PFF grades LSU in the Texas Bowl

By Hunt Palmer

LSU is on to 2025, literally and figuratively.

The Tigers closed the book on the season and the year Tuesday night in a convincing win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. Not so surprisingly, the offense highlights the highest grades from Pro Football Focus. The defense had its issues against Baylor, and that’s reflected in the grades.

Here’s how PFF saw LSU’s ninth win.

HIGHEST GRADES

1. Garrett Nussmeier, QB – 89.9
2. Bradyn Swinson, DE – 74.3
3. Chris Hilton, WR – 73.8
4. Trey’Dez Green, TE – 72.5
5. Miles Frazier, RT – 72.5

I thought Nussmeier was outstanding on Tuesday night. The interception was a bad one, both in terms of the spot in the game and misread, but outside of that, he lit it up. He hit Chris Hilton on the go routes. He found Trey’Dez Green on a key early fourth down and in the red zone. He threw for over 300 yards again and expertly piloted an offense missing most of its key pieces from the regular season. The 89.9 was Nussmeier’s highest grade of the season, and he’ll be getting Heisman hype in August.

Swinson capped his LSU career with another solid effort. He graded 76.1 against the run, and we know how well he can rush the passer. Swinson will likely hear his name on Day 2 of the draft and should be credited for playing his final game in purple and gold.

This 2024 offense could have used Hilton. He torched Oklahoma for a pair of deep touchdowns and then replicated that save for one yard in the Texas Bowl. The Baylor corners were WAY too late in flipping their hips to try to run with Hilton, and you can bet that Clemson will turn that tape on this spring/summer and have to plan for that. He just moves at a different speed than everyone else on the field. That element changes the way defenses have to play.

Green did what he was brought to LSU to do, catch third and fourth down throws in the middle of the field and catch touchdown throws in the red zone. The 6-foot-7 matchup nightmare finished with six catches for 52 yards and a pair of scores. We know what Green can do in the passing game. In 25 run blocking snaps he graded just a 43. He’s got to improve that. But he’s going to be a big factor next season.

And maybe Miles Frazier made himself a little bit of money in his final collegiate game. The three-year right guard kicked out to right tackle and handled himself well. He graded 77.2 in pass protection. He only allowed one pressure in 35 pass attempts.

LOWEST GRADES

1. Dylan Carpenter, EDGE – 51.2
2. Gio Paez, DT – 53.7
3. Tyree Adams, 55.8
4. Jardin Gilbert, S – 56.1
5. Paul Mubenga, LG – 56.6

Carpenter played 35 snaps on defense which was easily his largest workload of the season. His run stopping and pass rushing grades were about equal, 52.8 and 53.7 respectively. Heavy, heavy competition is coming in on the edge this spring. Carpenter will be in the mix.

Paez got dinged for a missed tackle. His tackling grade came in at 36.0. He deserves credit for playing a different role for LSU once Jacobian Guillory went down.

Adams got his chance at left tackle on Tuesday and graded in the mid-50s across the board. He’s got loads of potential with that long, lean frame and above average mobility. He’s another guy who has a lot of competition coming in the portal and from his own class. But he’ll be an option at left tackle for Brad Davis moving forward.

Gilbert made a huge play in the backfield on a run. That’s the kind of aggressiveness we didn’t see a ton of this year, and some of that is probably due to the shoulder injury he played through all season. He missed a couple of tackles and only graded 53.3 in coverage. Safety will get a long look in the offseason.

And Mubenga struggled a little bit in pass protection. He made strides from a really difficult game in Gainesville. At this point everyone in Davis’s offensive line group is fighting for a job from now until Labor Day.