Who Could Earn Meaningful Playing Time Out of LSU's Early Signing Period?
As LSU moves into the Brian Kelly era, there will be a transition on the roster as well. LSU lost the traditional seniors that every team does, and it also saw roster hits via the Transfer Portal, with nine players leaving LSU since Aug. 9.
To help offset those losses, LSU needed impact recruits. The first National Signing Day helped the Tigers in that regard, and the following four players will likely either compete for a starting role or be a key backup next fall.
Quency Wiggins, Defensive End
One of the most impressive athletes in the country, Wiggins comes to LSU as a player that’s focused on football for only a couple of years. He was a basketball player growing up.
At 6-6, 265-pounds, Wiggins has the ability to move more like a linebacker. He’s very flexible and possesses the long arms one would commonly see in a NBA basketball game. He'll provide some excellent depth at the very least for a group that should see BJ Ojulari and Maason Smith be dominant forces in 2022.
Wiggins was a national recruit and decided to play for LSU over offers from schools like Alabama, Florida and Texas.
Miles Frazier, Offensive Line
The one college transfer that was announced on National Signing Day, Frazier is likely to compete for a starting job very early in his career. LSU’s offensive line has been up and down the past two seasons, and an influx in talent will help each offensive lineman compete against each other.
He’s one of the most highly recruited players from the Transfer Portal after playing for Florida International the past two seasons. One could make a strong argument that Frazier's signing is the most important of all the players from this past Wednesday, Dec. 15. Depth along LSU’s offensive line is precarious at the moment.
Frazier had offers from Ohio State, Penn State, North Carolina State, and Florida State among others.
Will Campbell, Offensive Line
Much like Frazier, Campbell comes to LSU as one of the most talented offensive tackles in the country. He could have signed with just about any school he wanted, with Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M, Florida State, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, and Oregon all offering the talented Neville High School talent.
What’s different about Campbell would be his athleticism. Despite being about 300-pounds, Campbell’s ability to move in space and reach second-level defenders is quite rare for any offensive tackle, let alone one that’s not even enrolled at LSU yet.
While it’s not ideal for a freshman to start at offensive tackle for LSU, Campbell possesses that type of ability.
Walker Howard, Quarterback
LSU has practically some depth at quarterback with the recent return of senior Myles Brennan. The loss of Max Johnson to Texas A&M was a huge blow. With Brennan's return, it should open up the opportunity for Howard to sit and learn the college game as a true freshman.
Can Walker come in and compete in the SEC West? Absolutely. This is a player with the mobility to create time in the pocket, can be a rhythm passer who does good work with precision passing, and he has an arm strong enough to stretch the field.
At the very least, Howard should be a player that comes in and competes with Nussmeier and provides depth for the Tigers. Do not be surprised if at least splits reps next fall during the early portion of the 2022 season.
Overall, LSU still needs to add move players from the high school ranks and the Transfer Portal, but there’s a good chance that at least the players mentioned above will compete for playing time next season.
Photo courtesy of Miles Frazier
