24/7-Projecting LSU football's 2025 spring depth chart: Offense

quote:

---

QB ANALYSIS
Nussmeier returns with expectations extremely high in his second year as a starter. There's an argument to be made that he returns as the SEC's most productive quarterback from a year ago after tossing for over 4,000 yards, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and completing 64.2% of his passes. The offseason recognition for Nussmeier, whether it be in the form of Heisman odds or "way-too-early" predictions around the country, is already high. There are many areas to his game he's working on, most notably improving his pocket movement and awareness, footwork, learning to be comfortable with using his legs and of course managing mistakes. That last one will be critical to both his and this offense's success but if he's able to check all of these boxes, LSU's offense will be improved in 2025 by a sizable margin. Backing him up in the spring will be Van Buren, a Mississippi State transfer, and Johnson, who recently made the move from running back to quarterback. There's still no indication as to whether Hurley, the second-year passer out of Florida, will be with the team following a scary car crash back in January. Van Buren has some SEC experience and is a bit more mobile so it'll be interesting to see what kind of packages are put in place for him.

RB ANALYSIS
Durham returns as the lead rusher in that room and it's extremely important that he and this run game take the next step in development. He was the only back who consistently proved he could hit the right holes, make defenders miss and break into the second level where he used his speed to his advantage. After rushing for 753 yards and another 260 through the air with a combined eight touchdowns, there's much more to unlock from a run game perspective with Durham leading the way. As far as the depth behind Durham, Berry and Jackson will get all the reps they can handle once spring practice begins. With Johnson moving over to QB and the other freshman signee JT Lindsey not joining the team until the summer, there's going to be plenty of mixing and matching at running back.

WR ANALYSIS
LSU didn't bring the two transfers in Nic Anderson and Barion Brown in to just sit on the bench. Starting in the early days of spring, both of them will be out there and if very well could be in that first team grouping. Anderson is the big bodied wideout the Tigers have been looking for and fits the mold as a potential No. 1 option on the perimeter for Nussmeier. That chemistry of course needs to be built with both Anderson and Brown but the latter is lightning quick on the outside as well. It was clear that LSU wanted to surround Nussmeier with different skillsets in the passing game and while Brown is more of that burner who will be a great source of explosive plays, Anderson can do all of that in a 6-foot-4 frame that will be deadly in red zone and goal line situations. "We've talked about the wide receivers, all of them have been working out hard with our quarterbacks and I can tell you just by the numbers, they live up to the speed quotient and things that have been out there about them. We're backing that up with catapults so all of those wide receivers are making an impact," Kelly said. Aaron Anderson will hold onto his role in the slot as one of Nussmeier's other most trusted receivers. His growth in 2024 was immense and he came down with several clutch catches throughout the course of the season. He caught 61 passes for 884 yards and five touchdowns last year and if he can come close to producing that kind of line again with the talent in this offense, it's another successful season. Chris Hilton, Zavion Thomas and a healthy Kyle Parker should rotate in with the first team as well. Hilton showed in the final two games of 2024 why he'll be an integral piece to this passing offense if he can stay healthy. But keeping him healthy will be the biggest goal this offseason so limiting his reps might be the smartest course of action for LSU this spring. Thomas is a player who showed his gadget ability in 2024, with LSU spreading him to the slot and even setting him in motion to the backfield a couple of times per game. There's more to his game that the Tigers will hope to unlock and that all starts with the spring. That next grouping of Billiot, Hill and TaRon Francis will be interesting to watch from a developmental perspective while Watkins is sprinting his way to a critical piece on the track and field team.

TE ANALYSIS
The latest on the tight end room is that Trey'Dez Green has stepped away from the basketball program to focus on his academics. But that's likely just one piece of the story. It wouldn't be a bit surprising to walk out on the first day of spring camp and see No. 14 out there catching passes. Green developed towards the end of the season but it really was the practices leading up to the bowl game, where he had the opportunity to take all of the first team snaps at tight end that really helped his game. In the Texas Bowl he produced a six catch, 53 yard and two touchdown effort in the win over Baylor. Ever since, the LSU fan base and media alike have all jumped on board for a major leap in his game in year two as the primary pass catcher at that position. At his 6-foot-7, 245 pound size, there simply aren't many players in college football who move like Green does and he'll want to make the most of this spring with some improved depth coming in. Sharp, the transfer out of Oklahoma, led the Sooners offense last year in receiving yards so there's likely going to be some overlap there in terms of opportunity. He should complement Trey'Dez Green well, as will Donovan Green, another big and tall SEC tight end with several years in the Texas A&M program. "I think experience at the tight end position to marry with a really exceptional young player in Trey'Dez but bringing in Bauer Sharp who's got a lot of experience and a veteran presence at the tight end position, he's been outstanding," Kelly said. There's more size, experience and talent across the tight end room than possibly ever before. But this is also a new group that hasn't really played together yet. Combine that with a new coach in Alex Atkins who will also be focusing on improving the run game, it could take some time before this unit really clicks.

OL ANALYSIS
This is probably the most unsettled position group on offense and possibly of the entire roster. While we have our suspicions on who could start, the fact of the matter is that LSU is having to replace four starters from the previous three years this offseason. That's going to open up opportunity for everyone in this room, whether you're a seasoned transfer with experience or a first year true freshman in his first semester. At least in the early days of spring, it'll be hard to go against the two transfers Moore and Thompson not getting the nod to run some first team reps. They have experience and are both intelligent players who can pick up schemes quickly. The tackle positions will be interesting because Adams and Davis both played in the Texas Bowl and held up well at left and right tackle. They figure to get close looks at those two spots but don't count out a young player like Carius Curne or Solomon Thomas getting a few looks at tackle either. That other guard spot will be extremely competitive and we've got Chester penciled in right now as someone who will get a lot of first team opportunities. But Paul Mubenga played a lot of guard in 2024, Bo Bordelon is a veteran with experience and those two freshmen we just mentioned are also physically built to handle the interior already. There will be plenty of mixing and matching across this spring as a result before we see any kind of consistent rotation.

---

quote:

---

Hilton had a helluva two games to end the season but I get what you're saying

---

quote:

---

he stays healthy Hilton is a starter and a top two round draft choice…IF

---