Practice Report: Day 19 of Fall Camp

Colby Richardson continues to get run with the first-team, offensive line rotations switch up

LSU wrapped up Day 19 of fall camp in style as they went through the motions in Tiger Stadium. The Bayou Bengals have looked sharp in their offensive sets, ramping up the pace and gaining more continuity between the offensive line and skill position players.

On Saturday, the coaching staff continued giving balanced reps to both Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. Daniels led the way with a majority of snaps, but Nussmeier took most first team reps during the hurry up drills.

Here are a few takeaways from today’s practice:

Quarterbacks

This battle isn’t finished just yet. Head coach Brian Kelly and his coaching staff are certainly evaluating every situation when it comes to determining a starting quarterback. At the start of the media viewing, Daniels took significant first team reps, but as hurry up drills went on, Nussmeier led the way from a volume perspective.

They’re definitely keeping it balanced with opportunities for the two of them. Kelly has said in the past he will not run a two-quarterback system, but it appears as though there’s a chance both of them see the field this year regardless of who is determined the starter.

An important piece to Saturday’s practice was the ball placement of Daniels. Hitting Kyren Lacy for a 40-yard pass, the Arizona State transfer showed his touch at times, connecting on a few deep balls today.

This battle is clearly hitting the finish line with Kelly and his staff getting their final look at the two signal-callers who have both looked sharp all of camp.

Kelly spoke on the quarterback decision timeline earlier this week.

Related: Kelly Gives Timeline on Naming Starting QB

Malik Nabers/Jack Bech

Nabers didn’t participate in many drills today. The sophomore wide receiver was sidelined for the entirety of the media viewing, sitting back and conversing with Coach Cortez Hankton.

It doesn’t seem like much to worry about, but certainly something to monitor as the season opener vastly approaches.

A good sign today was Jack Bech looking like he’s finally getting back to his normal ways after battling shin splints most of fall camp. The sophomore wideout took a majority of his reps with the one’s.

This receiver room is deep, but continuing to monitor Nabers and Bech’s health will be of the utmost importance this week. With Bech looking the part and Nabers looking like he’s nursing a minor injury, it doesn’t appear to be a significant worry.

Kelly spoke on the growth of Nabers through much of camp. 

Related: State of LSU WR Room, Malik Nabers Shining 

Offensive Line

The first-team rotation from today:

LT: Will Campbell

LG: Miles Frazier

C: Garrett Dellinger

RG: Anthony Bradford

RT: Cam Wire

Kelly and his staff will continue exploring rotations as they head into game week, but it isn’t a concern. Depth has emerged with this position group as they look to find the rotation that gels best together. Look for Tre’Mond Shorts to contribute significantly this season too.

Coach Kelly has spoken of the offensive line variations through much of camp.

Related: Colby Richardson Standing Out During Fall Camp 

Cornerbacks

Colby Richardson remained the first-team cornerback for the Tigers. The emergence of the McNeese State transfer has been a pleasant surprise, gaining praise from this entire coaching staff throughout much of camp.

The secondary has shown depth over the last few weeks with Major Burns and Sage Ryan coming together towards the backend of camp.

Look for Richardson and Jarrick Bernard-Converse to be a lethal one-two punch in the secondary with a number of guys contributing with this position group.

Related: LSU Commit Jaxon Howard Signs Major NIL Deal 

Final Notes

Saturday was the final media viewing for fall camp as we transition to game week. The next opportunity to speak with Coach Kelly will be Monday where we get a better understanding of this depth chart.

The Tigers look like they will play a mix of guys to get the season rolling. As they try to find their best rotations and get a better chance of evaluating players in an in-game situation, rotations will be key this season.