A Vikings Fan’s Viewing Guide to CFB: LSU Fights Out of Mediocrity
Josh Frey
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Just like the NFL season is fast approaching, we are nearing the day where college football teams will arrive on campus and begin their own preseason work. As a self-proclaimed NFL Draft nerd, I get almost as excited for the college football season as I do for the NFL season. Because of that, I am putting together guides for many of the notable college football programs ahead of the 2022 season. Whether you’re a seasoned college football viewer, or just getting into it for the first time, there is something here for everyone.
We’ve already gone through many of the major contenders in the AAC, the ACC, the Big 10, and we just finished up in the Big 12. Now, we’re going through the granddaddy of all college football conferences: the SEC. After discussing the two heavyweights, Alabama and Georgia, we now examine a program that has fallen from grace in recent years. It’s time to go through LSU’s fight out of mediocrity and the doldrums of the SEC.
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Overview
As recently as 2019, the LSU Tigers were viewed as one of the strongest college football teams we’ve ever seen. Offensively, they obviously had superstars like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson on the offensive side of the ball. Burrow connected with his pair of star receivers a mind-boggling 195 times for a ridiculous 3320 yards and 38 touchdowns.
If you compare Chase’s and Jefferson’s receiving yards total to the top receivers in the NFL, the pair of LSU Tigers had 201 more yards than Michael Thomas and Julio Jones, the two receivers atop the yards list that year. Even more incredible, the 38 touchdowns between Chase and Jefferson were 17 more than Kenny Golladay’s and Cooper Kupp’s combined total of 21, who paced the NFL in that category. That ridiculous offensive production led LSU to a perfect 15-0 record on the way to a national title as they averaged 48.4(!!!) points per game.
Flash forward just two seasons, and LSU has quickly fallen down the ranks in the SEC. In 2020 and 2021, they’ve combined for an overall record of 11-12, and their in-conference record is even worse at 8-10. As a result, the Tigers haven’t finished higher than fourth in the SEC-West division. Heading into 2022, they’ve brough in Brian Kelly as their new head coach. Will Kelly be able lead LSU’s fight out of mediocrity?
2022 NFL Draft Prospects
- CB Derek Stingley Jr., Round 1, No. 3, Houston Texans
- OG Ed Ingram, Round 2, No. 59, Minnesota Vikings
- CB Cordale Flott, Round 3, No. 82, New York Giants
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price, Round 3, No. 93, San Francisco 49ers
- K Cade York, Round 4, No. 124, Cleveland Browns
- DT Neil Farrell, Round 4, No. 126, Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Damone Clark, Round 5, No. 176, Dallas Cowboys
- OT Austin Deculus, Round 6, No. 205, Houston Texans
- OG Chasen Hines, Round 6, No. 210, New England Patriots
- DE Andre Anthony, Round 7, No. 248, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Notable Transfers In
- QB Jayden Daniels (Arizona State)
- RB Noah Cain (Penn State)
- WR Kyren Lacy (Louisiana)
- DL Mekhi Wingo (Missouri)
- LB West Weeks (Virginia)
- CB Sevyn Banks (Ohio State)
- CB Jarrick Bernard (Oklahoma State)
- CB Greg Brooks Jr. (Arkansas)
- CB Mekhi Garner (Louisiana)
Notable Transfers Out
- QB Max Johnson (Texas A&M)
- RB Corey Kiner (Cincinnati)
- EDGE Landon Johnson (Arkansas)
- CB Dwight McGlothern (Arkansas)
- CB Eli Ricks (Alabama)
2022 LSU Football Schedule
- 9/4 vs. Florida State
- 9/10 vs. Southern
- 9/17 vs. Mississippi State
- 9/24 vs. New Mexico
- 10/1 @ Auburn
- 10/8 vs. Tennessee
- 10/15 @ Florida
- 10/22 vs. Ole Miss
- 11/5 vs. Alabama
- 11/12 @ Arkansas
- 11/19 vs. UAB
- 11/25 @ Texas A&M
LSU’s Keys to 2022
New Coach, New QB
Before Brian Kelly arrived at Notre Dame in 2010, the Fighting Irish had won 10+ games in just two of the previous 16 seasons. Of the 12 years that Kelly coached Notre Dame, they had double-digit win totals in seven of them. Obviously, they were forced to forfeit all of their wins from 2012 and 2013 because of a lost appeal over an academic ethics violation, but it still goes to show, Kelly truly revitalized a sleeping giant of a program over his decade-plus of work. Now, he’s hoping to do the same thing at LSU.
In order to do this, Kelly first needs to decide on a new starting quarterback. Max Johnson left the program for Texas A&M following the 2021 season, but Jayden Daniels jumped on the ship after leaving Arizona State. During his junior year, he passed for 2381 yards, 10 TDs, and 10 INTs. At LSU, he’s going to have to compete with redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier, a former four-star recruit.
Rebuilding the Secondary
We talked about the stars of the 2019 LSU offense already, but that defense was no joke, either. Leading the way was star CB Derek Stingley Jr. After a Lisfranc injury cost him his 2021 season, he entered the 2022 NFL Draft and was selected third overall by the Houston Texans. On top of that, the program lost two cornerbacks to the transfer portal, including their next star Eli Ricks who went to Alabama.
LSU went to the transfer portal to replace these players by bringing in Sevyn Banks from Ohio State, Jarrick Bernard from Oklahoma State, Greg Brooks from Arkansas, and Mekhi Garner from Louisiana. In particular, Banks is hoped to be a star for the Tigers. He was an honorable mention on the All-Big Ten team in 2020, but injuries limited him to just nine games in 2021. The last time the Tigers brought in an Ohio State Buckeye to help lead their team, they won a national title. We’ll see if lightning strikes again in 2022.
My “Purple Player to Watch”
The Minnesota Vikings are no strangers to drafting LSU Tigers. Since 2015, the Vikings have selected Danielle Hunter, Justin Jefferson, and Ed Ingram out of the program with top-60 picks. Heading into the 2022 season, there is once again no shortage of prospects that could enter the league in the 2023 draft.
In particular, there is once again terrific EDGE talent with the Tigers this year. BJ Ojulari, whose broth Azeez was drafted by the New York Giants in 2021 and recorded 8.0 sacks last season, is among the best in the nation. The younger Ojulari brother recorded 12 TFLs in as many games last year for LSU.
Ojulari has terrific speed and athleticism off the edge, displaying it in the clip above. At 6’3 and 244, he has the frame that he could very easily fill out another 10-15 pounds. Playing opposite of Ali Gaye, expect LSU to have one of the best pass-rush duos in the country this year. The Vikings have an emerging EDGE in Patrick Jones, but they could use some more depth in 2023, especially if either Danielle Hunter or Za’Darius Smith have injury troubles again. Ojulari looks like a promising prospect to keep an eye on for the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Question About Ed Ingram’s Start