LSU observations: WRs impress and more from the 1st football preseason practice

Aug 3, 2023 Updated 1 hr ago
Brian Kelly chuckled as he pondered the question. What position group, he had been asked, did he worry about at the start of preseason practice last year and now thinks of as a strength?
"They were all a worry last year," he said.
LSU started preseason camp Thursday morning in a much different place than it was a year ago. The Tigers have higher expectations after going 10-4 with a Southeastern Conference West title in Kelly’s first season, and their continuity was obvious at the first practice.
From quarterback Jayden Daniels to linebacker Harold Perkins, LSU brought back players all over the field. There were 40 offseason additions, including 15 transfers, but the core of the team remained. And those returning players, Kelly said, are the strength LSU didn’t have last season.
"You play it the right way for four quarters, you can win a lot of games in this league," Kelly said. "But you need experience. I think we have experience, and I think that's going to be the strength of this football team."
Kelly opened the entire practice to the media and plans to do so nine more times before the season opener against Florida State. Here’s what stood out as the Tigers practiced in helmets without pads for two hours.
Attendance: The only absent player was running back John Emery, who’s expected to practice Friday morning. Kelly said Emery was finishing an internship, the last academic requirement needed for him to rejoin the team. All the players who missed spring ball with injuries were full participants, such as defensive tackle Maason Smith and running back Armoni Goodwin.
Secondary lineup
Everything from the first practice should be taken lightly, especially when it concerns the depth chart. These positions could change, with Kelly saying, "I don't like to set a depth chart the first six practices." For example, he said the center competition between Charles Turner and Marlon Martinez won’t be a focus until then.
With that caveat in mind, the first day provided a starting point for the battle at cornerback, where LSU has to choose two new starters.
Syracuse transfer Duce Chestnut and Southeastern transfer Zy Alexander consistently went first. Chestnut missed spring ball, but he has the most experience in the group as a two-year starter. Alexander was a first-teamer throughout the spring.
LSU rotated its other cornerbacks quite a bit on the second-team defense. Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris, Ohio State transfer JK Johnson and sophomore Laterrance Welch — the only returning scholarship corner on the team — shared a lot of reps.
Further back in the secondary, LSU tested some interesting combinations at safety and nickel. At one point, senior Greg Brooks dropped into the slot while junior Major Burns and seventh-year transfer André Sam played safety.
Sam rotated quite a bit with the first-team defense and made a highlight play when he burst into the flat to break up a pass in the 11-on-11 period. If he can play at an SEC level, that would go a long way in easing the depth concerns.
Receivers dominate
In general, those defensive backs had a tough day. The wide receivers and tight ends often got the better of them, especially in one-on-one drills. Does that mean the secondary will struggle this season? Not necessarily. It was the first practice, and this is a talented group of pass catchers.
Three moments stood out:
Junior wide receiver Brian Thomas shook Welch on a vertical route and caught a 60-yard touchdown from Garrett Nussmeier.
Freshman tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton, who is 6-foot-6 and 242 pounds, adjusted for a back-shoulder catch along the sideline.
Freshman receiver Kyle Parker created separation for an easy deep completion.
There were two pass breakups during the individual drills. Johnson tipped away a ball intended for redshirt sophomore Chris Hilton, and Harris recovered to knock a catch out of the hands of freshman wide receiver Shelton Sampson. But for the most part, the receivers and tight ends won.
Kelly pointed out there was no pass rush to affect one-on-ones, and the defensive backs had to account for the entire field, making the drill slanted toward the offense. Early on, some of the safeties had their eyes on the quarterback, which the coaches had to correct.
"It's so important that they understand that the drill is really about their technique," Kelly said. "It's not about a winner or loser in that drill."
First looks
While LSU has those returning players, the first practice offered the first look at new faces.
Wide receiver Aaron Anderson (Alabama), running back Logan Diggs (Notre Dame), defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson (West Virginia), Chestnut and multiple freshmen — including defensive end Da’Shawn Womack and offensive tackle Zalance Heard — went through their first LSU practice.
Anderson showed the burst that helped make him one of the top recruits in Louisiana. He lined up in the slot with the second group of wide receivers and caught punts, an area where he may help immediately. As LSU builds out the offense, expect him to have a role. Kelly said he could even get touches from the backfield, adding: "I think we've just scratched the surface in terms of what we can do with him."
Diggs spent most of the summer recovering from a hamstring injury, Kelly said, so the important thing was that he looked healthy. He should be able to show off his well-rounded skill set over the next few weeks. Kelly said Diggs "adds to the depth of that room, which is going to be as complete and as deep as any running back room that I've ever coached."
Jefferson, Womack and Heard practiced with the second teams. Jefferson came in after Smith and senior Jacobian Guillory at defensive tackle. Womack, a potential hybrid, looked physically ready behind starter Sai’vion Jones. Heard was at right tackle. They all looked poised to compete for playing time throughout camp.