Returning Talent Makes the LSU Tigers an SEC West Contender in 2016
LSU is loaded with playmakers on both sides of the football heading into next season. Should high expectations be tempered in Baton Rouge or are they warranted?
The LSU Tigers started the 2015 season about as good as one in the purple and gold could have hoped.
The Tigers began 7-0 and were listed at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings at one point. But a few key injuries in the vaunted ground game prevented the Bayou Bengals from reaching their full potential.
As a result, LSU notched only nine wins — and it likely would have been 10 had the season opener against McNeese State not been cancelled due to weather.
The Tigers certainly have higher hopes for 2016, however. And with so much talent coming back, they’re the favorable underdogs in the conference for next season.
The biggest obstacle standing between the Tigers and the SEC West crown will be Alabama (yet again) — which will undoubtedly be pegged as the favorite to win the division in 2016. But with LSU returning practically all of its players at skill positions on both sides of the ball, it may have the best chance at unseating the Crimson Tide.
LSU quarterback Brandon Harris now has a year of experience as a starter for the Tigers and early Heisman-favorite running back Leonard Fournette should only get better in the offseason — as scary as that sounds. Additionally, back-up running backs Darrius Guice and Darrel Williams return. Combined, the two totaled 732 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 111 carries.
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Either one of these guys are capable of starting for any FBS school — which speaks volumes about the Tigers’ ground game (can you say ‘RBU’?).
LSU’s leading wide receivers return as well. Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural combined for a whopping 1,231 yards and nine scores on 71 catches. Even with the Tigers’ third-leading receiver John Diarse (13 catches, 137 yards) deciding to transfer, LSU still has solid depth at the position.
The biggest unknowns offensively will be along the offensive line — particularly at the tackle positions. Both the left and right spots need to be filled on an otherwise exceptional line, despite its youth. With those two slots filled, the Tigers’ ground game will be even more imposing than it was in 2015.
On the other side of the ball, LSU’s defense is poised to be one of the best in the conference next season. Sure, the Tigers will need to find replacements at safety and linebacker. But with eight of 11 starters returning (including LB Kendell Beckwith and CB Tre’Davious White), LSU is loaded with talent and experience defesnsively.
The Tigers will also be bringing in former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to command the defense. Aranda certainly had a say when he was in Madison and he ended up transforming the Badgers from a 3-4 to a 4-3 look. He’ll have that same freedom in Baton Rouge; it’ll be interesting to see what he does with this talented group.
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LSU will enter the 2016 season as underdogs to win the West only because it faltered late in 2015 — which is understandable. But if the Tigers can remain healthy, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be competing for another division crown.
Barring any cataclysmic injuries, 2016 could potentially be a special year in Baton Rouge.