LSU Country

LSU Practice Notes: The Takeaways from Day 2 of Fall Camp

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers returned to the practice fields for Day 2 of camp, emphasis on special teams.

Zack Nagy

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LSU football hit the practice fields on Friday for day two of Fall Camp with the Tigers beginning indoors before making their way to the outdoor fields for the back half of practice.

The Bayou Bengals immediately went into punt coverage and punt return work with a position battle emerging on special teams.

Veteran Peyton Todd and Louisiana Tech transfer Blake Ochsendorf will be the pair of Tigers battling it out through Fall Camp to earn starting duties at punter come LSU's Week 1 showdown against the USC Trojans.

Todd had an underwhelming Spring Camp with LSU electing to hit the portal; adding Ochsendorf to the roster.

On Friday, it was Ochsendorf who had a better day. It was a small sample size, but he certainly had more hang time and distance than Todd during the short media viewing.

The media was granted 20 minutes of access on Friday morning. Here's what LSU Tigers On SI gathered.

The Takeaways From Day 2:

LSU Working in Several Punt Returners

The Tigers are working out four players as punt returners during fall camp: Zavion Thomas, Aaron Anderson, Kyle Parker and Jelani Watkins.

Thomas, an All-Conference return man, has the upper leg here in the competition and all signs point to him earning starting duties come Week 1 against USC.

But there are a trio of others working for key reps as return specialists, including true freshman Jelani Watkins. The speedster out of Texas will be a fun player to keep tabs on due to his acceleration and twitchiness with the ball in his hands.

On Friday, there were zero muffs from the returners. Certainly, there is a difference between practice work and fielding punts during a live game, but it was a positive sign from the special teams unit during Day 2 of Fall Camp.

Kyren Lacy and Chris Hilton Jr. Handling Business

Kyren Lacy will be LSU's WR1 in 2024 with Kelly and the staff impressed with his maturity off the field this summer, but his production on the field will be a piece to keep tabs on. Through two days, he has recorded zero drops in live work.

Along with Lacy recording zero drops, we are yet to see one from Chris Hilton, who has emerged as a starting receiver for the Tigers this offseason.

It's a positive sign for LSU. With both Hilton and Lacy alongside Liberty transfer CJ Daniels, a player who recorded over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns last season, the wide receivers are in good hands in 2024.

Ashton Stamps Can Be Pencilled In

LSU sophomore cornerback Ashton Stamps can be pencilled in as a starter in 2024 at the boundary corner position. He's bulked up to 190 pounds and has been sharp throughout the offseason.

He worked as the first-team cornerback during spring camp and carried his momentum into both summer workouts and Fall Camp. He hasn't skipped a beat and has virtually locked in one of the two starting spots.

Stamps laid out for an impressive interception on Day 1 of Camp and has all the makings of becoming LSU's top corner in 2024.

Others battling for starting spots at cornerback are PJ Woodland, Zy Alexander, Sage Ryan, Javien Toviano and JK Johnson, among others.

Defensive Back Battle

The secondary will be a unit that has the attention of many for the rest of Fall Camp with a variation of rotations in the mix.

The first-team defensive backs on Thursday included Ashton Stamps (CB), Sage Ryan (CB), Major Burns (STAR), Jardin Gilbert (S) and Jordan Allen (S).

These five players are working as the first-team out the gate, but they will be pushed over the next few weeks leading up to Week 1 of the regular season.

The second-team is: PJ Woodland (CB), JK Johnson (CB), Ju'Juan Johnson (STAR), Kylin Jackson (S) and DaShawn Spears (S).

The progression of Spears will be one to watch. Spears and fellow freshman PJ Woodland will be pushing for key reps in 2024 with the youngsters asserting themselves throughout the offseason.

LSU will be in full pads next week with rotations beginning to emerge for the second week of preseason practice.

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Zack Nagy

ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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