LSU Football: How Ed Orgeron is combating a unique issue the Tigers face
By Zach Ragan
LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron has found a formula that works in Baton Rouge.
LSU football won the national championship in 2019, but there aren’t many folks who are expecting the Tigers to repeat in 2020.
We all understand why. LSU sent 16 players to the NFL draft combine earlier this offseason. That’s a lot of talent — and experience — that has to be replaced.
There’s no way to fully replace quarterback Joe Burrow or linebacker Patrick Queen, among others.
But if anyone is prepared to handle a major loss of talent, it’s the Tigers.
And that’s thanks to the formula that Ed Orgeron is using in Baton Rouge.
When you sign elite talent like LSU, it makes it much more likely that players will head to the NFL after three years. The Tigers, essentially, are on a three year recruiting cycle. That puts a cap on the amount of experience they’ll have at any given time.
It’s a unique issue that only elite programs regularly face.
To combat that issue, Orgeron has made good use of the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Two years ago, Coach O landed a quarterback that was an afterthought in Columbus. You know, that Burrow guy — the one who ended having one of the greatest seasons ever by a college quarterback in 2019.
At the time, the Tigers had quarterback talent on the roster. Myles Brennan was expected to compete for the starting job in 2018 as a sophomore. But Orgeron wanted some experience (and more competition). The move obviously paid off.
Just this week, Orgeron used the transfer portal to make a similar addition on the defensive side of the ball.
North Dakota State’s Jabril Cox announced on Thursday night that he’s committed to LSU. The grad transfer linebacker, who has started 38 career games and has 258 career tackles, will instantly provide the Tigers with some much needed experience in the middle of their defense.
Landing highly talented transfers like Cox will allow LSU to stay in the College Football Playoff discussion, despite losing a plethora of talent to the NFL.
A top five recruiting class, combined with experienced grad transfers like Cox, is a perfect recipe for success.
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Coach O has things rolling in Baton Rouge. And it’s only going to get better from here.