An Early Look At LSU Football's Top 10 Matchup Against Florida State
Brian Kelly and Co. continue game preparation with the season opener against Florida State inching closer as the days go by.
The highly anticipated Top 10 matchap in Orlando will be a rematch of last year’s showdown in New Orleans where the Seminoles came out on top and this LSU program is eyeing revenge come Sunday.
It’ll be a star-studded contest with both program’s returning their starting quarterbacks from a season ago, several impactful transfers and more.
Here’s an early look into the matchup:
The Quarterback Duel
Jayden Daniels and Jordan Travis meet again under the bright lights with both signal-callers prepared to take that next step in their game.
For Daniels, he’s shown improvement in his deep ball all offseason with the chance to put it on display against the Seminoles. In last year’s contest, the Tigers’ QB1 struggled in pushing the ball downfield and it’s imperative he shows improvement come Sunday night.
When it comes to Travis, the Seminoles’ go-to-guy will have a myriad of options to work with against LSU. Florida State went out and saw immediate success in the NCAA Transfer Portal, and with Travis polishing his game this offseason, it’s clear he’s ready to take that next step with the weapons in his arsenal.
On Sunday, the anticipated quarterback battle will steal the show with a pair of Heisman candidates prepared to put it all together in Orlando.
Defensive Masterminds
Florida State’s defense is led by Preseason All-America selection Jared Verse. The dominant defensive end returned to Tallahassee with the chance to take college football by storm in 2023 after a standout season in 2022.
Make no mistake about it, Verse would have been a surefire first round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but now returning to the Seminoles, their defensive leader could hear his name in the Top 10, or even Top 5, conversation. LSU must monitor Verse on every snap with sophomore tackle Will Campbell taking on the assignment against the Preseason All-American.
The Tigers’ defense will be led by sophomore stud Harold Perkins. In his freshman campaign, Perkins took the country by storm. It was as dominant of a first season in Baton Rouge as Tiger fans have seen with the chance to take that next step in 2023.
With Perkins and Verse headlining both program’s defenses, it makes for a star-studded battle on both ends of the ball.
Skill Position Success
Let’s start with the wide receivers. For Florida State, head coach Mike Norvell went out and dominated in the transfer portal by adding former Michigan State standout Keon Coleman, but this receiving corps revolves around Johnny Wilson.
Wilson, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound monster, will be the focal point of the Tigers scouting report come Sunday. He’s a deep threat with an impressive skill set to back his physical tools and LSU’s secondary will certainly be put to the test.
On the ground, the Seminoles are led by redshirt junior Trey Benson. The weapons on the outside for Travis may steal the show, but Benson is no joke and this LSU defensive line will be put to the test without defensive tackle Maason Smith.
For the Tigers, it’ll be the Malik Nabers Show with Jayden Daniels and his third-year wide receiver developing a closer connection during the offseason. It was on full display during Fall Camp with the chance to carry momentum into the season where it starts with Florida State.
Along with Nabers, LSU fans will get their first look at Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson, who’ll run in the slot with the second-team behind Kyren Lacy. Anderson will serve as the return specialist for the Tigers as well.
In the backfield, LSU has an embarrassment of riches to work with. In total, the Tigers have eight scholarship running backs with Josh Williams, Logan Diggs and Noah Cain looking to do the heavy lifting. Diggs, a Notre Dame transfer and Louisiana native, has the chance to be a key piece to this offense in 2023 after a productive career in South Bend.
