LSU Country

Notebook: Brian Kelly Talks Jayden Daniels' Confidence, Recruiting Strategy

Kelly previews this weekend's matchup against Alabama, talks his quarterback's level of confidence heading into this one.

Zack Nagy

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Brian Kelly and Nick Saban have faced off a few times, but Saturday night will be the first of many matchups as SEC foes. The hype surrounding this game goes without saying and the Tigers have the chance to prove their rebuilding process is ahead of schedule.

Kelly addressed the media Monday afternoon to preview the matchup, talk about his offense and detail the recruiting aspect of things ahead of this weekend.

Here’s what LSU’s decision-maker had to say:

Bryce Young’s Ability to “Improvise”

The Tigers have struggled to contain quarterbacks who can extend plays with their legs. Starting sluggish against Auburn and Florida, it was their mobility under center that exploited this defense.

But LSU has shown growth since then and it’s imperative they stay on that same trajectory against Alabama this weekend.

Kelly detailed what makes Young so special and what this defense must do to slow him down.

READ MORE: An Early Look at LSU-Alabama, Things to Know

“It’s making sure you don’t allow big plays. You have to stay in coverage,” Kelly said. “If he scrambles for a few yards here or there, that’s gonna happen within the structure of the defense, but it’s coming out of coverage and losing your eyes and not staying disciplined.”

“You have to tackle it when you have opportunities. He breaks down your defense when he scrambles and he’s so intuitive, but what we’re more concerned with is turning smaller plays into larger plays.”

Jayden Daniels Gaining Confidence

We’ve seen Jayden Daniels explode into one of the conference's most lethal dual-threat quarterbacks, but the job isn’t finished. LSU’s signal caller is only scratching the surface.

A growing relationship with his receivers, while instilling trust, has seen this offense takeoff and Kelly feels there’ more to come, but for now, his growth has been impressive.

READ MORE: Importance of LSU-Alabama Matchup, SEC West on the Line 

“There’s much more of an understanding of where they’re going to be and what they’re doing and he doesn’t need to look them down," Kelly said. "He was waiting for those receivers, but now he can get the ball out of his hands without the receiver out of his break. They’re starting to have that relationship that wasn’t available to us early in the year.”

Recruiting Tactics

Kelly has spoken of this recruiting staff’s plan to lock down the state of Louisiana, but knows it’s an impossible task and there will always be a few who get away. We’ve seen this staff reel in a few of the state’s top guys in Year 1 and it’s only the beginning.

“This adage of locking down the borders is like being a lockdown corner,” Kelly said. “You know, there are no lockdown corners, okay? There are good corners, and there are corners that are elite. We can be elite in the state of Louisiana, and that's what we need to do. I think you start there.”

READ MORE: Five-Star Cornerback Desmond Ricks Sets Official Visit 

This weekend will be a major stretch on the recruiting trail. A visitors list that is only getting stronger, LSU has the chance to show out in front of blue-chip prospects from all over the country who are making the trip down to Baton Rouge. 

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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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