Predicting LSU’s Starters: Ole Miss Week

The LSU Tigers moved to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play with a comeback win over Arkansas in Tiger Stadium.

Up next: a road trip to Oxford to take on an Ole Miss team that also sits at 3-1 following a road loss to Alabama.

LSU was down 20-17 at halftime in Tiger Stadium a year ago before storming back to beat Ole Miss 45-20 after the defense didn’t allow the Rebels any points in the second half.

As LSU enters the fifth game of the season, will there be more shakeups to the starters on offense, defense and special teams.

Here’s The Bengal Tiger staff’s predictions for which players start vs. the Rebels on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

LSU Offense

QB: Jayden Daniels … Daniels bounced back from a slow start against Arkansas to finish with 320 passing yards and four touchdowns in a comeback win, which led to the senior being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Statistically, Daniels is one of college football’s best quarterbacks this season.

RB: Logan Diggs … Diggs went for over 100 rushing yards in his LSU debut against Grambling State. He followed it up with 71 all-purpose yards on 12 touches against the Bulldogs. He then led the team with 14 carries for 97 yards against Arkansas, including a key run late in the fourth quarter that helped the Tigers put the game on ice. It’s clear he’s RB1 for the Tigers.

WR: Malik Nabers … Nabers put up a career day when he caught all 13 of his targets for 239 yards and pair of touchdowns against MSU. He followed it up with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas. Nabers now leads the SEC in catchers per game (8) and is second in receiving yards per game (131).

WR: Brian Thomas Jr. … During the preaseason, I circled Thomas as my breakout player on offense. So far, so good. Thomas ranks in the Top 5 in the SEC and Top 15 nationally in receiving yards per game (103), giving the Tigers a solid 1-2 punch at the position.

WR: Chris Hilton … Hilton got the first snaps against Arkansas after he led the rest of LSU’s receivers in targets the week prior in Starkville. LSU’s been getting Kyren Lacy and Aaron Anderson involved, but only Anderson caught as pass in the win over Arkansas. Still, we will roll with Hilton given he got the start a week ago.

TE: Mason Taylor … Taylor is healthy again and back in the starting lineup. He caught three of his four targets for 33 yards in the win over the Razorbacks, and Brian Kelly said his usage should increase in the coming weeks.

LT: Will Campbell … Campbell had a rough go in Starkville, but he bounced back to form against Arkansas. There won’t be any movement at this spot as Campbell locks in at left tackle for the second season in a row.

LG: Garrett Dellinger … Through four weeks, there hasn’t been any talks of moving Dellinger out of the starting left guard spot.

C: Charles Turner … Turner has remained LSU’s starting center since he won the job a year ago.

RG: Miles Frazier … Frazier is still holding on to the starting job at right guard, but true freshman Lance Heard continues to knock on the the door for playing time, and the shuffle to the right side of the offensive line has moved Frazier to the bench when Heard steps in at right tackle.

RT: Emery Jones … Jones will start at right tackle, but if Lance Heard gets reps, the sophomore will slide inside to right guard in place of Frazier.

LSU Defense

DE: Sai’vion Jones … Jones had a sack and quarterback hurry against MSU quarterback Will Rogers, then followed it up with four tackles in the win over Arkansas. He’s added weight this offseason that has left Jones adjusting to his new role, but he’s still locked in as a starter at defensive end.

DT Mekhi Wingo … After four games, there’s no debate. Wingo is LSU’s best defensive lineman. His spot on the field is non-negotiable.

DT: Maason Smith … Smith’s injury against FSU in 2022 sidelined him for the season, and he’s slowly worked himself back into games after making his season debut against GSU in Week 2. He struggled against Arkansas, and Kelly said transfer Jordan Jefferson will begin to see more snaps moving forward. Does that mean Jefferson starts this week? I’m not ready to make that prediction just yet.

JACK: Bradyn Swinson … Swinson got the start when Ovie Oghoufo was ruled out of the Week 3 win over Mississippi State. As for the other three games, Oghoufo has gotten the nod. Swinson has started to eat into more snap counts, but will there come a time he jumps into the starting lineup? I’ll go on a limb and say this could be the week that Swinson is the first to the field after he had two tackles, was in on a sack, and registered both a quarterback hurry and pass breakup against the Razorbacks.

LB: Whit Weeks … Omar Speights missed the past two games, but he’s listed as “probable” this week. That said, Weeks was fabulous as a true freshman in his first college starts. Kelly said Speights and Weeks will rotate when both are available, but we see no reason to take Weeks out of the starting lineup right now.

LB Greg Penn III … Penn started plenty of games for LSU a year ago, but the decision to move Perkins to middle linebacker kept him out of the starting lineup in Week 1. By Week 2, Perkins was back in an edge rusher role on Penn was back in the starting group. After a great showing in Week 3, Kelly said Penn will remain a starter moving forward.

EDGE: Harold Perkins … Perkins has settled back into the edge rusher role that he flourished in as a true freshman in 2022. He made some big plays against Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart a year ago. Can he turn in that same type of showing in Oxford this weekend?

CB: Zy Alexander … Alexander was a first-team cornerback all offseason, and he’s logged four starts in four games this fall. We expect that to continue this week.

CB: Denver Harris … Harris didn’t travel with the team to FSU, but he got the starting nod against Grambling State, Mississippi State and Arkansas. LSU has seemingly found the 1-2 combination at cornerback with Harris and Alexander.

S: Major Burns … Burns is in his second year as a starter in LSU’s defensive backfield, and while there have been highs and lows, his experience – and lack of depth – will keep him on the field even through rough patches for the Baton Rouge native.

S: Andre Sam … Sam, who is in his seventh year of college football, now has a four starts under his belt in Baton Rouge. With Greg Brooks out indefinitely, expect to see plenty of Sam and Burns at safety. The Tigers have also worked in true freshman Ryan Yaites as the third safety to the field. Sage Ryan has also seen action in all four weeks, though he logged just one start in the opener against FSU.

Special Teams Rundown

K: Damian Ramos … Ramos has converted all his extra point attempts and made every field goal he’s been called on for this season. His field goal to win the game in the final seconds of the Arkansas game was clutch and certainly boosted his confidence even more.

P: Jay Bramblett … Bramblett is averaging 41 yards per punt on seven attempts, and while he mishit a punt against the Razorbacks, he’s logged on 50+ yard punt, down two kicks inside the 20-yard line, had two punts fair caught and one go into the end zone for a touchback.

KR: Kaleb Jackson … Three players have gotten the chance to return kicks for LSU this year. Jackson leads the way with 24 yards per return on three attempts, while both Aaron Anderson (3 returns) and Gregory Clayton (3 returns) are averaging 13 yards per return. It seem like Jackson is the best bet if LSU chooses to take kicks out of the end zone.

PR: Gregory Clayton … There’s no need to keep wondering when Aaron Anderson will step into a starting role in the return game. He fumbled his lone attempt in Week 1 against FSU, and Clayton has since stepped in as the starter and mainstay at the position. Like it or not, but LSU’s goal is clearly to put Clayton – the most sure-handed returner in the group – on the field so that he can fair catch the football and give it to an LSU offense that is among the NCAA’s best. Clayton has returned two punts this season, with his longest return going for 22 yards and his total sitting at 35 yards.

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