Brian Kelly Emphasizes: Brian Kelly’s post-Ole Miss loss remarks lingered: Nobody else is walking through that door. He hinted that someone within the team had to step up for LSU’s secondary. Yet, no one foresaw a scenario like this. With Kelly revealing the absence of Denver Harris, Duce Chestnut, and Zy Alexander, the spotlight shifts to the newcomers.
Meet Laterrance Welch, Javian Toviano, Ashton Stamps, and Jeremiah Hughes. Though relatively young with limited experience, Kelly expresses confidence in these elite high school talents. Theyre elite players. Now its taking that trust and putting it from preparation to performance, says Kelly.
The task at hand is preparing these players to compete at a high level and contribute to complementary football starting this weekend. The coaching staff’s hope lies in the reps and practices leading up to this challenge. Despite not explicitly stating it, they likely anticipated this situation after the Army game. The past week and the upcoming one provide a runway for these youngsters to impact the game in Tuscaloosa.
I think weve been at it long enough to where these guys are ready to go. Theyve got no choice. These guys are ready to play. Theyre young, many have said inexperienced, I get it they havent played a lot of SEC games. But these guys are really good players and theyll compete for LSU, assures Kelly.
The confidence is apparent, and rightfully so. Facing Alabama’s surging offense, the Tigers need these young players to step up. The looming question: Which weakness is greaterAlabamas offense or LSUs defense? The answer unfolds late Saturday night.
This weekend’s matchup between LSU and Alabama figures to give a good glimpse into which program will take a giant step forward of the final year of the SEC West race.
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LSU has an uphill battle on its hands with the way the defensive side of the ball has been slammed with injuries and absentees in the last few weeks.
The Tigers will be a bit shorthanded when the team departs for Tuscaloosa. As far as injuries go for this game, LSU will be without both cornerback Zy Alexander and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo for the Alabama game according to Brian Kelly.
Alexander and Wingo are both dealing with lower leg injuries and the latest update wasnt all that encouraging. Alexander, Denver Harris and Duce Chestnut were all listed as unavailable for the game this weekend. In total, 21 true freshman are expected to make the trip, including defensive backs Javien Toviano, Jeremiah Hughes and Ashton Stamps, all of who will be asked to step up at cornerback.
“We’re built for injuries. You can’t be built for 11 players, we have depth, we have good players that will step up, be ready to play and play at a high level,” Kelly said Monday. “It’s part of football. In this game, if you lose one guy and you’re not able to answer the bell then you’re not very good. We think we got a good football team and have guys that can step up and play well.”
Wingo had surgery and is expected to be out six weeks according to early projections from Kelly, which would take him through the rest of the regular season. As one of LSUs important defensive linemen and a leader of this defense, the loss of Wingo is a significant one not just for this week but the rest of the season as well.
“I think Jordan Jefferson’s played at a high level. He’s graded out probably as our best defensive tackle. Physical at the point of attack, uses his hands well, getting great separation. Paris Shand, technically playing very well and grading out at the top of our defensive line over the last three weeks,” Kelly said. “As much as it hurts that we don’t have a few of the guys we got in the portal at the defensive back position, those guys and having Omar [Speights] back have made a significant difference for us.”
Offensive lineman Emery Jones will be back at practice this week so there is some positive injury news after spraining his ankle in the win over Auburn. That will move Zalance Heard back to a reserve role with Jones sliding back into right tackle.
Our Reader’s Queries
What is Brian Kelly’s coaching history?
From 1991 to 2003, Kelly was the top football coach at Grand Valley State University. He then moved on to Central Michigan University from 2004 to 2006, followed by the University of Cincinnati from 2006 to 2009, and finally the University of Notre Dame from 2010 to 2021.
How much does Brian Kelly make a year?
In 2023, Brian Kelly’s contract will earn him a base salary of approximately $9.5 million per year, with a slight increase each season. However, the bulk of his earnings will be derived from incentives. While his base salary is already among the top three in the conference, he has the potential to earn even more through additional bonuses.
What was Brian Kelly’s career in sports?
Brian Kelly, the ex-head coach of Grand Valley State’s football team, dedicated 13 years to leading the Lakers on the field. During his tenure, GVSU achieved an impressive 118-35-2 overall record, with a stellar 103-22-2 performance in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Under Kelly’s guidance, the team secured five GLIAC championships and made six appearances in the NCAA DII playoffs.
Who replaced Brian Kelly?
At the center of it all stood Notre Dame, with their most successful coach, Brian Kelly, departing to take the helm at LSU. This move ties the current head coach, Marcus Freeman, to Kelly, as Freeman now follows in his footsteps.