Brian Kelly shares which instant impact freshman to watch for on the LSU Tigers this fall at SEC Media Days

The 2024 College Football season is almost here! SEC Media Days kicked off on Monday, July 15th, signifying the real beginning of the upcoming college football year. The festivities began with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey commenting on Nick Saban hilariously forgetting his media credential and not being admitted initially, but then things got a bit more serious.

LSU and Brian Kelly opened up as the first SEC team for media availability. And while Kelly was asked plenty of questions about Oklahoma, Texas, and other coaches, when asked about his own players he lit up. He was questioned about some of the younger players to watch for and he highlighted a few key instant impact freshman for this fall. Who are those players, and why will they immediately make a difference? Let's dive in.

Related: Former Alabama Crimson Tide HC Nick Saban denied access to SEC Media Days in hilarious fashion

Instant Impact LSU Tigers Freshman

Brian Kelly mentioned three names in particular that stood out and should make a big impact in the 2024 college football season. Defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, edge defender Gabriel Reliford, and wide receiver Jelani Watkins were the three players Kelly mentioned specifically based on what the staff has seen over the summer. True freshman cornerback PJ Woodland who has already earned a starting spot should also break out, but Kelly must have thought that was a bit too obvious given his highly publicized ascension this spring.

Dominick McKinley, Five Star DL

McKinley being mentioned as a potential instant impact player isn't a huge surprise. He's been a highly coveted five star defensive lineman for multiple years now, already measuring in around 6'6", 300 pounds as a true freshman in the interior.

McKinley is way more fast and nimble than anyone his size should be. LSU needs high impact interior defenders. There's a real chance McKinley's instant success is one of the most important aspects of 2024 LSU Tigers football.

Gabriel Reliford, Four Star EDGE

LSU's interior defensive line lost a handful of players to the NFL this off-season and has obvious depth issues. However, the edge defender group returns a good portion of their production and personnel from 2023 so it's a bit surprising Gabriel Reliford was listed as an instant impact player by Brian Kelly. That likely speaks to the lack of elite talents the Tigers looked like they had last season with exactly zero true edge players logging more than even three sacks last year.

Reliford's already built like a veteran (around 270 pounds) who should have no problem setting the edge in the run game while also possessing the speed to get to the quarterback. He po=sted an 11.79-second 100-meter dash time in track, which is insane for a young man his size. He's a special athlete. It sounds like we'll get to see that athleticism in action earlier than we thought.

Jelani Watkins, Four Star WR

It's nice to hear that Jelani Watkins is a getting up to speed in the LSU system right away. He and Kylan Billiott were the highest pedigree true freshman wide receivers in the recruiting class this year, but neither were expected by many to have a high impact right away given the depth at the position for the Tigers. CJ Daniels and Zavion Thomas just transferred in. Kyren Lacy, Chris Hilton, Aaron Anderson, and Kyle Parker have been hyped up by media and coaches all spring long. So how does Watkins make an impact early?

Watkins is an elite speedster who has logged multiple sub-10.3-second 100-meter dash times in track & field. He could easily break on to the field as an elite return weapon and field stretching spot-play wide receiver since he's likely faster than anyone else on the entire offense. If he does break through into some playing time given all the stars ahead of him Watkins could be a truly special talent.

Related: Three potential LSU Tigers breakout players for the 2024 college football season

Be looking for more C ollege Football coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) on X (Twitter) for all the latest football news!

And if you want to watch some Jelani Watkins highlights to see the special talents he could bring to your favorite college football team you can check out the video below!