LSU football: Tigers’ star offensive lineman out vs. Tennessee

LSU football is preparing for its toughest test of the season to date with No. 8 Tennessee rolling into town on Saturday morning. The 11 a.m. kickoff—despite being met with initial feelings of disgust from the Tigers faithful—is being embraced and Baton Rouge will be a giant party. Brian Kelly’s No. 25 ranked team is 4-1 on the season and a statement win against the Volunteers would be massive for a program in the midst of a rebuild.

It goes without saying that the Louisiana capital isn’t used to early kickoffs. Many of the Bayou Bengals’ fans hit the hay early on Friday in preparation for a tailgate that begins before the sun rises. A majority of the aforementioned LSU fans will wake up to some unfortunate injury news regarding their team on Saturday morning.

LSU football: Star offensive lineman Will Campbell out vs. Tennessee

The Tigers’ star freshman left tackle, Will Campbell, is set to miss the Tennessee game. The young offensive lineman posted a picture on social media late Friday night from his hospital bed that was captioned “Appreciate all the prayers I’ll be back.”

Here is the photo Campbell posted on his Instagram story:

There has been no official word from the university or the program on the matter. It doesn’t need to be said that lying in a hospital bed is usually an indication that a player will not be ready to play a football game about 12 hours later though. There have been no confirmed reports about the exact injury or illness that Campbell has right now. Regardless, Death Valley Voice would like to wish Campbell a speedy recovery.

If Campbell is not ready to play against the Vols on Saturday—which is presumably the case right now—LSU is not without options. The Tigers will likely fill his place with senior Cam Wire. Wire has nine career starts at left tackle and he’s listed as Campbell’s backup on the depth chart. The veteran has started one game this season at right tackle, the opener against Florida State.

Whoever gets the nod to start at left tackle will have their work cut out for them. Tennessee’s front seven is excellent and the left side of the line is already suffering with left guard Garrett Dellinger set to play with a cast on his hand.

Campbell’s situation is just another setback to a promising, young offensive line that has trotted out five different groups in six games. This isn’t ideal for any team, especially in the middle of a Southeastern Conference schedule.

Suffice it to say Kelly and Offensive Line Coach Brad Davis have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Luckily, the Bayou Bengals have an experienced option in Wire. Campbell will be a huge miss for this heavyweight bout. He’s been one of the bright spots on a struggling offense this season, so hopefully, he’s back healthy in the near future.