Brian Kelly Talks Impact of the Freshmen, Team Chemistry

Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers have done the improbable in his first season. Initially, it was expected this program would utilize year one to “rebuild,” but that narrative changed quickly after the Tigers continued slowly gaining continuity.

Whether it be the youngsters stepping up and answering the call or the savvy veterans leading this team to success, it’s been a team effort. Kelly has praised the buy-in of his players and how they’ve “never blinked” in any situation.

On Monday, the Tigers’ decision-maker addressed the media where he detailed the role of his freshmen, the team buy-in and the process of being great:

The Freshmen Continue Exceeding Expectations

LSU has seen Will Campbell, Harold Perkins, Mason Taylor, Emery Jones and more step up to the plate for the Tigers this season. Kelly has never relied on so many youngsters to take on such a significant role, but this year has been much different.

“That freshman class has obviously been a huge piece of this SEC West championship team,” Kelly said. “You have two starting tackles, you have a tight end, you have Harold Perkins, you’ve got [DeMario Tolan]... That freshman class has been very impactful.”

The two that have received much of the credit this season have been Campbell and Perkins, but this team is stocked with talent for the future and Kelly harped on that subject on Monday. The trajectory of this program will only continue going up as the youngsters gain more in-game experience.

Team Chemistry

This LSU roster is mainly made up of transfers and freshmen. With the exception of a few returning players with experience in the purple and gold, this squad has a majority of fresh faces leading the way. Therefore, it’s a challenge to gain continuity so quickly, but Kelly detailed the chemistry of his guys which has paved the way for their success.

“It’s huge. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a really good football team that didn’t like each other… I think it starts because everyone is held accountable to the same level,” Kelly said. “The best player doesn’t get special treatment. Everybody gets treated the same way… Gradually they start to get closer and closer as a group.”

Kelly’s pillars to success have been discipline, accountability and unity this season. A team moves as one, is held to the same standard and grows together. As the season has progressed, it’s been made apparent his pillars have been instilled in his players. In turn, success has come at a rapid pace and has the Tigers only gaining more chemistry as the backend of the season arrives.

Trusting the Process

It was hard to put expectations on year one of the Brian Kelly era. With so many new players on the roster paired with a fresh coaching staff, the chances of reaching this level of success seemed near impossible, but there was a slim chance it could happen. And it did.

“I didn’t put any wins or losses on this team,” Kelly said. “I put ‘I wanna play hard, I wanna be better in November, I wanna teach them how to win’ and I think we’ve hit all those markers. I think we’re at where we should be at this time.”

Rome wasn’t built in a day. This program has seen their fair share of head-scratching moments, but continuing to persevere and exceed expectations has been precisely what this team has done with Kelly at the helm.

As the Tigers continue developing their new culture, success will come, and that’s what has transpired this season for LSU and Kelly couldn’t be prouder of what this squad has accomplished this far, but the job isn’t finished just yet.