LSU Country

The Availability Report: LSU Football Returns Key Players to Positions of Need

Brian Kelly and the Tigers wrapped up Day 2 of camp on Friday, eyeing growth during August.

Zack Nagy

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Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers continue working through Fall Camp with several players returning to the practice field on Friday.

With a pair of players rehabbing torn ACL's and another being reinstated by the university, LSU was near 100% attendance on Day 2 of Fall Camp.

The Availability Report:

Javien Toviano: Cornerback

Toviano returned to the practice field on Thursday for Day 1 of Fall Camp but did not participate in any drills with the team.

On Friday, he got back in the mix with the defensive backs after utilizing Day 1 to get acclimated with the Tigers' program.

Toviano returned from a suspension following an arrest on July 21st with Brian Kelly confirming the University has reinstated the second-year Tiger.

"Javien [Toviano] has been reinstated by the university,” Kelly said following Thursday’s first practice. “He is back in football activities. We will get him going again and back in the mix. He will be a competitive player for us. He played for us last year (as a freshman). We will get him going as he works through his legal matters.”

Zy Alexander: Cornerback

Alexander was alongside Toviano on the sidelines on Thursday. After spending the summer to rehab a torn ACL suffered during the 2023 season, the second-year Tiger got back on the field on Friday as a participant.

He's a full go for LSU as he locks in on earning a starting cornerback role alongside who many expect to be Ashton Stamps.

"He’s been cleared for everything,” Kelly said of Alexander. “But when you have a knee, you need to experience some things like getting tripped up in the hole and cutting off of it and feeling the scar tissue and going ‘Oh my goodness, that’s what that feels like.’

“So he’s full-go, but he’s in that process of getting back into football activities and that sometimes takes some time before you feel real comfortable.”

John Emery: Running Back

Emery also suffered a torn ACL in 2023, and after taking the offseason to rehab, he's back with the program.

He took a few reps with the first-team on Friday and looked twitchy with the ability to cut on several occasions. Emery worked out of the backfield while carrying the ball as well as catching passes on screen routes.

“Talking to (running backs coach) Frank (Wilson), we wanted to do two things,” Kelly said. “We wanted to put John in a position where the reps mattered and mattered in the sense of he had to cut, he had to be stressed.

“He’s cleared, so we wanted every rep that he got to be, maybe this is a bad analogy, but a high-leverage rep, if you will. We didn’t want him out there, you know, just blocking or taking a rep that didn’t force him to put his foot in the ground and accelerate. We want to really stress him in the sense of making sure he feels great with that knee, because if he feels great, he’s fearless.”

Absentees:

- Shelton Sampson: Wide Receiver

- Bradyn Swinson: EDGE

- Jalen Lee: DT

Sampson was the only absentee due to medical reasonings. After reeling in a pair of heavily contested passes on day one, he hit his head on the ground following the second reception. The Tigers are being cautious by holding him out after he was shaken up on Thursday.

Both Swinson and Lee have excused absences as they work towards earning their LSU degrees with graduation in the coming weeks.

LSU will return to the practice fields on Saturday for Day 3 of Fall Camp before going with full pads next week.

LSU Tigers On SI will have the latest on the Bayou Bengals and their progression through Fall Camp as they gear up for Week 1 against the USC Trojans.

More LSU News:

Flip Watch: LSU Surging for South Carolina Linebacker Commit

Recruiting: The Latest on the No. 1 Safety in America, Jonah Williams

Recruits React: LSU Hosts Top Talent for Annual Bayou Splash Event

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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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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