Alarm Bells Go Off for Brian Kelly After Latest Decision as LSU Suffers Double Blow from NFL & CFB

Brian Kelly and LSU have their eyes set on the coveted national championship that has long been a far-fetched dream for the Tigers. As the team is heading to the spring camp on March 8, the clock is ticking for the LSU head coach to lead his boys to the most touted glory. Kelly first needs to surpass the playoff obstacle with a reshuffled roster in 2025. But the question it begs is: Can he do it amidst a mass exodus fueled by the sudden departure of defensive lineman coach Bo Davis? Well, there is still some silver lining underneath, as insider Matt Moscona scaled some good pointers.

The absence of Bo Davis is going to weigh higher than expected for the Tigers. The reason is obvious. They have to escape the humiliating limit of 8-4 or a 9-3 this time to save Kelly’s job as well as the blueblood status of the program, aligning to its history and tradition and losing a cornerstone of the defense. Davis was an ace recruiter and part of Nick Saban’s national championship team at Louisiana, which means nothing but a tough jolt to that goal. However, it’s not the first time Davis left the Tigers. In 1997, he jumped ship to Steve Sarkisian’s Texas and formed one of the best defensive tackle squads in the country.

However, surrendering to an intense fans’ plea and some other practical grounds, Davis retreated in 2024 only to walk off with a solid NFL offer (New Orleans Saints) in his hand. Getting out of the initial shock, Kelly moved on with his bigger goal and seemed to have finalized the deal with a former star defensive tackle, Kyle Williams, to replace Bo Davis. Just when you wondered whether it was a wise move to proceed or not, Moscona chimed in.

”This is a big role to take on, right? I guess maybe it’s a different thing when you’re a lamer comes calling, and it’s the LSU defensive line job. It’s also interesting because Kyle has never recruited like that. I also think that one of the reasons this makes sense is that recruiting has probably never mattered less, so I’m not trying to be contradictory, but as we think of high, one of the big selling points of Bo Davis is a great recruiter, not only the best technical defensive line coach but a great recruiter,” Moscona highlighted the Bryce Underwood situation and the Jahkeem Stuart situation to dismiss the best recruiter debate.

A bigger paycheck is more important than a recruiter’s hand at this point, so the first and foremost concern of whether or not Williams can fill in the shoes of a great recruiter seems hollow now. Sherrone Moore needed just $10 million to untie one of the most loyal commits of the Tigers, Bryce Underwood. So, you know where the recruiting reality is heading. The next thing not to be disappointed about in William’s recruitment is his NFL familiarity.

Following a historic career with 46 games at LSU, he went on to play 13 seasons in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills. Williams spent his entire professional career with the Bills. He became the defensive coordinator at Ruston High in his debut coaching career. Now, it’s true that he is never in the coaching world, but look at his lengthy NFL association and the deep familiarity with the Tigers’ locker room!
‘‘If you’re looking at a technical defensive line coach, someone who will come here and coach your defensive lineman, technically few better man their all-American 13 years in the NFL and has been a pro bowler dude has the skins on the wall, man, and that is undeniable he walks into a room, and all those dudes listen because he has been where they want to go every one of them, and that’s pretty stinking cool,’‘ Moscona pointed a huge edge in his resume.
So, it seems Kelly didn’t lose it all, even if it looked like that in Gerald Chatman’s recent decision.

Brian Kelly no longer has to whine about Gerald Chadman’s decision 

Kelly and his team were high on pursuing Florida Gators’ defensive lineman coach Gerald Chatman. As per the Athletic Bruce Feldman, the interest was not lopsided. Chatman showed a significant interest in Kelly’s lofty offer. But in a twisting term of events, he decided to double down his commitment to the Gators with a new contract extension.
Chatman had strong ties with the Tigers, as he served as the interim defensive line coach during the 2023 spring and as an analyst in 2021. But as a young coach, he has been highly volatile in his career, frequently changing schools in one or two-year intervals. So, maybe, just maybe, this time, he prioritized his stability as a coach.
LSU might give him a slight raise in his contract, but ultimately, he couldn’t come to an agreement with them at the recent sitting. So, switching his interest back to Florida looked like the best decision. However, if Kyle Williams does his job well, it won’t matter to Brian Kelly in the next couple of years.


The post Alarm Bells Go Off for Brian Kelly After Latest Decision as LSU Suffers Double Blow from NFL & CFB appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Related Posts