Three Observations: The Takeaways From LSU Football's Spring Game

Garrett Nussmeier and Co. hit the field to showcase the new-look offense in Tiger Stadium, LSU wraps up spring camp.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier throws a pass during the LSU Tigers Spring Game at Tiger Stadium in / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

LSU wrapped up spring football on Saturday after the Bayou Bengals participated in their annual L-Club Spring Game in Tiger Stadium.

For Brian Kelly and his staff, it gave this program an opportunity to see the growth they have made over the last few weeks along with the non-negotiable improvements that must be critiqued before September's season opener against USC.

LSU will prepare for summer workouts before Fall Camp kicks off in August for this program to put the final touches on rotations and schemes.

During Saturday's Spring Game, there were significant takeaways from both sides of the ball, but Garrett Nussmeier's dominance with the the new-look offense was certainly impressive.

There Observations from Saturday's Spring Game:

Gabriel Reliford Dominates

The glaring takeaway from Saturday's spring game was the impressive performance from early-enrollee defensive lineman Gabriel Reliford. The youngster shined with the second-team, and although he didn't face LSU's first-team tackles in Will Campbell and Emery Jones, it was a big-time showing for him.

Reliford ended the day with a pair of sacks and several quarterback hurries for the LSU defense and proved he can be a key piece to this defense as an EDGE this fall. This offseason, Reliford was a guy who had question marks on whether he'd be an interior piece of defensive end, and it's now clear where he belongs: rushing the passer on the outside. The speed an twitchiness spoke for itself.

Rickie Collins is the QB2

Collins took the lead in the backup quarterback race on Saturday after outplaying Vanderbilt transfer AJ Swann with the second team. The redshirt freshman looked solid on Saturday and utilized his athleticism to his advantage.

For Swann, he struggled. It was glaring how off he was on his throws and didn't look as comfortable as Collins in the pocket. A player still learning the scheme, he'll utilize this offseason in a big way, but it's evident here that Collins took the lead for the backup spot behind Garrett Nussmeier.

Nussmeier Balled, CJ Daniels Impresses

Redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will handle QB1 duties this fall with an embarrassment of riches in his arsenal, including Liberty transfer wide receiver CJ Daniels. The first-year Tiger flaunted his elite playmaking ability, route-running and more on Saturday. A player who has been rolling with the second-team, he'll be a starter by the fall alongside Kyren Lacy.

Lacy looked the part, Aaron Anderson showed his speed and Shelton Sampson Jr. was certainly targeted a few times. Nussmeier will be able to pick and choose who he wants on Saturdays. It'll be interesting to see what LSU does with Chris Hilton Jr. He had an eye-opening drop during the Spring Game and it'll be of significant intrigue to see if he's rolling with the 1's during Fall Camp in August.

Honorable Mention: The Defense Needs Work

From busted coverage to gaps in the defensive line, it's clear there is work to be done on defense and Brian Kelly is aware of that after providing his thoughts following the game.

On the defense... "I know the basic tenets of defense relative to the believability, the energy, the want to, all of those things are gonna be there which are important as a foundation. Then we gotta execute. We need to get some help at defensive tackle, which we will, we're addressing it and then figure out what our corner situation is going to be," Kelly said. "I think we answer those two, I think this defense will be a solid defense." 

On the busted coverages... "We can't let the ball over the top of our head. We had coverage mistakes and those can't continue to happen. One of them was cover two and we're in cover three and we're playing cover two. You can't have those kind of mistakes, they're unacceptable and that's gonna cost you a chance to be on the field. Then we just got flat out, out run for the football. We were in the coverage where we're supposed to be over the top and got beat in those situations," Kelly said. 

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