Tiger Watch: Five LSU Players to Keep an Eye on vs Arkansas

Arkansas provides opportunity for an abundance of reps for the backups

LSU will be facing quite possibly the worst team in recent SEC memory when the 2-8 Razorbacks make their visit to Baton Rouge this weekend. The spread for Saturday’s game alone (43.5) is pretty eye-opening in its own right.

As a result, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Tigers jump out to a big lead early and decide to yank some, if not most of its starters. 

The No. 1 Tigers will be going against an Arkansas team fresh off a bye week with new interim coach Barry Lunney. LSU coach Ed Orgeron has experience of being an interim coach, remembering the player's fight hard for that coach and thinks Arkansas will give LSU its best shot.

"We're going to go into this game expecting a battle," Orgeron said. "But if we get into the game and we are winning by a certain amount, I'm taking guys out, I'm taking guys out as soon as I can."

Here are five freshmen and sophomores that could be in line for additional snaps this weekend.

Myles Brennan (sophomore quarterback)

Senior quarterback Joe Burrow seems like a prime candidate of a player that could have a short day at the office which means the team would turn the keys over to his backup, Brennan.

We haven't seen Brennan really get to display a lot this season as LSU has put him in mostly towards the end of blowout wins and run the ball the majority of the time. In 2019, Brennan has completed 17-of-29 passes for 216 yards and an interception.

If Burrow is pulled to start the second half, getting Brennan a half's worth of experience, even against an abysmal team like Arkansas, will be valuable for the sophomore. LSU has 2020 recruits TJ Finley and Max Johnson entering the program next season but it's widely believed Brennan is the man in waiting and will be given the first crack next season.

Following Joe Burrow, particularly after the season he's currently having, is no easy act to follow and getting Brennan as many gametime reps as possible Saturday should only help in his development.

All the starters must do is put away the Razorbacks early, something they were unable to do last week against Ole Miss.

John Emery (freshman running back)

Emery seems to have fallen out of favor in the LSU rotation as Clyde Edwards-Helaire and fellow freshman Tyrion Davis-Price have commanded the bulk of the reps over the last month of the season.

In fact, Emery has only seen four carries dating back to the 36-13 win over Mississippi State, three of which came against Ole Miss last weekend. Emery took those three carries 21 yards, a solid seven-yard average.

With Davis-Price missing most of practice this week and his status for Saturday's game somewhat in question, an opportunity may open up for Emery. If this game plays out like it should, Edwards-Helaire should be pulled from action early in the second half. 

While Orgeron said he expects Davis-Price to be 'game ready' for Saturday, maybe it wouldn't hurt throwing Emery out there to be on the safe side. It will be interesting to see how long the Tigers stick with all of its starters, especially if they can jump out to a big lead early.

Trey Palmer (freshman wide receiver)

It's been a while since we've seen Palmer out on the field for LSU and there's probably a good reason for it. The five-star freshman hasn't played a snap since the Tigers win over the Bulldogs and only has one catch for six yards. Palmer has shown off his punt return ability, scoring his lone touchdown on a 54-yard return against Northwestern State.

Palmer has appeared in six games for the Tigers this season which means he's not eligible for a redshirt freshman season any longer. He could be in line for a few snaps Saturday if LSU decides to trot out most of its freshmen for experience. 

A dynamic blend of size and speed, it would be great to see Palmer have a good game to build on heading into 2020, especially if Brennan is the one making the passes. 

Cordale Flott (freshman cornerback)

The health of junior safety Grant Delpit has controlled many of the headlines this weekend as fans are torn between sitting him out and letting him play, despite having a bum ankle that has clearly affected his movement.

Against Arkansas at least, resting Delpit seems to be a safe course of action, which would mean LSU would have to move forward with its plan of starting a freshman corner at deep safety.

Flott is someone who Orgeron said the team has moved to safety in case Delpit can't go. The freshman has played a few snaps at safety this year because of the lack of depth at the position behind Delpit and JaCoby Stevens.

"When we have to move corners to safety positions, we can't be as multiple as we want to be," Orgeron said.

How the freshman performs for a full game at a completely new position will be something to watch on Saturday.

Jay Ward (freshman cornerback) 

Ward is another freshman cornerback that has seen an increase in snaps over the last few weeks due to injuries in the secondary. With Flott having to make the switch to safety for the time being, there could be reps for Ward on Saturday if LSU decides to take senior Kristian Fulton out at any time.

Ward's stats are minimal as he only has three tackles and one pass breakup that came against the Bulldogs earlier this season. He's also tall and long, standing at 6-foot-2 and filled in nicely for Flott as the backup cornerback when Flott was injured for a one game stretch.

Saturday provides a great opportunity for Ward to make the most of any additional snaps he could see against the Razorbacks. 

Derek Stingley is the big freshman fish at cornerback for LSU this season but the Tigers were very high on Flott and Ward as well. Following Flott and Ward closely will be fun as it could provide a glimpse into the future of the LSU secondary.