LSU’s trip to Alabama ended with a strange kind of frustration: the Tigers moved the ball, but too often the drive stalled before it mattered. Even so, the Pro Football Focus grades from Saturday afternoon showed a roster with more solid outings than disasters.
The clearest offensive bright spot was wide receiver Jackson Harris, who posted an 80.7 grade. Harris kept doing what he’s been doing all season, hauling in a career-high 11 catches for 166 yards.
That yardage total was the second-best of his career, trailing only last week’s performance. Sam Leavitt kept looking his way, and Harris kept answering.
The redshirt junior has also continued to build his case as one of college football’s top players, which is why scouts are paying close attention and why his final year of eligibility may not be something LSU gets to enjoy.
At the other end of the offense, center Braelin Moore came in with a 49.3 grade. Moore had been viewed as one of the more dependable centers in the country, but this was a rough night by his standards.
He gave up four pressures and a sack, and he didn’t do much to help the run game either. It was his worst outing since Week 2 of the 2023 season, when he allowed four pressures at left guard.
Four pressures is also the most he’s surrendered as a center.
On the defensive side, cornerback DJ Pickett led the Tigers with a 76.3 grade. The attention around Pickett’s jersey number earlier in the season has faded into the background, and in this case that’s because he’s been steady enough not to draw much notice.
LSU’s secondary has had an uneven year, but Pickett has not been the problem. He’s been targeted 31 times across 304 coverage snaps and has allowed only 17 catches for 137 yards on the season.
He’s also given up a 52.8 NFL passer rating, while adding an interception and four pass breakups.
There wasn’t a true defensive meltdown in the grades, either. Jackson had a missed tackle in limited work, but nothing in his line suggested a major issue. He played 27 snaps, was targeted once, allowed an eight-yard catch, and finished with one tackle plus the missed tackle.
In Other News...
LSU Just Added A Louisiana Linebacker Worth Watching Closely
LSU kept a Louisiana linebacker in the fold with the addition of JaMarquis Hudson, who flipped his commitment from Kansas to the Tigers. The move brings him back closer to home after he built his high school profile in Texas, and it also gives LSU another defender with real ties to the state and a clear connection to the programs staff.
Hudson said family ties to Louisiana and his relationships with LSU coaches played a major role in the change, and he has already developed a strong rapport with linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. He also knows there is work ahead, planning to add weight so he can better fit LSUs defensive scheme, which makes his development one of the more interesting things to watch as this commitment settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Will Wade Sent LSU A Warning After That Blowout
A big win over Texas Southern did not leave Will Wade sounding particularly satisfied, and that says plenty about where LSU is right now. Even after the Tigers handled business, Wade pointed to offensive inefficiencies and turnovers as the kind of slippage that can get exposed once the schedule stiffens, especially with Louisiana Tech and Gonzaga coming up next.
Donovan Dent said the message from the coach was all about staying locked in and not letting a lopsided result blur the bigger picture. For LSU, the concern is less about the final score from one night and more about whether the Tigers can clean up the details fast enough to be ready when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Moved The Ball All Night But One Problem Ruined It
LSU spent much of the night moving the ball and still walked away with a 31-13 loss to Alabama, a frustrating outcome for an offense that generated enough yardage to suggest a different result. Sam Leavitt was sharp through the air, completing 35 of 47 passes for 380 yards, and Jackson Harris was a steady target with 11 catches for 166 yards. Even with Dilin Jones adding a rushing touchdown, the Tigers never found the kind of balance needed to turn production into points.
The bigger issue was the same one that has haunted plenty of teams in this rivalry: finishing drives and protecting the quarterback. LSUs offensive line struggled to open rushing lanes and gave up four sacks, which kept the ground game from becoming a real threat. On the other side, the defense did enough to slow Alabama on the ground, but the secondary gave up three passing touchdowns, leaving LSU with too many holes to patch even after a solid special teams contribution. [Read more 🡒]