By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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Matt Smith previews the 2022 LSU Tigers.

2022 SEC Season Preview: LSU
LSU TIGERS
Head Coach: Brian Kelly 3 first season at LSU; 19th season overall (166-62 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Denbrock (first season)
Defensive Coordinator: Matt House (first season)

2021 Recap: 6-7 (3-5 SEC)
A make-or-break season for LSU began with a thud, as the Tigers were comfortably beaten by UCLA. A three-game winning streak and control of the Auburn game had things back on track, but a home collapse against Auburn and a blowout loss to Kentucky put an end to Orgerons time. He was fired a week later, ironically after a win over Florida. Orgeron finished the season, with LSU dropping three straight games before closing with wins over ULM and Texas A&M. Interim coach Brad Davis directed the Tigers non-competitive loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.

2022 Schedule
Sept. 4 3 vs. Florida State (New Orleans) (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Sept. 10 3 SOUTHERN (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Sept. 17 3 MISSISSIPPI STATE (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Sept. 24 3 NEW MEXICO
Oct. 1 3 at Auburn
Oct. 8 3 TENNESSEE
Oct. 15 3 at Florida
Oct. 22 3 OLE MISS
Nov. 5 3 ALABAMA
Nov. 12 3 at Arkansas
Nov. 19 3 UAB
Nov. 26 3 at Texas A&M

Under Center
Quarterback drama is nothing new for Brian Kelly. From Tony Pike vs. Zach Collaros at Cincinnati to Dayne Crist vs. Tommy Rees and DeShone Kizer vs. Malik Zaire at Notre Dame, Kellys New England impatience has shown many times over in his long coaching career. He takes over an LSU program with plenty of quantity at the keystone position, but no proven quality. Sixth-year senior Myles Brennan, redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier, true freshman Walker Howard, and Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels will all be in the mix during preseason camp.

Brennan started three games in 2020 before injuries cost him almost two full seasons, while Daniels has started each of the last three seasons (if you call the 2020 Pac-12 campaign a season) for the Sun Devils. Nussmeier threw 57 passes in 2021 in a redshirt year. Kelly, sometimes to his detriment, has defaulted to athleticism in the past, meaning Daniels may be the favorite here. I wouldnt bet on who takes the first snap against Florida State in the Superdome, but I would bet on multiple LSU quarterbacks starting a game this season.

In The Trenches
LSUs rushing offense was downright bad in 2021, as the Tigers lacked a difference-maker in the backfield and were poor on the offensive line. Things dont look much better in 2022. The line has some experienced players, but no one has a position on lockdown. Leading rusher Tyrion Davis-Price has moved on, putting a heavier burden on senior John Emery Jr. to finally live up to the hype with which he arrived in Baton Rouge after both on-field and off-field struggles. Penn State transfer Noah Cain is an interesting piece, and if Daniels is the starting quarterback, he will have a significant role in the ground game.

LSUs front seven situations mirrors that of Auburn. Ali Gaye and B.J. Ojulari give the Tigers a strong pair of defensive ends, but there are significant concerns at defensive tackle and inside linebacker. At tackle, there isnt much experience, but sophomore Masson Smith is a player on the rise. At linebacker, the talent level has slipped over the past couple seasons, although Micah Baskerville and Mike Jones Jr. have played plenty of football. These groups wont be down for long, but the 2022 LSU front seven wont look the same as weve grown accustomed to it looking.

On The Edge
Avoiding the transfer of Kayshoun Boutte was the first big win of the Kelly era, giving the Tigers one of the best receivers in the country. Boutte broke out late in 2020, but an ankle injury limited his sophomore campaign to just 38 catches, although almost 25 percent of those receptions went for touchdowns. The group returns mostly intact with the likes of Jack Bech and Jaray Jenkins. This group isnt Justin Jefferson and JaMarr Chase, but its very good and perhaps a little underrated when looking at the SEC as a whole.

Only Alabama has rivaled LSU in its ability to produce elite defensive backs. Derek Stingley Jr. is off to the NFL and Eli Ricks joined the rival Crimson Tide, so the Tigers secondary is in about as shaky of a spot as its been in more than a decade. Kelly had to hit the transfer portal hard to fill some holes, landing a pair of Louisiana boys who played together at Arkansas in Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr. as well as cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse from a stout Oklahoma State defense. Like the receiving corps, the secondary should be solid, but it will be a step or two down from recent LSU teams.

Ranking The Units
1. Receivers
2. Linebackers
3. Defensive Backs
4. Defensive Line
5. Quarterbacks
6. Running Backs
7. Offensive Line

Schedule Analysis
Life in the SEC West is always a bear, but LSU has a couple added challenges with drawing both Florida and Tennessee from the East, and having an intriguing non-conference matchup with Florida State in New Orleans to open the season. Starting 4-1 is a must if this team hopes to get to double-digit wins, as the final seven games are a gauntlet. On the positive side, there arent any back-to-back road games, and the Tigers catch Mississippi State at home after the Bulldogs play a body-clock game the week before at Arizona, which kicks off at 10 p.m. CT.

Season Prediction
In his first season at Notre Dame, Kelly lost three of his first four games and five of nine before closing hot with four straight wins. I envision something similar for his first LSU team. Early losses to Mississippi State, Auburn and Tennessee will have the fanbase concerned, but a key road game at Florida will tilt the way of the Tigers and spark a second-half surge that will have just one loss, to Alabama of course, and statement road wins at Arkansas and Texas A&M.

Like I am calling for with so many other SEC West teams, the Tigers should be an 8-4 team, which isnt bad given the difficulty of the schedule. The quarterback situation may go back and forth, but Kellys a really good coach, and hell figure it out and produce a successful offense. The season will end in a perfect spot for LSU fans 3 fabulous Las Vegas 3 as the SEC makes its Las Vegas Bowl debut.

Record: 8-4 (4-4 SEC)
Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Oregon