SEC Media Days 2023: What Brian Kelly said … and what it means

LSU head coach Brian Kelly took the main podium at SEC Media Days on Monday, the first of the 14 head coaches in the conference to address the media over the next four days.

Kelly touched on a wide range of topics included the outlook on LSU’s 2023 season, the push to repeat as SEC West Champions, the strides made by quarterback Jayden Daniels and more.

Here are some of the biggest topics Kelly touched on, followed by what we think it really means for the Tigers this fall.

Expectations are high for Kelly in Year 2

LSU enters the season carrying the fifth-best odds to win the National Championship this season, trailing only Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan.

Kelly won the SEC West in Year 1, but can he match what two other second-year coaches just did in Baton Rouge? Kim Mulkey won the program’s first basketball National Championship with the LSU women’s team. Then, Jay Johnson took the Tigers to Omaha and returned with the program’s seventh national title.

After a double-digit win season and lofty expectations on the program’s shoulders, what’s on tap for Kelly in his second season?

“I’ve got a big opportunity on my hands to continue the success of what was a very good first year,” Kelly said. “We understand a lot of those things necessary to win big games … That’s what our team has been focused on.

“We have a football team that’s coming, they are moving in the right direction. We still have roster development that needs to take place … and it motivates us on a day-to-day basis.”

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My Take … For me, the biggest thing is it’s not Kelly’s first offseason with the team and staff. And my reason for circling that reality is based off listening to Kelly this spring and summer. He knows what’s on roster, he knows the staff and he knows what playing an SEC schedule entails. A year ago, those were all unknowns. In large part, Kelly spent his first year building a new foundation. Now, he can focus on the things it takes to make that next step. Will they win a title? That is TBD. But, I can say with confidence the Tigers are in a better position to compete for the playoffs than they were ahead of the 2022 season.

Transfer Portal heavy approach again for LSU

For the second offseason in a row, LSU took double-digit players from the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Many of those additions were key a year ago, including two of the three players Kelly brought with him to SEC Media Days in quarterback Jayden Daniels and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo.

As for the newest crop of Tigers added from the portal, Kelly is confident in the talent, but admits he won’t be able to assess the product until September.

“You really don’t know what you have until you play against Florida State,” Kelly said.

The position LSU went heaviest on in the portal was defensive back. Between December and May, the Tigers added four cornerbacks and a safety from the transfer portal.

“Greg Brooks and Major Burns are two veterans who are going to help us a lot back there (at safety), but (cornerback) was an area of concern,” Kelly said. “We are a team that needs to get off the field on third down. We didn’t do a good job last year. And it starts with that area.”

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My Take … Transfer defensive backs saved LSU a year ago, and the Tigers need that to be the case again this season. Burns and Brooks are both transfers, but they have since started games at LSU. The questions this year are more about the cornerbacks. LSU returns just one cornerback from the 2022 roster in Laterrance Welch and signed just one true cornerback from the high school crop. That means the four transfer corners will need to step up in a major way. Remember these names: Denver Harris, Zy Alexander, JK Johnson and Duce Chestnut. If LSU can find high-level production from that group, the defense has a chance to be elite.

Daniels is LSU’s starter – with Nussmeier on his heels

At this time a year ago, Kelly went to SEC Media Days and remained mum on who would be the team’s starting quarterback.

Would Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels win the job, or would redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier make enough of a surge to steal it away?

Daniels went on to start in every game of the season for LSU, though Nussmeier flashed in games from November to January.

Now, many analysts feel the Tigers have the best quarterback room in the SEC with two quarterbacks who are more than capable starters.

For Kelly, it starts with Daniels, but Nussmeier is on his heels.

“Jayden is our starter. He will start (against Florida State in Week 1),” Kelly said. “But he will have to continue to progress and improve, because Garrett is getting better every day, as well. You want to talk about great competition? That’s about as good as a head coach can hope for at the quarterback position.

“The guy right behind him, he wants to take his job. And in the right way. They have a great relationship, but he wants his job.”

While Daniels flashed his dual-threat abilities a year ago, the fifth-year senior said working on explosive plays in the downfield passing game has been a focal point of his offseason.

For Kelly, it means building off how Daniels looked in the Citrus Bowl win over Purdue.

“The natural progression from which the last game he played where he was aggressive but under control,” Kelly said of what’s expected from Daniels. “He ran the ball when he needed to, but also stepped into the pocket and made the tight window throws. The first game might have been a step into the pocket, but he runs.

“We want to see that confidence we saw at the end of the year continue to show itself right through the first game against Florida State.”

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My Take … What Kelly is referencing in the bowl win was Daniels’ ability to trust the call, the protection, his arm and the wideouts on roster. When he does that, he’s the best dual-threat quarterback in college football. Entering Year 5 of college football, Daniels has been a starter for four straight seasons. Nussmeier has yet to start a college game. There would be no reason for Kelly not to name Daniels as the starter vs FSU. But I believe him when he says Nussmeier is on the heels of Daniels. I’ve seen it with my own eyes with how Nussmeier played in the second half against Georgia and bowl game against Purdue. If Daniels is injured, or even playing poorly, the staff shouldn’t hesitate to test out Nussmeier. He’s far from the same quarterback we saw as a backup at the start of the 2022 season.

How close is LSU to competing with a team like Georgia?

Georgia has won back-to-back National Championships, and the Bulldogs also have the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

Georgia beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship in December, but how far are the Tigers away from being able to close the gap with the nation’s top college program the past two seasons?

“It’s a measurement for everyone in here to see it on the field,” Kelly said. “That’s how everyone measures a gap closing. What’s the score of the game? What does the eye test tell me? What is the competitiveness of that game? We would only have that opportunity if we get into the (SEC Championship) against Georgia.

“Based on how we have recruited and will continue to recruit, we will have a football roster that will be able to compete against Georgia. Is that right now? No, it’s not. But if we continue doing what we’re doing, we will have a roster that can compete with Georgia. Then it’s about getting it done on the playing field, and everyone can assess if we have closed the gap.”

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My Take … If the recruiting rankings are the indicator, Georgia and LSU are simply recruiting at different levels. It doesn’t guarantee wins or losses, but it certainly helps. What LSU has done to close the talent gap on the roster is working the portal, taking one of the nation’s best portal classes in both of Kelly’s two offseasons with the Tigers. As for the future? LSU needs to lock up Louisiana while also landing some difference makers from outside the state. The more Harold Perkins and Jayden Daniels on roster, the better. If LSU can routinely finish with Top 5 classes, and still address remaining needs in the portal, the Tigers aren’t far away from rebuilding the roster to the point where they can compete with any team in college football. But, Kelly’s right. They aren’t there yet.

The return of Maason Smith will be key to LSU’s defense

At SEC Media Days 2022, Kelly circled LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith as a player who would turn into a household name by year’s end.

Then, Smith suffered a season-ending injury on the first defensive series of the season.

Now healthy again, Kelly has been confident this offseason that Smith’s return will take the defense – most notably the defensive front – to the next level.

“Getting a guy like (Smith) back changes a lot of things,” Kelly said. “Maason will win one-on-one matchups. If you do that and protect the edges on every play with who we feel are guys who can come off the edge, you will leave (Smith) singular inside. He will have an incredible year if that’s the case.

“Once you decide to leave two guys on him on the inside, you get some singular matchups on the outside. That’s where he becomes a huge presence for us this year.”

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My Take … I’ve been singing this tune from the mountain tops all offseason. So much so that I nearly put Smith at No. 1 on my list of top players on roster. I settled on Harold Perkins at No. 1, then Smith at No. 2. I can understand the “out of sight, out of mind” line of thinking that kept Smith out of the conversation in 2022. But he’s back and healthy, so it’s time to put his name back in the forefront of any conversations about LSU. Kelly is spot on with his line of thinking. Smith can impact games in the same way as Perkins, and we’ve already seen what type of impact that can have on a game. If he is back to form, Smith could be the first player picked from LSU in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s the talent level we are talking.

Diggs added to a deep RB room in Baton Rouge

LSU took one transfer running back in Notre Dame’s Logan Diggs, a Louisiana native who originally signed with Kelly in South Bend.

With two years of college football under his belt, Diggs joins an LSU running back room that is deep – but also comes with some question marks.

The Tigers return Josh Williams and Armoni Goodwin following season-ending injuries, and it appears John Emery is on track to be academically eligible for his fifth season this fall. Noah Cain was one of only two healthy scholarship running backs available for spring practices, and the Tigers signed a pair of high school four-stars in Trey Holly and Kaleb Jackson. Then there’s Tre Bradford, who is once again listed on the roster after being away from the team a year ago.

How does Diggs fit into the running back equation this fall?

“His ability to catch the ball coming out of the backfield, we like his versatility,” Kelly said. “He played really well at Notre Dame when given the opportunity. He’s a very talented player in all areas. He’s really smart.

“Like (Josh Williams), he can play all three downs. He’s a big back with speed and vision. It adds experience to that room, and that’s what we are looking for.”

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My Take … Kelly said it multiple times on Monday. He wants a running back who can play all three downs, and guys like Diggs and Williams fit the mold. Then there’s game-breaking speed from not just guys like Emery and Goodwin, but also a newcomer like Jackson. LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson has options, and based off his multiple stints on staff in Baton Rouge, he will put players on the field regardless of age. He just has to trust them. For me, Diggs checks that box. I do feel the touches will be spread across multiple running backs, but I won’t be surprised at all if Diggs has the most all-purpose yards by season’s end. He can not just run it, but he can catch it. That versatility is a big boost to the room.

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