LSU Report Card: Jayden Daniels Shines in Week 2 Victory

Brian Kelly’s program is coming off of a much-needed victory over Grambling in Week 2 with several position groups stealing the show in Tiger Stadium.

Headlined by Jayden Daniels and Logan Diggs, the offense saw an uptick in production with improvement in several areas. There is work to be done, but the offense showcased an impressive balance on Saturday.

The Week 2 Report Card:

Quarterbacks: A-

Jayden Daniels: Daniels shined for the Tigers on Saturday with five touchdowns in the first half against Grambling. He added 269 yards through the air with a mix between quick reads and intermediate throws. It was an all-around solid performance for the Tigers QB1 with the chance to carry his success into Week 3.

Garrett Nussmeier: Nussmeier took select snaps in the second half with most of his reps coming in the third quarter. It’s no secret LSU’s QB2 has a cannon and he showcased it on several occasions during his limited action. There were a few drops from the wide receivers, but overall, Nussmeier handled business when given time.

Rickie Collins: Collins played sparingly in the fourth quarter on Saturday, showcasing his elite athleticism. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback and it was put on display against Grambling with his first snap being a designed quarterback run. There’s work to be done with his throwing mechanics, but the true freshman has promise.

Running Backs: A+

There isn’t much to complain about when it comes to the rushing attack on Saturday night. The Tigers totaled over 300 yards on the ground headlined by Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs handling business.

Diggs rushed for 115 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. Along with Diggs making an instant impact in his debut, LSU received positive playing time from true freshman Kaleb Jackson.

Jackon rushed for over 60 yards with two touchdowns of his own as the Tigers dismantled Grambling’s defensive line in Tiger Stadium. An all-around positive showing from this group with Noah Cain and Josh Williams also getting in on the action.

Wide Receivers: B+

Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers will continue being the go-to guys for Jayden Daniels this season and it’s been on full display through the first two weeks. Thomas has been a bright spot while Nabers continues doing what he does best.

LSU also gave significant run to Chris Hilton who made the most of his chances with the first team when given the opportunity.

A critique from Saturday night will be from the second and third team, specifically Shelton Sampson Jr. Brian Kelly said it would be a work in progress for the true freshman, and after dropping two passes from Nussmeier, it’s clear there is still work to be done for the youngster with tremendous promise.

Tight Ends: B-

It was a quiet night for the tight ends with TE1 Mason Taylor exiting the game with a sprained ankle. This gave significant run to both freshmen Mac Markway and Ka’Morreun Pimpton who handled business, but again, a quiet showing from the tight end room on Saturday with this program pushing the ball down field through the air while testing the run-game.

Offensive Line: A

It started with Miles Frazier taking first team reps and ended with true freshman Zalance Heard stealing the show. Heard took first team reps as he continues looking to earn the starting right tackle position.

A lineup we could see against Mississippi State this weekend would be (from left to right): Will Campbell, Garrett Dellinger, Charles Turner, Emery Jones and Zalance Heard.

The Tigers tested the true freshman, running to the right side on most snaps (Heard took nearly 50 snaps) and he succeeded on most occasions. This group looked the part with the rushing attack totaling over 300 yards on the ground.

Defensive Line: B-

Maason Smith made his long-awaited return with over 35 snaps taken. It was big to get him back in the fold, but there is work to be done up front. Grambling running back Chance Williams shined on Saturday, totaling 106 yards on just seven carries. This group must gel come SEC play and that was put on display come the second and third quarter. Good, not great showing from the defensive line.

Linebackers: B

There’s been talk around town about the usage of Harold Perkins at inside linebacker but on Saturday there was a variation of uses when it came to Perkins. He moved around, but was still relatively ineffective. This must change come SEC play.

Aside from Perkins, we saw run from both Weeks Bros. and Greg Penn III, who shined in Tiger Stadium.

The Secondary: C

Tying the cornerbacks and safeties in at once here, it was another sluggish start for this unit. Brian Kelly gave Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris the start and it was a challenging night for the youngster after giving up a touchdown in the back left side of the end zone the first time he was targeted.

LSU allowed Grambling to get chunk play after chunk play in Week 2, but the early struggles wore off on the third drive. After getting in a groove, the secondary bought in and handled business. A mediocre night for this crew as they continue gaining continuity with Zy Alexander and Co.