An EXTREMELY Premature look at your 2012 LSU Tigers
OFFENSE
QB: Zach Mettenberger, Rob Bolden, Jerrard Randall, Stephen Rivers
RB: Kenny Hilliard, Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Terrence Magee, Alfred Blue
FB: JC Copeland
WR: Odell Beckham, Russell Shepard, Paul Turner
WR: Jarvis Landry, James Wright, Kadron Boone
TE: Chase Clement, Tyler Edwards
LT: Chris Faulk, Chris Davenport
LG: La'el Collins, Josh Dworaczyk
OC: PJ Lonergan, Elliott Porter
RG: Josh Williford, Tra Turner
RT: Alex Hurst, Evan Washington
DEFENSE
DE: Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, Jermauria Rasco
DT: Anthony Johnson, Ego Ferguson
NT: Bennie Logan, Mickey Johnson, Chauncey Aghayere
DE: Barkevious Mingo, Danielle Hunter, Justin Maclin
SLB: Lamin Barrow, Kwon Alexander
MLB: Kevin Minter, Luke Muncie
WLB: Lamar Louis, Tahj Jones
CB: Tyrann Mathieu, Jalen Collins*
CB: Tharold Simon, Jalen Mills
SS: Craig Loston, Ronald Martin
FS: Eric Reid, Micah Eugene
Of this past class, word is that Danielle Hunter, Kwon Alexander and Lamar Louis will play early and play a lot. Travin Dural will see probably see some time on offense just to stretch defenses. Reid Ferguson will likely be the only starter at SNP, replacing Joey Crappell. Everyone says that Jeremy Hill will get playing time as well, but who do you take carries from?
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Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies. ~ Nietzsche
I think Jarvis Landry will step up big time for us this year. He might not kill you with his speed, but he just make plays and hardly ever drops a pass.
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Life is short, so play hard. Always play to win, and never ever play to lose.
I was thinking that also. And what about that WR we got from Florida Avery Johnson(i think that's his name)? Is he red shirting or expected to play?
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But it ain’t about how hard you hit… it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward… how much you can take, and keep moving forward. If you know what you’re worth, go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit." Rocky Balboa
Welp, the LSU Depth Chart has been released. A few surprises, but let's take a look at the original EXTREMELY Premature Depth Chart...
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Originally Posted by MLU
OFFENSE
QB: Zach Mettenberger, Rob Bolden, Jerrard Randall, Stephen Rivers
QB: Zach Mettenberger, Stephen Rivers, Rob Bolden, Jerrard Randall
No surprise who the starter is, but Rivers has obviously made strides. Bolden is still a talented guy, but he's just ben issued his playbook and I dount the ink is even dry. Randall is someone that needs a good bit of work still, but he's no less of a promising prospect and he's not backing down from competition. Still, with the addition of Bolden, the "token running QB" slot has been filled for this year and next.
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RB: Kenny Hilliard, Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Terrence Magee, Alfred Blue
RB: Alfred Blue, Kenny Hilliard, Michael Ford, Spencer Ware, Jeremy Hill
FB: JC Copeland
The biggest surprise on offense IMO is the movement of Alfred Blue to the top of the depth chart. The kid has been extremely focusd this offseason and has been rewarded. Every few years we hear of one of these RBs who just lives and breathes getting better on the offseason and he ends up getting the bulk of the carries. Jacob Hester and Charles Scott are the previoius two who took this path and Blue looks to be the next guy. He's not the physical guy that those two were and he's not the best at anything, but he's good at everything and traditionally that's the kind of guy Miles turns to. Ford didn't help his chances with his grades.
Hilliard is the other guy who made a name for himself this offseason. Miles has announced his intentions to play two of them at the same time a lot, so Blue and Hilliard make a lot of sense since they often use Hilliard as a FB. This movement is not to speak ill of the rest of these guys. They're just so damn talented. Even Terrence Magee is worthy of playing time, but he's going to play at WR some to get it because Jeremy Hill is a beast.
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WR: Odell Beckham, Russell Shepard, Paul Turner
WR: Odell Beckham, Russell Shepard, Terrence Magee
Odell Beckham pushed Russell Shepard to the bench last season as a true freshman. Expect more great things from the talented freshman with deceptive speed and gargantuan hands. Shepard, ever the human hype machine flirted with leaving LSU because of his disappointment, but returned simply because he still has too much purple and gold running through his veins. This is going to be his last shot to make something of himself besides LSU second best recruiter. Terrence Magee is just too damn talented to keep on the bench. I'm hoping that his position change is a positive one of Josh Reed-ian proportions.
I don't know what happened to Turner, but I am disappointed that he;s not listed on the three deep depth chart. He's a very talented and smart kid who has dropped off the chart it seems after his fall camp injury. Perhaps he's still injured. He will probably get his first chance to contribute on special teams.
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WR: Jarvis Landry, James Wright, Kadron Boone
WR: James Wright, Kadron Boone
The two big bodies will fill the role of the big bodies receiver. Unless these two have made tremendous strides in the offseason, I see their starting position shortlived and quickly filled by Jarvis Landry who is arguably the the best football players on the team. Wright showed some chemistry with Mettenberger in the Spring Game, but Landry is the guy here who will be the star. It seems that most of his playing time will be as the 3rd Receiver.
Reports out of camp are that they plan on using the TE more this season. If they throw it once per game to the TE, every game then they will have accomplished this feat. It's a position well recruited, but wasted and for the life if me I don't know why any TE would ever sign with LSU. John Thomas is the superstar in the wings who is waiting for his grades to get straightened out. Until then, Chase Clement, Nic Jacobs and the smallish Travis Dickson will be the receiving threats from this position. Tyler Edwards is mostly used for blocking, but doesn't seem to figure into the 3-deep depth chart.
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LT: Chris Faulk, Chris Davenport
LG: La'el Collins, Josh Dworaczyk
OC: PJ Lonergan, Elliott Porter
RG: Josh Williford, Tra Turner
RT: Alex Hurst, Evan Washington Vadal Alexander
I nailed the O-Line with the exception of Vadal Alexander backing up Alex Hurst.
LSU has arguable the best bookends in the SEC and possibly the country. La'el Collins is so good, he's going to play out of position for two years before moving to LT to dominate his Senior season. Josh Williford played pretty well at the end of last season when coach realized that T-Bob is 100 lbs too light for SEC Football. Elliott Porter (who many will remember was the subject of an OTL piece that scorned Miles' recruiting practices when he pulled Porter's scholly) is on the O-Line now and the OC of the future. Dworaczyk has played every position except the pivot. Expect his name to be the first called if anyone goes down. Oh yeah, he's been playing and learning the center position in fall camp which will complete his resume after being the de facto O-Line coach last season when his injury forced him to the sidelines and Kragthorpe's health forced Strudrawa to the booth.
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DEFENSE
DE: Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, Jermauria Rasco
DE: Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, Jordan Allen
Chavis is keeping the big guys on the strong side which is no surprise. Rasco worked from the strong side mostly last season, but moves to the weak side this year. Allen makes his first appearance on the 3-deep chart and will hopefully figure into a healthy rotation this year.
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DE: Barkevious Mingo, Danielle Hunter, Justin Maclin
DE: Barkevious Mingo, Jemuria Rasco, Chancey Aghayere
This is a mild surprise for me with Chancey Aghayere moving back out to weakside DE, The last two seasons he got work at DT, but it seems that he's starting the season behind Mingo and Rasco. Don't be surprised to see Hunter get a lot of opportunity at DE as well. MIles was singing his praises about Hunter early and often this summer.
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DT: Anthony Johnson, Ego Ferguson
DT: Josh Downs, Ego Fersuson
Is Josh Downs back? He outplayed everyone his freshman season and then went down early to injury and has never been the same. He's lighter than most of the LSU DTs, but he's best suited for the 3-technique with his explosion and quickness. Ego has never ben appreciated because of the talent that exists here, but he would start for a lot of SEC teams. Label these guys 1a and 1b.
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NT: Bennie Logan, Mickey Johnson, Chauncey Aghayere
NT: Bennie Logan, Anthony Johnson, Quinten Thomas
I whiffed horribly on NT. Logan is poised for a breakout season, similar to last season when Michael Brockers took it to another level. Many felt that Logan has a better season overall. The hard work and steady play has not gone unrecognized as Logan will wear the #18 jersey for LSU. Freak Johnson is a guy I thought for sure would fill the spot next to Logan, but Chavis has other plans for the talented Sophomore.
Don't pay any real attention to the depth chart with these two positions. With the exception of Logan, all will receive equal playing time and will shuffle between both 3 and 1 techniques.
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SLB: Lamin Barrow, Kwon Alexander
SLB: Luke Muncie, Tahj Jones
The coaches want to get Muncie on the field, so he's moving from MLB to the Sam. Tahj Jones played well in spot duty last season and will no doubt improve upon that this year. Both will be challenged by freshman who are not currently listed on the depth chart. Bank on it.
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MLB: Kevin Minter, Luke Muncie
MLB: Kevin Minter, Ronnie Feist, Trey Garnier
Minter provides a 3-down MLB and leader of the defense that Chavis hasn't had since Kelvin Shepard. Now, don't go putting Minter on that pedestal yet, but he's undoubtedly the guy who is going to set the tone and QB the defense. Feist is a talented guy who should get some playing time mostly on special teams, along with Garnier. If Minter doesn't respond and take that leap to the next level though, I have no doubt that Feist will see more action. He's that good.
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WLB: Lamar Louis, Tahj Jones
WLB: Lamin Barrow, Deion Jones, Lorenzo Phillips
Ok, so I was just pulling LBer positions out of my *** when I first posted this list if it's not obvious by now. Chavis was plugging guys in everywhere, looking to find the best fit. It doesn't help that all of these young guys can run and hit. Lamin was a late addition to a (then) disappointing recruiting class who turned out to be a diamond in the rough. After a season of buffing, he's holding off some very talented guys at the Will position. Miles has made several comments regarding Debo Jones and Kwon Alexander. Expect their biggest contributions to be on special teams because these guys can flat out fly.
You know how Chavis likes to take a Safety and then bring them down to the WLB position so he can have a guy who runs with WRs and RBs while sacrificing size to TEs? That's not going to be an issue for the next few seasons with this group.
IMO, the biggest surprise has been the emergence of Jalen Mills. The true freshman, once thought to be too small and a year away from serious playing time has locked down the posotion opposite Tharold Simon and not because no one else stepped up. Collins performed well in Spring and Fall Camp, but Mills has performed better. This is the weak link of the LSU secondary, but that doesn't mean it's weak.
The emergence of Mills and Collins however should not overshadow the emergence of Thomas and Raymond. LSU will continue their reign as DBU, although this will be a slightly down year if only because of the loss of Top 10 Draft Pick Mo Claiborne and Heisman Contender Tyrann Mathieu. It's still pretty well stocked, just inexperienced. It was just a short time ago that Claiborne converted from receiver and a gangly freshman Simon was running stride for stride with the best WR in the SEC to seal a win over Bama.
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SS: Craig Loston, Ronald Martin
SS: Craig Loston, Micah Eugene, Corey Thompson
FS: Eric Reid, Micah Eugene
FS: Eric Reid, Ronald Martin
My educated guess with the movement of Micah Eugene to SS and Martin to FS falls back to the unreliability of Craig Loston. His tenure at LSU has been just as disappointing as his cousin's on offense. He had issues not taking the playbook seriously followed by a season of being knicked up. He's fully healthy and has grown up so we're hoping that we'll se what those 5-stars were all about when he left high school. If he falters Micah Eugene will be there to fill the hole. Eugene already figures to fill in for Nickle where Mathieu excelled. If Loston does disappoint, you'll see a lot more of Thompson's big hits as well.
Eris Reid is arguably the best Safety in the country. The very talented Ronald Martin would do well by studying his every move because he's going to have a chance to fill Reid's shoes next year after Eric is selected in the top 5 of the NFL Draft.
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Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies. ~ Nietzsche
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