LSU football: The Tigers’ injury report vs. Florida State

It’s Friday, which means only two more days until the 2022 LSU football season kicks off. The Tigers will be down in The Big Easy—a city that’s unsurprisingly been very friendly to them over the years—for a special Sunday season opener against the Florida State Seminoles. There has been a lot of buzz around this game for quite awhile, not only because it signals the return of LSU football either. It’s genuinely just a massive clash between two of the most recognizable brands in the entire country. Sunday’s game also marks the beginning of a new era in Baton Rouge.

Brian Kelly brings with him a lot of excitement. The legendary Notre Dame coach has been in the job for a little over eight months and the program has been flipped on its head. Off the field, he’s preached accountability and excellence in every aspect of life. The Tigers are in a completely different place than they were this time last year. However, one of the other positives of Kelly’s tenure has been the lack of injuries on the field.

LSU football’s full injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against Florida State

The 60-year-old head coach has remained tight-lipped about a lot of the news surrounding his team prior to Sunday. Florida State has already played one game (a 47-7 drubbing of Duquesne) this season and it returns a plethora of starters. Therefore, Kelly doesn’t want to give the Seminoles any more advantages ahead of kickoff. He has yet to name a starting quarterback and he’s not given reporters much information about injuries.

Part of the reason there hasn’t been a lot of injury news in the build-up to the game is because there doesn’t seem to be much to report. Kelly’s staff has done a tremendous job of gradually building players’ fitness and keeping them healthy throughout the offseason. There’s been the occasional injury every now and again, but long-term injuries have been few and far between.

This isn’t just a theory either, stats prove that Kelly’s team is healthier than those in years past:

Malik Nabers is the most notable individual to be sidelined during practice recently with an injury, according to The Advocate. Even though Nabers was a limited participant during late-August practices, he is expected to be ready to go on Sunday. Kelly even went as far as to name him the Tigers’ designated return man for kickoffs and punts ahead of his sophomore season. Nabers is looking like he’ll be an important piece of LSU’s offense in the slot this year, so it’s crucial that he’s healthy for the duration of the 2022 campaign.

While Nabers is the most notable name on the Tigers’ recent injury report, he wasn’t the only one. None of the following players were spotted at practice late last week either:

• freshman defensive back Jordan Allen
• sophomore linebacker Zavier Carter
• freshman defensive tackle Bryce Langston
• freshman linebacker DeMario Tolan

On the other side of the aisle, the Seminoles are also relatively healthy. Florida State is in a similar spot that LSU is right now, although playing one game will obviously result in a couple of knocks. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Johnny Wilson came off injured against Duquesne, but Mike Norvell recently noted that it was a precautionary move for the most part. Redshirt sophomore centers Maurice Smith and Darius Washington are listed as co-starters on the depth chart after their injuries before and in the game against the Dukes, respectively.

This match-up will feature two healthy, hopeful teams looking to earn a statement victory early on in the season. The fans are the real winners in this one as they get to see the best of both programs on display in New Orleans on Sunday.