Three Position Groups to Keep Tabs on in LSU Football's Spring Event on Saturday

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will take the field in Death Valley on Saturday for the program's annual spring event in Baton Rouge.

Kelly and Co. will take a different approach than in recent years with the Bayou Bengals set to work through individual drills, light scrimmaging and going through an autograph session in Tiger Stadium to follow.

Fans are invited to watch the Tigers practice and scrimmage beginning at approximately 10:35 a.m. on Saturday.

Gates to Tiger Stadium will open at 9:30 a.m. with all seating on the west side of Death Valley. Fans will enter Tiger Stadium through gates 1-6 on the west side.

With the program set to take the field, which position groups will have significant intrigue?

Three Position Groups to Watch: LSU's Spring Event

No. 1: EDGE

Kelly and the LSU Tigers retooled the edge rushers room this offseason after adding a trio of newcomers via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The coaching staff in Baton Rouge brought in Florida State's Patrick Payton, Florida's Jack Pyburn and Nebraska's Jimari Butler to up the competition level on the defensive line.

"Those guys have been great program players as well. On time, accountable, pushing others. It's been, and I said this before, it's been really fun to watch these guys really just melt into the current culture and standards. I could talk as much about what they do on a day-to-day basis in the program.

"But on the field all of those guys are going to be playing for us and getting meaningful reps and help us. As advertised probably more than advertised because you really don't know how their personalities will play out. All three of them have different personalities, but impact our program."

Along with a trio of transfers, the Tigers return sophomore Gabriel Reliford to round out the two-deep depth chart.

"Gabe's a kid that plays with a lot of confidence. Obviously, his physicality. His physicality is a little bit different than the other ends that we have. His size. So, when you're talking about him, he's a different profile than some of the other ends and the edges that we have," Kelly said in March.

"What we're looking for is a consistent performance, playing in play out and somebody that's really, really good against the run and very capable when we cut him loose to get to the quarterback. 

"But I would say that his size, his physicality, his second year in the program, the margin for us in terms of what we want to see is somebody that is just really an anchor against the run."

No. 2: Offensive Line

LSU will utilize the offseason to reconstruct the offensive line after losing four starters from a season ago to the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Tigers will bring back starting center DJ Chester in the trenches alongside backups Paul Mubenga, Tyree Adams and Weston Davis, among others, with a puzzle left to be put together.

Position coach Brad Davis has multiple pieces that can take that next step this offseason, but it's a matter of which players will do so.

Throughout most of Spring Camp, the offensive line rotation has been:

First-Team: LT Tyree Adams, LG Paul Mubenga, C DJ Chester, RG Coen Echols and RT Weston Davis.

Second-Team: LT Carius Curne, LG Ory Williams, C Braelin Moore, RG Bo Bordelon and RT Josh Thompson.

There is position versatility with the program nowhere near finding the ideal rotation.

Chester and Moore will battle it out for first-team duties at center, five-star freshman Carius Curne is emerging and Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson is still looking to hit his stride.

The offensive line will be a piece to monitor from now until Week 1 at Clemson.

No. 3: The New-Look Cornerback Room

The buzz all offseason has surrounded the reconstructed cornerback room in Baton Rouge headlined by five-star freshman, DJ Pickett, and Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane.

Now, LSU fans will be presented with the opportunity to get their first in-person look at Pickett and the new-look cornerback room.

Secondary coach Corey Raymond has revamped this room in a big way across the last few months with Pickett, Delane, Florida transfer Ja'Keem Jackson and others rounding out the defensive backfield.

It'll be a matter of finding the key rotations with a unique blend of newcomers and returning pieces in Ashton Stamps, PJ Woodland and Michael Turner, among others.

This year’s event takes the place of the annual spring game. There will be no television coverage or radio broadcast of the event.

The Saturday Schedule: Saturday's Spring Event

9 a.m. Football team walks to Tiger Stadium from Football Operations Building
9:15 a.m. Football teams arrives at Tiger Stadium
9:30 a.m. Gates Open at Tiger Stadium (West side entrance only – Gates 1-6)
10:35 a.m. Individual Drills
11:10 a.m. First half scrimmage (2 15-minute quarters)
11:40 a.m. Halftime
11:50 a.m. Second half scrimmage (format TBD)
12:25 p.m. Spring scrimmage ends
12:55 p.m. Autograph Session on field in Tiger Stadium
1:40 p.m. Event ends

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