Notebook: LSU’s Brian Kelly Talks Spring Practice Format, Importance of “Brotherhood”
In this story:
Brian Kelly’s squad had a change of scenery in Saturday’s spring practice, suiting up in Tiger Stadium for the first time in camp.
Preparing for next week’s spring game, Kelly and the Bayou Bengals are locking in on every facet of the game to sharpen their skill sets.
A perfectionist, Kelly used Saturday’s practice to prime the Tigers for the big dance next weekend, but also understood the excitement of his players as they got the opportunity to lace up their cleats in Death Valley.
“Right when the guys got here, it's probably the fastest they've changed since I've been with them in and out of the locker room,” Kelly said. “There's just an energy that you get when you come into your stadium. We wanted to remind them obviously we want to defend our turf. This is our home stadium. Anytime we're in it, we want to make sure that we're preparing ourselves the right way.”
After Saturday’s run in Tiger Stadium, Kelly caught up with the media to discuss where his group stands after 12 practices and how he plans to handle the spring game.
Here’s what stood out most:
Spring Game Format
With an injury riddled roster and a few thin position groups, Kelly and his staff decided it would be best to do an offense versus defense format. Rather than doing it the traditional way, this staff feels it isn’t worth the risk of losing even more depth due to injury heading into the summer.
“It will be offense vs. defense. And as much as I do not like that version of it, for many reasons, it's the best way to create a competitive situation for our team,” Kelly said. “We would have to put ourselves in some compromising situations [if the squads were split] so that's the way it's going to be, offense vs. defense.”
It’s a long-term play for Kelly by electing to go this route, but one that makes sense for this squad. Continuing to get healthy while still having a level of competition in the spring game is a win-win for this program as they look to go into the next phase of the offseason healthy.
Brotherhood of the Tigers
One aspect of spring to this point has been the lack of defensive intensity during the 11-on-11 drills. It’s evident health has been a major concern, which plays a role in the defense not wrapping up on their tackles, but there has certainly been questionable energy from that side of the ball during camp.
Though staying healthy may not be the only thing holding back the defense from making highlight reel hits. Kelly has preached brotherhood to his team. Moving as one and staying together is his main message, so the players have been hesitant to break what has been instilled in their game plan.
“Our guys are caught a little in between the brotherhood and tackling,” Kelly said. “So, I preach brotherhood and that is you got to be careful with our guys. Don't put them in compromising situations… I'm not here to make any excuses for poor tackling, but they're caught right now a little bit in a new way of practicing but when it's time to tackle they got to tackle… They're not deliberately not wanting to tackle but they're caught a little bit in between that kind of narrative that we've been preaching.”
With some heavy-hitters on this LSU roster, it’s only a matter of time until they get to showcase their abilities this fall. Keeping it clean during spring will only give them that much greater of a reason to hit harder this season.
Wide Receiver Depth and Surprises
It’s no secret the wide receivers on this LSU roster runs deep. Returning a myriad of talented freshman from a season ago and adding Louisiana transfer Kyren Lacy into the mix, it makes for one of the Tigers deeper positions on the roster. Not to mention Kayshon Boutte should be back in action this summer.
But Kelly is still working on the fundamentals with the receivers. Getting the most out of his players is his specialty, but in order to achieve that, it comes with steady, hard-nosed practices.
“I think we're building some grit in this group. I think there's talent,” Kelly said. “We're looking for guys that can sustain a consistent level of play for four quarters. We're having long practices, and then we're not getting into team play and throwing it to them in competitive situations until late so they're fatigued. We want to see him fight through those and make the big catches late… We're developing a mental toughness with that group. I think it's talented. I think they're going to be a group that we can count on.”
The addition of Kyren Lacy into an already stacked receiver room turned this group from good to great instantly. Lacy has been a pleasant surprise in camp to this point. Capping off last Saturday’s practice with a 50-yard touchdown reception during 11-on-11 work, Lacy did it again in yesterday’s practice, connecting on a touchdown reception from Jayden Daniels.
Final Thoughts
As Kelly and his staff put the final touches on spring camp, this rejuvenated squad looks poised to flip the script from last season. A revamped staff and fresh-faced locker room, it’s clear this new era of LSU football has the chance to be special.
With two more spring practices until Saturday’s big dance in Tiger Stadium, the competition levels this week will surely be something to see.
