LSU’s second week of fall camp brought more than just another round of practices. The Tigers are starting to show what this roster can do, and the biggest developments are showing up where it matters most: at quarterback, across the secondary, and in the way the staff is managing the load.
Transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt is taking on the most important job on the team, and his workload is clearly climbing as he settles into his new offense. After waiting for the offensive leader to get back to 100 percent following a season-ending injury last fall, LSU has been increasing his reps. By the final Friday of week two, Leavitt was airing it out often, connecting on deep throws to nearly the entire receiver room and working multiple quick passes to tight ends Trey'Dez Green and Zach Grace.
That growing comfort level is part of the picture. Leavitt is looking like the trusted option because of his live arm, and he’s building more chemistry with the receivers around him as camp rolls on.
On the other side of the ball, LSU’s defensive depth keeps showing up in ways that go beyond the usual camp buzz. During the final day of week two, the cornerbacks ran a drill that had them shadowing a receiver route and jumping in front of the ball for an interception. Havon Finney Jr. and PJ Woodland stood out in that work, flashing the quick movement that has them in position to become scoring threats for LSU this season.
After practice, defensive coordinator Blake Baker said the staff wants to see more interceptions and, just as importantly, more of those turnovers turned into pick-sixes this fall camp.
Another noticeable shift in week two was the number of yellow jerseys on the field, signaling players in limited or no-contact work. Green has stayed in yellow all camp, with no contact allowed for the No. 1-ranked tight end in the nation.
This week, wide receivers Winston Watkins Jr., Jabari Mack, and Jayce Brown also showed up in the no-contact gold. Cornerback DJ Pickett was in the same jersey for the second straight week, and the program has no plans to change his well-earned No. 5, despite the Jayden Daniels controversy.
Baker’s presence remains one of the most important parts of LSU’s offseason setup. Keeping him on staff was one of the key moves from Kiffin this offseason, and Baker is now in his fifth year as defensive coordinator.
He’s working in a program he had never seen before, with the biggest staff he has ever been around, and he told the media he’s enjoying getting to know Kiffin and the new group. That connection played a major role in his decision to stay, with the bigger goal still in view.
“I truly believe that with what he (Kiffin) does on offense and what I do on defense, the ultimate goal is to bring home a national championship; I kind of want to see that through," said Baker.
He also pointed to how the team is handling the pace of practice and how much better the group looks now compared with the spring.
"As fast as our offense goes, on defense it weighs on you...... I think we've done a much better job handling that than we did in the spring," said Baker.
That’s the clearest sign yet that LSU’s early adjustment period is giving way to something more settled. The roster is finding its rhythm, the staff is settling in, and camp is moving into the final stretch of preparation.
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