What will LSU do for an encore?
AggieYell.com begins its series on Texas A&M's 2020 opponents with a look at the defending national champion LSU Tigers.
Key returning starters
Junior WR Ja’Marr Chase (84 catches, 1,780 yards, 20 TD in 2019); Junior WR Terrace Marshall (46 catches, 671 yards, 13 TD); Senior RT Austin Deculus; Sophomore CB Derrick Stingley (38 tackles, 15 passes defensed, 7 INT); Junior DT Tyler Shelvin (38 tackles); Senior S Jacoby Stevens (92 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 INT)
Key losses
QB Joe Burrow; RB Clyde Edwards-Helarie; WR Justin Jefferson; OL Lloyd Cushenberry; OL Saahdiq Charles; OL Damien Lewis; OL Adrian Magee; TE Thaddeus Moss; LBs Patrick Queen, Michael Divinity and Jacob Phillips; LB/DE K’Lavon Chaisson; S Grant Delpit; CB Kristian Fulton; passing game coordinator Joe Brady; defensive coordinator Dave Aranda
Important new arrivals
Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini; two-time FCS All-American LB Jabril Cox (92 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks at North Dakota State); TE Arik Gilbert; CB Elias Ricks; DT Jaquelin Roy; LB Phillip Webb; QB Max Johnson
Projected starters (Bold indicates returning starter)
QB: Junior Myles Brennan (24-40, 353 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT in 2019)
RB: Redshirt Sophomore Chris Curry (38 carries, 189 yards)
TE: Freshman Arik Gilbert
WR: Junior Ja’Marr Chase
WR: Junior Terrace Marshall
WR: Sophomore Trey Palmer (1 catch, 6 yards)
LT: Redshirt sophomore Dare Rosenthal
LG: Junior Ed Ingram
C: Junior Chasen Hines
RG: Redshirt freshman Anthony Bradford
RT: Senior Austin Deculus
DE: Junior TK McClendon (no stats in 2019)
DT: Junior Tyler Shelvin
DT: Siaki Ika (6 tackles)
DE: Junior Justin Thomas (8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack)
LB: Sophomore Marcel Brooks (8 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks)
LB: Junior Damone Clark (50 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks)
LB: Senior Jabril Cox
CB: Sophomore Derek Stingley
S: Senior Jacoby Stevens
S: Junior Kary Vincent (47 tackles, 4 TFL, 4 INT)
CB: Freshman Elias Ricks
LSU may have had a season for the ages in 2019, but a lot of the players (and coaches) who played key roles in that remarkable run are gone. Burrow and Brady are the obvious headliners, but the attrition is across the board. No team in college football lost more early entries to the NFL Draft, and most of them went off the board quickly. The Tigers still have a lot of talent, but a lot of questions to answer as well.
The pressure is heaviest on Brennan, as he replaces the quarterback with the single best season in FBS history. But he has weapons in Chase -- probably the best receiver in America -- Marshall and Gilbert, who could be a threat from day one. But LSU needs to find a consistent running back and replace a lot up front. That could make Brennan’s life more difficult and leave him open to unfair criticism. Deculus is a consistent veteran and Bradford is massive at 365 pounds, but Rosenthal especially is a question mark. Liam Shanahan, an All-Ivy League grad transfer, could also fit into the equation somewhere.
On defense, the losses were especially heavy, starting with Aranada. But with the return of Pelini, the Tigers will go back to a 4-3 defense and believe they have the talent to handle it. Their defensive backfield remains salty, with Ricks joining fellow former 5-star Stingley (who may already be the nation’s top corner) and Stevens, the team’s leading tackler. LSU lost all three starting linebackers (four, if you count Chaisson), but have high hopes Brooks can be a real speed rusher. Clark was very good in place of Divinity, and Cox was a tackling machine at NDSU.
Ed Orgeron has his hands full in 2020 and LSU will almost certainly take a step back this year, but there’s still a lot of talent. After another excellent recruiting class, it won’t take LSU long to reload.
2020 schedule
Sept. 5: UTSA
Sept. 12: Texas
Sept. 19: Rice (at NRG Stadium in Houston)
Sept. 26: Ole Miss
Oct. 3: Nicholls State
Oct. 10: @Florida
Oct. 17: @Arkansas
Oct. 24: Mississippi State
Nov. 7: Alabama
Nov. 14: South Carolina
Nov. 21: @Auburn
Nov. 28: @TEXAS A&M