By Hunt Palmer
It’s talkin’ season and prediction time.
The newness of practice has worn off. The players are in the Dog Days of camp, and while kickoff is approaching, it’s still a little ways off.
Still, we know more today than we did August 1 thanks to an extremely accommodating coaching staff at LSU. After hours of access to LSU practices, I’m ready to fire off three “bold” predictions for the upcoming season. How bold? You can decide, but let’s dive in.
LSU will go unbeaten at home
This time last year I remember looking at the home slate that included a highly thought of Ole Miss team, Alabama and Oklahoma and thinking, they won’t lose all of those games. Not in that building. Keep in mind when considering that a pessimistic attitude, LSU was replacing the second best passing game in school history and coming off a debacle of a defensive effort. LSU did not lose all of those games. They won two of them, and Tiger Stadium played a big role in the Ole Miss win. That place is still pretty special.
This year Arkansas comes to town in a game LSU will be heavily favored in. The other three are trickier.
DJ Lagway and Florida will come into Death Valley 2-0 and feeling good. October features visits from two quarterbacks who ran all over Blake Baker’s defense last year—LaNorris Sellers and Marcel Reed. Both South Carolina and Texas A&M are ranked and considered playoff threats based on A&M’s start last year and Carolina’s finish.
Picking LSU to win any of those games would not be all that surprising. Winning them all would be one heck of an effort.
LSU won all its home games in 2019 and 2023 with fifth-year quarterbacks. Why not 2025?
Chris Hilton will top 1,000 yards
I’m betting on full health here, and if I’d placed that same bet the last four years I’d have had to make trips to the ATM multiple times to double back down. Hilton has had another monster camp showcasing his game breaking speed and intermediate route running. The best way to get to 1,000 yards is to catch some deep balls. Hilton certainly will, but I’m excited for everyone to see what he looks like in the short game as well. He’s not just a burner.
Hilton is my pick to lead LSU in receiving. I think it all finally comes together for No. 3.
LSU will top 45 sacks
Last year LSU found some pass rush from Brayden Swinson and Co. It was a balanced effort beyond that, but the end result was 34 sacks which was seventh in the SEC. This group has a way, way higher ceiling than that. The three edge transfers-Jack Pyburn, Patrick Payton and Jimari Butler- will get theirs. That includes Pyburn who hasn’t been a rush specialist in his time eat Florida.
Bernard Gooden figures to get involved from the interior, and Dominick McKinley had a pair in the Oklahoma game. He could emerge. Plus, Harold Perkins is healthy, and that could mean 7-to-10 from him. Forty-five would have finished third in the SEC a season ago. That’s about where I have this group pegged.
You have an elite rushers coach in Kevin Peoples, an influx of proven talent at end and tackle, an eight-man rotation on the line to keep guys fresh and a team that figures to hold leads late in games. That’s sack time.
I think the LSU pass rush really takes off this year.
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