LSU Football: 10 Players Who Will Emerge in 2011
LSU loses three key players from their 2010 defense as well as a couple of offensive threats.
Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis and Kelvin Sheppard leave holes to be filled at all levels of the defense, and Terrance Toliver and Stevan Ridley leave holes at two skill positions on offense.
The spring game gave Tiger fans reason to believe that Les Miles and the Tigers will be OK with an abundance of talented young players that seem ready to fill the vacated roster spots.
Here are a few Tigers that will emerge this season.
10: Spencer Ware, Running Back
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Spencer Ware dominated the Tigers’ spring game, scoring two touchdowns and showing great patience and vision on his runs.
Ware also ran great routes in the passing game and looked like a seasoned veteran.
It is hard to say that Ware will “emerge” in 2011 since he really emerged in the Cotton Bowl last season, but 2011 should present him with more opportunities to really emerge as a starter and become a leader on this young team.
If he continues his great play from both the Cotton Bowl and the spring game, Ware has the chance to have a season that will rank among the best the Tigers have ever seen.
9: Drew Alleman, Kicker
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Despite losing one of the best kickers in the nation in Josh Jasper, the Tigers will come into the 2011 season with little or no drop off in performance from their kicker.
The kicking game vacated by Jasper is in good hands as junior Drew Alleman replaces him.
Alleman had a good performance in the spring game despite missing a field goal, but more importantly has had a very solid spring as a whole.
Head coach Les Miles is really high on Alleman and has had nothing but good to say about him throughout this spring.
8: Kadron Boone, Wide Receiver
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Kadron Boone showed versatility in the spring game as he made a great catch in traffic over the middle of the field and then got behind the defense and created great separation on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Zach Mettenberger to start the second half.
Boone will be in a deep rotation of wide receivers playing behind starters Reuben Randle and Russell Shepard.
Although he may not get an abundance of playing time, Boone has the speed and talent to make an impact on any given play.
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7: Jarrett Fobbs, Wide Receiver
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Also making a strong showing in the spring game was freshman Jarrett Fobbs who showed good route running and great ability to find open spots in the defense.
Fobbs found the gaps in the defense and made some nice catches while working with the first team.
Fobbs will probably be fairly deep on the depth chart but should draw single coverage by opposing teams’ weaker cornerbacks allowing him to make some big plays.
6: Anthony Johnson, Defensive Tackle
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Incoming freshman Anthony Johnson, who took advantage of early enrollment to get on the field quicker, had two tackles and a sack in the Tigers’ spring game to let his coach and Tiger fans know that he is ready to live up to his recruitment hype and step in to make an immediate impact.
Johnson has the potential to be the next superstar defensive tackle for the Tigers following in the footsteps of Drake Nevis, Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey and Marcus Spears.
5: Brad Wing, Punter
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Australian punter Brad Wing had a great spring game as well, with punts having hang time and distance.
Wing’s bad punts were still over 50 yards, and he dropped a couple of punts inside the 20-yard line for good measure.
Having a punter who can pin opposing offenses back and change field position when the Tiger offense stalls will be a huge advantage for LSU, especially the defense.
4: Michael Brokers, Defensive Tackle
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Michael Brockers had good showings at the Tigers’ spring game, with a couple of really explosive plays that drew notice from head coach Les Miles.
Brokers is one of many explosive defensive tackles on the LSU roster, and with such depth, they will most likely rotate in and out to allow them to stay fresh.
With fresh legs and tons of talent, Brockers should make a big impact and garner notice from Tiger fans in 2011.
3: Eric Reid, Safety
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Sophomore Eric Reid, who had a phenomenal performance in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, will lead the LSU safeties in 2011.
Reid has the luxury of playing behind some great cover cornerbacks, which allows him to take extra chances and make big plays.
Although he is not really an unknown player after making a name for himself in 2010, Reid will emerge in 2011 as one of the leaders on a young, talented defense.
2: Tharold Simon, Defensive Back
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Tharold Simon had a great showing at the spring game and made two huge defensive plays to save touchdowns.
Simon showed remarkable closing speed and a great ability to recover when he was beat.
Simon could play a similar role in 2011 to that of Tyrann Mathieu in 2010, coming into the game as a nickel back on passing downs as well as key 3rd-and-long plays.
The Tigers are as deep at defensive back as they have ever been, and Simon is among the best of the players down on the depth chart.
1: Kenny Hilliard, Running Back
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Spencer Ware is going to be at the top of the LSU depth chart, but with very little success at by the rest of the Tiger running backs in the spring game, Kenny Hilliard may get more opportunities than expected.
Hilliard, an incoming freshman and the nephew of former LSU and New Orleans Saints superstar running back Dalton Hilliard, will be looking to surpass his uncle on the LSU all-time rushing list.
Dalton rushed for 4,050 yards as a Tiger, second best in LSU history.
Kenny Hilliard set the Louisiana high school record with 8,603 yards and comes into college with high expectations.
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