The Depth Chart Projections: LSU Football vs. Baylor Bears in the Texas Bowl

Garrett Nussmeier set to take the field for the Tigers, looking to capture victory No. 9 on the season.

Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) reacts to throwing a touchdown pass against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will square off against the Baylor Bears on Tuesday afternoon in the Texas Bowl with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT in NRG Stadium.

Kelly and Co. will be in search of victory No. 9 on the season with the program buying into what the staff is selling for the season finale.

“We will have a very competitive football team that will go out and represent LSU in a manner that we expect,” Kelly said. “They are excited. When you have great morale, you have guys that are committed and will play hard for LSU. You want a team that will go out and compete their tail off, and this team will.”

What will the depth chart look like on Tuesday afternoon in Houston (Tex.)? Which rotations can we expect to see in NRG Stadium?

A look into both the depth charts on offense and defense.

The Projections: Offense Edition

Quarterback

Starter: Garrett Nussmeier
Backup: Colin Hurley

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier revealed in December that he will be returning to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

The Lake Charles native bypassed the 2025 NFL Draft where he had the chance to be a Top-5 quarterback taken in April.

Instead, he'll return to LSU for his final season of eligibility under Brian Kelly.

It's a monumental decision for Nussmeier with the Tigers retaining their cornerstone to the program for one more season.

“This year was a huge growth year for me,” Nussmeier said after the Oklahoma game. “I said in September I hoped I would be a better player by the end of the year than I was then and I think that has proven to be true. Our team got better throughout the year and there were things we had to fix and we improved. I’m happy for us and our team and for me personally, I continued to grow my game and I look forward to continuing to do that into the offseason.”

True freshman Colin Hurley will backup Nussmeier with both AJ Swann and Rickie Collins entering the NCAA Transferr Portal. Swann remains with the team, but once bowl duties are completed, he'll be exploring other options.

Running Back

Starter: Josh Williams
Backups: Caden Durham, Kaleb Jackson

LSU running back Josh Williams will suit up in the purple and gold for the final time on Dec. 31 in the program's season finale against the Baylor Bears.

In what will be the final game of Williams' six-year career with the Tigers, he will play in his hometown of Houston in the Texas Bowl.

It's been a ride for the veteran, but one that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

"I chose to play in the bowl game because it's the last time I'll ever be able to play as an LSU Tiger and I want to go out with a bang. LSU means so much to be it's almost indescribable.

"I've been here for six years. I've learned a lot. I've played a lot of football and met some people and friends that I'll cherish for the rest of my life... I believe that my commitment to LSU, staying here throughout the ups and downs, from a National Championship to COVID, to getting a chance to actually play on offense... It's forever LSU for me and I love it."

Expect him to get significant run in his final showdown with Durham working as the RB2.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Aaron Anderson, Zavion Thomas and Chris Hilton Jr.
Backups: Jelani Watkins, Kylan Billiot and Javen Nicholas

LSU will be without starters Kyren Lacy and CJ Daniels on Tuesday afternoon with Lacy off to the 2025 NFL Draft and Daniels transferring to Miami.

That leaves returning contributors Aaron Anderson, Zavion Thomas and Chris Hilton Jr. as the pieces heading into the Texas Bowl clash against Baylor.

The key piece will be watching the WR4 spot. Will LSU split reps with true freshmen Kylan Billiot and Jelani Watkins? This will be an intriguing spot to monitor.

Tight End

Starter: Trey'Dez Green
Backup: Bo Bordelon

The lone returning piece in the LSU tight end room will be current true freshman Trey'Dez Green.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder was utilized in a myriad of ways during his first season with the program as both a tight end and wideout, but moving forward, appears his bread and butter will be at the tight end role.

“The end line blocking is probably the area that we are most impressed with,” Kelly said of Green’s development during bowl preparation. “His want to and willingness to go in there and do some of the tough jobs. We are pretty excited about what’s he’s doing, how he’s doing and his demeanor because that’s an easy job to turn down and he’s been great.”

Green finished his first season in the purple and gold with seven receptions for 48 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He will be the lone tight end on LSU's roster during the Dec. 31 bowl matchup against the Baylor Bears.

At TE2, LSU could look to use Bordelon in blocking sets. He's worn the No. 89 jersey at times in blocking situations and the Tigers could fall back on him on Tuesday.

Offensive Line

Starters: LT Tyree Adams, LG Paul Mubenga, C DJ Chester, RG Bo Bordelon and RT Miles Frazier
Backups: Weston Davis, Ethan Calloway, Coen Echols and Ory Williams

This is where it will get interesting for the Tigers with the program set to be without a trio of starters from the 2024 season with Will Campbell, Emery Jones and Garrett Dellinger opting out.

We've seen Adams, Mubenga, Chester, Bordelon and Frazier getting run during bowl practices, but could Kelly shake things up? This will be a spot of intrigue.

At the backup slot, Kelly has already said Bordelon and Echols will rotate at the right guard spot. Who else could we see the Tigers go to? Stay tuned to see which offensive line rotations the staff uses to protect Nussmeier on Tuesday.

The Projections: Defense Edition

Defensive Ends

Starters: Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones
Backups: Gabe Reliford and Dylan Carpenter

Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones have been the one-two punch on the outside that the program has fallen back on this season. Swinson has been a key contributor with the senior ready to lay it all on the line in his final showdown as a Tiger.

Swinson, who wreaked havoc in 2024, will not opt out and has committed to suiting up for the program on Dec. 31 in the season finale.

"The opportunity to play one final game for LSU is amazing," Swinson said. "Just to be able to represent LSU, the three letters on that helmet and the greats that came before me. Any opportunity you get to put a helmet on and play football, you take that chance.

"I want to finish out the season with my brothers."

The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder tallied 54 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles this season.

At the backup slots, it's been both Reliford and Carpenter handling most of the reps. Look for Reliford to take on an expanded role.

Defensive Tackles

Starters: Gio Paez and Paris Shand
Backups: Ahmad Breaux and Dominick McKinley

Gio Paez and Paris Shand are two of multiple seniors opting into the bowl game as they look to cap off their careers in the purple and gold with a victory. The tandem has been effective inside, but Tuesday will also provide an opportunity for true freshmen Dominick McKinley and Ahmad Breaux to shine.

Linebackers

Starters: Whit Weeks, Greg Penn and Davhon Keys
Backups: Tylen Singleton and West Weeks

There shouldn't be any surprises at the second-level on Tuesday afternoon with senior Greg Penn opting in for the bowl game. He will be joined by Whit Weeks and Davhon Keys in the 4-3 scheme against Baylor.

LSU will also look to rotate in West Weeks at times given this game will not effect his eligibility. He is redshirting in 2024 in order to play with his youngest brother in 2025.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander
Backups: PJ Woodland and Michael Turner

LSU is razor thin at the cornerback position, but with senior Zy Alexander opting in to the bowl game, it gives the program its most effective piece in the secondary. He will be joined by Ashton Stamps as the first-team unit.

The limited backups will be PJ Woodland and Michael Turner on Tuesday with multiple defensive backs entering the NCAA Transfer Portal this month.

Safety

Starters: Javien Toviano and Jardin Gilbert
Backups: Dashawn Spears and Joel Rogers

The safety position group is also a thing spot heading into the bowl game with multiple players either opting out of the game or entering the portal in December. That leaves Jardin Gilbert as the lone starter for this program, but expect Javien Toviano to be a key contributor.

Toviano has played in multiple spots in the defensive backfield during his two seasons in Baton Rouge, but Kelly has confirmed that he will be playing safety moving forward and has seen first-team reps in December.

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

Join the Community:

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