LSU Tigers: Fall Camp Questions

At last the long dark of the off-season is nearing its end. Football is less than one month away, and that means that Fall Camp is getting underway throughout the SEC. The month of August will be absolutely critical in determining how each team fares in September, October, November, and beyond. With that in mind, each team has pressing questions they have to answer before the end of the month. We will continue our series by taking a look at the questions facing Les Miles and the LSU Tigers.

Will Brandon Harris Be Able to Take Pressure Off Leonard Fournette?

Last year LSU had all the components of a great offense, with the exception of one: quarterback Brandon Harris. They had perhaps the best running back in the country, a pair of stud receivers, and a solid offensive line. Unfortunately, as has so often been the case under Les Miles, they were limited by sub-par quarterback play.

Brandon Harris started off the season playing pretty well. But when he got to the month of November the wheels came off. In consecutive weeks, Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss loaded the box and dared Harris to beat them. He couldn’t, and LSU lost all three games. If LSU wants to reach the playoffs this year he is going to have to make teams respect him as a passer.

Verdict: No. Harris is just too inaccurate to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses. Fournette will have to run against stacked boxes all season. He will still have a big year, because he’s a great player. But Harris won’t help him any.

How Will the Offensive Line Look?

LSU has three returning starters on the offensive line, but only two will be in the same position. Ethan Pocic was 2nd-Team All-SEC last season at center, and he will anchor the line from that spot again this season. Around him things are much more fluid. Both of last year’s starting tackles are gone. Left tackle Jerald Hawkins left early for the NFL, while right tackle Vadal Alexander finally graduated.

“I think Maea Teuhema will be a really good left tackle. We had Toby Weathersby at the right tackle and, frankly, we expect that he will be a tremendous participant for us at that position. Boutte, Josh Boutte at the right guard, may be the most big, physical man that we have on our team.” -Les Miles

Both starting guards from last season return. However, Maea Teuhema looks like he may win the starting left tackle job this season. William Clapp also returns and will stay at his left guard position. That leaves two vacant spots: right tackle and left guard.

The first two players in line to fill those spots appear to be Toby Weathersby, at right tackle, and Josh Boutte at right guard. Karl Malone was also mentioned by Miles who could play either guard or tackle.

Verdict: I think it will be, from left to right: Weathersby, Clapp, Pocic, Boutte, and Teuhema. And I think it will be one of the premier units in the SEC. Leonard Fournette is going to have some room to run, which is terrifying to everyone not wearing purple and gold.

What Kind of Impact Will Dave Arranda Have in His First Season?

Last season LSU’s longtime defensive coordinator John Chavis left for Texas A&M. To fill his spot, Les Miles turned to Kevin Steele. In hindsight, that was a poor choice. However, I would argue that it should have been a poor choice in foresight as well. Steele has made each defense he has ever coordinated gradually worse.

Last season was no exception. LSU ranked 25th in total defense. For some teams that would be considered a great season, but LSU fans have higher expectations. As well they should, just one year prior they were ranked 9th. The last time they were ranked as low as 25th was in 2008. In one year Kevin Steele regressed the Tiger defense by almost a decade. Needless to say he is no longer in Baton Rouge.

This year’s defensive coordinator is Dave Arranda, who previously coached stingy units at Wisconsin. The thought among LSU fans is that Arranda will be even more successful in Baton Rouge with LSU’s superior talent. Whether he will or not remains to be seen. Especially considering his defense will also be defending players with superior talent.

Verdict: He will probably have a positive impact on the Tiger defense in the long-run. However, this year could be tough. Adjusting to a new coaches scheme always takes time. And the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 often takes at least a year to really gel. It also doesn’t help that LSU defense has been hit by some troublesome injuries. LSU fans would likely do well to temper their expectations for Arranda, at least for this season.

The LSU Tigers have questions, as do all teams at this stage. How Coach Les Miles answers them will determine how well the Tigers do this season. Let us know how you think he will handle them in the comments. And come back tomorrow to see which questions the Mississippi State Bulldogs are currently facing.