The Availability Report: LSU Football Trending in the Right Direction

The LSU Tigers are near full strength halfway through Fall Camp, several key players trending in the right direction.

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are halfway through Fall Camp with the program remaining healthy through the first two weeks of preseason practice.

Aside from a minor injury here and there, the Bayou Bengals have been trending in the right direction after 11 practices.

Both Zy Alexander and John Emery continue participating in practice following torn ACL's during the 2023 season. How is their progression?

The LSU Availability Report:

Jacobian Guillory: Defensive Tackle

LSU defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory suffered a left knee injury during Tuesday's Fall Camp practice that sidelined him for a majority of Day 10. He was working with trainers, being evaluated and ultimately worked through the back half of the day on the bike with his helmet off.

On Wednesday, Guillory returned to the practice field as a full participant with no limitations. He was fiery during 11v11 and looked the part for the Tigers. With a lack of depth in the trenches, Guillory is a player the program cannot afford to lose in 2024.

Jelani Watkins: Wide Receiver

LSU wide receiver Jelani Watkins has a sprained foot and sprained ankle. He suffered the injury on Tuesday and was on crutches with a boot on his foot for Wednesday's practice.

Watkins landed wrong during a 2v2 drill where he was immediately wincing in pain with trainers pulling him off to the side for the rest of the day. It doesn't appear it'll be a long-term injury with the staff hoping to have him back sooner rather than later.

Javien Toviano: Cornerback

Toviano returned to the program for Fall Camp after an off-the-field matter this offseason. The return comes after 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 LSU's first practice of camp. “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.”

Now, he's working in the mix at the STAR role for the Tigers.

Zy Alexander: Cornerback

Alexander remains limited during Fall Camp; specifically in the 7v7 and 11v11 portions of preseason practice.

After spending the summer rehabbing a torn ACL suffered during the 2023 season, the second-year Tiger is back on the field as a participant, but it's clear the program is taking it slow.

Alexander is not in the two-deep in the cornerback room, but as he continues getting his feet underneath him, we could see the second-year Tiger climb up the depth chart.

"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's taken a few reps with the first-team during camp and looks 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.

But it's evident the knee is still bothering him. He's been sidelined three times during camp to this point with trainers working on the knee he had recent surgery on. Emery is getting significant snaps during camp, but building back up to 100% is key.

“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.”

More LSU News:

Fall Camp Week 3 Preview: Storylines, Position Battles and Depth Chart Predictions

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

The Eye-Catchers: Who's Standing Out During Fall Camp?

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