LSU’s first game-night depth chart under Lane Kiffin came with a few twists, and the Tigers made sure to keep people guessing before facing No. 23 Clemson on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.
One of the biggest surprises showed up at wide receiver, where junior transfer Malik Elzy of Illinois was listed as one of three No. 1 receivers. That stood out because Elzy, at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, had mostly been working with the second group during the media viewing portions of preseason camp. Even so, he was placed ahead of Kansas State senior transfer Jayce Brown, who had often been with the first unit in practice and had been talked up as one of LSU’s top options throughout the preseason.
Elzy’s path has been a winding one. He played only four games last season at Kansas State to preserve a redshirt year and caught seven passes for 84 yards.
In 2024, he appeared in 10 games and finished with four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Back in 2023, the freshman from Simeon High in the Chicago area logged five receptions for 52 yards and a score in nine games.
Brown, meanwhile, brings the more established production. He caught 41 passes for 712 yards and five touchdowns last season in 10 games.
In 2024, he posted 47 catches for 823 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. As a freshman at Choctawhatchee High in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in 2023, he had 27 receptions for 437 yards and three touchdowns.
There was another notable wrinkle in the backfield. Sophomore transfer Stacy Gage of Central Florida was listed as the No. 2 back behind starter Dilin Jones, a sophomore transfer from Wisconsin who has been with the first team since spring. Gage was slotted ahead of returning LSU backs Caden Durham and Harlem Berry, in that order.
On defense, the depth chart brought its own surprise at tackle, where junior transfer Stephiylan Green of Clemson was listed with the first team ahead of returning junior Dominick McKinley. Malik Blocton, a junior transfer from Auburn, had often worked with the first team during practice, but he was listed as the second-team tackle behind true freshman Deuce Geralds, who had been with the first team all camp. Fellow true freshman Richard Anderson, who had also been pushing for a starting role, was listed third behind Geralds and Blocton.
At free safety, returner Tamarcus Cooley was listed as the starter over redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas, even though Thomas had frequently been with the first team in camp.
It all came with the usual caveat: it’s a depth chart, and those things can change fast. Kiffin could end up with different starters by kickoff, which was expected to come at 8:40 p.m. on ABC after a lightning delay pushed the game back from its original 6:49 p.m. start.
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