Five questions we have about LSU football entering spring practice
It won’t be long before LSU football is back on the practice field. Spring ball will be here soon and on April 12, the Tigers will play their annual spring game in Tiger Stadium.
LSU will be far from a finished product, but spring practice is our first look at the 2025 squad. Every spring, a few questions are answered. Positions battles may be narrowed down, we get a look at shuffling on the offensive line, and early enrollees put on the LSU uniform for the first time.
LSU enters 2025 with more certainty than it did last year. In 2024, Brian Kelly was replacing coordinators on both sides of the ball. LSU was losing three stars with Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas Jr off to the NFL. The Tigers’ defense had a completely new look within the secondary and on the interior defensive line.
Now, LSU returns both coordinators and a significant chunk of production on offense and defense.
Today, we’ll look at five questions that will be answered in spring practice.
Perhaps LSU’s biggest position battle is the left tackle spot. All-American Will Campbell is gone and the Tigers have a big hole on the offensive line. LSU has talented offensive linemen and there are six or seven guys that will compete for starting spots, however, the position each plays is anyone’s guess.
At left tackle, there are three options: transfer Josh Thompson, redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams, redshirt freshman Weston Davis.
Thompson wins on experience, but he’s never played left tackle before. At Northwestern, he played right tackle in 2023 and right guard in 2024. He looked better at guard than he did at tackle.
Adams got the start for LSU in the bowl game. He signed with LSU as a four-star recruit in 2023 and didn’t see any meaningful action as a true freshman. As a redshirt freshman, he saw action at guard and tackle.
LSU’s defensive end group will look different in 2025. Bradyn Swinson and Sai’Vion Jones are gone after handling the bulk of the work in 2025. LSU added transfers Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, and Jimari Butler to fill the void. The Tigers return Gabe Reliford after Reliford flashed as a true freshman.
Those four will split time and LSU likes the depth it has now, but spring could offer some insight into who gets the starting reps.
Payton is expected to take one of the spots. Payton adds immediate size and experience to LSU’s front and was one of the top transfers of the cycle, according to 247Sports.
The emergence of Reliford is worth monitoring, too. The blue-chip recruit will be a sophomore with another year of development in LSU’s system. Does LSU think he’s ready for a starting role?
LSU has one of the best slot receivers in the country with Aaron Anderson returning. But the Tigers had a need on the outside. LSU addressed that by signing transfers Barion Brown and Nic Anderson. Both are proven playmakers at the Power Four level.
LSU returns Chris Hilton Jr, who was finally healthy as LSU wrapped up 2024.
You could tell me any of those top four receivers end up being LSU’s top pass catcher in 2025 and I’d believe you. The player with the best chance of carving out an every-down role alongside Aaron Anderson may be Brown. We’ll get a clearer picture this spring.
LSU has a true feature back in Caden Durham. He racked up over 1,000 total yards as a true freshman and year two expectations are higher.
But with Josh Williams gone, there’s an opportunity for LSU’s less experienced backs to emerge. Kaleb Jackson remains with LSU but did not see much action in 2024. The talented back has flashed, but is yet to find a consistent role in LSU’s offense.
Five-star Harlem Berry was the top ranked running back in the 2025 recruiting class and is already on campus.
Does Jackson step up and claim the RB2 spot or does Berry push for playing time right away?