With kickoff against Clemson now 19 days away, LSU’s No. 19 comes with a little bit of everything: a promising defender working his way back from brutal injury luck, a walk-on quarterback with a familiar last name, and the quarterback who nearly changed the whole direction of the program.
The most important current Tiger in that jersey is DE Gabriel Reliford. A lot of people around Baton Rouge have been waiting for him to finally get a real healthy run, because the talent has always seemed to be there.
He arrived at LSU out of high school in 2024 and saw action in a rotational role at times as a freshman, but the injuries have kept hitting him at the worst possible moments. Just a few plays into the fourth game in 2025, he went down with a shoulder injury that ended his season.
Then this spring, he tore his ACL and is expected to miss the year.
Even with that setback, the Evangel Christian Academy alum is making great strides in his recovery and is expected to be ready to finally take over next season.
LSU’s other current No. 19 is QB Kaden Martin, who joined the Tigers this season as a walk-on. He’s also part of a familiar football family, coming to Baton Rouge alongside his father, Tee Martin, the former National Championship-winning Tennessee Volunteers quarterback, who also arrived at LSU this offseason.
Walk-ons may not always grab headlines, but they matter plenty inside a program. They help get the team ready from week to week, and some eventually earn scholarships through the work they put in.
There’s also the version of No. 19 that never happened at LSU, and it’s a big one. QB Bryce Underwood, who wears 19 at quarterback, was the No. 1 player in the nation in the 2025 recruiting class and was long viewed as a possible LSU commit.
For a while, the Tigers looked like the favorite. Then, at the last minute, he chose Michigan over LSU.
If Underwood had landed in Baton Rouge last season as that kind of established young talent, the ripple effect could have been enormous. It might have bought Brian Kelly and his staff more time to sort things out and avoid losing Underwood, which would have meant no coaching change and an entirely different team this year.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Is Suddenly Facing An LSU Fan Backlash
Jayden Daniels is back in the middle of an LSU conversation he probably would rather leave behind. The former Tigers star, now with the Washington Commanders, is in a dispute with LSU over the use of his name, image and likeness, and the issue has drawn extra attention because the school allowed another player to wear his former jersey number.
The reaction has not been quiet, either. ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum publicly criticized Daniels response and said the quarterback has lost support within LSU Nation, adding a sharper edge to what had already become a sensitive topic for fans who still view Daniels as one of the programs recent standard-bearers. For now, Daniels is preparing for his first NFL season opener with Washington against the Eagles on Sept. 13, even as the LSU chatter continues to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Nussmeier Gives LSU Fans Their First Real NFL Look
Garrett Nussmeiers first NFL preseason outing gave LSU fans a familiar face to track on a new stage, even if it came in a Kansas City Chiefs loss. The former Tigers quarterback completed 13 of 19 passes for 98 yards and was sacked twice, offering a steady if unspectacular glimpse of how his game is translating after a college career that made him one of the more productive passers in program history.
Selected 249th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, Nussmeier arrived in the league after throwing for 7,699 yards and 52 touchdowns at LSU, though his final college season was shortened by injury before it ran its course. Preseason games do not settle much, but for a quarterback trying to carve out a place in the pros, every snap matters and every early impression can shape the conversation around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Ed Orgeron Is Already Raising The Standard At LSU Camp
Ed Orgerons return to LSU football has already added a familiar edge to fall camp, where the veteran coach is back in an assistant role working on defense and recruiting under Lane Kiffin. His presence has been felt quickly around the program, with players noticing the energy and authority he brings back to practice as the Tigers try to sharpen up before the season.
Orgeron has been spending time with a defensive line group that includes both transfers and freshmen, giving him a chance to set the tone with players who are still learning what it takes to perform at LSU. For a program that has long valued toughness and development in the trenches, his influence gives camp an unmistakable old-school weight while the bigger question is how far that standard can carry once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]