HANAGRIFF: Spring brings intrigue all over the field for LSU

By Charles Hanagriff

I’ll start with what I know for sure. 

When the LSU Tigers kick off the 2025 season in Clemson, S.C., barring injury, Garrett Nussmeier will be the starting quarterback. That’s one hundred percent with no other equivocations. 

After that, it’s degrees of probability. 

Welcome to spring football in Baton Rouge for 2025, when a very talented roster takes the field for the first time as a team. 

If they haven’t already, getting some freezer tape and a black Sharpie might be a good idea. The names need to be put on the front of the helmets, just so everyone can keep track of who’s who. 

There will eventually be 39 players practicing on the Ponderosa that were not LSU Tigers in 2024, and most of those will be on the field this spring. Educated guesses at the depth chart are fine, but use a pencil instead of that Sharpie until the cleats have been in the grass awhile. 

Now for the annual disclaimer: spring results are no guarantee of future outcomes, good or bad.  

In 2002, Andrew Whitworth, who had redshirted as a freshman, because that’s what freshman offensive lineman did back then, made it pretty clear he was going to be a starter come the fall. 

He was, and it’s probably not necessary to recap his career again in this space. Two-time All-SEC performer, national champion…the guy missed one practice in five years, and that was to attend graduation. 

Matt Mauck was the starting quarterback that year, elevated to the position following the departure of Rohan Davey. Mauck had teased his future success by coming off the bench to lead LSU to a win in the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee. 

But at that point, Mauck had yet to make a start in college. In the spring game, he threw FIVE interceptions. To say there was a bit of angst in Baton Rouge that summer would be an understatement. 

It was wasted worry. Mauck left LSU with a winning percentage that was an eyelash higher than Joe Burrow’s, and both led national championship teams. 

Now, the names of spring standouts that never panned out in the fall would take a while to list, but you get the idea. 

What are the things I’m watching for this spring? 

I think Caden Durham will be the Tigers lead running back in the fall, but I’m anxious to see what Harlem Berry can do. Berry, the top player at his position in this class, has an explosion element to his game, but I’m just as curious to see his versatility. I hear good things. 

At wide receiver, LSU has a mix of proven players and those with great potential. How will it sort?   

Will Chris Hilton emerge as a dependable threat? His late season surge suggests he might. How about Aaron Anderson? If his improvement this offseason mirrors his last, the Tigers can’t keep him off the field. 

What about transfers Nic Anderson or Barion Brown? Both have been lead receivers at SEC schools. TaRon Francis and Phillip Wright were top recruits in the state, and both are on campus this spring. Do they have a role this early? 

That is before I get to Trey’Dez Green, who wisely abandoned his brief experiment in college basketball to get ready for football. I’m not sure his exact role, but I haven’t seen too many defenders close to his size. 

If he plays some tight end, he’s got the Oklahoma transfer Bauer Sharp to complement him. Sharp led the Sooners in catches and yards last season, but it was a weak passing attack in Norman. Will Nussmeier develop a trust with Sharp similar to what he had with Mason Taylor? 

I can’t guarantee any starters on the offensive line at a specific position, although I’ll be shocked if Virginia Tech transfer Braelyn Moore isn’t snapping the ball to Nussmeier on August 30. That leaves last season’s starting center DJ Chester fighting for a starting spot at guard. 

That is unless Paul Mubenga, who spent November at left guard as a replacement for Garrett Dellinger, holds onto that position. Josh Thompson, a Northwestern transfer, pencils in at guard, too, but he has also played tackle. If Chester and Mubenga end up as the starting guards, is Thompson a tackle? 

Is Tyree Adams the other tackle? It would appear that way to start, but we haven’t seen top recruit Solomon Thomas yet. He is an early enrollee and one of the most intriguing prospects this spring. 

Then there’s Coen Echols, who impressed during bowl practices. Where does he fit? Or Weston Davis? If Thompson remains at guard, could he be a starting tackle? 

From left to right, Adams, Thompson, Moore, Chester, and Davis. But that’s only my first guess. 

Defensive tackle seems like a safe pick for now. Dominick McKinley and Ahmad Breaux are ready to break out after good freshman seasons. They’re awaiting the return of Jacobian Guillory, who, if healthy, will provide a veteran presence. 

That is not to say any of the four freshman, or Texas transfer Sydir Mitchell, can’t emerge. Three of the four frosh are on campus now, as is Mitchell, who was a favorite of former defensive line coach Bo Davis. Unfortunately, Davis bolted for the New Orleans Saints, leaving this position in flux. 

(EDITORS NOTE: Piece was published before Kyle Williams was reportedly hired as new defensive line coach.)

On the edge, LSU brought in three power conference players with a load of experience to go with rising sophomore Gabriel Reliford. Patrick Payton, who was a top pass rusher at Florida State, comes with the most decorated resume, but Jack Pyburn from Florida and Jimari Butler from Nebraska should be in the rotation as well. The Tigers have a chance to wear people down with the depth here if things work out, but what order and how much playing time each gets is very much up for grabs.  

Linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins will miss spring with injuries, opening reps up for several newcomers. I’m most eager to see Charles Ross, who has garnered some Perkins comps.  That is a lot to ask, so for now, let’s just see if he can work in early. 

Davhon Keys is the biggest story at the position going in. Keys came on late in the season, and LSU would love it if he took a lead role in these practices with the veterans Weeks and Perkins sidelined. 

In the secondary, will Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane play corner or safety? That might depend on whether Florida transfer Jakeem Jackson is ready to start at corner, opposite either returning starter Ashton Stamps, or the top player in the recruiting class, DJ Pickett. 

Somebody must play nickel, and it would probably benefit the Tigers if Delane could shore up the poor play LSU had at safety a year ago. All of these players will have a role, it’s just a matter of where.   

NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley figures in at safety as well, along with returning sophomore Dashawn Spears.  If incumbent starter Jardin Gilbert retains his position, it will have been against stiff competition. 

The punting job is open. Peyton Todd will be given another chance, but Middle Tennessee transfer Grant Chadwick is the heavy favorite to win the position.   

At kicker, the job is Damien Ramos’s to lose, but spring is the time to see if Aeron Burrell can match his kickoff excellence by putting the pigskin between the posts. 

Spring football is important for the players, invaluable for the coaches, but frankly, a lousy spectator sport for the fans. Everything is scripted to reveal what the coaches need to see, and the public isn’t privy to those plans. Remember that whether LSU has what is considered to be a good or bad performance in whatever form the spring game takes. 

I’ll just remember Matt Mauck and Andrew Whitworth.