Freshmen Skills Position Players Ed Orgeron is Most Excited to Watch for LSU Football This Fall
As the Tigers close in on the end of summer workouts and “football school,” Coach Ed Orgeron has seen a shift in the mindset of his team. The preparation and mentality of this team is to win at all costs and it starts with everyone locking in and putting in the work as a whole.
Orgeron joined 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge for his weekly appearance on Off The Bench where he discussed the importance of Kevin Faulk to his staff, the running back depth and the demeanor of his players as their focus shifts to Sept. 4th’s opener against UCLA.
"First of all, I want to say what a job Kevin Faulk has done for us. Him coming back into coaching at his alma mater, that was huge," Orgeron said. "We had the deal with Ben Bordelon and Alan Faneca and all those great players were there. They were excited that we were there. They were excited to see one person, it wasn't me, it was Kevin Faulk."
As a coach, Faulk has done his due diligence for his running backs this offseason, but his role on the recruiting side of things has been a huge addition to Coach Orgeron’s staff. The LSU legend has put in endless hours keeping Louisiana talent home and his efforts have helped shape this Tigers roster.
"Kevin's done a great job for us also in recruiting," Orgeron said. "Think about the Lafayette area, him and Corey Raymond, Sage Ryan, Jack Bech, Malik Nabers, several commits this year. These guys are doing a tremendous job recruiting and then Kevin went to Ohio to get Corey Kiner, he went to Alabama and Armoni Goodwin could've went anywhere he wanted to in Alabama. Got him. Not only a great job on the coaching aspect, but a great job of recruiting."
The addition of freshmen running backs Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin have helped shape this running back group into a loaded squad and it’s all thanks to Faulk and his persistence in recruiting them heavily. Both backs will surely make an impact for the Tigers this season as they feed off of each other to dominate the SEC for years to come.
With such a versatile roster heading into the 2021-22 season, it all starts with the Tigers offensive players being able to fill certain roles, namely true freshman Jack Bech. The Lafayette native has put the entire LSU staff on notice with his ability to play both wide receiver and tight end for this offensive unit.
“Now, a tight end is a guy who can stretch the field. A guy that we can put at X, a guy that we can put at slot,” said Orgeron. “He is a pass catching tight end first and then a blocking tight end second.”
Bech has left an immediate impact on the Tigers staff with his unmatched work ethic and consistent time spent on perfecting his craft. This freshmen group LSU brought in this summer has proven they’re willing to do all they can to put this team in position to win.
To build a championship contender, it all starts with the entire team being on the same page, and for LSU this starts with holding each other accountable in their players only practices throughout the summer. To all be locked in and having 100% participation gives Coach Orgeron the feeling that this team is entirely prepared for battle come September.
“Four summers ago, we had a players only practice and maybe 25% would show up, maybe 30%. Right now, its 100%,” said Orgeron. “It’s not even a question if you’re going to be there or not. They have individual practices. They have one on ones. They have 7 on 7. Then they have a team practice and it’s all scripted where leadership runs the practice.”
With this team willing to put it all on the line and give Coach Orgeron all they’ve got in the tank, the energy in this locker room mimics that of former LSU greats. As this newfound locker room energy translates to on field success, this Tigers group has something special brewing in Death Valley.
