The Brian Kelly era officially begins in just 51 days against Florida State in the Dome in New Orleans. While "coach speak" will tell you that every game matters, this game has just a little bit more weight to it. Kelly has plenty of doubters, both LSU fans and non, and starting his first season with the Tigers with a win against the Seminoles would be a huge statement. Plus, LSU's schedule later in the season is murderers row. While this team isn't new to a difficult schedule, starting the season off with a win would give them the necessary momentum to get enough tallies in the win column. Plus, SEC Media Days starts next week. Coach Kelly and WR Jack Bech, edge rusher BJ Ojular, and LB Mike Jones Jr. will take the podium in Atlanta to preview their season. What are our expectations for SEC Media Days? What questions do we want answered? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! LinkedIn LinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free atLinkedin.com/lockedoncollegeTerms and conditions apply. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you can't put it back in. But is the SEC trying to? Since UCLA and USC announced their move from the PAC12 to the Big 10, endless scenarios have surfaced about what the future of college football might look like. Will all of the top teams in college football form an alliance and compete for a different championship outside of the NCAA? Will two superconferences form between the Big 10 and SEC? Is the PAC12 dead? Is the Big-12 dead!? All of these scenarios, while far-fetched, seemed feasible. Because the mere thought of USC and UCLA competing against teams in the midwest on a weekly basis seemed far-fetched until it became reality. But as our imaginations ran wild about what the future might hold for college football conferences, there were two very bold statements made by two of the three biggest role players in conference realignment. What can we believe? What makes the most sense? Where does LSU come into play with all of this? Caroline Fent...
LSU added three more commits to their 2023 class over the weekend adding 3-star LB Whit Weeks out of Georgia, 3-star Bishop Gorman CB Jeremiah Hughes, and their highest-ranked recruit so far: 5-star WR Jalen Brown from Miami. In addition to the five commits Brian Kelly & Co. landed over the Fourth of July weekend, the Tigers' 2023 class so far is ranked ninth-best in the country which is a huge improvement over the ranking this time last year. So if LSU is so hot on the recruiting trail, why are there still fans concerned with the team's 2023 class? Keeping Louisiana talent in the state of Louisiana is priority number one for this coaching staff but so far, they haven't met expectations. Why are so many Louisiana kids leaving to go to Alabama, Nebraska, or Texas? When is it time to press the panic button on Brian Kelly's ability to recruit in-state? How big of a deal really is it at this point in the recruiting period? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! LinkedIn LinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free atLinkedin.com/lockedoncollegeTerms and conditions apply. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Once USC and UCLA decided to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 10, every other team in the ACC, Pac-12, and Big 12 started to panic to figure out how to stay afloat in an era of college football that feels like it is headed toward two super conferences. But whether the ACC and Pac-12 form an alliance, Arizona and Arizona State join the Big-12, or even if the SEC and Big 10 break away from the NCAA completely, where does that leave LSU in this whirlwind world that has become college football? There are two very good things about LSU's situation it finds itself in and there is one other element to college football conference realignment that could be very good or very bad for LSU fans – it completely depends on your college football viewing preference. How does the College Football Playoff change, if at all? Are all of these changes good or bad for LSU football and its fans? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! LinkedIn LinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster.Post your job for freeatLinkedin.com/lockedoncollegeTerms and conditions apply. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The biggest fireworks over 4th of July weekend didn't come from a parade, barbecue, or downtown celebration. Rather, they came from LSU football's recruiting. Brian Kelly & Co. are red hot on the recruiting trail and they have five recruits in four days to show for it. Darron Reed a defensive lineman out of Georgia, defensive lineman Dashawn Womack out of Baltimore, edge rusher Joshua Mickens out of Indianapolis, Jaxon Howard the edge rusher out of Minneapolis, and in-state cornerback Ashton Stamps from Metairie all pledged their commitment to the purple-and-gold over the weekend. What are their talents? Why LSU? Caroline Fenton breaks it all down. Plus, who is the man behind all of the defensive recruits? Of course head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Matt House are at the forefront of the deals, but defensive line coach Jamar Cain has proven that he has the attention and interest of some of the top defensive line talent in the country. But can he prove it on the football field? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! LinkedIn LinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster.Post your job for freeatLinkedin.com/lockedoncollegeTerms and conditions apply. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The world may change but college football stays the same...is something that we used to be able to say. Now, not so much because college football is changing massively by the day. UCLA and USC announced Thursday that they intended to leave the PAC-12 for the B1G, and after a unanimous vote by B1G presidents and chancellors later that night they have officially been approved to join the conference in the 2024 season. This is a huge shift in the landscape of college football. Is it a good change, bad change, or simply just a change? How will the addition of the PAC-12's two Los Angeles schools to the B1G affect LSU, the SEC, and college football as a whole? Where will the change stop? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No one in the transfer portal is safe from Jay Johnson. It has been an absolute whirlwind of a week for LSU baseball, landing six transfers in the past few days including former NC state slugger and top-3 hitter in college baseball Tommy White who raked in the ACC awards this past year, former UCLA pitcher Thatcher Hurd, and several other key pieces that will be able to elevate LSU baseball on the mound, at the plate, and in the infield as well. Who all did LSU bring in through the transfer portal, and who are the Tigers losing? But the new additions don't stop with the lineup. Jay Johnson brought in former Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson who also spent time on Arkansas and Mississippi State's staff. What are his credentials, what has he accomplished as a pitching coach, and how will he help boost LSU's bullpen? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
While we talk a lot about the expectations of LSU football in 2022, I don't have the conversation enough about where this team will be and could be in the next three to five years. Luckily Adam Rittenberg of ESPN did that for us. Rittenberg brought out his own personal college football crystal ball to project which teams will be top 25 over the next three years. Where is LSU listed and why? Is it too high, too low, or just right? Is three years enough time for Brian Kelly to prove himself not just to Tigers fans, but to the rest of the doubters around college football? Plus, BetOnline released their official over/under win totals for each team in the SEC. What is their projection for LSU? Does Las Vegas predict LSU to have a big year in year one under Brian Kelly, or does it predict that the Tigers will be struggling to make a bowl competing amongst the likes of Alabama and Texas A&M? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The recruitment heard round the world. The most highly publicized recruit in recent history has officially made his decision: Arch Manning verbally committed to play quarterback at the University of Texas. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning will join the stacked Longhorn QB room, joining five-star Quinn Ewers at Steve Sarkisian's program. How was Manning's recruitment process different than any other recruit? How are his expectations at Texas different than the other schools on his radar, such as Georgia with Kirby Smart and Alabama with Nick Saban? Even though Arch is taking his talents to Austin, that still affects LSU football and the SEC as a whole moving forward. What will the QB play look like once Texas joins the SEC? Will Texas gain several top recruits as a result of Arch Manning's commitment? Can LSU fans take a deep breath knowing Arch won't be in at an SEC program at least for his first two years in college? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Each week on Locked On LSU we break down the Recruit of the Week –one high school football player that LSU is high on or players that are high on LSU. On today's edition of the Recruit of the Week, we break down Brian Kelly's first get in the 2024 class: 4-star safety Maurice Williams out of Pearland, Texas. When asked about why he committed to LSU, Williams cites his relationships with Kelly, Matt House, and the rest of the coaching staff. He mentions the Cajun food and community that he felt on campus. But overall, he mentions the reputation that LSU football is DBU, or defensive back university. How will the new coaching staff work to maintain the reputation that LSU football has built up from Tyrann Mathieu to Tre'Davious White to Derek Stingley Jr.? Plus, the NBA Draft is tonight and there are three names from LSU basketball that are in the draft. While it may be a long shot for Darius Days or Shareef O'Neal to get taken in the first round, Tari Eason is not. Several NBA mock drafts have Eason going in the middle of the first round and a general consensus has him going 17th to the Houston Rockets. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go tobuiltbar.comand use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.nethas you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before.BetOnline– Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices