LSU Football: Takeaways From SEC Media Days
LSU took center stage on Monday for their SEC Media Days appearance and Brian Kelly's group stole the show.
Kelly brought Jayden Daniels, Josh Williams and Mekhi Wingo to Nashville with him as the Tigers lock in for Year 2 of the "Brian Kelly Era" down South.
A key talking point was Daniels' growth as he prepares for his second season in Baton Rouge, LSU closing the gap on Georgia and more.
Here are the takeaways from Monday in Nashville:
Jayden Daniels’ Development
The entire offense starts with how LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels evolves. In 2022, week in and week out we saw Daniels take strides in the right direction, and all looks positive as he enters his second (and final) season down South.
Kelly discussed the improvement of Daniels, how this coaching staff began to understand him as a football player and where he must develop during the 2023 season:
"I think that [the coaching staff] was all a part of our learning curve with him. We knew [Daniels] as a person, but we really didn't know much as a football player and how he would respond to a new system of offense where he had to make a 180 in terms of what he was asked to do.
“So what does development look like for him? I think it would be the natural progression from the last game in which he played where he was aggressive, but he was under control. He ran the ball when he needed to but stepped up in the pocket and made the tight window throws.
“I think that was the progression from what we saw in the first week where he would step up in the pocket, and run or not make those tight-window throws. I think that's what we saw during the year was his natural progression of understanding the offense and being more confident. We want to see that in year two."
Closing the Gap on Alabama and Georgia
LSU defeated the Crimson Tide in Kelly’s first season down South. It was a monumental achievement for this program to take down a powerhouse in Kelly’s first season in the SEC. The victory was a step in the right direction, but it wasn’t a National Championship.
For LSU, it’s about building sustained greatness. Both Alabama and Georgia have built dynasties and it’s what Kelly is looking to do in Baton Rouge.
"Based upon how we've recruited and how we'll continue to recruit, we'll have a football roster that will be able to compete against Georgia ... and then it's just a matter of getting it done on the field."
What's the Status of the Secondary?
Another year, another fresh faced secondary. LSU went to the NCAA Transfer Portal once again to reel in several key cornerbacks in order to add depth for the 2023 season. From Syracuse’s Duce Chestnut to Southeastern Louisiana’s Zy Alexander, this program added a variety of talent to their roster.
But how does the starting unit look? Which direction will Kelly and his coaching staff go in this season? Certainly Fall Camp will tell the story, but with Chestnut returning from injury and freshman Javien Toviano being utilized as a Swiss Army Knife, it’ll be intriguing to see where this secondary stands. Kelly’s opinion will be important.
He harped on the "concern" within the secondary on Monday:
"When you have to dip into the transfer portal at one position, that's a concern,” Kelly said on Monday. “Because you don't know what you have... We are a team that needs to get off the field on 3rd down. That's something we weren't very good at last year. That starts with that group"
Teams converted 39% of third downs against LSU last year, which ranked 74th in the country. Moving forward, Kelly understands that Fall Camp will be where this program hits their stride and understands rotations.
