MARLER: Thoughts on LSU through 2 weeks of Fall Camp

By Chris Marler

I was brought onto LouisianaSports.net to cover the SEC, not LSU. Well, not LSU specifically. We have a whole incredible team that does that already, and they do that incredibly well. I also worked remotely for most of the first year in Atlanta and didn’t get the opportunity to see everything up close and personal. I was a bit of an outsider. 

That being said, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend every practice but one and do have some thoughts on the Tigers at the halfway point of Fall camp. 

1. Nussmeier 

He’s so much better in person than I realized. My biggest concern with Nuss coming into the year was how he would perform when things don’t go to plan. He can be a great improviser at times, but we also saw him get flustered and forced into bad decisions time and time again a year ago. The Texas A&M game is probably the best example. 

Regardless, he’s looked phenomenal so far in camp. Everyone knew about the physical abilities. He has a tremendous arm, but he’s added more weapons to his arsenal this offseason. Or maybe we just didn’t notice them until now. He’s been clocked at over 21 mph running this offseason, and from a physical standpoint what has been more impressive than the arm strength is the ability to layer throughs and find his receivers in tight windows. 

All of those things have paled in comparison to his intensity and leadership. He’s been a consistent vocal presence on the practice field throughout camp and is clearly the leader of this team. 

Idk why but this stood out yesterday to me

Nuss seemed way more vocal at the start of practice yesterday and enthusiastic

Maybe that day off Sunday helped, or maybe just bc we are one more day closer to the season but he was fired up pic.twitter.com/2MMZE3Mf6E

— Chris Marler (@Vern_Funquist) August 12, 2025

2. The offensive line 

The offensive line is the biggest liability and concern on this team heading into 2025. It’s not because of a lack of talent. The LSU Staff went into the portal and identified several top players at positions of need and has brought in several former blue chip recruits as well. 

The issue is continuity. Last year’s center DJ Chester is the only returning starter from the 2024 unit, and Brian Kelly has already made it clear that incoming Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore will be the anchor of the line and start at center. That means that this year’s offensive line will almost certainly be starting five new players across the line. 

It’s no secret that they’ve been an issue at times during camp either. The first week they were dominated routinely by the defensive line. However, the unit has looked improved by the day after the ball is snapped. I say that specifically because false starts have been a consistent issue over the past several practices. All of this is a natural concern when traveling to Clemson against what is probably the best defensive line in America.

I still think that this unit has a long way to go, but again, they continue to get better and better throughout the last several practices, which is a trend you want to see as an LSU fan. 

3. The new talent 

This team feels like presents on Christmas morning at times. There are so many new faces. There are so many new toys to play with across so many different positions. It’s impossible to not get excited about some of these guys. Nic Anderson and Barion Brown have been consistently making plays at receiver. Mansoor Delaine has made an immediate impact at the cornerback position. 

However, the two most consistent new players throughout camp in my opinion have been tight end Bauer Sharp and safety AJ Haulcy. Haulcy has been all over the field and an immediately noticeable talent surge at the safety spot, especially in comparison to the players in last year’s unit. Sharp has been tremendous at tight end. I still think Trey’Dez Green has a significant role in this year’s offense, but Sharp has been so much more than just a physical blocker and possession receiver. He’s made several one handed catches and has been one of the most consistent safety nets for Nussmeier when the offense has the ball. 

4. The receivers

There’s a lot I could write here but I will save it for another time because I just realized I forgot to put my clothes in the dryer. So I’ll keep it very short. 

Chris Hilton is unguardable. Period. I don’t think he’s lost a single rep to anyone all camp. 

Kyle Parker has gotten a surprising amount of runs with the 1s so far through camp. I don’t know if that will amount to anything or if it will translate to the field with playing time. But it’s been a pleasant surprise so far this Fall. 

5. This team 

I said this on day one to myself (mainly because I didn’t know anyone else in the media and didn’t know who to share it with): LSU has been consistently ranked around No. 9 in most preseason polls and magazines. 

I find it very hard to believe that there are eight teams better than them based on what I’ve seen so far. There is no way on God’s green Earth that there are eight teams more talented than them from a roster standpoint.

Now, that may not matter because of the difficulty in the schedule or if the offensive line becomes a problem like the 2020 secondary was. I don’t foresee that happening. This isn’t 2019 LSU or anything, but Brian Kelly does have the most talented team top to bottom this program has had since then. 

Of course that is all from this outsider’s humble opinion.