With LSU one day away from opening the season against Clemson, the Tigers’ No. 1 jersey is going to be on two players who are expected to matter right away: edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and wide receiver Jayce Brown.
Umanmielen arrives as the piece LSU hoped would give Blake Baker’s defense the true pass-rushing centerpiece it lacked last season. The Tigers had depth and plenty of talent on that side of the ball, but no one consistently separated from the pack beyond now- Atlanta Falcons linebacker Harold Perkins. LSU went out and got Lane Kiffin’s top pass rusher from Ole Miss to help change that.
His path to Baton Rouge started at Nebraska, where he began his career and developed before breaking out with the Rebels last season. Umanmielen posted nine sacks, which was more than double LSU’s team leader, and finished with 51 total pressures. That total tied him for 18th in Pro Football Focus’ grading, though every player ahead of him except one had more snaps.
There’s also a family connection worth noting. His brother, Princely, is a pass rusher for the Carolina Panthers. If Umanmielen delivers anything close to what he showed at Ole Miss, LSU could be looking at the best defense in the country.
Brown gives LSU another No. 1 with a different kind of upside. He was part of the Tigers’ huge wide receiver addition, and depending on who you ask, he might be the best of the bunch. Brown started at Kansas State and had a solid run there, but he never quite seemed to hit his ceiling in an offense that was just ok.
Even so, the production was already there: 115 catches, 1,972 yards and 13 touchdowns over three seasons. The number that jumps off the page is his 17.1 yards per catch, a sign of how dangerous he can be when he gets the ball in space. LSU is betting that Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. can turn that big-play skill into a career year.
Brown spent plenty of time in the slot over his last two seasons with the Wildcats, but LSU plans to use him more as an X-receiver. He has done that before, and his speed should let him hold up on the outside even though he is a little smaller.
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LSU Fans Will Be Watching This Baton Rouge QB Family Showdown
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Knox Kiffin, the three-star quarterback and son of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, will be on one sideline, while Colton Nussmeier, a four-star Georgia commit and younger brother of NFL quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, will be on the other. For LSU followers, it is a familiar kind of early-season intrigue, with two local family storylines intersecting before the high school calendar even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]