Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the LSU position preview! This one is a little bit more interesting because of the lack of depth after some recent departures.
Without further ado, let’s look into the Tigers offensive line!
Departing Players:
Several players for LSU departed after the season finished, including Ethan Pocic, Andy Dodd, and Josh Boutte. It didn’t stop there for the Tigers though as Maea Teuhema was recently dismissed from the university.
If there’s one thing that the Tigers have a lack of it’s true depth at the offensive line and with the loss of experienced offensive linemen will wind up hurting the Tigers in terms of continuity, which is extremely important for the frontlines.
Returning Players:
While there are quite a few players no longer on the team, there’s still some continuity when it comes to the offensive line. Will Clapp is considered right now to be the center when they take on BYU, but nothing is set in stone as of right now with that position.
Meanwhile, KJ Malone and Toby Weathersby are two experienced players that you can expect to make it to the top of the depth chart. Closing out the returning starters for the Tigers is sophomore Adrian Magee who has some solid ability against the opposition.
Outside of these players, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of depth.
The Other Guys:
Looking at the rest of LSU offensive line, there’s some players that will need to step up in a big way with all the departures during the offseason. One player that is being talked about is Lloyd Cushenberry. While he is a center according to the roster sheet, you can expect to see a player with his frame to be used in a number of different positions throughout fall camp.
There’s also a pair of freshmen that will undoubtedly see playing time in 2017 and that’s Austin Deculus and Jakori Savage. Deculus has been on campus since the spring and has good bit of experience under Canada which makes him a prime candidate to be used on the line in his first season. His 345 pound frame doesn’t hurt his chances either.
Savage is also a big hoss when you look at his height and weight, but it remains to be seen how he has progressed in fall camp and if he can live up the hype of his name.
Overall Thoughts:
While there’s some inexperience in the ranks of the offensive line, there’s some players that will have to do grow up quickly if they want to help keep Danny Etling vertical and open up some holes for one Derrius Guice.
-Clint Domingue