Early Intel for what LSU football could look like for the 2024 college football season; biggest strengths and question marks

The season is right around the corner, which has fan bases around college football buzzing for what 2024 could bring. With fall camp quickly zooming by, we have now had the spring, winter workouts and about half of camp to begin to decipher what these teams are really going to look like this fall.

LSU heads into a very intriguing 2024 campaign, the third under head coach Brian Kelly . After losing several key players from last season, the depth and program development will be put to the test this fall. For the first time we will begin to really know what a Brian Kelly version of LSU looks like, beginning to see his recruiting classes find the field. After talking to every source I could find, from around the program, to media members and general supporters, I gathered as much team intel as I could.

Here are some things you should expect about the 2024 Tigers, including some clear strengths, potential breakout stars, and biggest question marks.

• There seems to be a bit of a split on the expectations for quarterback Garrett Nussmeier . There are some people around the LSU program that are very high on “Nuss Bus”, and some expect the offense to not skip a beat from a passing game perspective. They love his big arm, moxy in the pocket, and overall swagger. However, there are some others who are much less unconvinced. A couple of sources think that Nussmeier is solid, but lacks in terms of ceiling, so the opinions are a bit all over the place. He apparently has had a very uneven offseason, which should make for an interesting storyline to watch this fall.

• A big reason why some think the passing offense won’t skip a beat is because of the skill position talent, specifically at wide receiver, that the Tigers have coming back. The headliner in terms of leadership is Kyren Lacy , who finished third on the team last year with 558 yards, and seven touchdowns on 30 receptions. While Lacy isn’t a burner, he makes up for it with his route running and attention to detail. His work ethic is off the charts from people I’ve spoken to.

• The wide receiver that not enough people are talking about, but the LSU staff is very high on, is Chris Hilton Jr. A member of the Feldman’s Freak list this offseason, I was told that Hilton is the best athlete in that room, and there’s a sizable gap between him and No. 2. Hilton is rumored to run the high 4.2s in the forty-yard dash and I’m told he’s going to do some silly things in the jumps when he tests. Don’t be shocked if he ends up being the best wide receiver on the depth chart before too long.

• Everyone knows Will Campbell and Emery Jones. That duo has an argument as the best offensive tackle tandem in college football going into 2024. The publicity around them has caused the rest of the offensive line to go a little underrated. The guard duo of Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier isn’t flashy, but it’s also rock solid. People around the program are very, very high on DJ Chester. He is set to take over as the team’s starting center this fall after the graduation of Charles Turner. Some believe that if Campbell and Jones leave for the 2025 NFL Draft (very likely) that Chester would not only be the headliner going into the 2025 college season, but could be considered one of the best offensive lineman in the country going into next fall.

• Overall, the expectation is that the offense won’t be as good as last season but it should still be a very good unit. I expect there to be a bit of an offensive philosophy shift as well. The big part of that is getting the running backs more involved. There’s a couple solid veterans there, but the player that has everyone buzzing is sophomore Kaleb Jackson. I asked someone very familiar with Jackson and he told me, “That kid is a freak. He’s what LSU has been missing the last couple of years.” Expect him to be a big focal of their offense.

• The defense has a lot less certainty right now. One thing I’ve been able to gather… There are a lot of people very excited about what defensive coordinator Blake Baker can build in Baton Rouge. There’s just a question about just how good it looks in 2024 with the talent still a bit thin in a couple of spots.

• When talking about the unit, the conversation always starts with Harold Perkins . After playing more on the edge as a freshman, and as a SAM and overhang in 2023, Perkins has settled into the WILL linebacker position. Despite some of the bad information out there (I’m looking at you Matt Miller), that is a spot that Perkins really wanted to play, and the staff sees a lot of upside in a traditional stacked linebacker role. Perkins will have some reps as a pass rusher, but I wouldn’t expect the volume to be nearly what it has been. You could see him blitz a lot from depth, however. At 6’ 0 ⅛” and 215 pounds verified this spring, Perkins taking to that linebacker position would be huge for his evaluation on the next level.

• There are some major questions revolving around the depth on the defensive line, and impactful talent in the secondary. One breakout I might predict from talking to a couple sources is pass rusher Bradyn Swinson. He only had 6.5 tackles and two sacks last season, but it sounds like he’s had a very good offseason. Swinson sounds locked in, which has been a bit of an issue at times in the past. Outside of those couple of players, the staff really wants a couple of their young talented defenders to step up. There is an opportunity to get a lot of reps this fall, and start building toward the long term future.