LSU Football: Tigers' Most Important Players at Each Position
LSU football will look to rely on its key players as the Tigers try to rebound from a disappointing season last year in 2014.
After an 8-5 season characterized by an inept offense and inconsistent defensive play, the Bayou Bengals return a solid core of contributors at every positional group, which puts the team in a promising spot to improve.
The Tigers return 15 starters from a team that still was able beat Mississippi and Wisconsin and take Alabama to overtime a year ago, according to Phil Steele.
LSU was also picked to finish third in the SEC West by the media.
Here is a list of LSU’s most important players at each position based on the player’s status as an X-factor as well as being the one of the overall best players at his position.
Quarterback: Brandon Harris
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LSU will only go as far as its quarterback play takes it. Right now, sophomore Brandon Harris is in position to take on that challenge.
The Tigers received almost abysmal play from under center last year as starter Anthony Jennings and Harris combined for just seven touchdowns and 1,125 yards on 46 percent passing in conference play.
Harris completed only 38 percent of his throws last season against SEC opponents, including a rough 3-of-14 performance in a 41-7 loss to Auburn, his only start of the season. However, with Jennings still indefinitely suspended, Harris has risen to the top of the depth chart, according to Bleacher Report’s Barrett Sallee.
LSU has dealt with subpar quarterback play before, but it does not possess the dominant defense that guided the team to the 2011 SEC championship. The Tigers need significant improvement from the passing game to make any legitimate push to win the SEC West this year.
This list could certainly change if Jennings returns and outperforms Harris for the starting job, but with his future uncertain at the moment, LSU’s quarterback is Harris. Expecting a breakout season is a bit of a stretch, but Harris should be better and more comfortable this year.
Runner-up: Anthony Jennings
Running Back: Leonard Fournette
2 of 9No surprise here as this is probably the coldest lock of this list.
Leonard Fournette entered his freshman season in 2014 with massive hype and he delivered. The Louisiana native took command of the feature-back role and finished the season with 1,034 yards and 10 scores while averaging 5.5 yards a carry.
As evidenced by his above highlights, Fournette possesses a blend of size, speed and power that make him one of the best all-around young running backs in recent college football history. This is a major reason why he was named first team preseason All-SEC and is considered a potential Heisman candidate.
As the focal point of the LSU offense, Fournette will be relied on to carry the unit on his back, especially if Harris or Jennings continues to struggle. This makes his role on the offense highly significant as any fall in his play would likely doom the Tigers.
Fellow sophomore Darrel Williams showed last year he is also a capable back, so Fournette should get some relief this season. But make no mistake about it, Fournette is the man for this unit and the entire offense. Expect him to have a season similar to Jeremy Hill before he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014.
Runner-up: Williams
Wide Receiver: Travin Dural
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With LSU's struggles passing last season, the receiving group suffered some disappointments as well. The one player exempt from this characterization was Travin Dural.
As a sophomore, Dural emerged as the Tigers’ top option in the passing game. He more than doubled any other LSU player in receptions and receiving yards with 37 and 758 to go along with seven touchdowns.
Dural is able to stretch the field and get behind the defense, which made him pretty much the only big-play threat for the Tigers as he averaged 21 yards a catch, which included a 94-yard score against Sam Houston State.
Going into this season, Dural should only see his numbers rise. The quarterback should be more comfortable and improved in reading coverage while Fournette will force the defense to play the run. Dural also has talented sophomore Malachi Dupre opposite him, which should ensure Dural single coverage most of the year.
Although Dupre is probably more talented than Dural and will likely be a better player down the road, Dural has proved to be more consistent at this point. He is also a security blanket for an offense that will surely face a lot of long third downs.
Runner-up: Malachi Dupre
Tight End: Dillon Gordon
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Only one tight end on the LSU roster has registered a career reception and it is not Dillon Gordon.
Aside from junior DeSean Smith, who recorded his four career catches for 66 yards in last year’s bowl game against Notre Dame, no tight end on the roster has been utilized in the pass game. So why is Gordon on this list? Because LSU is a running team.
At 6’5” and 295 pounds, Gordon is a massive tight end who plays an integral part in LSU’s running scheme. He is athletic enough to get linebackers and safeties and strong enough to hold his blocks while setting the edge on the outside. He can also handle defensive lineman up front in power situations.
Gordon may project as an offensive lineman down the road, but right now the senior is helping Fournette lead the Tiger offense. He also allows LSU to run unbalanced lines at times.
Smith could be a helpful asset in the pass game, but Gordon’s impact on the run game, which is LSU’s identity, outweighs Smith’s impact. Plus, the Tigers’ depth at receiver makes Smith a little-used option anyway.
Runner-up: DeSean Smith
Offensive Line: Jerald Hawkins
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LSU returns three offensive linemen from one of the SEC’s strongest units last season in Jerald Hawkins, Vadal Alexander and Ethan Pocic.
Alexander has started the last two seasons at guard and was named preseason first team All-SEC. He will be moving to right tackle in 2015 where he played as a freshman. Pocic returns after starting at guard last season as well.
While he may not get the accolades Alexander does, Hawkins will be the most important player on the offensive line since he will be tasked with moving from right tackle to replace La’el Collins, a first-round talent who signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent after some unfortunate circumstances.
Poor play on the quarterback’s blind side would most definitely hinder the progress of LSU’s quarterback. Teams like Auburn and Ole Miss will also likely pit top rushers Carl Lawson and Robert Nkemdiche against Hawkins, which puts even more pressure on him to perform.
With the Tigers facing some uncertainty with the rest of the offensive line, particularly on the interior, it will be imperative that Hawkins have a strong season at left tackle.
Runner-up: Vadal Alexander
Defensive Line: Christian LaCouture
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Christian LaCouture returns to form one of the conference’s top tandems at defensive tackle along with sophomore Davon Godchaux.
After playing in every game as a freshman, LaCouture emerged as a key component on the Tigers defense the following season. He finished with 40 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a sophomore.
Although he was snubbed from preseason All-SEC selections, LaCouture is the team’s leader up front on defense. Against powerful running teams like Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State, he will be counted upon with Godchaux to wreak havoc and clog the middle of the line of scrimmage.
What sets LaCouture apart from Godchaux on this list besides leadership is his pass-rushing ability. Both excel at stopping the run, but LaCouture has 3.5 career sacks to his name and brings a dimension Godchaux has not shown yet. He will be counted on to pressure the quarterback while seeing more third-down time, which are responsibilities Godchaux does not yet have on a consistent basis.
Runner-up: Godchaux
Linebacker: Kendell Beckwith
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After getting plenty of playing time as a reserve, Kendell Beckwith emerged as LSU’s starter at middle linebacker after seven games last season and excelled. He finished the year as the team’s second-leading tackler at 77 to go along with two sacks and an interception.
Beckwith enters this season as the star of the linebacker group as he was named preseason second-team All-SEC. With Kwon Alexander off to the NFL, Beckwith is now the position’s undisputed leader, who should experience even more success in 2015 with a full year as a starter.
In addition to being the team’s best player at his position, Beckwith is also on the this list because as the middle linebacker, he is the focal point of the defense. He is responsible for making sure everybody is lined up correctly while also reading the offense and making adjustments before the play. He truly is the most important linebacker for LSU.
Look for Beckwith to break out and find himself on the first-team All-SEC list after the season while also garnering plenty of attention from the NFL.
Runner-up: Lamar Louis
Secondary: Jalen Mills
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In terms of experience, the LSU defense has no one better than Jalen Mills, who brings 39 career starts into his senior season with the Bayou Bengals.
As one of the top safeties in the nation, Mills bring an all-around game that makes him a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators. His tenacity in the run game has earned him 186 career tackles. Mills also has exceptional pass-defense skills as he started every game at cornerback as a freshman and a sophomore and has six career interceptions.
Mills enters this season as a preseason first-team All-SEC selection and the leader of LSU’s vaunted secondary that also includes Tre’Davious White, Jamal Adams and highly-touted freshman Kevin Toliver.
The Tigers will count on Mills to have another exceptional season and anchor the secondary as the team faces some of the conference’s best quarterbacks in 2015 in Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott.
Runner-up: Tre'Davious White
Specialist: Jamie Keehn
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With kicker Colby Delahoussaye struggling last season, the only sure thing for LSU in the kicking game is punter Jamie Keehn.
Keehn has been one of the conference’s best punters the past two seasons. He enters this year in the same capacity after earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2014.
The Australia native became even more valuable last season because of the offensive struggles as the team relied on Keehn for field-position purposes after the offense would stall. He was also key for LSU staying in the Alabama game as he placed four punts inside the Crimson Tide 20-yard line.
With the offense again facing some uncertainty, Keehn will have to have another strong season. The team could struggle to score, so winning the field-position battle will be huge for the Tigers.
Runner-up: Colby Delahoussaye
All offensive statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.
All defensive statistics are courtesy of LSUsports.net.
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