Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
The bowl system is crumbling.
What was once a celebration of a season has become a war of attrition and interest. Coaches have moved on. Players do, too.
LSU’s back-to-back bowls in 2021 and 2022 damaged my interest level permanently. Watching Jontre Kirklin take snaps against Kansas State and seeing all of Purdue’s production opt out a year later made for non-competitive games. LSU saw both sides.
This Texas Bowl should feature a reasonable representation of the 2025 versions of LSU and Houston. The Tigers will be without their quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier missed the last three games.
We haven’t gotten official word on Jack Pyburn or West Weeks, but they might not play. Mansoor Delane will sit. Still, much of the team that took on Oklahoma three weeks ago will be on the field. Same goes for the Cougars.
While the outcome doesn’t carry as much weight as it once did, I think there are some players to watch for LSU in this game.
MICHAEL VAN BUREN
Lane Kiffin is already retweeting DJ Lagway portal announcements. He’s clearly in the market for a quarterback. Van Buren is the healthy scholarship quarterback on the roster. Whether he’s auditioning for the new offensive staff or someone else, this is Van Buren’s last chance to do something in a game.
At Oklahoma, Van Buren only threw for 96 yards on 56 percent completion. He has not thrown multiple touchdown passes in a game yet. Houston’s pass defense finished ninth in the Big 12. Some plays should be there to be made.
DJ PICKETT
The freshman sensation had a fantastic season. On3 honored him as the Freshman Defensive Player of the year for his efforts. Now Pickett will be the No. 1 cornerback for LSU with Delane out.
Amare Thomas needs 94 yards to get to 1,000 on the season. His 10 receiving touchdowns are second best in the Big 12. Pickett is five inches taller than the speedy Cougar wideout. That should be a really good matchup.
FRESHMAN LBs
I couldn’t pick just one. Whit Weeks won’t play, and based on his Instagram post, West may not either. That leaves Davhon Keys, Tylen Singleton and Harold Perkins as the starters. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Blake Baker go to his freshman class for some reps.
Zach Weeks played with his brothers in the Western Kentucky game. I know the staff is very high on Charles Ross, too. Keylan Moses and Jaiden Braker round out a talented group.
These two weeks of practice are a great chance for Baker to test some of his youth to see what LSU has before the transfer portal opens up.
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