2022 New Year's Resolutions for LSU Football Under Brian Kelly
We've officially reached a new year and a new era of LSU football is set to begin under Brian Kelly. The immediate future of this program will be defined by recruiting and development of talent on the current roster.
Here are a few New Year's resolutions that the Tigers would be well inclined to fulfill before the start of the 2022 season:
Rebuild the Offensive Line
The o-line is set to lose nearly its entire line from the 2021 season with Ed Ingram, Austin Deculus, Liam Shanahan and Chasen Hines all graduating or declaring for the draft. That leaves Kelly and Brad Davis with a ton of options to approach this offseason and lots of young talent that needs coaching.
A few players on the current roster this team will need to develop are Kardell Thomas, Anthony Bradford, Xavier Hill and Garrett Dellinger. LSU will almost certainly continue to attack the offensive line position in the transfer portal but signing Will Campbell, Miles Frazier, Emery Jones, Bo Bordelon and Fitzgerald West is at least a good start.
Keeping Davis on board is a win as a full offseason with his players to develop and further push his teaching style across should have this group in a much better spot at the start of the 2022 season.
“Brad Davis is an exceptional teacher of the game and leader of young men, and his passion and dedication to this university and this community are second to none,” Kelly said of keeping Davis. “Our offensive line has made tremendous strides under his leadership this season, and his expertise and technical knowledge of offensive line play will remain vital to our program. We are thrilled he will continue to recruit and develop elite student-athletes at LSU.”
Cap Off 2022 Recruiting Cycle With a Bang
Of course the New Year wouldn't be complete without putting the right finishing touches on the 2022 roster. The transfer portal is as alive as ever and LSU will have plenty of options to boost its talented roster at key positions of need.
The Tigers are off to a nice start addressing their offensive line woes, headlined by tackles Miles Frazier and Will Campbell who very well could push form starting time in year one with the program. With five total linemen signed, look for the Tigers to continue hitting the transfer portal for more bodies.
There's a solid foundation of talent with this group, headlined by quarterback Walker Howard, but linebacker, defensive line, defensive back and running back are all positions that could be improved.
With 13 players signed and one additional transfer, there's still room for 12 incoming freshmen as well as six transfers to the current roster. A couple of high profile prospects to watch will be linebacker Harold Perkins, safety Jacoby Mathews and running back TreVonte Citizen. Perkins makes his decision on Jan. 2 while Mathews has pushed his final decision to February.
Find Stability With the Program
The last few seasons have been defined by instability within the program and was a major reason Scott Woodward brought in Kelly to lead. Between the opt outs, inconsistent play on the field, injuries, misfires on coaching hires, the 11-11 record over the last two seasons directly reflects what the Tigers have been since winning that national championship.
One of the primary goals Kelly should have for this team throughout 2022 is recreating that winning culture, something that can only be accomplished through stability. Going back and listening to his opening press conference, Kelly mentions building trust as one of the most important building blocks for any new coach.
"We'll build trust, it's not going to happen today," Kelly said. "We're gonna trust each other and that will take time and you'll see it with my deeds, my actions, how we interact on a day to day basis. We'll get to a point where these meetings are very productive and get a lot accomplished."
That trust trickles down to the players, coaching staff and administration and how Kelly is able to build this program from a mental approach will be just as key to getting the Tigers back on a winning track.
