LSU Football: Three Tigers to Watch in Week 5 Matchup at Ole Miss

No. 13 LSU travels to Oxford in Week 5 to take on a Lane Kiffin led Ole Miss squad with both programs searching for a crucial SEC victory on Saturday night.

It’ll be a showdown between two of the top signal-callers in the conference when Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart take the field as Daniels looks to continue his SEC dominance against the Rebels on the road.

Along with Daniels, the Tigers must have several key players rise to the occasion and make the most of their reps against a fiery Ole Miss squad:

Three Tigers to Monitor:

Jayden Daniels: Quarterback

LSU will only go as far as signal-caller Jayden Daniels allows them this season, and after dropping the season opener to Florida State, the Tigers’ QB1 has been on a roll as he redeems himself.

Daniels has been as consistent as they come, completing 90/124 (72.6%) of his passes with 1,296 yards, 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

He’s hit a different gear as SEC play takes shape and has shown no signs of slowing down with his proper reads and trusting his arm. It hasn’t been perfect, but Daniels’ ability to respond has been impressive.

Come Saturday in Oxford, it’ll be all eyes on LSU’s quarterback once again in a showdown against the Rebels. It’s imperative Daniels continues utilizing the one-two punch of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas while exploiting the Ole Miss secondary. Look for Daniels to carry his success into Week 5 against a fired up Rebels group.

LSU’s Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. have become the one-two punch Tiger fans wanted to see:

Through four games:

Nabers:
32 receptions
523 yards
16.3 YPC
5 TD

Thomas Jr:
25 receptions
413 yards
16.5 YPC
5 TD

What about Jayden Daniels?
90/124 (72.6%)
1,296 yards
12 TD
2 INT pic.twitter.com/ayqbLuu19V
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) September 24, 2023

Whit Weeks: Linebacker

The true freshman has been the talk of the town after emerging as a key piece to the defense in Weeks 3 and 4. The youngster earned the nod after Omar Speights was ruled out (hip flexor) and didn’t shy away from the competition.

Fast forward to this weekend in Oxford and Weeks will look to carry his momentum into a fiery offense in the Rebels. Quarterback Jaxson Dart has the ability to use his legs while running back Quinshon Judkins will be in search of getting back on track.

For Weeks, he must man the second-level of defense and keep tabs on Dart and Judkins all night in order to slow down this potent offensive attack with Lane Kiffin at the helm.

Zy Alexander: Cornerback

It’s no secret that Kiffin is a mastermind when his program has the football in their hands and he’ll certainly rise to the occasion against LSU on Saturday. With that being said, look for Ole Miss to exploit the Tigers’ shaky secondary.

LSU will fall back on Zy Alexander to be a key piece to what they do in order to slow down Dart and Co. offensively, but the secondary as a whole must step up in this one.

Ole Miss has its fair share of weapons on the outside, and in order for the Tigers to depart Oxford with a victory, slowing down the passing attack is a must.

Look for Alexander and the secondary to be put to the test on Saturday with Kiffin dialing up a scheme looking to exploit them. A coach who doesn’t shy away from trickery, the Tigers must have all hands on deck at all times.