LSU Football: Why OL Ed Ingram feels more confident in Tigers in 2021
By Zach Ragan
LSU football offensive lineman Ed Ingram is feeling confident about the Tigers in 2021.
That’s not a feeling he necessarily had in 2020.
And there’s a reason Ingram didn’t have that feeling last year.
It’s been well-documented at this point that the “vibes” were off last season in Baton Rouge. The coaching staff didn’t mesh. And player opt-outs left a major void in talent and leadership.
Ingram spoke this week about the issues in 2020 and why he’s feeling confident in 2021. His optimism mostly centers around the improved leadership the Tigers have this season.
Here’s what Ingram had to say (via 247Sports):
"“Right now, we’re just trying to get back to the 2019 us. Last year was a little bump in the road. This year, it’s not going to be the same. We realize what we did wrong. We had no leadership last year. This year, we have a lot of leadership. We have a lot of experience on the team and ultimately, we want to win. We’re tired of losing.”"
Ingram also said it was hard for players to get motivated last season without fans, noting that the Tiger Walk with barely any fans was especially strange.
LSU football is poised to return to the top of the college football world
A lot of folks are down on LSU after the way the 2020 season went for the Tigers (5-5 with losses to Mississippi State and Missouri).
But that’s a big mistake.
Judging any team off last season is a poor idea (the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for every program).
It’s an especially poor idea when it comes to LSU — a program that lost 14 players to the 2020 NFL Draft, a passing game coordinator, and a defensive coordinator.
The LSU team we see in 2021 will be much different than the team we saw in 2020. The talent is there, the energy is there, the confidence is there, and the leadership is there.
Next. Max Johnson's had unreal confidence since high school. dark
That sounds like the recipe for an elite football team to me.