The best, subtle news out of LSU’s preseason camp so far was LSU coach Brian Kelly adjusting his offensive line depth chart with just over a week to go BEFORE the season opener this week.
Left tackle is set with sophomore Tyree Adams. So is center with junior Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore and right guard with senior Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson, even though Kelly called him Justin this week.
Hey, there is more turnover year to year in college football now than at any time in history with the perceived-instant-gratification NCAA Transfer Portal. That’s in year five now with players not having to sit out between transfers. So, it’s hard to keep track of everyone’s name and know who can play with such consistent roster turnover.
But forget names, Kelly and his No. 9 Tigers are just over a week away from opening the season at No. 4 Clemson – with a talented and experienced defensive line. And he isn’t sure if his left guard will be sophomore Paul Mubenga, redshirt freshman Coen Echols or sophomore DJ Chester.
There is also competition for the No. 1 job at right tackle between true freshman Carius Curne, who was just moved there from right guard this week and is competing with redshirt freshman Weston Davis, who had been running with the first team through most of camp.
Going into Clemson there was also a lot of competition in the secondary between talented returnees and a host of new transfers. The edge rushers and interior defensive linemen battles were intense as well between transfers and returnees.
Kelly and staff will likely still be sorting out all these players and options and rotations in the days leading up to the opener.
“We’re seeing even more depth in the secondary. It is so competitive right now,” Kelly said. “And we really like the development of our end play.”
He wasn’t seeing that throughout the offensive line, so the change with Curne was just made.
“There wasn’t enough competition there,” Kelly said. “We moved Carius over there to compete with Weston to see who’s our best, and maybe it’s both of them. Maybe it’s a combination of them.”
This meant redshirt freshman tackle Ory Williams was out of the two-deep for the moment.
“We feel like Ory Williams is coming along, but he wasn’t there yet,” he said.
Also possibly out of the mix for a starting job is Chester, who as the starting center last season is the only returning starter on the line. He had been competing with Mubenga for the starting left guard position. But Kelly neglected to mention him this week when discussing left guard. Instead, Chester may end up as a roving, and valuable utility man.
“In some ways it’s a disservice to him, because we have him playing center, guard, and he’s playing a little bit of right tackle,” Kelly said. “He’s competing for a starting position as well, but we can’t put them all out there. So, somebody’s going to have to be in a rotational position.”
Better that Kelly and staff are making these personnel decisions now than in late September, which was the case last season. In previous seasons, too, Kelly has not figured out who his guys are until a few games in.
WILL BRIAN KELLY’S NEW STRATEGY FOR SEASON OPENER WORK?
This may partly explain his 0-for-3 run in season openers.
WBRZ Channel 2 Baton Rouge sports director Michael Cauble made a poignant comment about this on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night.
“My biggest criticism last year of the coaching staff was that it was week four, and Brian Kelly admitted that they were still figuring out their personnel,” Cauble said. “To me, that was malpractice at the highest level, because you have million-dollar coordinators and a $10 million dollar head coach.”
And this year Kelly has more candidates for No. 1 jobs and rotations than at any time. Most of those decisions need to be made now, or soon after the opener.
“I certainly love the depth that we really haven’t had over the first three years,” Kelly said. “We’re able to rotate guys in competitive situations, whether it’s at the edge, defensive tackle, linebacker, safety and corner. Those were positions that we were just trying to get 11 out there (last year). You can’t really get a competitive environment when you’re so thin there.”
The offensive line does not have the talent of he defensive line, which has been obvious in practice. But at least he has the numbers on the offensive line, largely because of the portal and what appears to be good high school recruiting.
“Through the roster management and development both in the program and the portal have put us in a much better position, where we can start to see that depth paying off in practice,” Kelly said. “And the ability to push each other and keep that competitive edge in every single practice.”
The best coaches have an eye for talent almost immediately. Nick Saban was great at it. Kelly has missed in this category. He really thought safety Sage Ryan, like many, was going to be great, as did all the recruiting writers. Didn’t happen. Kelly, like many, also thought Maeson Smith was going to be great, as did all the recruiting writers. Didn’t happen. Kelly did choose correctly, though, in going with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier instead of Walker Howard.
Kelly, defensive coordinator Blake Baker, largely inexperienced offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, and offensive line coach Brad Davis need to be at their best in judging talent this season.
“The talent gives them options,” said Cauble, who has been covering LSU since Saban’s days in the early 2000s. “And it gives them depth to rest the talent. You’re not running guys play after play. That should make them that much more potent, so you see this entire LSU team play at its peak because of the options.”
Therein lies a new challenge for Kelly and staff at LSU.
“My biggest hope is they understand their personnel,” Cauble said. “And how to get them on and off the field in a timely manner.”
In other words, don’t pull a Gary Crowton, the former LSU offensive coordinator who went sub crazy at the goal line against Tennessee in 2010 as he tried to insert three guys with only a few seconds on the play clock. That caused a circus, hurried-but-smart ground ball snap by center T-Bob Hebert for a big loss of yardage that should’ve lost the game. But Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, a former LSU assistant now running for office, had two too many men on the field. And LSU was able to score on the next play for a laughable,16-14 win.
“And when to utilize them to play at their zenith,” Cauble said. “What you hope is that they don’t fumble their own gifts and get in their own way.”
If they find the right combinations of players, Cauble foresees a great season.
“What I envision is an LSU team playing at a very high level,” he said. “And in order to beat them, you’re going to have to play at a higher level.”
Talent is virtually everywhere for Kelly. He and his staff better have the talent to manage it.
Or, if you pardon the outdated politically incorrect comments, LSU has the talent and depth to play like the 1958 national champions, which included the “Chinese Bandits” platoon unit.
Kelly and his staff just need to make sure they’re not conducting a “Chinese Fire Drill.”
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