Week 2 Grades: LSU Football's Top Five PFF Graded Players

LSU cornerback Zy Alexander leads the way for the Tigers, other youngsters emerge on Saturday night.

Sep 7, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Zavion Thomas (0) celebrates a touchdown against the Nicholls State Colonels during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers bounced back on Saturday night after capturing a victory over Nicholls State in the home opener to get back to .500 (1-1).

It wasn't a pretty win for the Bayou Bengals, but the program scraped out a victory and found themselves bump up two spots in the latest AP Poll, which has LSU sitting at No. 16.

LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier ended the night with six touchdowns, Zy Alexander stepped up in his return for the Tigers and a first-year Tiger graded out as a Top 5 player for the Tigers on Saturday night in Death Valley.

The Week 2 Grades: LSU vs. Nicholls State

No. 1: CB Zy Alexander - PFF Grade: 82.3

LSU cornerback Zy Alexander has returned to 100% following a torn ACL injury suffered in 2023. Now, after working his way back from a health perspective, the coaching staff has thrown him back in the fire. Alexander took 34 snaps on Saturday night with a pair of pass breakups, three tackles and a pair of solo stops of his own. Look for Alexander to play a pivotal role in the secondary with significant youth in the defensive backfield. LSU needs a savvy veteran and Alexander looks to be the guy.

No. 2: EDGE Bradyn Swinson - PFF Grade: 82.2

LSU edge rusher Bradyn Swinson ended the night with 41 snaps where he logged four total tackles and one of only two tackles for loss for the LSU defense. Swinson graded out as the Tigers' best defensive lineman with the unit struggling against the run on Saturday night in Death Valley after Nicholls running back Collin Guggenheim ended the night with 145 rushing yards on 25 attempts with two touchdowns.

No. 3: QB Garrett Nussmeier - PFF Grade: 82.0

Nussmeier’s six touchdowns tied Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow for the second-most touchdown passes thrown in a single game in program history with the veteran gunslinger continuing to show out as LSU's QB1. He ended the night going 27-for-37 passing with 302 yards with six passing touchdowns against the Colonels. The main statistic: Zero turnovers. Nussmeier has been smart in his decision making through two weeks and now ends Week 2 as the highest graded defensive player.

No. 4: LB Greg Penn III - PFF Grade: 81.4

LSU linebacker Greg Penn III has been a tackling machine for the Tigers over the last two seasons with another impressive performance on Saturday night. He always finds himself in the right spot with Week 2 being much of the same. Penn ended the night with a team-high nine tackles and four solo tackles. After a challenging Week 1 showing, it was a bounce back night for Penn with hopes he can carry the momentum into SEC play against South Carolina in Week 3.

No. 5: DE Gabriel Reliford - PFF Grade: 75.8

LSU freshman edge rusher Gabriel Reliford was a highlight for the Tigers on Saturday night with the program turning to several first-year players in Week 2. He finished with a Top 5 PFF grade for the Bayou Bengals with 25 snaps on the night. Reliford ended the night with six total tackles with a pair of solo stops of his own. LSU holds talent at the edge rusher position, but Reliford is quickly carving out a role despite veterans above him on the depth chart.

(Note: The list only includes players who took 10 or more snaps in Week 2 against Nicholls State.)

Other Standouts for the Tigers:

No. 6: S Dashawn Spears - PFF Grade: 74.5

No. 7: DE Paris Shand - PFF Grade: 72.4

No. 8: WR Zavion Thomas - PFF Grade: 72.3

No. 9: RT Emery Jones - PFF Grade: 72.0

No. 10: RG Miles Frazier - PFF Grade: 70.4

More LSU News:

Instant Takeaways: LSU Takes Down Nicholls State 44-21 in Week 2

Five-Star LSU Commit DJ Pickett Visits ACC Program in Week 2

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

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