LSU’s third week of fall camp opened with more shuffling, more reps, and a few small signs that the offense is still sorting itself out.
The Tigers have been ramping up the pace in practice, and the offense keeps cycling through different combinations as the staff looks for the right mix. That movement has become part of the story of camp, especially with the season getting closer and the pressure rising around Kiffin’s Baton Rouge debut.
A big piece of that picture is ASU transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt. After sitting through spring camp while recovering from a season-ending injury, he’s finally working at full capacity with the offense this summer. He was quickly pushed into the lead quarterback role, and the early results of that workload are showing up in camp.
On Monday, Leavitt looked a little more worn down than he has in earlier practices. In August heat in Louisiana, he was taking more water and towel breaks than usual, and he didn’t appear to have the same quick, light movement fans and coaches have seen before. His arm also got plenty of work last Friday, and that could have been a little too much, too soon for a quarterback who has only recently been cleared.
“We've got to push through, we've got to play better,” said Kiffin in the post-practice press conference when asked if this period of fall camp is tough.
The receiver room remains crowded with transfer talent, and the competition there is still very much alive. One name that has kept climbing over the last two weeks is Troy transfer Roman Mothershed.
At 6'5, he’s been hard to miss, but it hasn’t just been the size that has made him stand out. He’s been making plays from deeper in the drill order and showing he can attack the ball on just about any throw.
That made today’s change notable: Mothershed was pulled from receiver individual drills and worked with the tight ends instead. The 6'5, 205-pound pass catcher is still in the mix for an expanded role, and LSU is clearly testing what he can handle.
“He's been playing well outside, and he's been playing well for us,” said Kiffin at the post-practice press conference.
With Trey'Dez Green at 6'7 already giving LSU a vertical presence at tight end, Mothershed’s frame and receiver background could make him a useful piece there as well. He also brings more versatility to a staff that has not been shy about moving players around late in camp.
There was one more change in the receiver group on the first day of week three: Malik Elzy was absent from practice. Even with that, the overall rotation looked similar to what LSU has been showing in recent sessions. Leavitt continued spreading the ball around, working both short and deep throws to different groups.
One cluster that has repeatedly looked strong in individual drills includes Jabari Mack, Phillip Wright III, Tre' Brown, and Eugene Wilson III. That said, Mack was not seen taking reps from Leavitt today, and he has been wearing a yellow jersey for a week, which appears to be tied to his right elbow.
Another group Leavitt leaned on featured Jayce Brown, Jackson Harris, Josh Jackson, and Winston Watkins Jr.
Across the board, the names leading the drills have stayed fairly consistent: Jayce Brown, Tre' Brown, Jackson Harris, and Eugene Wilson III. Those were the players projected to lock down starting jobs after the first week of fall camp.
There’s still time for more movement, with two weeks left before camp ends and a long season ahead for LSU’s rebuilt offense.
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