Five LSU Football players to watch vs the South Carolina Gamecocks

The LSU Football team is set to travel to Colombia, South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks if the weather is willing to cooperate. In South Carolina, the Tigers face a tough opponent as Shane Beamer's team is playing a physical style of football. We're still in the early portion of the season meaning the defensive staff is still tinkering with personnel groupings. As the Tigers face South Carolina, you'll want to keep an eye on these five players who could have a massive impact as their playing time increases.

Zy Alexander - Cornerback

After transfering to LSU last season Alexander started eight games at cornerback and there was plenty to like as he transitioned to the SEC. On an interception, Alexander tore his ACL costing him the rest of the season and a good portion of the offseason program.

We got to see Alexander back on the field last weekend where he looked impressive in limited snaps. Based on what LSU's staff saw they were impressed as the team is moving Sage Ryan back to safety with PJ Woodland, Ashton Stamps, and Alexander emerging at cornerback.

Shone Washington - Defensive tackle

The Tigers lost starting defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory this weekend against Nicholls State dealing a big hit to the defensive line while meaning someone will need to step up. In a press conference earlier this week, Brian Kelly said the following about Shone Washington:

"He's gonna be the first guy... then we're gonna have to make a decision" whether to activate Dominick McKinley or move a DE to more inside reps."

- Brian Kelly

This means we'll likely see a ton of Shone Washington this weekend especially against a team in South Carolina that runs the football 70.5% of the time. After Guillory went down last week we saw Washington play a bit recording three tackles two of which were solo tackles. The Tigers were already desperate for playable bodies on the inside meaning Washington stepping up would be massive for this team.

PJ Woodland - Cornerback

Given the news that Sage Ryan is moving to safety, another player to watch for this weekend is true freshman PJ Woodland. The freshman cornerback has played in both games, forcing and recovering a fumble against Nicholls State to give LSU it's first turnover of the season. Woodland's development is a massive priority for the LSU Football team long term so we'll continue to see Woodland on the field as long as his play is worthy of being on the field.

Paris Shand - Defensive Line

While the obvious players to gain playing time due to Jacobian Guillory's season ending injury are the defensive tackles, that may not be LSU's first choice. Paris Shand is a player that we'll likely see a ton of at the defensive tackle position given the fact that he's already in the rotation at edge rusher and has taken some snaps on the inside. In passing downs, we should definitely see Shand on the interior as getting Sai'vion Jones, Paris Shand, and Bradyn Swinson on the field all together would be a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Chris Hilton Jr - Wide Receiver

We've yet to see Chris Hilton Jr as he continues to deal with a bone bruise in his foot which has caused him to miss both games. Given the fact that Hilton was a game time decision against USC, he likely sat out against Nicholls State to ensure he's 100%. If Hilton returns this weekend we should see LSU's offense hit a new level as they get their deep threat back. Getting Hilton back into the fold should clear some bodies out of the box which will allow LSU to better run the football while Hilton himself will create explosive plays.

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