Following a closed Friday morning practice, LSU held a press conference in which reporters were allowed to hear from Joe Sloan on the LSU offense to this point. The second-year offensive coordinator spoke about the progress of different offensive units, as well as his growth as a coach. The pressure is on the young play caller to overcome a new offensive line to lead the Tigers to offensive dominance. But he spoke with an understated, calm confidence while offering his thoughts on the new offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve looked at some scheme things. We\u2019ve looked at some personnel things; it\u2019s a combination. I think having Caden Durham<\/a> as a second-year player, obviously, he\u2019s an electric player and a really good football player. But he\u2019s still a true freshman who came in in June. So, having him as a second-year player, he\u2019s a lot better football player today than he was at this time last year.\u201d<\/p>\n It’s no secret that LSU struggled to establish balance within the offense in 2024. Whether it was the inability to run or the unwillingness to run, the offense suffered for it. Sloan expects Durham to be even better in his sophomore season, and he\u2019s probably right.<\/p>\n Durham did not enroll early and even played through a toe injury last year. Despite the circumstances, he exceeded expectations while commandeering the starting running back spot. We could and will make the argument that Durham\u2019s coming-out party at South Carolina<\/a> was pivotal in saving the game for LSU.<\/p>\n There\u2019s more good news, as true freshman Harlem Berry<\/a> has performed well in practices. Berry is getting more time with first-team offense lately. When it comes to the scheme, it\u2019s been encouraging to see LSU be more creative in the run game with Ju\u2019Juan Johnson and Zavion Thomas<\/a> in the backfield. The bad news is that freshman JT Lindsey was arrested Friday, leaving his status unclear.<\/p>\n \u201cI think our tackles, you know the two guys coming into spring. Those guys are gonna be first-year starters and I think definitely when you watch those guys have been excellent. Excellent in their growth\u2026I think the guards, there\u2019s been a lot of competition, which has been good to see\u2026I like the individual growth, and I like the collective growth from the offensive line. But just like the entire offense, we\u2019re gonna need every day to get fully prepared for what we need to do this fall.\u201d<\/p>\n Tyree Adams<\/a> has predictably been solid at left tackle while redshirt freshman Weston Davis<\/a> has held his own at right tackle. While the tackles haven\u2019t been dominant, the most concerning part of LSU\u2019s offensive line has been the interior linemen.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll just come out and say it, Sloan stated that the guard competition has been \u201cgood to see\u201d because there\u2019s no easy way to say they\u2019re getting daily whippings. We think the Tigers will be markedly improved at defensive tackle. But not to the point where the LSU guards shouldn\u2019t get their share of wins.<\/p>\n Neither DJ Chester<\/a> nor transfer Josh Thompson is firmly entrenched in a starting spot. Keep an eye on redshirt freshman Coen Echols to make a move at the left guard spot. Even true freshman Carius Curne has been seeing more time at guard lately. He was taking reps as the backup left tackle earlier in camp<\/a>. Curne is 6\u2019-5\u201d, 320 pounds, and is uncommonly strong as a freshman according to his teammates.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s had a really good camp. I couldn\u2019t be more excited about the way he\u2019s prepared and the consistency at which he\u2019s played every day\u2026He\u2019s extremely talented. He can help us in a lot of ways, and I just want to continue to see him stack those days over and over. But he definitely is a lot more comfortable within the action than he was in the spring.\u201d<\/p>\n LSU\u2019s offensive additions have been well documented, but Anderson\u2019s status shouldn\u2019t be glossed over. Coming off a quad injury that kept him off the field in 2024, his presence brings a different element to the receiver room. The Tigers have deep speed and shifty receivers<\/a> who thrive in space. Anderson is a 6\u2019-4\u201d big target with run-after-catch ability. If healthy, he\u2019s unlike any other weapon on the roster.<\/p>\nOffensive Line Progress Report<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Wide Receiver Nic Anderson Returns to Health <\/strong><\/h3>\n