Will Rosenblatt
July 13, 2024 12:30 pm CT
In 2023, six LSU football players earned all-conference honors. Jayden Daniels was First Team All-SEC and was joined by Malik Nabers and Will Campbell. Brian Thomas Jr. and Emery Jones made the cut on the Second Team while Harold Perkins was the lone LSU defender to see all-conference recognition, also on the Second Team.
Campbell, Jones and Perkins all return in 2024 with the remaining three off to the NFL. Returning three all-conference players at premium positions puts LSU in a good spot, but the Tigers will need players to emerge.
The good news is that this roster is talented and more than capable of producing a few new all-conference players. Here, we’ll take a look at the eight Tigers most likely to end up on an All-SEC team this fall. The exits of Daniels, Nabers and Thomas along with a couple of defenders have left ample opportunity for breakout stars.
If these eight guys have big years, there’s a good chance LSU is competing for a playoff spot when November rolls around.
Will Campbell
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This is an easy one. Will Campbell already has two All-SEC honors under his belt and he’s set for another big year in 2024.
Campbell made the coaches’ All-SEC Second Team as a true freshman in 2022. In 2023, the coaches had him first team with the AP slotting Campbell on the second team.
Many consider Campbell to be the best offensive lineman in the country. He’s an elite run blocker and pass protector at the left tackle spot. He has a chance to be an All-American and be one of the first players off the board in next year’s NFL draft.
Harold Perkins
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Perkins didn’t generate the same hype last year that he did as a freshman. LSU’s defensive staff lacked a coherent plan for the star linebacker, but he eventually settled in. Perkins was still good enough to earn second-team All-SEC.
This year, the expectations are once again high. Perkins’ athletic ability at linebacker is second to none. He can make all the plays, from rushing the passer to creating turnovers in pass coverage.
LSU will ask a lot of Perkins. A defense looking to rebound needs a huge year from the junior. If that happens, Perkins will be first-team All-SEC.
Emery Jones
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Will Campbell gets a lot of attention, and rightly so, but his counterpart at right tackle is pretty good too.
Jones joined Campbell on the coaches’ Second Team All-SEC in 2023. He was a force at right tackle and handled some of the best pass rushers in the SEC.
Jones was one of just a few tackles to post a PFF over 70 run blocking and pass blocking. Currently, he’s projected to be a late first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but with another strong year, he’ll go much higher.
Kyren Lacy
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Kyren Lacy has a tough task at wide receiver, following in the footsteps of Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers. But as Lacy enters his fifth year of college football, it’s time for a true breakout.
Lacy’s highlight reel wasn’t long last year, but the plays he made were impressive. He caught 30 passes for 557 yards and seven touchdowns. That 18.6 yards per catch was, by far, a career high and one of the best marks in the SEC.
LSU will need that level of explosiveness again this fall. Lacy is projected to emerge as Nussmeier’s go-to target. If that happens, Lacy will have plenty of balls coming his way and be a strong candidate for an All-SEC spot.
Garrett Nussmeier
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Nussmeier will have some stiff competition at QB for the two All-SEC spots. Georgia QB Carson Beck is the favorite and big years are expected from Connor Weigman, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas‘ Quinn Ewers, and Missouri’s Brady Cook too.
It has the potential to be a strong year at QB in the SEC, but Nussmeier has as good a chance as any to be the best. He’s a veteran with the arm to make all the throws. He can play within structure and layer throws working out of structure. He’s not afraid to take deep shots, but when he doesn’t, he gets the ball out quickly and avoids shots.
All of those are traits that can propel LSU’s offense to be the best in the SEC again. If LSU puts up points at a rate close to what it did last year, there’s a good chance the QB1 is receiving all-conference honors.
Mason Taylor
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Taylor wasn’t at full strength last year as he dealt with a nagging lower-body injury. He didn’t match his receiving totals from his freshman campaign with the majority of targets going to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
Now, Taylor is healthy and Nabers and Thomas are in the NFL. That creates an opportunity for Taylor to get more involved in the offense as he enters his junior year.
Despite being a three-star, Taylor turned heads the moment he stepped on campus. He made an immediate impact in 2022 and has the talent to be one of the nation’s top tight ends. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said Taylor can be a central part of this offense. Brock Bowers is in the NFL, so first-team All-SEC is there for the taking at tight end.
Jacobian Guillory
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Jacobian Guillory might be the most important player on this defense. LSU’s hopes on the interior defensive line rest in Guillory’s hands.
He’s the lone returning Tiger with significant experience at the position. He was a four-star recruit in 2020 with 247Sports ranking Guillory as the No. 9 defensive tackle in the class.
According to PFF, Guillory ranked fifth among SEC DTs in tackling grade last year while also recording 11 pressures and a sack. He has the size to defend the run and he moves well for someone that big, which offers some ability to pressure the quarterback.
If LSU’s defense takes a big step, there’s a good chance Guillory had something to do with it. Voters won’t ignore his importance when it is time to select all-conference teams.
Garrett Dellinger
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Dellinger is one of three offensive linemen to make this list and there’s an argument for Miles Frazier to be here too.
Dellinger was a blue-chip recruit in the class of 2021. He worked his way into the rotation as a freshman before taking over as a full-time starter in 2022. Dellinger was solid in both years, but 2023 was a breakout campaign for the rising senior.
According to PFF, Dellinger allowed just one sack and posted the fourth-best pass-blocking grade in the SEC. It’s a crowded year at guard in the SEC with Georgia and Alabama both boasting impressive duos, but a good year from Dellinger will put him in contention.
