Nicholls Athletics
By Hunt Palmer
It took some time for LSU to address the offensive line.
The new staff took 14 portal commitments before an offensive lineman popped. But then they kept coming. Ultimately, nine new trench men signed up from the portal to overhaul a unit that needed it desperately.
No stone was left unturned. The prospects ranged from top tackle Jordan Seaton to the FCS and junior college ranks. Entering the spring, the numbers look healthy again, and competition for starting spots and positioning on the depth chart will be heavy.
New offensive line coach Eric Wolford will team up with former LSU staffer James Cregg to set this group up for success.
WHAT WE KNOW
Ja’Mard Jones comes to LSU from Nicholls where he played one season.
He played in six games and actually started four for the Colonels as a true freshman. He’s a product of Rummel High School in New Orleans where he was a two-time All-District player and second team All-State as a senior.
He’s 6-foot-4 and 295 lbs., so he’ll have to put on weight. However, he’s a very good athlete. Jones was an excellent basketball player at Rummel where he scored over 1,000 points.
According to his bio page, Jones was also on the honor roll and a student council rep.
The jump from the FCS to the SEC is not a small one. Jones has three years of eligibility remaining.
THE FIT
LSU has two returning starters up front in center Braelin Moore and right tackle Weston Davis. Seaton will be the left tackle. That leaves two spots which are very likely to be taken by two of Baylor’s Sean Thompkins, Ole Miss’s Devin Harper and Maryland’s Aliou Bah. Davis will have to work to keep his right tackle slot, too.
The rest of the additions are fighting for their roles as reserves. And those roles are important. It’s nearly impossible to play 12 games without losing some offensive linemen.
Because of Jones’s size, he’s probably got some developing to do. It’s a good thing that he got some college playing time at Nicholls. And it’s a good thing that he’s got three more years to add to that frame and learn to play against the best players in the country.
HUNT’S PROJECTION
Of the lower-level additions that LSU made, Jones is perhaps the most intriguing because of his basketball background. It’s against the odds for a sub-3o0 lbs. guard to make a huge impact at LSU, but if he can add 15-to-20 lbs. over time, he’s got a chance.
I’m not even sure Jones is on the two-deep for 2026. LSU brought in some real talent to plug those starting positions, and I didn’t even mention players like Soloman Thomas, Derrin Strey and William Satterwhite who have SEC pedigree already.
Jones will be one I file away for the future, but there are some things about his profile that are easy to like.
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