ReliaQuest Bowl could serve as important audition time for returning LSU players

Unless it’s a semifinal college football matchup, opt outs and the transfer portal factor into practically every bowl game. It gets to look like an NFL version of an exhibition game where the starters are absent, forcing fans to watch backup players with potential.

Following the ReliaQuest Bowl, the next time that we see LSU will be spring drills. There are a handful of Tigers who could use the bowl game as a launching pad for 2024.

Other than Heisman winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, every other starter is expected to suit up for the bowl game.

Logan Diggs could be the bell cow for the ’24 rushing attack if he returns, With Daniels preparing for the NFL, Diggs could improve upon his 1,134 rushing yards and 10 scores to support a new starting quarterback.

Regardless of whether Diggs stays, there are young promising runners in the fold. Kaleb Jackson tallied 150 rushing yards, including 62 against Grambling, while displaying his power. We witnessed a sample size of what fellow true freshman Tey Holly can do with his 91-yard performance against Army, highlighted by a stunning 67-yard touchdown scamper. Both could see the ball against Wisconsin.

Sophomore quarterback Garret Nussmeier will be the most watched player on the Tiger roster. The 6-2, 205 pounder made six game appearances this season, accumulating 196 yards and a touchdown. He possesses a strong arm that can make tight window throws. His decision making, at times, has been his Achilles heel. He can extend plays with his feet but is not nearly the running threat Daniels was.

With a reputation as a gunslinger, Nussmeier is quite capable of making all the throws necessary. His biggest challenge will be taking the mantle as a team leader since head coach Brian Kelly has handed him the keys to the offense. It’s his job to lose.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr. will play their final game in Tiger colors.

Nabers has one final opportunity to break LSU’s career yardage mark by Josh Reed at 3,001, sitting just 22 yards away. He already broke Wendell Davis’ record with his 184th catch. Thomas is a proven game breaker with a bright pro future.

Nabers and Thomas collaborated for 146 catches, 2,625 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. That will be tough to replace.

Who will carry the torch moving ahead at receiver?

Kyren Lacy returns for his senior season after making 24 grabs for 463 yards and seven touchdowns. As a comparison point, Thomas recorded 31 catches for 361 yards and five scores in 2022.

Aaron Anderson with 12 catches 59 yards has explosive potential. As the top rated prospect in the 2022 class in Louisiana, the Edna Karr product accounted for 14 receiving touchdowns and five additional as a kick returner his senior season. He has bided his time, preparing for a breakout.

Sophomore Chris Hilton was a seven-foot state high jump champion at Zachary. He has made strides incrementally in Baton Rouge. His experience edge could open the door for starter’s snaps.

True freshman Shelton Sampson (6-4, 190) boasts size and a skill set similar to past LSU standouts like Thomas, Jr., Terrace Marshall and D.J. Chark. He is the all time receiver at Catholic of Baton Rouge) with 140 grabs, 2,495 yards and 31 touchdowns.

A possible dark horse candidate is freshman Kyle Parker (5-11, 194) who has garnered some attention towards the tail end of the ’23 campaign with his precise route running and velcro hands. In a single game as a senior in high school, Parker snared 23 passes for 341 yards and three scores in 2022.

Behind the starting offensive line, there is much uncertainty. Starting center Charles Turner looks to be off to the NFL while his backup Marlon Martinez transferred to Mississippi State. True freshman Lance Heard is contemplating his future and not with the team in Tampa.

Expect Bo Bordelon to receive game reps, along with Maryland transfer Mason Lunsford and Kimo Makane’ole. Freshman D.J. Chester looks to be the future starting center.

Don’t undersell St. Augustine product Tyree Adams (6-7, 300), the seventh ranked tackle nationally in the 2023 class. His offensive line coach in high school was LSU alum Elliott Porter.

The defense could experience a makeover.

Up front, defensive end Ovie Oghoufo is graduating, Quency Wiggins transferred to Colorado and defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson is headed to the NFL. Fitzgerald West and Tygee Hill have chosen to test the transfer portal waters.

Arizona transfer Paris Shand (6-5, 280) has made the most of his opportunities in the latter portion of this season. Displaying heavy hands, upper body strength and a quick first step, he has an NFL ready spin move and a hot motor. With a high ceiling, the NFL appears within Shand’s sights.

There’s also still uncertainty surrounding the futures of Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo. Both are in a similar spot in which Daniels found himself at this same time last year. The then-junior quarterback was slotted as a mid-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but returned to improve his stock. Both Smith and Wingo could be well served by returning for the ’24 season completely healthy. An NFL team could take a flyer in an early round on one or both, but there may not have been enough quality reps this season to justify an early selection. Granted, offseason workouts could dispel some doubt but there are risks.

Jack linebacker/defensive end, Da’Shawn Womack is a star in the making. The five-star signee in 2023 was the top prospect in the state of Maryland after recording 26 tackles for loss and 15 sacks as a senior. He is dripping with great promise.

At the linebacker spot, senior Omar Speights (65 tackles) leaves after one season. Harold Perkins had a down season by his 2022 standards. Leading tackler Greg Penn III (82 stops) is the leader at that spot, accounting for 12 tackles against Arkansas and 10 against both Alabama and Ole Miss.

A true freshman, Whit Weeks (6-3, 222) has just scratched the surface with 42 tackles, including nine stops against both Ole Miss and Arkansas. You could recognize his improvement as the season progressed.

Keep an eye on 2023 signee Christian Braithwaite (6-1, 217), who was the 10th ranked linebacker in the 2023 class after recording 104 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior at Cypress Ranch High School.

Serious health concerns factored into Greg Brooks absence this past season. Transfer cornerbacks Duce Chestnut and Denver Harris are back in the transfer portal seeking greener pastures for the second time in a 12-month period.

True freshmen Javien Toviano and Ashton Stamps were thrown into the fire and both justified the confidence demonstrated by the coaching staff. The experience for the two promising cornerbacks will play immediate dividends.

Freshman strong safety Ryan Yates was the nation’s 16th ranked safety in ’23 and looks to be a solid long range addition to a spot that needs attention.

Neither the 2024 signing class nor transfer portal activity are completed just yet. The Tiger staff are obviously focused on winning the bowl game to send the 2023 team off with the program’s second consecutive 10-win season but expect an expanded audition for a few players against the Badgers. It’s a chance valuable reps and evaluation with 2024 spring workouts are just weeks away.