Welcome to another edition of the LSU position preview, where I break down every position for the Tigers. This week, we look at the tight ends!
Who Left After Last Season?
A pair of Tigers left last season and both were due to eligibility: Dillon Gordon and Rob Snyder. Gordon’s role went down significantly in his senior season as he suffered an Achilles heel injury. Rob Snyder on the other hand, didn’t see a whole lot of playing time when he donned the purple and gold.
Who’s Coming Back?
The Tigers have several players coming back at the position of tight end. Guys like Colin Jeter, who had a good junior campaign and another senior in DeSean Smith who also had a respectable career at LSU. Those should be the leaders in the clubhouse. Guys like Foster Moreau and Jacory Washington should be the backups in case the position suffers some injuries.
The Other Guys
Rounding out the tight ends on the roster is a pair of freshmen in Jamal Pettigrew and Zach Von Rosenburg. Pettigrew, a four star recruit from St. Augustine, could be another competitor for that second string position in 2016 and a potential starter in 2017. It’ll be fun to watch the competition with Pettigrew up against the sophomores. Then there’s Zach Von Rosenberg, who was a highly-touted baseball prospect and played in the minors within the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. I like the story about it, but don’t expect to see him playing against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
Who Will Be Starting?
Barring injury or a poor performance from either player, I see Colin Jeter and DeSean Smith being at the top of the depth chart because of what they have that the Tigers need: experience. With some of these great players waiting in the wings, they can be given time to develop and learn under a pair of seniors to get better on the field so when the time comes, the level of talent could very well improve upon itself with the talent that they have.
Conclusion
The Tigers have a lot of up-and-coming stars ready to go for the 2016 season, but experience will probably trump youth as LSU has a pair of seniors that will allow this team to not worry about being inexperienced. But this is all dependent on if injuries don’t plague the position.
-Clint Domingue
LSU Tigers Position Preview: QBs
LSU Tigers Position Preview: Running Backs
LSU Tigers Position Preview: Wide Receivers