Notebook: Ed Ingram to start at left guard, Ray Thornton suspended and injury updates on Marshall, Lawrence and Logan
LSU coach Ed Orgeron held his weekly Thursday press conference to drop some interesting tidbits about the Tigers game against Utah State on Saturday. Here were some of the big takeaways.
Ed Ingram draws start at left guard
Well it only took two weeks of practice for sophomore guard Ed Ingram to prove to the coaching staff he was ready to be a starter again. Orgeron announced Tuesday that Ingram would start at left guard while senior Adrian Magee would make the move over to left tackle.
"We'll have to monitor his plays and see how he goes," Orgeron. "Our offense hasn't been going very much on long drives but if there is a long drive and he's tired then we'll give him a break."
Throughout the entire process with Ingram and his suspension, Orgeron said he kept to the football side of things. Orgeron added that Ingram had actually lost too much weight, getting as low as 280 pounds and that he needed to add weight to get back to where he was before his suspension.
"We followed the rules the whole time and now he's back," Orgeron said. "We believe in Ed, I'm happy for him and I'm happy for his family."
What this means for Saahdiq Charles remains to be seen as Orgeron didn't go into detail other than to say Magee would play left tackle.
Updates on injured players Lawrence, Logan and Marshall
With K'Lavon Chaisson now healthy, the question still lingers for Rashard Lawrence, Glen Logan and Terrace Marshall.
Orgeron said that Lawrence has the strongest chance to play Saturday but did suffer a 'minor' setback on Wednesday's practice, injuring a separate body part that wasn't linked to his injury. As for Logan, Orgeron said the junior defensive end practiced a little bit on Thursday but is unsure if he'll suit up on Saturday.
"I don't know how much Rashard Lawrence will play but Glen Logan practiced a little bit today but I don't expect to see him play," Orgeron said.
One of the surprising notes of the day was the status of wide receiver Terrace Marshall, who is already out of a walking boot. Marshall underwent surgery for an injured foot after the Vanderbilt game and was around practice on Thursday. Orgeron said on Wednesday that Marshall is on pace to return sooner than people think.
"He looked good around practice today," Orgeron said.
In Marshall's absence, Orgeron said to expect more reps for Jontre Kirklin and freshman Trey Palmer, but at the end of the day more looks might go to the two-headed monster of Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase.
"Those guys are working hard," Orgeron said. "We have a lot of guys to throw too."
Linebacker Ray Thornton suspended from team
Orgeron announced Thursday that junior linebacker Ray Thornton had been suspended from the team for a violation of team rules. The 6-foot-3, 227 pound linebacker had recorded three tackles in four appearances during the 2019 season.
With K'Lavon Chaisson now back in the fold, the Tigers will be relying heavily on Andre Anthony and Ray Parker to back Chaisson up with Michael Divinity also not playing this week.
Orgeron said there is no time table for Thornton's return to the team.
