Was scanning the official roster on LSUSports.net. Some random (and not so random) observations. 1. 2010 is the setup year for 2011 in terms of team leadership. There are only 9 scholarship seniors on the team next year. Of those - only 6 can be expected to start, not counting Jasper and Helton. In contrast, there are 19 scholarship juniors. Of those - at least 10 of them have a chance at starting positions both this and next year. One of them - Patrick Peterson - is certainly going to leave us as a Junior. Maybe the salary cap will keep him home.... 2. Russell Shepard is still listed at 6-1, 188 pounds. Calhoun is still listed at 170 pounds. I was hoping both would beef up a bit. 3. Craig Loston played enough special teams to burn his Freshman season, but not enough to letter. He's listed at 6'2" and 193, and will be wearing #6. 4. Kellen Theriot is a guy I've been waiting to see get a chance to play - hope he's healthy. Seems like a great athlete and a dude that can break through at LB. We'll see. 5. Ryan Baker is a Jr. already. Man. Need to see him on the field. Cannot wait. Minter is 240 lbs. I think LSU's linebackers could be outstanding by the end of the season. 6. There is a lot of depth at DB, OL, QB, and DE. WR and LB has some depth, but not experienced. DT is a potential problem area. RB is shallow in experience as well, but deep in possibilities. TE is a huge question mark. Can D. Peterson step up? P and PK are both seniors. I think there is a chance for some true freshmen to break into the 2-deep roster at RB, maybe TE, and WR. And if Ware is a quick study, he may find himself in the RB rotation as well.
Our roster is the least of our problems. As a matter of fact, our roster is the brightest spot of the program.:thumb:
I agree. I think after last year's number 1 class and a solid class this year, we're in good shape talent-wise. However, I'm still pretty concerned about our coaching. I sincerely hope they prove me wrong and make me a believer once again.
The biggest concern, to me, is QB. I would vote for an open QB competition this Spring between JJ, Garrett, Bailey, and ZLee and see who steps up. I would not waste my time with JLee. He may be a good guy and teammate, but he can not get past his demons, and quite frankly probably just does not have the poise/talent level to be an SEC caliber QB. Obviously, JJ has the experience advantage. If he wins out, once all factors are considered, then so be it. But I think others deserve a chance to compete. If we were to start a new QB, then there would predictably be a learning curve in the beginning of the year, and fans would have to be patient. May not win as much as we expect in the beginning, or at least not look too good doing it.
I like the talent LSU has coming back. Sure we young, but we have good size and speed. There are a ton of variables as to where LSU will stack up. My concerns are: 1 Coaching- Two straight years of imploding at seasons end. Plus the horrible time management. Lack of proper personnel. Play calling was horrible. The biggest thing is the lack of coaching up all that talent were recruiting. 2 OL- The OL is the key IMO as far as the players go. If LSU were able to run the ball as good as usual it would really help free up the pass. The pass and run blocking were both extrememly poor. 3 JJ- He must improve his pocket presence. JJ must also trust his instincts as a QB. He cant overthink a situation which leads to sacks. When a receiver is open throw. When the pocket collapses, throw it away. He also needs to trust his feet to take off and run. 4 DL- The DL must control the line of scrimmage better. LSU gets zero pass rush from the DL. QBs often had too much time to pick apart the secondary. 5 WRs- LSU has a ton of talent but no one has proved a thing. T Toliver has shown a ton of potential at times. At others he has been riddled by the drops. He needs to be the go to guy this year. Randle showed potential in limited time. I really like D Peterson, I think he has some serious potential. C Tolliver was highly touted as a big time WR and deep threat. He must step up this year. We shall see how/if Shepard gets used and at what position. Boone and Fobbs could vie for playing time.
I didn't think Loston played at all? In fact I thought there was a thread about him redshirting because of his injury and not being cleared until late?:huh:
I thought someone determined he did play on special teams and burned the RS. To say he "burned" a RS is a bit negative anyway. He likely gained a lot of experience being part of game preparation, etc, that will help him be better prepared and have a more immediate impact this year. If he is as good as PP, like everyone says, he may not be here 4 years anyhow.
Why do we never hear anything about guys like Felio, Debusk, Ostrom, Harding and Newell? Are they walk-ons, recruiting busts or something else? :geaux:
