LSU Football Breakout Candidates: Three Tigers Poised To Take That Next Step
The second season of the Brian Kelly Era is inching closer, and as this program gears up for preseason camp, it gives LSU’s coaching staff a chance to evaluate the roster with a more hands-on approach.
After a beneficial summer of strength and conditioning, the pads are set to be back on and the Tigers will see a handful of players show out over the next two and a half weeks.
Here are three players poised for a breakout season in 2023:
Maason Smith - Defensive Tackle
Smith entered the 2022 season as a player many circled as a breakout candidate, but after suffering a torn ACL on the Tigers first defensive series, his season came to an end before it even started.
Now, the Preseason First-Team All-SEC selection has the chance to respond and wake the college football world up once again. After being fully cleared in May, it’s full steam ahead to the Sept. 3 season opener against Florida State with this program looking to get revenge.
For Smith, the former five-star recruit looks to get back to his old ways. A freshman campaign in 2021 that saw the youngster record five tackles for loss and four sacks, Smith burst on the scene. As he gears up for the 2023 season, all signs point towards the redshirt sophomore making a big-time impact in Death Valley.
Brian Thomas Jr. - Wide Receiver
Thomas has shown flashes of what’s to come during his first two seasons in Baton Rouge. The physical, do-it-all wideout stepped up in 2022 after making big-time play after big-time play, but now he has the chance to put it all together as the Tigers clearcut WR2.
It’ll be the Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas show in 2023, giving Jayden Daniels a pair of gifted receivers to work with. The depth of LSU’s receiving corps is significant. From Kyren Lacy to Landon Ibieta to a trio of freshman looking to make an immediate impact, the options are endless, but Thomas has the chance to get volume early on.
Looking ahead to the season, Thomas will have an opportunity to handle business and take on a major role for LSU’s offense this year. A breakout candidate, keep tabs on what Thomas does early on in the season.
Saivion Jones - EDGE
Jones has been the talk of the town after both Ali Gaye and BJ Ojulari took their talents to the next level. A player who’s been in the shadows, it’s now Jones’ turn to handle business on defense for the Tigers.
The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder totaled 4.5 sacks in 2022 in a smaller role on Matt House’s defense, but his time is now. Jones has all the intangibles of taking that next step and this program has raved about what he’s done this offseason.
Jones took first-team reps throughout spring ball, and with a flurry of youngsters working behind him, he’ll also take on a leadership role in the locker room. A player who will mature quickly in 2023, it’s a given his production also takes that next step, making him the perfect breakout candidate this fall.
