ORLANDO, Fla. — The No. 16 LSU football capped coach Brian Kelly’s freshman season with an exclamation mark about as big as it could have had on Monday.
The Tigers (10-4) wiped out a depleted Purdue team in the Citrus Bowl, setting the bowl record for runs scored and winning margin in a 63-7 game.
Difficult to draw much from this victory of LSU. Purdue (8-6) was missing starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell, star receiver Charlie Jones and had coach Jeff Brohm departed for Louisville a few weeks before the game.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions surrounding the Tigers as they head into the offseason and spring training.
Here are our final five questions regarding LSU football this season.
Should LSU be the SEC West favorite in 2023?
LSU is about as well placed as it could have hoped for in Kelly’s second season in Baton Rouge.
Not only have the Tigers posted a double-digit win total, but the vast majority of the starting offense returns in 2023. That includes LSU’s top six offensive linemen, quarterback Jayden Daniels, running back main ball Josh Williams and most of his top receivers including Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Mason Taylor.
The defense will be restructured but still returning star linebacker Harold Perkins, safeties Greg Brooks and Major Burns, defensive tackle Maason Smith through injury and third-team AP All-American Mekhi Wingo. And with the No. 3 transfer gate class and No. 7 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite, the Tigers should be much deeper on both sides of the ball next season.
But keep in mind: there is still a lot of offseason to finish. The transfer portal will remain open until January 18. A second window lasts from May 1 to May 15. Additionally, another recruitment period for the Class of 2023 will begin on February 1.
Nothing in terms of predictions should be definitive at this time. And nothing will be easy in the SEC West next season with Alabama adding the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, Texas A&M bringing back plenty of five-star talent and the rest of the division being as deep as it is. .
LSU has a good chance of repeating itself as SEC West champions and even reaching the college football playoffs if all goes well. But don’t put any money on it just yet.
What holes in the list still need to be fixed as we approach 2023?
The outside cornerback could use some help, especially with Sevyn Banks’ status still up in the air.
LSU has done a decent job of rebuilding. with former five-star signing and Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris, top-60 prospect Javien Toviano and highly regarded Southeastern transfer Zy Alexander. But none of them have played a full season of snaps against the Power 5 competition.
Adding a veteran or at least another depth piece to provide more competition to the room would only help.
Beyond cornerback, the linebacker could use a bit of reinforcement after Mike Jones Jr. told WAFB on Monday that the Citrus Bowl was his last game for LSU. With Micah Baskerville also out of eligibility, the Tigers could add a Portal player there.
Depending on John Emery Jr.’s return, the running back could also be a need.
LSU QB STATUSDoes LSU football have a QB competition? Brian Kelly says no but time will tell
LSU FOOTBALL DOMINATES PURDUELSU football crushes Purdue 63-7 in Citrus Bowl to claim 10 wins
LSU FOOTBALL CLASSES VS. PURDULSU vs. Purdue football ratings: Unboxing a near-perfect end to Brian Kelly’s freshman season
Can Malik Nabers become LSU’s next legendary wide receiver?
It would be surprising if he didn’t. After catching nine catches for 163 yards and scoring two touchdowns on Monday, Nabers finished his sophomore year with 72 receptions for 1,017 yards and four total touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, he generated nearly six yards after the catch per reception.
Kayshon Boutte, who was supposed to be the offensive star, had 479 fewer receiving yards and 24 fewer receptions than Nabers this season. And Nabers’ stat line this year surpasses all of Boutte’s previous campaigns.
Not only was Nabers LSU’s top receiver this year, but he’s also heading into next season with the return of his starting quarterback. Daniels and Nabers clearly had strong chemistry this year; which is expected to grow exponentially in year 2.
Will LSU have four stock quarterbacks for spring training?
Probably.
Between Garrett Nussmeier, Daniels, Walker Howard and four-star signee Rickie Collins, Nussmeier is the most likely to leave. Nussmeier showed he was good enough to start immediately at a Power 5 school and would enter in the spring as LSU’s second-string quarterback.
But, as we explored after the Citrus Bowl, Nussmeier’s performances in the SEC Championship Game and the Citrus Bowl, combined with Kelly’s willingness to play him in the bowl game, may give him reason enough to stick around. for spring.
Is Brian Kelly on track to possibly win a national championship at LSU?
Without a doubt yes. A lot can change next season and moving forward, but LSU is on the right track.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.