By Hunt Palmer
Brian Kelly helped turn Notre Dame into a tight end factory. His first draft class as Irish head coach sent Kyle Rudolph to the league as a second rounder. Two years later Tyler Eifert won the Mackey Award. A year after Kelly left, all-American Michael Mayer was a second rounder. In total, Kelly recruited, developed and/or coached nine NFL draft picks at tight end. Six of those were Top 3 round selections. LSU has produced three tight end draft picks this century, and it’s almost a quarter old. The last time the Tigers produced a first-round tight end, it was David LaFluer in 1998. His son, JD, is now committed to Kelly.
So, it should come as no surprise that when Kelly showed up in Baton Rouge the tight end situation wasn’t to his standard. It was empty. Kole Taylor, more famous for his footwear being launched into the foggy Swamp air than catching touchdowns, had decided to transfer. Arik Gilbert had left. Essentially, the position room was Nick Storz and Jack Mashburn. Storz was brought to Baton Rouge to throw sinkers and sliders on Saturdays at The Box. Mashburn was a walk-on who had played quarterback in high school.
Hall of Famer Jason Taylor had a three-star son on the way, but that was about it. Fast forward three years, and LSU has immense talent at the position. The depth is unquestionably an issue, but multiple tight ends on this LSU roster will catch NFL passes. And that will be the standard in purple and gold until Kelly is gone
WHO’S GONE: Mac Markway (Transfer), Jackson McGohan (Transfer)
WHO’S BACK: Mason Taylor, Ka’Morreun Pimpton
WHO’S NEW: Trey’Dez Green (Transfer, Vanderbilt),
The Hall of Famer’s kid turned out to be pretty good. Mason Taylor was forced into early playing time as a freshman because….well…there was no one else. He’ll show up on Tiger Stadium video boards as long as they exist thanks to that two-point conversion in Nick Saban’s last ever game in Death Valley(Hey, the guy tormented LSU for a decade and a half. Give me this one needle). He was more than that, though. Hell, his touchdown catch in that same game was probably a better play. On a team that featured Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas, Kayshon Boutte and Kyren Lacy, he was the third leading receiver in terms of catches and yards.
Last year LSU’s offense became extremely vertical. Jayden Daniels, Nabers, Thomas and Lacy spearheaded the creation of 107 plays of 20-plus yards. That was best in the country by 17 plays. Taylor was consistent and available. He made a catch in every game he appeared in. He just wasn’t leaned on. That will change in 2024. I expect Taylor to finish the season second on the team in catches behind Lacy. The transition to Garrett Nussmeier, in my opinion, is going to shift toward a more consistent running game and quicker passing game. That’s got Taylor written all over it. The 6-foot-5 in tight end isn’t a burner. He’s not an elite level athlete. He’s big, smart and sure handed. Nearly half (15-of-36) of his catches went for first downs last year. I expect more of the same in 2024. And I expect Taylor to be a second day NFL Draft pick. That’s The Kelly Way.
While Taylor is the unquestioned starter, the two guys behind him are dripping with elite physical traits. Ka’Morreun Pimpton was a late get for LSU in the 2023 signing class. The Tigers stole him away from Vanderbilt at the eleventh hour. Poor, Vandy. Pimpton is a lanky 6-foot-6 with a wingspan as wide as a country sky. He’s an average runner, but he can jump. And his hands are excellent. In fall practices the media has seen multiple highlight reel catches from Pimpton. He’s not afraid to go up the ladder. At 6-foot-6, not many safeties and linebackers can get up there. He’s put on weight, though I’m sure the coaching staff would like more. He’s been willing to block, though I’m sure the couching staff would like more. Right now, he’s much more of a pass catcher than a run blocker. But because Mac Markway bolted a week into camp, he’s going to have to block. Expect to see some two tight end sets against USC. That’s going to be part of the offense. And expect to see Pimpton making some catches.
Any Spinal Tap fans reading? Trey’Dez Green is just like Pimpton…but he goes to 11. Pimpton is 6-foot-6. Green is 6-foot-7. Pimpton is an average runner. Green is fast. Pimpton jumps well. Green can sky. He is, to use a grossly overused term, a matchup nightmare. Corners that go 6-foot and 180 lbs. can’t get high enough. Safeties and linebackers can’t run with him. He was rated the best high school tight end in the country by On3 for a reason.
When I walked out onto the practice field the first day of camp, I had my roster handy because there were number changes everywhere. About five minutes into the workout I saw No. 14 and thought, “who is THAT?” It was Green. He stands out that way. Now, for his frame, he’s skinny. A junior or senior linebacker can probably get under his pads and create some problems. That part is going to come with age and strength. But that age and strength is coming. Quite honestly, it’s hard to envision Green as anything but a star at LSU. I do not think that day is Sunday in Las Vegas. Taylor and Pimpton are the first and second options. Green will find a role as the season moves along.
Having only three scholarship players at the position is a problem. For an offense than wants to run two-tight sets, you’re an injury and a faulty chin strap away from big issues. There’s not much LSU can do about that now except for get a walk on ready to go. That’ll be GiVanni Peterson right now. That said, the talent level is very high.
Expect big time production from this group in 2024 and beyond.
