Five Tigers to Keep Tabs on During LSU Football Fall Camp

The Bayou Bengals are less than 24 hours away from hitting the practice field, newcomers ready to make an impression.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Liberty Flames wide receiver CJ Daniels (4) attempts to catch a pass as Oregon Ducks defensive back Evan Williams (33) defends him in the first quarter of the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

LSU football is right around the corner with Brian Kelly's program taking the field on Thursday, August 1st for Fall Camp practice No. 1.

It'll be a new-look for the Tigers out on the field with a revamped defensive staff along with a myriad of fresh faces putting on the purple and gold for their first Fall Camp with the program.

Kelly enters Year 3 in Baton Rouge with expectations higher than ever. He has a track record of success in his third season with a program and this year will be no different.

With newcomers ready to make an immediate impact, preseason camp will tell the story on the trust level the coaching staff has in them.

Who can be the go-to guys for the Tigers in 2024? Who will LSU Tigers On SI be keeping tabs on during Fall Camp?

Five Players to Keep Eyes On:

CJ Daniels: Wide Receiver (Liberty Transfer)

LSU brought in former Liberty star CJ Daniels to come in and take on an expanded role for the Tigers in 2024.

Daniels has showcased his skill set as a vertical threat during his time in college, and now in Baton Rouge, he'll have the perfect quarterback to match his game in Garrett Nussmeier.

The Bayou Bengals will fall back on Kyren Lacy to be LSU's WR1, but expect Daniels to become a significant contributor in the wide receiver room.

Daniels tallied 55 catches for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2023 season for the Flames on his way to a breakout season with Liberty last fall.

In four years, Daniels has logged 106 catches for 1,954 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Before the 2023 season, his previous high in receiving yards was 2021 when he caught 37 passes for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. He'a also taken reps as a punt returner as well during his time with Liberty.

Jardin Gilbert: Safety (Texas A&M Transfer)

The LSU secondary has been incredibly disappointing over the last few seasons, but after making a few tweaks in the defensive backfield, the Tigers are eying growth here.

A player that has the chance to be impactful will be Texas A&M transfer Jardin Gilbert after making his way back to Louisiana.

The Bayou State native will lace up his cleats for the hometown program in 2024 with an opportunity to take on starting safety duties for LSU.

Kelly's program will have an upgrade at safety this season with Gilbert and Sage Ryan looking to take on first-team snaps.

After Major Burns and Andre Sam struggled in 2023, it's imperative Gilbert and Ryan provide the Tigers with a much needed spark in the secondary.

Burns will handle reps at the STAR position in 2024 under Blake Baker's new scheme.

With a first team defensive backfield [during spring camp] consisting of PJ Woodland and Ashton Stamps in the cornerbacks slots alongside Major Burns (STAR) and Sage Ryan/Jardin Gilbert at safety, there's room for growth in 2024.

PJ Woodland: Freshman Cornerback

One of the new faces in the cornerback room is true freshman PJ Woodland with the youngster already turning heads after skyrocketing up the depth chart during his first spring in Baton Rouge.

Woodland, a Mississippi native who enrolled early in January, took first-team reps during spring football on the opposite side of sophomore cornerback Ashton Stamps.

It's no surprise that Woodland is impressing so early. Ask defensive coordinator Blake Baker who summed it up best during the spring:

“Competitiveness. PJ Woodland is a competitor,” Baker said of Woodland.“He’s feisty, he’s physical, and he can run. More than anything, for a freshman, we’ve thrown him out there with the ones some and thrown him out there against our top receivers and he competes. That’s where it starts, but he has the physical tools. He has long levers, he’s physical and he can run, so I’ve been impressed with him. It wasn’t easy. Those first three days before spring break I guarantee you he was saying ‘what in the world did I do coming here early?’ but he’s been really impressive these last few days.”

Woodland will continue putting on size after checking in at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds once on campus, but the physicality and intangibles are certainly there. He's feisty as Baker said and continues taking that next step in a cornerback room that has players pushing for first team reps.

For most of spring practice, it was Stamps and Javien Toviano who handled the starting reps, but towards the end of camp, Woodland continued making a name for himself after earning first-team reps of his own alongside Stamps. Toviano took second-team reps to close out spring ball.

It's a different scheme than a season ago. LSU will work in a press coverage set for the most part under Baker and cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond where it allows the Tigers to be more physical.

“It’s based on personnel,” Baker said of playing press man. “If you got two guys you can put out there on an island it makes life a lot easier as a defensive coordinator. It comes down to who you have personnel wise, then really trying to present the same picture to the quarterback and the defensive coordinator pre-snap and giving those guys an opportunity to not have to sit there and play press man every single snap because it does get tiring. We’re going to play a lot of man, but I also know we’re going to do what’s best for our guys back there as well.”

Now, the four-star cornerback has an opportunity to start as a true freshman in Baton Rouge as he continues shining during the offseason.

As it stands right now, Woodland and Stamps are the first-team cornerbacks with Fall Camp vastly approaching in early August.

Zavion Thomas: Wide Receiver/Return Specialist (Mississippi State Transfer)

All eyes will turn to Mississippi State transfer Zavion Thomas to become a key contributor for the Tigers as both a return specialist and wide receiver.

Thomas racked up 503 yards on 40 receptions for the Bulldogs in 2023 after being the go-to guy on several occasions in Starkville.

Now, he enters an LSU offense that has an embarrassment of riches in the receiving corps with Thomas alongside Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels and Chris Hilton, among others.

While Thomas won't be expected to carry as much weight offensively, the hope is for his bread and butter to be as a return specialist.

LSU has struggled in this area significantly over the last two seasons and his impact as a punt returner specifically is of the utmost importance.

When circling potential X-factors in 2024, Thomas is certainly at the top of the list.

Dominick McKinley: Five-Star Freshman Defensive Tackle

For Kelly and defensive line coach Bo Davis, the addition of McKinley quickly became a critical move due to lack of depth within the interior defensive line.

The top prospect in the Bayou State has turned heads during his first few weeks with the program and his work in the weight room throughout the spring has paid off.

The freshman phenom hovered around the 275-285 pound range during his senior year of high school with Acadiana (La.), but has bulked up significantly this offseason.

McKinley is now listed at 6-foot-6, 316 pounds heading into his first season with the Bayou Bengals.

It's plain and simple: McKinley is expected to take snaps during his first season in Baton Rouge due to depth issues and the Tigers have been pleased with his development so far.

He hit the weight room with force during the spring on his own and carried his momentum once enrolling at LSU during the summer.

According to a source, McKinley has been impressive this offseason and is gelling with his teammates quickly.

The transition to SEC ball is challenging for any position group, but when it comes to the defensive line, it's a significant adjustment.

For McKinley, he'll be expected to take significant snaps down the stretch of the season.

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