Ten position battles to watch heading into LSU’s fall camp
The Tigers begin fall camp on Aug. 3, just a week away, with all eyes on the season-opener against Florida State on Sept. 3. In the one month of work leading up to the season, Brian Kelly’s team will have several key positions under intense competition and the hope to answer any question marks remaining on the roster.
Here we’re looking at ten position battles to watch this fall, but we’ve broken it up into two segments. The first five are under-the radar battles and just some backup players vying for playing time. Then the top five are the most important battles in the month of August.
Let’s get into it.
10-5, Five under-the radar battles/competitions
10. Fourth linebacker: West Weeks vs. Whit Weeks
If we assume Harold Perkins and Omar Speights are the two starters and Greg Penn is a reliable rotation player after being a starter last year, then who’s the No.4 linebacker? Who joins Penn on the second team? Whit and West have differing skill sets and body types. West is a more physical linebacker and one who can engage blocks well, while Whit is incredibly athletic, versatile, and young as a true freshman. West is two years older, but Whit is one of those players who should be vying for early playing time.
Prediction: Whit Weeks gets more snaps
9. Most impactful freshman receiver: Ka’Morreun Pimpton vs. Kyle Parker, vs. Jalen Brown vs. Shelton Sampson
4-star LSU commit Kyle Parker. (Twitter)
Pimpton is a tight end, but if he’s on the field in 2023, it’s to be a playmaker at receiver, not to block. Pimpton’s height allows him the potential to step in and contribute, but it’s Parker who has long been thought of as the most ready-to-play receiver of this group with his excellent route running and hands. Brown and Sampson both have some work to do to fill out their frames, but there’s a reason both were top 15 receivers in the country.
Prediction: Parker gets the most receptions and yards, but none end with more than 15 receptions.
8. Kicker: Damian Ramos vs. Nathan Dibert
Both had a shaky spring game, but there’s confidence in the two kickers entering 2023. Last year, Ramos held the starting job throughout the season and was excellent. Dibert focused on being the kickoff specialist and has the leg to kick it out of the endzone every time. Dibert was a highly rated kicker for a reason, can he finally win the starting job?
Prediction: Ramos holds on to the starting job
7. Backup DE: Quency Wiggins vs. Dashawn Womack
The defensive end became one of the more stacked position units on the team when freshman Dashawn Womack joined the group this offseason. Womack is a five-star EDGE and will quickly be in contention to earn snaps either at defensive end or JACK linebacker. His height and weight make him comparable to Wiggins and starter Saivion Jones, but his bend off the edge is special. Wiggins is also a physically impressive prospect and will certainly play, but will Womack cut into his snaps or will he just bounce around like Harold Perkins did last year and specialize?
Prediction: Wiggins gets traditional backup DE snaps, but Womack is used in pass-rushing downs more
6. Backup DT: Jordan Jefferson vs. Jacobian Guillory vs. Paris Shand
With Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo as the two All-SEC starters, the depth at defensive tackle is vital to this team’s success. All three of these will be expected to contribute, but who will be the two players on the second team? Shand and Guillory got a lot of run on the first-team with Smith, Wingo, and Jefferson missing the spring, but with those returning will they hold onto those spots? Personally, I’m higher on Jefferson than the other two, but Guillory’s value at nose is unique from the other two and Shand had a really impressive spring.
Prediction: Jefferson and Guillory start on the second team, Shand shuffles in alongside Fitzgerald West and Jalen Lee throughout the season.
5-1, The five key starting position battles
5. Jack: Ovie Oghoufo vs. Bradyn Swinson
Two players with different background, Oghoufo is a sixth-year player who had a productive 2022 as a starter at Texas, while Swinson came off the bench at Oregon the past two years. Swinson is more athletic and perhaps has higher upside, but Oghoufo is consistent and does his job well. In the spring game, both performed well and set themselves up to be critical parts of this defense in 2023.
Prediction: Oghoufo starts and has the best year of his career
4. Running back: Josh Williams vs. Logan Diggs
Williams is the incumbent and was a quality back for the Tigers last year. The pass protection and ball security were exactly what this offense needed. He ended the year with 532 yards and six touchdowns. Diggs, meanwhile, posted 822 yards and four touchdowns rushing to go with 211 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. Diggs enters his third season returning to Louisiana ready to compete for the starting job.
Prediction: Diggs leads the team in carries and yards, but ends with less than 140 carries.
3. Nickel: Sage Ryan vs. Duce Chestnut vs. Javien Toviano
ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 02: LSU Tigers safety Sage Ryan (15) during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl between the LSU Tigers and the Purdue Boilermakers on January 2, 2023 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
Last year, Ryan was passed up by Greg Brooks and Jay Ward, starting just one game, but still playing an important role on the defense as a sophomore. Will year three finally be the year we see Ryan break through? He’s got more competition in Chestnut, a versatile transfer from Syracuse and star freshman Javien Toviano. Throughout the spring, Toviano showed that he’s perhaps the freshman most ready to contribute. Meanwhile, Chestnut was an All-ACC caliber corner in the past two years on the boundary.
Prediction: Chestnut wins the starting job, but Ryan and Toviano are also used in different nickel/dime packages
2. Center: Charles Turner vs. Mason Lunsford vs. Marlon Martinez
Turner was named the most improved player on LSU’s roster last year and really worked to earn his starting spot, but it’s a new year and time for competition. Turner will have every opportunity to win the job again, but his size and strength is a hindrance, while his brains and communication skills are a strength. Martinez is listed at 30 pounds heavier than Turner, and got some starting reps late last year but also was unable to beat him out in 2022. Then you have Lunsford, who can play anywhere on the offensive line at 6-foot-7, but it’s likely he also competes for the job after playing on the interior at Maryland.
Prediction: Martinez ends up winning the starting job vs. Florida State
1. Starting cornerbacks: Denver Harris, Zy Alexander, Laterrance Welch, JK Johnson
The most difficult positions to predict on the roster, especially after the spring season where these four rotated in with the starters seemingly every snap. Having watched all four, I can confidently say that there’s not a wrong answer here, but finding the best two fits for this defense is imperative.
Harris was a former five star and had a great start to the 2022 season before being suspended at Texas A&M. Alexander was an FCS All-American at Southeastern and is the tallest at 6-foot-3. Welch was an intriguing prospect out of high school and seems to have come into his own during the spring heading into year two. Johnson played legitimately important snaps at Ohio State last year, but battled injury.
Prediction: Harris and Alexander get the start vs. Florida State, but LSU is quick to rotate if necessary.
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