We all knew LSU would take a step back in offense after Jayden Daniels went to the NFL draft. Add to that the loss of star wide receivers like Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., and it certainly wouldn’t allow them to perform at their previous levels. That’s exactly what happened with LSU. Without Jayden Daniels to spearhead the rushing attacks, Nussmeier didn’t quite provide that edge, and Brian Kelly managed to salvage a 9-4 finish. But all wasn’t gloom at LSU as far as the rushing game is concerned.
From a tactical standpoint, yes, without Daniels, LSU lost that extra man in rushing schemes, and we saw teams predicting LSU’s play calls before it even started. So, what Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankon did was to bolster their RB room, and there emerged players like Caden Durham and Josh Williams. But there was one player who still hadn’t quite paid his dividends to Brian Kelly, but is now being touted to do ‘great things’ this year.
The player is none other than sophomore RB Kaleb Jackson. Many reports had pointed out earlier that the player would be moving to the transfer portal, but the QB has declared that he will be returning to LSU and said, “I’m not going in,” referring to the speculation about him entering the portal. ‘Locked on LSU’ podcast host and LSU insider Matt Moscona explained just how good the news this would be for Brian Kelly.
While the insider didn’t deny the scarce rushing stats Jackson has garnered, he still urged to show faith in the guy. “ As a freshman, Kaleb Jackson had 31 rushing attempts for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, we were all anticipating this big step up, and he carried the ball just 44 times for one for 150 yards“. The emergence of Caden Durham last year might have overshadowed and limited the time Jackson had spent as a starter. But this year will be a different story. Moscona provided why LSU should count on the RB this season.
“Even for a guy who, in two years, has a total of 75 rushes for 315 yards. I still think this is a massively significant development that Kaleb Jackson is returning because he provides you with something different.” This year, Jackson will be one of the main running backs for LSU, behind only Durham. Standing at 6 feet and 235 lbs, the player has the required agility along with the physicality to dominate the defense. Moreover, as we witnessed in these spring practices, Brian Kelly is even more focused on enhancing the run game, with Jackson working on the perimeter. But despite Jackson’s abilities, the O-line would also need to be on top of their game as opposed to last season.
NCAA brings trouble for LSU?
The NCAA has been making the institutional framework for a century now. But now times have changed. With broadcasting rights in place, teams are becoming increasingly powerful in making decisions, and conferences like the SEC and the Big 10 are carrying more bargaining power than ever now with their massive wealth. But despite all these things, teams like LSU are still in the shackles of the NCAA’s rules (although it may not be for long).
Greg McElroy highlighted the O-line issues at LSU, but also provided a problem with NCAA rules that may hinder Brian Kelly from acquiring new talent. “I also think they could pay, maybe take a look at offensive tackles as well, because there’s a bunch of inexperience at offensive tackle for LSU”. Then the former Bama QB and now ESPN analyst provided the problem that LSU could face in the endeavor.
“Now, part of the challenge for Brian Kelly will be navigating the 85 scholarship limit, so they’d probably need to have some players leave because they are at 85 right now, so in order for them to bring more players in, they would need to have a few guys leave”. The SEC has maintained an 85-scholarship limit on players per program. So, for Kelly to rope in OLs, he will need to let go of or even offload some players at the expense of the program or other positions as well. This could be a tough nut to crack for Kelly, as he is between a rock and a hard place right now
The post Brian Kelly Receives Surprising 235lbs News After NCAA Puts Garrett Nussmeier & LSU in Big Crisis appeared first on EssentiallySports.
