The key, of course, is not seeing if Fournette can steamroll more linebackers and defensive backs (he will), but if Brandon Harris can complete those crucial third-and-long passes to keep drives moving.<\/p>\n
![\"Brandon](\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/harrisbrandon18.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBrandon Harris<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Harris is the starter (149-of-277 passes for 2,165 yards, 13 TDs and six interceptions). He expressed confidence in his ability, with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron\u2019s move from the press box to the sidelines. \u201cWith him being on the sideline and him being able to communicate with me and me being able to look over there and look in his eyes and we see we\u2019re on the same page. It\u2019s important as a quarterback,\u201d said Harris.<\/p>\n
Purdue transfer Danny Etling should get playing time as Harris\u2019 back-up. The junior started 12 games, and threw for 2,490 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Boilermakers.<\/p>\n
The Running Game<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt LSU will rely on its running game, with Fournette and sophomore Derrius Guice (436 yards, 3 touchdowns) and junior Darrel Williams (296 yards, 4 touchdowns). Add to that mix sophomore Nick Brossette, who has fully recovered from a season-ending knee injury against Ole Miss last year.<\/p>\n Fullback J.D. Moore returns from a torn ACL inside the left knee suffered during the second half of last year. His blocking during the first half of last season helped spring Fournette on some of his longest and best runs of the year.<\/p>\n Miles\u2019 love for the running game continues; but even he admitted it\u2019s time to inject a better passing game into LSU\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n The Passing Game<\/strong><\/p>\n Last year\u2019s inept passing game (the worst passing stretch in Miles\u2019 tenure; ranked 111th nationally) hampered the Tigers\u2019 wide-outs and contributed to the transfer of former Barbe High receiver Trey Quinn (SMU) and John Diarse (TCU).<\/p>\n Leonard Fournette<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The receiving corps shouldn\u2019t lack for experience this year, with starters Malachi Dupre (57 passes caught for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns during his first two seasons) and senior Travin Dural (who missed the spring with a hamstring injury).<\/p>\n Junior D.J. Chark (79-yard end-around touchdown in the Texas Bowl) has drawn praises from new wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig during early fall camp. If there is a plus in the offensive coaching, it will come from Craig. He thinks outside of the box: more so than Cam Cameron, who is lucky he still has a job at LSU.<\/p>\n Former five-star wide receiver prospect Tyron Johnson has been granted his release to transfer. Johnson caught nine passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns during his only season with the Tigers.<\/p>\n The Tigers won\u2019t lack for size. Wide-outs Jazz Ferguson and early enrollees Stephen Sullivan and Dee Anderson; tight-ends Colin Jeter and DeSean Smith; all average over 6 feet, 5 inches, 227 pounds. No team in the SEC has a group of receivers taller than LSU\u2019s.<\/p>\n Sullivan, Anderson and freshman Drake Davis are all challenging to be the Tigers\u2019 No. 3 or 4 options at wide-out.<\/p>\n Jeter and Smith will be joined by sophomore Foster Moreau at tight end. Moreau is regarded as one of the better run blockers for the LSU offense.<\/p>\n Offensive Line<\/strong><\/p>\n With the loss of Jerald Hawkins and Vadal Alexander to the NFL, LSU\u2019s offensive line will be a work in progress. That\u2019s to say, it\u2019s in flux. Preseason All-American center Ethan Pocic, whom Miles called the most versatile offensive linemen he\u2019s ever coached, is a team leader. Pocic, a Remington and Outland Award candidate, played 796 snaps with 132.5 knockdowns blocks last year.<\/p>\n As a group, the Tigers have five players on the offensive line with at least one career start to their credit. These include left guard Will Clapp and senior right guard Josh Boutte, left tackle Maea Teuhema and NBA great Karl Malone\u2019s son K.J. Malone.<\/p>\n Travin Dural<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sophomore Toby Weathersby is a candidate to replace Vadal Alexander at right tackle and Garrett Brumfield is competing with Boutte for a starting guard position. Andy Dodd should see playing time at center.<\/p>\n Redshirt freshmen Chidi Okeke, Adrian Magee and George Brown, Jr., will need to gain game experience to help on the offensive line.<\/p>\n \u201cThe young and old of this offensive line are going to produce a really talented group,\u201d Miles said. \u201cSome of those young guys need some reps and that\u2019s key, but, boy, they\u2019re talented.\u201d<\/p>\n Defense<\/strong><\/p>\n Defensively, the Tigers will be loaded with 8 of 11 starters from last year. So that unit expects to improve on the 24 points and more than 347 yards allowed per game last season.<\/p>\n LSU also added former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who\u2019s a huge improvement over Kevin Steele, now at Auburn. Steele\u2019s departure was a blessing in disguise. Aranda\u2019s Badger defense led the FBS in scoring defense (13.7 points per game) and was second in yards per game allowed (268.5).<\/p>\n Aranda will transition the Tigers into a more 3-4 defense than their traditional 4-3 scheme. He\u2019ll use multiple sets. The 3-4 is the defense\u2019s version of the spread offense, using three defensive linemen and four linebackers.<\/p>\n Aranda\u2019s new version won\u2019t allow his defensive linemen to completely abandon the traditional hand-in-the-dirt position. And now, Aranda gets a defense with the talented athletes he never had in Madison. Undoubtedly, LSU has the players to fit the new style.<\/p>\n Aranda, like offensive coordinator Cameron, will be calling plays from the sideline. \u201c[It] will be the first time all of my coordinators will be on the sidelines,\u201d said Miles.<\/p>\n The 3-4 puts the Tigers\u2019 returning defensive line-up all over the field.<\/p>\n Arden Key, who had five sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss during his freshman year, will line up as a stand-up rush end at times. He has a personal goal of 20 sacks this season.<\/p>\n Returning end senior Lewis Neal, a Ted Hendricks Award watch list candidate, will now play a more stand-up, outside rushing lineman. He\u2019ll be backed up by junior Deondre Clark.<\/p>\n LaCouture\u2019s back-up at end, Frank Herron, a junior who played in a reserve, rotating role last season, will now get more playing time with the loss of LaCouture.<\/p>\n Davon Godchaux has moved from nose tackle to replace LaCouture at end, and Greg Gilmore is practicing with the No. 1 group at nose. He will also play the end spot in certain sets, as he did in the spring.<\/p>\n Lewis Neal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Godchaux likes what he\u2019s seen in the new defense. \u201cThe new defensive scheme helps a lot because it creates a lot of one-on-ones,\u201d he said. \u201cArden is a freak, Tashawn is a freak, Lewis is a pass-rushing guru, and me, and it\u2019s going to free me up a lot having three guys like that in one of our packages. It\u2019s going to be very interesting for teams who are going to try and block us.\u201d<\/p>\n LSU is two-deep on the defensive front, with talented true freshmen as third-string reserves.<\/p>\n The Tiger\u2019s \u201cD\u201d got good news during the second week of training camp with the return to campus of Travonte Valentine. Valentine was the No. 3 high school defensive tackle when he was a 2014 LSU signee. He was ruled academically eligible to play, before the SEC overruled the NCAA, forcing the tackle to miss his freshman season. A short time later, he was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.<\/p>\n \u201c[He\u2019s a] very quality defensive player; a guy that in my opinion gives us reason to trust him as being a quality student and doing the things we ask him to do,\u201d Miles said. \u201cWe\u2019re very optimistic that it\u2019s exactly the right thing to do. Could be pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n He was ranked as the nation\u2019s No. 1 JUCO defensive tackle out of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. At 6 feet, 4 inches, 345 pounds, he should be the projected starter at nose tackle. He\u2019s big and fast for his size, and can plug the inside.<\/p>\n Valentine had to complete one course during LSU\u2019s summer intersession to become eligible for the season. There was more good news for Valentine. He passed his course on Aug. 21 and began fall classes on Aug. 22.<\/p>\n Sophomore Isaiah Washington, back-up to Key at the Buck position, which is a defensive end hybrid, suffered ligament damage to a knee in preseason camp and is out for the season. Freshmen Sci Martin and five-star recruit Ray Thornton will move up in the rotation to take Washington\u2019s place.<\/p>\n Linebackers<\/strong><\/p>\n If the arrival of Aranda was a positive move for the Tigers defense, the return of inside linebacker Kendell Beckwith, who elected to return to school for his senior year rather than enter the NFL draft, was the best thing that could have happened for the defense. Beckwith, the leading returning tackler, solidifies the linebacking corps, and seems to be embracing Aranda\u2019s new 3-4 defense.<\/p>\n \u201cJust tell people to get ready for guys flying around making a bunch of plays play after play,\u201d Beckwith said during preseason camp. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n