By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
When Todd McClure played center at LSU from 1995-98, the Tigers were one of the best running teams in the Southeastern Conference with running backs Kevin Faulk, Cecil Collins and Rondell Mealey, particularly in McClure’s first three seasons.
McClure, who was an All-American in 1998 and a first team All-SEC player in 1997 and ’98, is hoping the Tigers return to being a better running team under new coach Lane Kiffin, who emphasized the run throughout his six seasons at Ole Miss from 2020-25. Because LSU suffered mightily with the running attack in the last two seasons of LSU coach Brian Kelly in 2024 and ’25. And even before that, most of LSU’s significant rushing came from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“They weren’t great,” McClure said on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night when asked about the Tigers’ 2025 offensive line, which has been virtually completely rebuilt via the NCAA Transfer Portal by Kiffin. LSU does return senior starting center Braelin Moore and fifth-year senior Bo Bordelon, who has not played a lot but may start at left guard. The new line will feature the No. 1 offensive tackle in the portal in Jordan Seaton of Colorado on the left side.
Listen to McClure’s entire segment on Tiger Rag Radio by clicking the red box below:
“When you give up that much pressure and you can’t run the ball, something’s off,” said McClure, who played 14 seasons in the NFL as the Atlanta Falcons center. The Baton Rouge native who went to Central High will be inducted into the Lousiana Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Natchitoches (7 p.m., LBP).
To attend, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
“It was frustrating to watch,” McClure said of LSU’s running attack. “I think it was a lot of things. I think it was talent, you know, what they had there. Part of it was a system. Everything just seemed awful last year about that LSU team with Nussmeier being hurt, and we just couldn’t get any type of rhythm.”
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier played with an oblique injury in his core all season and as a result did not pass very accurately or with much authority throughout the season. The Tigers finished 7-6 overall and 3-5 in the SEC. Kelly was fired after a 5-3 and 2-3 start.
Ron Abernathy, the man behind the man of LSU Basketball’s glory years of Dale Brown, has died at age 75.https://t.co/qCe8iLNgY3
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) June 24, 2026
“That was a a frustrating season, but I’m definitely looking forward to the Tigers taking the field this year,” McClure said. “I went to one practice and was impressed with the speed in which they practice on offense, defense, all around. I know they have three offensive line coaches.”
Those are offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who coached at Alabama under Nick Saban, run game specialist James Cregg, who was LSU’s offensive line coach in 2019 when the Tigers won the national title with an excellent run game, and co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, who works with tight ends and the run game.
“When you have three guys that are paid a pretty good salary to coach one position, I think there’s a pretty good emphasis put on the run there,” McClure said. “And you see some of the talent they have, and bringing the center (Braelin Moore) back. I’m looking forward to big things from that program. And Bo Bordelon – he’s a guy that’s put in the work. He’s an old school guy, been around the program. He hasn’t gotten the opportunity, and he stayed around. I think it’ll be a big year for him.”
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