LSU Safety Grant Delpit Goes Through Individual Drills Thursday, Still Expected to Play

Orgeron said staff will monitor Delpit's condition over the next 48 hours

LSU junior safety Grant Delpit went through individual drills during Thursday's practice according to coach Ed Orgeron, with the expectation that he'll be ready to play on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

Delpit hadn't practiced in nearly two weeks but the light work he did Thursday was an encouraging sign for the coaching staff. 

"We still have 48 hours to go, we still feel that he's going to play," Orgeron said. "He's done a lot of rehab and was running around today, felt well, but we didn't push him too hard."

The plan behind Delpit, should he not be able to play, will consist of some combination of JaCoby Stevens and Kary Vincent. LSU likes to go with a lot of three safety looks on defense and Orgeron said there is a plan in place for a third safety but wouldn't go into detail.

"We have a contingency plan of putting more guys in there if that doesn't work but we plan on Grant playing," Orgeron said. 

One of the big keys, at least defensively for LSU this week, is to capitalize on open field tackling and not letting the Alabama receivers run ragged all over the field. Orgeron said the team has been working on those drills all week and will continue to do so before Saturday's game.

"Out whole goal is to keep the ball in front of us," Orgeron said. "Perimeter drills, all the speed sweeps, all the RPO's, our guys have worked on."

Orgeron believes at the end of the day, Saturday will come down to which team will handle the poise, takes care of the ball and that executes the best.

"The margin of error is very slim," Orgeron said. "We're focusing more on poise, execution, character and being physical."