
By Hunt Palmer
Gameday is inching closer and closer as the 2025 LSU Tiger embark on a highly anticipated season. Playoff hopes have engulfed Baton Rouge, and the buzz is palpable for an exciting fall.
We asked the staff at 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge to fire off their “bold prediction” for the season to come. Some went with stats. Some went with honors. One went with…disappointment.
Here’s what the gang had to say.
Jacob Hester, Co-host, Off the Bench: Aaron Anderson will lead the SEC in All-Purpose yards.
Matt Flynn, Co-Host, Off the Bench: LSU not only breaks their opening game slump, but they beat Clemson by double digits. That will lead the way for Garrett Nussmeier to be the betting favorite for the Heisman the entire season until he eventually hoists the trophy in New York.
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench: I’m not sure how bold this is, but I think Ju’Juan Johnson will be this team’s second leading rusher. JT Lindsey’s absence has opened up things in the backfield behind Caden Durham, and I think Johnson has the ability to make the most of those reps.
Alondra Villarreal, Audio Producer, Off the Bench: My bold prediction for LSU in 2025 is that Harold Perkins will be in New York with Garrett Nussmeier for the Heisman ceremony. I know this is very bold, and not a lot of defensive players get the honor, especially linebackers, but hear me out. Harold Perkins is not your average linebacker, before his injury he had already proved his ability to take over games. In his last full healthy season, he had 74 total tackles, 43 solo and 31 assisted, and 5.5 sacks. For comparison’s sake, the last linebacker to finish in the top three of Heisman voting was Manti Te’o in 2012. In the 2012 season for Notre Dame, Te’o had 49 solo tackles, 62 assisted for a total of 111 tackles, and only one sack. Perk had 6 less unassisted tackles than Te’o his last fully healthy season. Harold is back and fully healthy, he has something to prove, and he’s a physical freak. He also has Blake Baker, a defined position and role in this defense, and the Weeks brothers around him. If Harold Perkins has the season we are all hoping he does, he will be a Heisman contender.
Charles Hanagriff: Co-host, Live at Lunch: The starting offensive line will be different in game four than it is in game one, and not because of injury.
Hunt Palmer, Host, Hunt Palmer Show: I threw three out last week, but I’ll stick with LSU to go unbeaten at home. Florida has its best roster under Billy Napier. South Carolina has the most dynamic quarterback in the league. Texas A&M’s rushing attack will be stout, and Arkansas…well, I don’t have much nice to say about Arkansas. But it’s a stern test of home games that I think LSU will pass.
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, Hunt Palmer Show: LSU will lose four games again. I’m not sure this is the boldest prediction considering LSU has lost four games twice during Brian Kelly’s tenure, but the Tigers come into the 2025 season with a playoffs-or-bust mentality. But there’s a glaring weakness on this team–the offensive line. They’ve struggled during camp and will face a stout Clemson defensive line to start the season. Returning a 4,000-yard passer and talented receiving corps. won’t mean much if there’s no time to operate. The schedule is tough enough that finding four losses won’t be that challenging.
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review: The last time LSU finished in the top 20 nationally in total defense was 2017. That will change this season. Blake Baker will follow an almost identical path to what he did at Missouri. With a healthy Harold Perkins, Whit Weeks in his junior season and proven veterans added at every level via the portal, this LSU defense will finally resemble what this program had come to expect on that side of the ball for two decades.
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review: LSU will lead the SEC in sacks. The Tigers finished seventh in the league in 2024. The improvements made to the defensive front will pay big dividends. You have a legitimate two deep on the edge with the transfers you brought in, plus a healthy Harold Perkins. What I really like is the athleticism on the inside with guys like Dominick McKinley, Bernard Gooden and Ahmad Breaux. Blake Baker likes to be aggressive and create havoc. It burned LSU some last season because they couldn’t quite get home all the time. I look for a big improvement there.
Paul O’Neill, Video Producer, After Further Review: LSU will win the SEC.

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