LSU Football: 5 Takeaways from 2019 spring football
LSU Football unveiled a new offense and saw some potential 2019 playmakers emerge. Here’s five takeaways from the spring.
Ed Orgeron finally found a breakthrough with LSU Football and the Tigers pushed to a 10-3 finish in 2018 that was capped off by an impressive Fiesta Bowl victory over UCF and their sterling 25-game winning streak.
LSU finished last season ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll, its highest finish in the rankings since 2011 when it finished runner-up to national champion Alabama.
Things are certainly looking up for Orgeron on the Bayou, but good will not be good enough in Baton Rouge. For Orgeron to stick it out long term, he’ll have to push to the next level. 10-win seasons won’t be enough when bitter rival Alabama continues to dominate the SEC West and capture national championships.
Orgeron had his interim tag removed in part because of his plan to defeat Saban’s Crimson Tide. He’s yet to get over the top in his three tries, and last year’s 29-0 shellacking in Death Valley showed just how big the gap still was.
The 2019 version of the Tigers could be the one to finally push Saban for western division supremacy. LSU has some key pieces to replace from last year’s team, most notably star defensive players Devin White and Greedy Williams, but LSU also brings back a load of last year’s returning production to go along with a recruiting class that boasts several blue-chip prospects who should be able to carve out a role as freshmen.
Tennessee is the only SEC team that returns more production than LSU.
LSU has been flying under the radar so far this offseason, with the attention squarely on the likes of Clemson, Alabama, and others with hot-shot transfer quarterbacks like Oklahoma and Ohio State. But the Tigers are lurking in the grass, ready to pounce if they sense even the smallest sign of weakness.
It was a productive spring in Baton Rouge, one that could be the beginning of a special 2019 season. Here’s five takeaways from LSU’s spring practices: