LSU Football's Huge Offseason Problem

In what seems like an annual ritual in Baton Rouge, LSU head coach Les Miles is awaiting word on which underclassmen are moving on to the NFL early.

Eighteen Tigers have left school early over the last two seasons, including running back Jeremy Hill, wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry and guard Trai Turner off last year's offense.

This year could be another sequel to the popular movie.

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Jim Kleinpeter of The (New Orleans) Times-Picaynue reported on Sunday that cornerback Jalen Collins received a favorable grade from the NFL Advisory Committee and will enter the NFL draft while safety Jalen Mills didn't get the news he wanted and will return to school in 2015.

While players realizing their professional dreams is a great thing, Miles better hope that fellow Tigers who are on the fence take the more conservative route chosen by Mills.

According to Kleinpeter, linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive end Danielle Hunter, guard Vadal Alexander and offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins are all considering leaving. Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweeted last week that Hunter was leaning toward staying.

LSU can't afford its roster being decimated again by the NFL. 

Hunter had a strong season against the run, notching 12 tackles for loss and returning a fumble for a touchdown for defensive coordinator John Chavis' defense—which finished as the SEC's best in 2014 (305.8 yards per game). Kwon Alexander finished with a team-high 79 tackles, and if he and Hunter leave, four of the Tigers' top five tacklers could be out the door.

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From an offensive standpoint, LSU is already losing second-team Associated Press All-American tackle La'el Collins and center Elliott Porter. Losing two more starters would be devastating to a Tigers offensive line that routinely plowed the road for running back Leonard Fournette and the rest of those Tigers running backs.

Would a new cast be as successful? Would a new cast keep pressure out of the faces of quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris? That's unlikely.

On top of possible roster issues, Chavis has been chasing money, too.

The sixth-year defensive coordinator of the Tigers reportedly flirted with Texas A&M about its vacant defensive coordinator position but recently signed a three-year, $4 million deal to stay with LSU, according to ESPN Radio 104.5's Derek Ponamsky.

If that's correct and Chavis sticks around, it's a huge get for Miles. Chavis was a big reason LSU was successful in 2014, as Gannett Louisiana's Glenn Guilbeau notes.

The quarterback situation has hamstrung the offense and forced the Tigers to rely heavily on their defense to be successful. There are talented players behind those thinking about leaving, including defensive end Tashawn Bower, linebacker Clifton Garrett and cornerback Ed Paris. 

You can only hit the reset button so many times before the machine goes on tilt, though, and some continuity would go a long way toward creating consistency in Red Stick.

Of course players want to live their dreams, and even those drafted in the late rounds and undrafted free agents have the opportunity to live their dreams but come back to finish their degrees after their playing careers are over.

For LSU in 2015, though, it needs those players who are on the fringe to come back to Baton Rouge if it wants to legitimately compete for the SEC West.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.