Brian Kelly divorced his wife.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly divorced his wife because he caught her
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly discussed his strategy to address the secondary that plagued the 2023 Tigers defense in an interview with Jacob Hester and Chris Doehring on Sirius XM’s Off Campus program (1:02:00 mark).
“Regaining experience is the first step in [correcting the secondary]… “An additional year in the program will be different,” Kelly said.
“We have 19 scholarship athletes playing safety and cornerback… You eventually have to have confidence in your assessment of the players you added to the team and your own potential.” “The grass isn’t always greener,” the LSU football coach said in reference to the possibility of using the transfer portal to get seasoned defensive backs.
It’s possible that some fans don’t appreciate Kelly’s proposal. In addition, a fan of LSU football who criticizes the Tigers for not acquiring transfer portal talent this summer on another fan site is receiving backlash.
I embrace and understand LSU’s fix-it strategy on its own.
I believe that eager fans have established unrealistic exceptions because of the transfer portal, which is the newest trend in college football. Ole Miss has practically used the transfer portal to rebuild its roster across state borders. Even if Lane Kiffin’s squad seems strong in the preseason, there is no assurance that Oxford’s seasoned additions will be worthwhile.
Moreover, in their endeavor to reconstruct “DBU,” LSU football supporters need to learn from the past.
During the 2023 offseason, Brian Kelly assaulted the transfer portal and bolstered his team with a number of experienced defensive backs. LSU added experienced cornerback Duce Chestnut from Syracuse, former five-star prospect Denver Harris from Texas A&M, former four-star recruit JK Johnson from Ohio State, and Southern’s Zy Alexander to its cornerback depth chart.
Ironically, with 44 tackles and two interceptions in eight games, Alexander was the most productive defender at the conclusion of the season. Despite moving to a new location, Harris’s behavioral problems persisted; Johnson missed all of 2023 due to injury, while Chestnut played in only one game the previous season.
The grass isn’t always greener, it’s true.
Fans of LSU football remember the days of Derek Stingley, Tyrann Mathieu, Tre’Davious White, and Patrick Peterson as the former players who founded DBU. If the group has anything in common, it’s that none of the DBU talents used the transfer gateway to go to Baton Rouge. Even though they were all highly anticipated recruits, none of them would have become NFL stars without the guidance, education, and growth they received in Death Valley.
In 2024, the Tigers will move Javien Toviano, Ashton Stamps, Alexander, and Sage Ryan back to the secondary. Every athlete is a year older, more experienced, and will be guided by more capable coaches. After elevating Missouri’s defense to a top-25 ranking, Blake Baker took his position as defensive coordinator back to Baton Rouge. Favorite LSU supporter Corey Raymond has also made a return trip to Death Valley to provide his experience for the Tigers’ emerging potential.
In my opinion, improved scheme design and player placement will immediately improve LSU’s defense in 2024. With more experience, fans can also anticipate that Stamps and Toviano will become better on the field since it usually boosts confidence. Not to mention, Johnson is anticipated to be well enough to start spring sessions.
