LSU football: Three bold predictions for Tigers’ game vs. Florida State

The day of reckoning is upon us. LSU football begins its 2022 season, and the Brian Kelly era, on Sunday from New Orleans. The Caesars Superdome will play host to a match-up between two of college football’s historic greats. The Tigers will square off against Florida State in a game that will seemingly set the tone for the season ahead.

There isn’t much to go off as it relates to how we measure LSU football’s success going forward. The Tigers haven’t returned many of their starters from last year, they’ve got an entirely new coaching staff and there’s still question marks on the depth chart. The most glaring inquiry before kickoff was: who would start at quarterback? LSU will be in safe hands with Jayden Daniels, who has now been confirmed the starter over Garrett Nussmeier.

Three bold predictions ahead of LSU football’s game against Florida State

The Seminoles scheduled a cushion game against Duquesne (FCS) to start the year, whereas the Tigers are being thrown straight into the fire. It’ll be trial by combat on Sunday evening in The Big Easy for Kelly’s men. Despite not having a lot to go off, we still know enough about this unique team to muster up a couple of bold predictions prior to kickoff.

1. The cornerbacks excel

Perhaps the biggest weakness of this LSU team heading into the offseason was its depth at cornerback. Derek Stingley Jr. went No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans in this year’s NFL Draft, Eli Ricks took his talents to Alabama and numerous other defensive backs graduated. Along with these factors, the Tigers suffered a big hit to their incoming recruiting class when Ed Orgeron departed. Kelly didn’t have a ton of time to leave his mark on this year’s initial class when it comes to cornerbacks. Therefore, he turned to the transfer portal.

LSU added some of the biggest names on the transfer portal, most notably at defensive back. Players like Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State transfer) and Greg Brooks Jr. (Arkansas) were huge gets for the Tigers. A position group that Kelly noted as a concern on numerous occasions was suddenly a little bit deeper. Nevertheless, there were doubts.

The former Notre Dame coach has praised the corners following Fall Camp though. He insinuated that a position that once lacked warm bodies now has legitimate depth. This speaks volumes to the job he and his staff have done throughout the summer to prepare.

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is not a lethal playmaker through the air. He’s got a 58.9 completion percentage, 22 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions throughout his collegiate career. This presents the LSU cornerbacks with a relatively easy—in comparison to some of the other challenges they’ll face later on—task on Sunday. Experience at the safety positions with Major Burns and Jay Ward will help steady the ship should any problems arise, as well.

Behind the talents of Bernard-Converse, Brooks Jr., Mekhi Garner and Colby Richardson, the Tigers’ corners will enjoy a breakout party in New Orleans. They’ll contain Florida State through the air and prove to everybody that Kelly’s public statements instilled confidence in them ahead of the season opener against the Seminoles.