With kickoff against Clemson now 49 days away, LSU’s countdown has turned to No. 49, and the current Tiger wearing it is a familiar name with a little family tie-in.
That’s linebacker Theo Grace, a redshirt freshman who arrives in Baton Rouge with four years of eligibility left. LSU’s defense didn’t need nearly as much portal help as the offense, but the Tigers still added Grace to the mix at linebacker, where the room already includes Whit Weeks, TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys.
There isn’t a huge college sample size to work with yet. Grace was unranked coming out of high school and unranked in the portal, and he played in just one game for North Dakota State before transferring. In that appearance, he recorded half of a tackle for loss.
What does stand out is his background. Grace is the younger brother of Zach Grace, the tight end transfer LSU brought in from Oregon, and Zach figures to make the bigger immediate impact. Theo, though, was a productive linebacker in high school, and LSU will be hoping that carries over as he develops.
The most notable former Tiger to wear No. 49 was Arden Key, listed here as a defensive end from 2022-2025. Key made noise right away with five sacks as a freshman, then took off as a sophomore with 12 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. A slower junior season pushed him down to the third round of the 2018 draft, but he has stayed in the NFL for eight years and signed a two-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
And when it comes to a 49-yard moment, LSU fans still have Joe Burrow hitting Derrick Dillon for a 49-yard touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl against the UCF Golden Knights. It was a huge play for keeping LSU in the game, though the more iconic sequence came a couple of possessions earlier, when Burrow took the big hit that fans like to say “awoken” him into the elite quarterback he became.
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What makes Harris especially intriguing is how naturally he seems to fit into Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.s fast-paced system. In a no-huddle offense that can force defenses to simplify, a receiver with his burst and route-breaking ability can slip into space and turn one opening into a big play. LSU still has other options to sort through, but Harris gives the Tigers something they have been searching for: a receiver who can make the deep ball feel like a real part of the plan again. [Read more 🡒]
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Tennessee Has One Massive Unknown LSU Fans Need To Watch
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The bigger question, though, is whether the rest of the roster can settle quickly enough to survive a demanding 2026 slate. Tennessee still has uncertainty around its quarterback room, and the defense will be asked to hold up against a schedule that brings plenty of pressure, including a trip to Baton Rouge. For LSU, that makes the Vols one of those early opponents worth watching closely, because the shape of Tennessees season may depend on how fast all of those moving parts come together. [Read more 🡒]