Three Things We Learned During Wednesday's Fall Camp Scrimmage

Tigers beginning to show depth at certain position groups, wide receivers looking as good as advertised

The Tigers held a scrimmage Wednesday morning where a number of questions surrounding this program were answered. Despite the offense getting a majority of the attention, this defense is seeing budding stars emerging.

The opportunity to watch this squad play in a game-like situation shined light on the progression they have made from spring camp to fall camp.

Here are a few tidbits from Wednesday’s scrimmage:

Wide Receivers as Good as Advertised

It’s been led by Malik Nabers throughout camp. The sophomore wideout has certainly made the jump we’ve been expecting and is prepared to be LSU’s WR2 alongside Kayshon Boutte. A duo of Nabers and Boutte will be something special this season no matter who is throwing them the football.

Besides the dynamic duo, it’s been blatantly obvious the rest of this room is ready to answer the call as well. Louisiana transfer Kyren Lacy is trending in the right direction. He’s shown growth in just the few months he’s been in Baton Rouge and looks to be a solid piece to this wide receiver room. Not to mention senior Jaray Jenkins becoming Mr. Reliable for this squad. 

Now, the other sophomore wide receivers are also making noise. Despite Jack Bech battling shin splints all camp, we know what he brings to the table. He’s proven his ability on the gridiron as just a freshman. But Brian Thomas Jr. and Chris Hilton are also prepared to elevate their game.

This wideout group has all the tools to be the deepest receiver room in the country. Seemingly able to go six deep at ease, it’ll be interesting to monitor how Cortez Hankton uses his pass catchers given the embarrassment of riches this unit attains.

Related: Players Standing Out During Fall Camp 

Defensive Starters Emerging

We know what we’re getting from the front four of Ali Gaye, Maason Smith, Jaquelin Roy and BJ Ojulari. The defensive line is one of the strongest position groups this LSU team has. But the rest of the defense is where starters are beginning to emerge.

The linebackers, led by Mike Jones Jr. and Greg Penn, are starting to show some depth. With Virginia transfer West Weeks and freshman Harold Perkins looking the part, defensive coordinator Matt House has a number of options to choose from. That also includes senior Micah Baskerville.

In the secondary, Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Colby Richardson are separating themselves from the pack, but Louisiana transfer Mekhi Garner and Ohio State transfer Sevyn Banks are still in the mix. Come the Sept. 4 season opener, this is a position group to monitor down the stretch.

At safety, Brian Kelly has praised what Major Burns and Jay Ward have been doing. Burns specifically took Kelly by surprise due to his “communication skills” and “savvy playstyle” on defense. Like other position groups, this one also attains depth, so look for Arkansas transfers Greg Brooks and Joe Foucha to step up to the plate to close out camp.

Related: LSU's 2023 Recruiting Class Knocking on Door of Top-5

Offensive Line Rotations

Wednesday’s scrimmage shined light on the offensive line situation. The first-team has remained the same with:

LT: Will Campbell

LG: Tre’Mond Shorts

C: Garrett Dellinger

RG: Miles Frazier

RT: Anthony Bradford

Despite continuing to run the same rotation in the trenches, Kelly told the media on Wednesday that they are still looking to solidify their starters with Cam Wire and Marcus Dumervil looking to get more runs with the first team.

Related: Assessing the Quarterback Situation 

Along with Wire and Dumervil, Charles Turner and Emery Jones will also get a chance to showcase their ability with the first team during Saturday’s practice.

Kelly had some important tidbits about the offensive line rotations on Wednesday:

Final Thoughts

Wednesday shined light on a number of position battles. Coming into fall camp there was concern with the secondary, but as it stands now, this position group is slowly proving their depth.

The Tigers will get in another scrimmage during Tuesday’s practice where we’ll get a better look at where the offensive line rotations stand. The depth of this team is beginning to emerge, but putting it all together will be the goal as fall camp ramps up.