Eye of the Tiger: Pivotal position matchups LSU vs. McNeese
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Every Friday, we gather here in this weekly piece and discuss three important positional matchups against LSU’s opponent. It can be strength on strength, weakness on weakness, or strength on weakness.
For instance, last week, we looked at LSU’s secondary vs. Texas A&M’s receivers. Guys like PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett were coming off of shaky outings against Ole Miss and the top two Aggie receivers had been very good. It varies week to week.
With a team like McNeese coming to Baton Rouge on Saturday, this preview could get very watered down. It’s not disrespect to the Cowboys to acknowledge that this game is a giant mismatch. There isn’t a single position group for the Tigers that should not go out there and dominate. Could there be a spot that doesn’t go as well as it should? Of course. Look back to Louisiana Tech where the Bulldog defensive line gave LSU’s offensive line fits. Still, I do not expect that to happen, so the matchups aren’t likely to be as interesting as normal.
Due to that, I’ve made the decision to shift focus to which LSU position groups that I am most interested to see, particularly their depth. This is a one week audible. With McNeese being the final non-conference opponent on their schedule, there may not be many more opportunities to give extended playing time to some reserves. Even some of the lighter games on the schedule that once seemed like bigger mismatches, like Kentucky and Mississippi St, appear to present more of a challenge than initially thought prior to the season.
That means that this Saturday at 6:45 could be the final audition for many. LSU is very banged up and Lane Kiffin has been adamant that they’ll be smart and rest guys that need to rest. Even if guys like Sam Leavitt, Dilin Jones, Winnie Watkins, TJ Dottery, and Tamarcus Cooley play, it shouldn’t be for long. That will make way for some 2’s and 3’s, who will hopefully take advantage of their chance.
Here are a few of the positions that I’m most looking forward to watching get reserves on to the field.
Running back
Dilin Jones is a monster. He’s been the workhorse since the season opener against Clemson. Due to LSU’s Week 2 game against Louisiana Tech being much closer than it should have, he and the starters had to stay on the field until the 4th quarter. With 78 carries, he’s already surpassed his career high for an entire season and we’re only going in to game 5. Even if he plays, I don’t want to see more than 5-6 carries and then get him out.
One of the names that I’m most looking forward to seeing against McNeese is Harlem Berry. We all remember how he came to Baton Rouge as a 5-star and the #1 running back in the country out of St. Martin’s, but he’s yet to find consistency. His usage in Frank Wilson’s rotation was strange throughout 2025 and then he spent the first 3 games of this season listed at RB4. He got a chance as RB2 against Texas A&M and had some good moments. His pass protection still needs a lot of work, but his explosiveness in the open field is clear. I would love to see a 15+ carry game from the sophomore to see what he can provide going forward.
After Berry, I’d love to see veteran Caden Durham get some work. We know what he’s capable of after being a two-year starter since arriving in 2024, but he’s also been seldom used. Kiffin and Kevin Smith clearly like Stacy Gage, so it will be interesting to see how they deploy the three of them on Saturday night.
Wide receiver
Although he’s technically a tight end, Trey’Dez Green spent enough time split out as a receiver for his injury to count as a blow to the wide receiver position. The top-3 have emerged in Winnie Watkins, Jackson Harris, and Eugene Wilson III, so they need to be taken care of. Watkins took a hard shot to his head in the second half against Texas A&M and did not return. Wilson’s career at Florida was a constant what-if in terms of being able to stay healthy.
Needing to keep those three at full strength going forward, there are a few guys I want to see more of. Jayce Brown is the obvious one. He came in to the season with as much anticipation of anyone in the receiving core. The Kansas State transfer was great in both spring and fall camp and very much expected to be one of the top targets. For some reason, he’s barely seeing the field. I fully believe that for Charlie Weis Jr’s offense to operate at a high level for the entire season, Brown is going to have to become a part of it. Let him play for a full 3 quarters with Landen Clark and see if he can find his footing.
Behind that, I’m looking forward to more Malik Elzy and Tre Brown. Elzy was on the field for the first 2 snaps against Clemson, but after the ball bounced off of his hands and turned in to an interception on the second play, we’ve seen him sparingly. Brown was another receiver that many were excited about. Along with Harris, he was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, but has been quiet. Roman Mothershed and Corey Barber Jr. are two others that I hope to see.
Defensive line
One thing is for sure, LSU is going to be one of the most loaded teams on the defensive line for the next few years. We’ve already seen plenty of what Deuce Geralds can do. He’s not only making an early bid for All-Freshman team, he’s looking to find a spot on the All-American lineup. With as important as he has already become alongside a guy like Princewill Umanmielen, he should have a very light night against the Cowboys.
The two that I am primarily looking forward to seeing is Richard Anderson and Lamar Brown. Anderson spent much of early fall camp running next to Geralds with the 1’s. He’s been rotational through the first few games, but he hasn’t seen anywhere near the amount of time as his freshman counterpart at defensive tackle, despite the fact that he came in as a 5-star and the top player at his position. Brown was the top player in the entire country. Now, his lesser usage can be explained with his absence from spring camp due to University Lab not allowing students to graduate early to get to college campus prior to the beginning of summer. He’s still found some snaps, but this could be a big opportunity for him to remind everyone why he was ranked #1 in the country.
Trenton Henderson is another highly-talented freshman at defensive end that I’d like to see.
Linebacker
What felt like one of the deepest positions on the roster just a week ago is now severely hampered with Whit Weeks’s broken fibula. Maybe “deep” isn’t the correct word, but top-heavy could be a more accurate description. Weeks and TJ Dottery combined for one of the best linebacker duos in the country. After them, LSU has Dahvon Keys, who was 3rd in the SEC in tackles in 2025. That’s a luxury, but has now had to be cashed in with Weeks down for a month or two. Due to that, Dottery and Keys must be protected at all costs. Blake Baker can’t afford to lose either, even to something minor.
Zach Weeks is the name that I’ll be watching with the most anticipation. It may seem hard to believe for some folks due to Whit’s success, but Zach was the most highly-touted of any of the three Weeks brothers. Coming out of high school, he was the highest ranked. He played sparingly in 2025, but this could be his chance due to his big brother’s unfortunate injury.
Speaking of linebacker injuries, LSU also lost sophomore Charles Ross II against Texas A&M. He’ll be out for the entire season, so guys like Jaiden Braker, Keylan Moses, and Tylen Singleton should see plenty of snaps.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos