With kickoff against Clemson now 51 days away, LSU’s jersey No. 51 is getting a fresh name attached to it in Baton Rouge: freshman offensive lineman Ryan Miret.
Miret is one of the few high school additions in a room that is otherwise built mostly around transfers and a couple of returners. The interior line spot LSU targeted with him came with some recruiting value, too. The Miami, Fla., product was a three-star prospect, ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 44 player at his position and the No. 69 player in the state.
LSU staffers had been on Miret for a while, and that interest paid off after he flipped from Ole Miss in December. He may not be a day-one answer up front, but he gives the Tigers a developmental piece for the future of the offensive line.
No. 51 also carries some real LSU history, and the list of former Tigers who wore it includes a few names from different eras of the program.
Max Fugler wore it from 1957 to 1959 and was the kind of player the game used to produce more often: a center, running back and defensive lineman all in one at 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds. He earned two All-American honors, made All-SEC and stood as one of the leaders of LSU’s 1958 team that won the first national championship in school history. The San Francisco 49ers later drafted him, though his NFL career did not amount to much.
Ken Kavanaugh Sr., who wore No. 51 from 1937 to 1939, was another landmark figure. LSU’s first All-American, he became one of the sport’s early stars and went on to win three NFL championships in the early 1940s. At 6-foot-3, he had size that set him apart in that era and used it to his advantage.
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