LSU 2014 Spring Football Wrap Up

Strengths & question marks coming out of spring

LSU will get back to their dominant defensive ways after struggling at times last season, gone are two big defensive tackles, Lamin Barrow at LB and Craig Loston at safety, but the defense boasts some really promising ends in Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco.

Kwon Alexander is the top linebacker on the team and should be making plays all over the field this season.

But the real strength as it usually is at “DBU” is in the secondary where Tre’Davious White, Ronald Martin, Jalen Mills and Rashard Robinson could give LSU the best secondary in the SEC by season’s end.

The offense is still a big question mark and it will be into the regular season with an entirely new backfield and two new wide receivers. Gone are Zach Mettenberger, J.C. Copeland, Alfred Blue, Jeremy Hill, Trai Turner, Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. No other team in the SEC loses as much on offense than LSU.

They reloaded on the recruiting trail with Brandon Harris, Leonard Fournette, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn, among others, but there is so much inexperience there that growing pains will ensue, no matter how talented they are–and they are immensely talented, especially No. 1 recruit Fournette.

They do return 4/5 starters on the OL which will help and can slide in Ethan Pocic who was a former top recruit to lay the foundation for a run-heavy offense.

Name a few breakout players to keep an eye on in 2014

Breakout players on defense would be Hunter and Rasco at DE. They won’t quite be Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery from 2 years ago, but they’ll be close.

After being an All-SEC freshman performer, Tre’Davious White should challenge Vernon Hargreaves and Cameron Sutton as the league’s top corner.

Offensively, I’ll go with Travin Dural at WR and Ethan Pocic along the OL, He is the top backup at 3 OL positions, but I think he earns a starting spot. Also, they haven’t stepped foot on the field yet, but Fournette and Dupre are going to be All-SEC freshman performers.

Grade each position group

LSU QB Anthony Jennings (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

QB=C

RB=B-

WR= C+

TE=B-

OL=A-

DL=B+

LB=B-

Sec=A-

What can we expect from LSU in 2014?

LSU should win 10 games for the fifth straight season and contend with Alabama and Auburn for the SEC west title and do it with a strong defense that has to be dominant early in the season while the young offense gets experience and gets up to speed.

Whether its Harris or Anthony Jennings at QB, they will need to rely on Fournette and a veteran offensive line to get the team in favorable 3rd downs and not put too much pressure on a young QB.

Patrick Schmidt of FanSided provided the information for our LSU 2014 Spring Football Wrap Up. For more Bayou Bengal football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Patrick on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt.