Brian Kelly Talks Progression of LSU Program, Florida State Matchup

Kelly seeing growth from a number of position groups, Tigers trending in right direction for season opener

Head coach Brian Kelly is on a mission to get this program in check. From a preparation standpoint, the Tigers are trending in the right direction and this coaching staff has seen tremendous growth.

As fall camp winds down, the focus begins to shift to the season opener and getting ready for Florida State. On Tuesday, Kelly felt this squad is finally in a rhythm and in the right mindset for this upcoming season.

“Today was our best day in terms of playing with speed, practicing with a purpose,” Kelly said. “You got the sense today that they were getting ready to play a game. It was clean, efficient… You had defensive linemen running across the field pursuing the football, it just didn’t feel like a check the box camp day. They did it in the manner that I like to see practice being run.”

Related: Brian Kelly Gives Timeline on Naming Starting QB 

With a fresh coaching staff means nothing is given to anybody. It’s a position battle at virtually every spot, making this offseason one of the more mentally challenging offseason’s this program will face.

Whether it be the quarterbacks or the cornerbacks, we’ve seen some competition bring out the best in everyone. An emerging starter has been McNeese State transfer Colby Richardson. Kelly has spoken on Richardson’s growth as a player just about every time we’ve spoken to him.

Coming into camp at 167 pounds, he put on 20 pounds of muscle, taking advantage of the weight room and nutritional perks this LSU program has. Kelly spoke on Richardson’s approach to attacking the offseason, but was very complimentary of this entire squad as a whole, feeling as though this program is headed in the right direction from a physical standpoint.

Related: Former LSU RB Ty Davis-Price Standing Out During Preseason 

“I expect us to be in a really good position physically, it’s gone really well, knock on wood, where we haven’t had any major injuries,” Kelly said. “We’ve been very intentional about them being fresh so all signs point to being on the right path towards preparation what it needs to be for Florida State.”

Less than two weeks away from the season opener and fall camp nearing the finish line, the Tigers are beginning to look the part. Coming into the offseason with concern regarding the depth of a few positions, Kelly and his coaching staff have seen growth in a number of key spots.

“We are who we are, there’s nobody else coming through the doors,” Kelly said. “This is the team we have and I like their development so I would say we’re on schedule for the preparation part and we’re moving towards really focusing on our opponent Florida State here in the next couple of days.”