LSU Football Spring Game: 5 Things Les Miles Needs to See on Saturday

As spring practice is just beginning for most teams in college football, the LSU Tigers have wrapped it up and are ready for their spring game, which takes place this weekend. And while they are one of the more talented teams in the country, there are a few things they must figure out and things we should be looking for when it kicks off.

The Tigers have lost a total of 11 starters from last year's team, which means that there are questions that need to be answered before LSU can make another run for a national championship. The spring game is the perfect time to figure some things out and help prepare for a successful regular season.

Here are five things that head coach Les Miles must see on Saturday during the spring game.

La'El Collins

The offensive line is an area of concern for the Tigers, as they lost two starters from a year ago.

La'El Collins will be entering his sixth year of eligibility after missing the entire season last year with an ACL injury. Collins will be the guy to replace Will Blackwell on the offensive line and try and become one of the leaders:

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The last time I played, guys that are in the NFL, or will be, were next to me. A line’s ability depends on chemistry, and I’m developing that right now with some guys. I’m glad I made it back for spring, so I can knock off the rust now.

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The spring game will really show just how far he has come and how effective he'll be as we inch closer to the regular season.

Jeremy Hill

We know what Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and even Alfred Blue can do on the football field. Now it's time to unleash Jeremy Hill, who has absolutely been tearing it up in the spring practices and is taking advantage of the minor knee injury to Ford. 

"If he loses a little bit of weight, he's going to be a very, very talented tailback," Miles said of Hill.

Hill missed the entire season last year due to an arrest, but he is ready to go this season. And no, Les Miles doesn't plan on redshirting the talented running back either.

"No, I can't imagine that we would want to redshirt him," Miles said. "He's big, strong, talented. I think he'll be ready."

If he proves his worth in the spring game, we may have another running back added to an already loaded backfield.

Defensive Tackle

With Michael Brockers leaving early for the NFL, there is a hole at the defensive tackle position for the Tigers. This will likely be filled by either Anthony Johnson or Ego Ferguson, who have both had their bright spots throughout practice.

"I made a big leap last year," said Johnson. "It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but I made every accolade a freshman could make. I just want to keep getting better and be as good as I can.

Johnson played in all 14 games last season as a freshman and finished with 12 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack.

Head coach Les Miles says that it's going to take time before any of those players are ready to contribute and fill in the shoes of Brockers:

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I think we have some talent there. I think Anthony Johnson, Ego Ferguson can step in and play. Now, are they ready today? I'm not saying ready today. Certainly Bennie Logan and Josh Downs, I think those are the guys inside. It's going to take some time for those guys to play like Brockers did.

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The spring game will be a much better chance to see who is a step ahead in the competition and who deserves a role on the defensive line.

Zach Mettenberger

Les Miles finally has his traditional quarterback in Zach Mettenberger, who will likely change the way we're used to seeing this Tiger offense play. We know that Miles loves him and that he has all of the traits to be an extremely successful quarterback. But that doesn't always equal to success. We have to see him play well in a game like environment.

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"He plays the game the way I want all of my players to play it," Miles said. "I enjoy his attitude. He's bringing the passing game to life, and he wants to compete on every single play. He doesn't mind stirring the pot, either."

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That's all well and good, but being a great quarterback in the toughest conference takes steps. He's doing well in spring practice, and next is the spring game. Then he has to do it in the regular season before we begin calling him the next great thing. Mettenberger is on step No. 2 that he must pass.

Wide Receiver, Wide Receiver, Wide Receiver?

Let's say that Mettenberger is the next Joe Montana and is able to lead this offense to another national championship. It'd be nice if he had some weapons to throw the ball to, right? All the talent in the world is one thing, but playmakers around you wouldn't hurt either.

With Rueben Randle no longer on the roster, players must step up and show that this team is balanced on the offensive side of the ball. Russell Shepard is a former 5-star recruit who hasn't done much in his collegiate career. Odell Beckham Jr. is a speedster receiver who had 41 receptions in his freshman year, can he build off that? Jarvis Landry is a big and physical receiver, who, like Randle, didn't produce much last season.

The talent is there for LSU to be more versatile on offense. Les Miles needs to see somebody make some plays before he can completely make the switch to a more balanced offense.