LSU Football: Predicting the Depth Chart Heading into Fall Camp

LSU had a season for the ages in 2011, but failed to finish it off with a national championship victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The good news is that the Tigers return 13 starters from last season, including eight on the offensive side of the ball.

Many would argue that this year's team is even better than last year's, especially with a true quarterback in Zach Mettenberger leading the offense.

With fall camp set to begin, and the regular season right after that, here is your 2012 LSU Tigers depth chart.

Quarterback

Starter: Zach Mettenberger, Junior

Backup: Stephen Rivers, Freshman

Mettenberger has yet to show us what he capable of in an actual game, but he has all of the tools to be a very successful quarterback this season. He has the size, arm strength, and accuracy to give this LSU offense something it has not had in a very long time.

Running Back

Starter: Spencer Ware, Junior 

Backup: Alfred Blue, Junior

Does it really matter who the starting running back for this team is? Both Ware, Blue, Michael Ford, Jeremy Hill and Kenny Hillard will all get their touches this season. There is a reason the Tigers have one of the best running games in the country.

Receivers

Starter: Odell Beckham, Sophomore

Backup: Jarvis Landry, Sophomore

Beckham is the Tigers' leading receiver, hauling in 41 receptions for 475 receiving yards as a freshman. With a better quarterback now throwing him the football, he could have a season that puts him in elite company in the SEC.

Starter: Russell Shepard, Senior

Backup: James Wright, Junior

Shepard has all of the talent in the world but hasn't been that productive throughout his first three seasons. Still, he is the most experienced receiver on the roster and—like every receiver on this team—should benefit from better quarterback play.

Starter: Chase Clement, Senior

Backup: Tyler Edwards, Senior 

Clement caught seven passes last season for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive Line

Left Tackle

Starter: Chris Faulk, Junior

Backup: Chris Davenport, Junior

Faulk was a member of the second-team All-SEC last season and will continue to protect the quarterback's blind side in 2012.

Left Guard

Starter: Josh Dworaczyk, Senior

Backup: La'el Collins, Sophomore

Dworaczyk missed the entire 2011 season due to injury but will be back for his sixth year of eligibility. He has been the starter at left guard the last two seasons and will be one of the leaders on this squad.

Center

Starter: P.J. Lonergan, Senior

Backup: Elliott Porter, Senior

Lonergan will enter his third season as the starting center for the Tigers. He was a member of the 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll and is on the watch list for the 2012 Rimington Trophy.

Right Guard

Starter: Josh Williford, Junior

Backup: Trai Turner, Freshman

Williford played in every game last season and started nine at the right guard position. At 6'7" and 325 pounds, he is absolutely huge and will remain a force in opening up running lanes this season.

Right Tackle

Starter: Alex Hurst, Senior

Backup: Vadal Alexander, Freshman

Much like many of the Tigers' offensive linemen, Hurst is one of the best at his position. He earned first-team All-SEC honors last season and is entering his third season as the starting right tackle.

Defensive Line

Starter: Sam Montgomery, Junior

Backup: Lavar Edwards, Senior

Not many defensive ends get off the ball as quickly as Montgomery. He is a first-team All-American who led this team last year with nine sacks.

Starter: Anthony Johnson, Sophomore

Backup: Ego Ferguson, Sophomore

Johnson played in all 14 games as a freshman last season and will likely start this year. He has a motor that never stops running, gets off the ball quickly and will be another dominant force on this defensive line.

Starter: Bennie Logan, Junior

Backup: Quentin Thomas, Freshman

Logan started 13 games at defensive tackle last season, picking up 57 tackles and three sacks. He will remain in the middle of the line for a second straight season.

Starter: Barkevious Mingo, Junior

Backup: Chancey Aghayere, Junior

Much like Montgomery, Mingo is extremely quick off the ball. He received second-team All-SEC last season and finished the year with seven sacks and 46 tackles.

Linebackers

Starter: Tahj Jones, Sophomore

Backup: Lamar Louis, Freshman

Jones hasn't started much throughout his career, but he's been a key contributor on special teams and has played in 27 games. He is great at finding the football and can quickly develop into a playmaker with more playing time.

Starter: Kevin Minter, Junior

Backup: D.J. Welter, Sophomore

Minter started 11 games at the middle linebacker position last season, picking up 61 tackles. He is known for his ferocious hits and is a candidate for the 2012 Butkus Award. 

Starter: Luke Muncie, Junior

Backup: Lamin Barrow, Junior

This position will probably remain a battle throughout fall camp. Both players saw the field quite a bit last year, and it will likely remain that way regardless of who wins the starting job.

Defensive Backs

Cornerback

Starter: Tharold Simon, Junior

Backup: Jalen Collins, Sophomore 

Simon will be the one to replace Morris Claiborne, but he showed that he can be a true lock-down corner in no time. Despite only starting two games last year, he broke up 10 passes, had two interceptions and forced a fumble.

Safety

Starter: Eric Reid, Junior

Backup: Ronald Martin, Freshman

Reid is one of the top safeties in the country. A second-team All-American, hee was tied with Mathieu for the most tackles on the team with 76.

Safety

Starter: Craig Loston, Junior

Backup: Micah Eugene, Freshman 

Loston has a lot of potential and will finally have the chance to prove it as a starter. He played in 10 games last season and finished the year with 14 tackles.

Cornerback

Starter: Tyrann Mathieu, Junior

Backup: Jalen Mills, Freshman 

We all know what Mathieu is capable of after last year's season. He will return as the playmaker on this defense and continue to be one of the best defensive players in the entire country.

Specialists

Kicker

Starter: Drew Alleman, Senior

Backup: James Harrison, Sophomore

Alleman made 16 of his 18 field goal attempts: his 88.9 field goal percentage was the second-highest in the country last season.

Punter

Starter: Brad Wing, Sophomore

Wing was an All-American last season as a freshman. He averaged over 44 yards a punt and pinned 27 of his 59 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.