, such as sophomores Anthony Bradford at guard and Marlon Martinez at tackle. Bradford, a Michigan native, was highly regarded as a recruit, but stars don’t matter once you’re on campus. He’ll have to prove himself in the SEC. The Tigers also bring back Chasen Hines at guard who has proven to be effective early in his career. Expect him to be a rotational player if not a starter at right guard.

Running backs

Juniors Tyrion Davis-Price and John Emery will lead the running back group this year. The backs have faced criticism after not producing to the standard to which we’ve grown accustomed with the likes of Edwards-Helaire, Guice, and Fournette, but part of that falls on the offensive line. Davis-Price has been the most consistent back so far, showing physicality and a burst this spring that we haven’t seen since his freshman year. Emery is more of a home run threat that needs to be more physical and a more consistent receiver receiver out of the backfield. Both are potentially NFL backs that simply need more space. It’s rare for a walk-on to make an impact at running back for LSU, but sophomore Josh Williams broke into the rotation after injuries in 2020. Williams gained the trust of the staff, earning meaningful snaps on offense and even returning kicks, gaining a scholarship along the way. Running backs coach Kevin Faulk did work on the recruiting trail with the addition of Corey Kiner from Ohio and Alabama native Armoni Goodwin. Kiner is the bigger back at 220 lbs., but also has displayed good hands. Goodwin is smaller at 5’8″, 190 lbs., but blazing fast. Also a track athlete in the 7A classification, he holds the Alabama state high school record in the 60 meter dash with a 6.82 time. This is a talented group with an ideal blend of size and speed. Look for most if not all of these players to get meaningful snaps, as LSU historically takes a running back by committee approach.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

What else can be said about Kayshon Boutte? The sophomore exploded onto the scene towards the end of 2020, capping the year with a single game yardage record against Ole Miss. The common theme amongst national analysts in the spring was “Who else can step up?”. LSU is never short on receivers, and that won’t change this year. Jena, LA native Jaray Jenkins returns for his junior season after averaging over 17 yards per catch on 23 receptions. Jontre Kirklin returns and has proven versatility and value in the slot. True sophomore Koy Moore played early in his freshman year even before Terrace Marshall opted out. I’ve been waiting for Trey Palmer to break out, and it’s now or never for the junior with the way LSU has recruited the position. Palmer’s explosiveness tantalizes fans; he’s returned both a punt and a kick for touchdowns in his career. The jury is still out on his ability as an all around receiver. The pressure is on, as there are four highly rated freshmen waiting in the wings for their shot to get on the field. Chris Hilton comes from Zachary as the highest rated receiver in Louisiana in the class of 2021. Deion Smith was the highest rated player overall in Mississippi. Brian Thomas was an elite football recruit that also had options to play Division 1 basketball, and Malik Nabers has verified 4.44 speed and a 38″ vertical. The group as a whole has garnered rave reviews from both players and coaches since arriving on campus. I didn’t forget about 4 star Jack Bech, but I expect him to have more of an impact as a receiving tight end/H back. He’ll be needed more at tight end after the departures of Arik Gilbert and Jaylen Shead. LSU does return sophomore Kole Taylor, who is a huge target at 6’7″. The team is dangerously thin at the position, but with more 4 and 5 wide formations blocking tight ends aren’t as critical to an offense as they used to be.

I’m encouraged by the amount of returning players on this offense, and comfortable with either quarterback. Frankly, the offense wasn’t the problem last year, but it could have been better, especially in short yardage situations. We shouldn’t expect new offensive coordinator Jake Peetz to be Joe Brady, but we should fully expect him to be better than Scott Linehan or Steve Ensminger. It’s imperative to create a more consistent running game to keep defenses honest and take pressure off the quarterbacks. The 2021 offense might not be the juggernaut 2019 was, but with solid offensive line play and the weapons on the outside it should be a top 3 offense in the SEC.