My five biggest sleeper picks entering LSU’s fall camp
LSU’s fall camp begins on Wednesday, July 31, and with it comes a certainty that we will be surprised by some players as the camp is open to the media for nine full practices throughout the next three weeks.
We’ve spent the past month discussing top players, breakout candidates, and potential depth chart projections. Now, on this final day before football returns to Baton Rouge, we’ll be looking at five players who we didn’t talk about much this offseason, but players who could make a significant impact in their roles in 2024.
None of these are starters going into the year, but there’s a path for almost all of them to get there at some point and that starts in fall camp. Here are my top five sleepers going into fall camp.
CB Michael Turner
Shea Dixon named Michael Turner as his “Sleeper CB” back on July 1, saying he has been quick to pick up the defensive scheme and responsibilities. He’ll need to continue to add weight and likely will need reps tackling, but in terms of frame and speed, he checks the boxes Corey Raymond is looking for from a cornerback. We already know he’s got a great mentality and passion and now will look to prove himself in fall camp when facing the high-level receivers LSU has on its roster. With a cornerback room that has as many questions as LSU’s, there’s always going to be a chance for Turner if he proves himself in the coming month.
OT Tyree Adams
Since the starting offensive line is set and is one of the best in the country, it hasn’t been talked about enough how good Tyree Adams should be as a sixth man. Adams redshirted last year, got his weight up and is still an excellent athlete at 6-foot-7. He’s not going to start, but in the situation someone misses time, Adams can come in at tackle for either Will Campbell or Emery Jones or bump Jones inside to a guard spot. I’m excited to see Adams continuing to grow and get ample chances this year.
DE Paris Shand
paris shand LSU football Courtesy
Shand is not the flashy five star that Gabriel Reliford or Dashawn Womack were nor is he expected to start, but Shand last year showed flashes of being one of the best defensive ends on the team. He has a great combination of strength and quickness and last year was kind of a tweener, but now he’s locked into that strongside defensive end spot behind Saivion Jones and I could see him pushing for plenty of playing time this season.
WR Kylan Billiot
The second freshman on this list, it makes sense why Billiot would be an afterthought in this deep receiver room, but I think there’s still a chance he could climb the ranks faster than most think. Outside of the top four players in this group, I’d argue Billiot could very well compete with the likes of Kyle Parker, Shelton Sampson, Aaron Anderson, and Landon Ibieta. The improvements he has made over the past 8-10 months puts him on an exciting trajectory and if he further shows that development in year one at LSU, he could become a top five or six wide receiver on the team.
TE Mac Markway
In a room with an all-conference player and two 6-foot-6+ underclassmen, it’s easy to overlook Markway’s importance to this room and the offense. Last year, he played 160 snaps as a true freshman and that number will rise in year two. The offense will still include a ton of 12-personnel sets with Markway and Taylor on the field at the same time, giving them versatile blocking potential in the run game and even some creative passing plays. He’s hardly ever going to wow the crowd, but if Markway has a great season it will pay dividends to this offense.
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