LSU Country

Three Storylines to Follow During LSU Football Preseason Camp

The Bayou Bengals kick off Fall Camp on Thursday, new era of LSU football set to begin.

Zack Nagy

Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; LSU linebacker Harold Perkins speaking to the media at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; LSU linebacker Harold Perkins speaking to the media at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will begin preseason camp on Thursday with an eventful 2024 offseason finally coming to an end.

Heading into the fall, all eyes will turn to the expanded College Football Playoff with the Bayou Bengals in position to compete for a National Championship this season.

It'll be a new-look LSU squad with redshirt-junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier lining up under center for the Tigers.

With a myriad of weapons to choose from, the offense is in pole position to succeed once again, but attention will rest on the defense during camp.

What improvements has the group made? How does defensive coordinator get the most out of his players?

Three Storylines to Follow:

Blake Baker Headlines Revamped Staff on Defense

Kelly fired his entire on-field defensive staff this offseason after an abysmal 2023 season under Matt House and Co.

In the bottom half of the country, it was time for change on that side of the ball and Kelly went out and made splash hire after splash hire.

It started with reeling in defensive coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri and ended with defensive line guru Bo Davis returning to Baton Rouge after a stint with the Texas Longhorns.

Now, with a defensive staff headlined by Baker, Davis and secondary coach Corey Raymond, the group looks to make significant improvement on this side of the ball.

Kelly spoke at length of what Baker provides the LSU defense and what's impressed him most since he arrived in January:

"I think everybody has their flavor of what the scheme looks like. Blake certainly has an established comfort level in a particular scheme," Kelly said of Baker during SEC Media Days. "But it's relationships, it's getting players excited about stepping on the field. It's about players truly wanting to be part of those 11 guys running, hitting, being part of that unit.

"Blake's ability to orchestrate that, bring that together, is what has been the piece that is really evident."

All Aboard the Nuss Bus

It's Garrett Nussmeier's time to shine in Baton Rouge after waiting time and time again to become the starter for the Tigers.

Now, all attention shifts to the redshirt-junior preparing to carry the torch. It was a historic 2023 season for the LSU offense with Jayden Daniels leading the charge, and with Nussmeier next in line, he's prepared for the moment.

A player who could have easily departed Baton Rouge and entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, Nussmeier sat back and waited his turn to get the "keys to the car" in Death Valley. A move that has Kelly ecstatic at what's now in store for his signal-caller.

"I think [Nussmeier] saw that we are going to develop our quarterbacks at LSU. We clearly have developed our quarterbacks and that he would continue to develop while he was in a back-up position," Kelly said during SEC Media Days. "So I think those [reasons] played a huge role [in him waiting it out]. Now he's got the keys to the car. I couldn't be more happy for him and for our football program that he's leading us."

The Newcomers: Who Will Step Up?

Kelly and Co. reeled in several immediate impact newcomers this offseason ranging from 2024 signees to additions via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Now, after rolling through their first offseason with the Tigers, it's about carrying the momentum into preseason camp with LSU's Week 1 showdown against USC inching closer and closer.

All attention shifts to a trio of players: Safety Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M transfer), WR Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State transfer) and WR CJ Daniels (Liberty transfer).

Not to mention five-star freshman Dominick McKinley preparing to wreak havoc at the interior defensive line slot.

With focus on the trio of transfers, along with a handful of freshmen, the Tigers are in a position where the newcomers must make an immediate impact in 2024 in order for LSU to see success.

LSU football will begin preseason camp on Thursday, August 1st with the Tigers looking to gain consistency in all facets of the game ahead of the 2024 season.

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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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