Three Players to Watch: No. 17 LSU Football vs Missouri

How will Logan look in first action of season? Can Emery establish himself as a lead back?

LSU returns to Baton Rouge for week three riding some serious momentum and will likely be at full strength when it heads off to Missouri. 

Here are three players we'll be paying close attention to on Saturday as LSU looks to maintain and build on the momentum gained from last week's performance. The going gets extremely tough after this weekend with No. 3 Florida lying in wait.

"Winning makes you feel good, makes you confident. You've always got to look at your competition, and we all know that the competition is going to be a lot stiffer coming down the road very fast," Ed Orgeron said Monday. "So I'm always looking at competing at the highest level in the SEC and where we're at in order to compete at the highest level. We've still got a ways to go.

John Emery (RB)

LSU will be getting sophomore Chris Curry back this weekend to add a wrinkle to the running back dispersity. But Emery will be the player to follow on offense this weekend. 

The Tigers' sophomore back put together a career outing against Vanderbilt on Saturday and is deserving of a similar workload against Missouri. His 102-yard performance on an efficient 12 carries is a giant step in the right direction as LSU searches for a potential standout in its backfield. Ed Orgeron's opinion on the running back room hasn't wavered as he considers all three backs to be equal and will all earn an equal share of touches this weekend.

But a second straight standout game out of Emery might have to make Orgeron readjust his thinking. 

"It took him a little while for him to come. It's just like any other freshman. Everyone grows at their own pace. John is a terrific young man, a confident young man, hard working," Orgeron said. "Like I said Saturday night, he's gotten bigger and stronger in the weight room. I think Kevin Faulk has done a tremendous job with his development. He knows his plays. He hangs onto the football, and he's very eager."

Jontre Kirklin (WR)

This offseason, not much was known about who would step up in that No. 3 receiver role with Justin Jefferson heading to the NFL. But when Ja'Marr Chase elected to opt out of the 2020 season, it opened a door to allow even more depth at the receiver unit. 

One of the beneficiaries through two weeks of the season has been the senior Kirklin, who's coming off a career day that included four receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including this trick play that fans and teammates alike enjoyed.

The FLEA FLICKER
Two toes in for the TD!

📺https://t.co/sts0sl1u9y pic.twitter.com/enoqBc4DC9

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 4, 2020

Jaray Jenkins, Kayshon Boutte and Racey McMath have all had moments but none looked more electric than Kirklin on Saturday night. He has built a strong rapport with quarterback Myles Brennan over the last few years as both were second team players in the past and that chemistry was shown against Vanderbilt. 

"We always had that chemistry," Kirklin said. "Always knowing how I'm going to get in and out of my routes, throwing the ball certain ways. All these years I was at receiver, we gained a good chemistry."

He's deserving of a closer look and will likely get more snaps this weekend against Missouri as a potential x-factor player for the rest of the season.

Glen Logan (DT)

Saturday will be the first opportunity to see the senior Logan in action after a two game absence for undisclosed reasons. Orgeron said Logan will draw the start as well after practicing with the team the last two weeks. 

Logan's addition adds another body to a defensive front that has been the highlight of the defense thus far. LSU has received solid production from Ali Gaye, Andre Anthony, Neil Farrell, Joseph Evans and Siaki Ika this season and Logan's return to the lineup adds another big body to account for.

"He's ready to go. I'll tell you, it's going to get a little tight there. He's going to have competition because Joe Evans is playing well, Neil Farrell is playing well," Orgeron said. "Ika had a sack, and then Jaquelin Roy is coming along. Jaquelin is probably the most athletic with the biggest upside of any of them, and he's only a freshman."

Defensive end Ali Gaye said that Logan's return to the front lines will be a welcomed addition to the Tigers' defense that has put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks two weeks into the season. 

"It's a big deal getting him back this week because he's a key piece to this d-line," Gaye said. "He's one of the vocal guys and he's one of our leaders. He's going to bring a lot of energy and motivation to the guys because we all look up to him."