2023 Fall Camp: Scrimmage Recap

In the final practice of fall camp that the media was allowed, LSU had a regular practice followed by a 43-play scrimmage in front of both the media and some fans. Here’s a recap of what I observed on Monday.

Roll Call

Mason Lunsford was nearly full-go as he participated in drills and got some reps during the scrimmage. Landon Ibieta and Matthew Langlois did not participate at all today. Defensive tackle Maason Smith, and running backs Logan Diggs, Josh Williams, and Armoni Goodwin were limited in their participation in practice once again and did not play in the scrimmage.

Sage Ryan left the field with an apparent arm/shoulder injury after tackling TE Mason Taylor in the scrimmage period. However, reports are saying that it was a minor injury and nothing serious.

Denver Harris participated in the scrimmage but was a part of the third-team defense. The ball was never really thrown his way during the scrimmage so he didn’t get much action when he was on the field. He may not be a part of the defensive gameplan for now but I think he will eventually if he works hard enough because the talent is there.

Musical Chairs

One of the more noteworthy takeaways from the scrimmage was Zalance Heard working with the first-team offensive line at right tackle. Whenever Heard was taking first-team reps, Emery Jones moved to right guard, which is his more natural position. On the second drive, Jones came back in and it was the normal starting lineup. However, on the very next drive, Heard was installed at right tackle once again with the first-team offense. Heard also got some reps on the second team.

Another notable change in the defense was Sage Ryan at cornerback along with Zy Alexander with the first-team defense. Andre Sam and Major Burns played safety, with Greg Brooks at Nickel, and Ryan and Zy Alexander were starting corners. This was also the case on the second drive for the first unit as well. Duce Chestnut, Laterrance Welch, and Ashton Stamps rotated in with the second team. Stamps and Chestnut got first-team reps when Ryan went down.

Players Who Won the Lottery

If you want to earn playing time on the field, one of the best times to do it is at the last scrimmage two weeks before the first game of the season. There were a few players on LSU’s football team that stood out during the scrimmage.

The player that stood out the most during the scrimmage was none other than true freshman running back Kaleb Jackson.

Jackson took advantage of the fact that last year’s starter Josh Williams had two carries for about 27 yards and a touchdown. Jackson’s touchdown came off a 17-yard touchdown scamper where he broke two tackles before the line of scrimmage and bulldozed his way into the endzone. Losing his helmet in the process. He also had a 75-yard touchdown reception off a screen pass from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier where he evaded several tacklers before leaving the defense in the dust.

Another player that stood out was cornerback Zy Alexander. Alexander has been the best cornerback in all of camp due to his competitive, athletic ability and length. Alexander was a large part of the reason why star wide receiver Malik Nabers was quiet throughout the scrimmage as he broke up almost every single pass to Nabers. He also forced Mason Taylor to fumble the ball which led to the defense recovering it. If it wasn’t cut and clear that Alexander is CB1, it is now.