LSU Tigers: Hayden Rettig
BATON ROUGE, La. -- With the 2012-2013 school year winding down, the members of the LSU signing class of 2013 should be arriving on campus soon for summer workouts. The Tigers brought in eight early enrollees in the spring and 19 more will come this summer.
Here's how we see them fitting in.
Here's how we see them fitting in.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- So far, neither junior college transfer in LSU's 2013 signing class has become the obvious starter at their positions.
On the other hand, it looks like the six freshmen who entered college early might already be reaping some rewards from their early entry.
Here is a look at how LSU's eight new players have done after three weeks of spring.
On the other hand, it looks like the six freshmen who entered college early might already be reaping some rewards from their early entry.
Here is a look at how LSU's eight new players have done after three weeks of spring.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Schedule: The Tigers open spring practice Thursday and will conclude the spring April 20 with their annual National L Club spring game at 3 p.m. ET in Tiger Stadium.
What’s new: Cam Cameron steps in as LSU’s offensive coordinator after spending part of last season in that role with the Baltimore Ravens. Cameron replaces Greg Studrawa as LSU’s play-caller on offense and will also coach the quarterbacks. Studrawa remains on staff and will coach the offensive line. Steve Kragthorpe will move into an administrative role after coaching the LSU quarterbacks the previous two seasons.
On the mend: Reserve quarterback Rob Bolden (knee) and defensive end Justin Maclin will both miss the spring while recovering from injuries.
On the move: Junior La’el Collins will get first shot at left tackle this spring after starting all last season at left guard. Senior Josh Williford will shift from right guard to left guard. Junior Terrence Magee is moving back to running back after playing receiver last season and catching just one pass.
Question marks: The Tigers are replacing five of their top seven defensive linemen. Junior tackles Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson and junior end Jermauria Rasco need to take that next step and become every-down forces up front. Head coach Les Miles said sophomore tackle Mickey Johnson has lost weight and had a promising offseason. Playing with more consistency at receiver will also be important. The Tigers had too many dropped passes last season and didn't make a lot happen down the field. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry will be counted on to make big moves as juniors. LSU also has to find a new place-kicker and punter. Sophomore Jamie Keehn heads into the spring as the punter, while junior James Hairston will have to hold off redshirt freshman walk-on Colby Delahoussaye for the starting place-kicking job.
New faces: Junior-college newcomer Logan Stokes will battle for a starting job at tight end, while junior-college newcomer Fehoko Fanaika could factor in at offensive guard. At receiver, redshirt freshman Travin Dural will be one to watch after injuring his knee last season along with a pair of early enrollees -- Avery Peterson (Patrick Peterson’s younger brother) and John Diarse. Two more true freshmen, Anthony Jennings and Hayden Rettig, will be among a handful of players vying for the backup quarterback job. The Tigers have a total of six true freshmen on campus who will be going through spring practice as early enrollees. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Thomas is a prime candidate to be the Tigers’ third cornerback on passing downs.
Breaking out: In reality, senior linebacker Lamin Barrow has already broken out. He had 104 total tackles last season, but was overshadowed by Kevin Minter. With Minter leaving early for the NFL draft, Barrow will move this spring from weakside linebacker to Minter’s middle-linebacker spot. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Barrow has everything it takes to become an All-SEC performer. If he sticks in the middle, it just makes the Tigers that much deeper at linebacker. Talented sophomores Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones and Lamar Louis can all play on the outside along with senior Tahj Jones, who returns after missing all but one game last season for academic reasons.
Don’t forget about: Senior running back Alfred Blue returns to give the Tigers one of the deepest backfields in the league. He injured his knee in the third game last season and was No. 2 in the SEC in rushing at the time. The 6-2, 220-pound Blue has excellent speed and also catches the ball well out of the backfield. He’ll team with sophomore Jeremy Hill to give LSU a dynamite one-two punch. The 6-2, 235-pound Hill had four 100-yard games as a true freshman and led the Tigers in rushing. Following a splendid freshman season, Kenny Hilliard was the forgotten man last season. He’ll be looking to regain his form this spring, while Magee will add some speed to the Tigers’ backfield.
All eyes on: Now that senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has a season as a starter in the SEC under his belt, can he capitalize on the improvement he showed toward the end of last season? In particular, Miles wants to see Mettenberger get better at throwing the deep ball and understand all of the throws better. Mettenberger struggled early last season, but he didn’t get a lot of help from his receivers. The best news for Mettenberger was the hiring of a veteran offensive coordinator like Cameron, who’s tutored a ton of quality quarterbacks. There’s no question that LSU has to be more consistent on offense if it’s going to return to the SEC championship picture. How much Mettenberger improves from his junior to senior season will go a long way toward determining whether the Tigers will be a part of that equation.
What’s new: Cam Cameron steps in as LSU’s offensive coordinator after spending part of last season in that role with the Baltimore Ravens. Cameron replaces Greg Studrawa as LSU’s play-caller on offense and will also coach the quarterbacks. Studrawa remains on staff and will coach the offensive line. Steve Kragthorpe will move into an administrative role after coaching the LSU quarterbacks the previous two seasons.
On the mend: Reserve quarterback Rob Bolden (knee) and defensive end Justin Maclin will both miss the spring while recovering from injuries.
On the move: Junior La’el Collins will get first shot at left tackle this spring after starting all last season at left guard. Senior Josh Williford will shift from right guard to left guard. Junior Terrence Magee is moving back to running back after playing receiver last season and catching just one pass.
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New faces: Junior-college newcomer Logan Stokes will battle for a starting job at tight end, while junior-college newcomer Fehoko Fanaika could factor in at offensive guard. At receiver, redshirt freshman Travin Dural will be one to watch after injuring his knee last season along with a pair of early enrollees -- Avery Peterson (Patrick Peterson’s younger brother) and John Diarse. Two more true freshmen, Anthony Jennings and Hayden Rettig, will be among a handful of players vying for the backup quarterback job. The Tigers have a total of six true freshmen on campus who will be going through spring practice as early enrollees. Redshirt freshman Dwayne Thomas is a prime candidate to be the Tigers’ third cornerback on passing downs.
Breaking out: In reality, senior linebacker Lamin Barrow has already broken out. He had 104 total tackles last season, but was overshadowed by Kevin Minter. With Minter leaving early for the NFL draft, Barrow will move this spring from weakside linebacker to Minter’s middle-linebacker spot. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Barrow has everything it takes to become an All-SEC performer. If he sticks in the middle, it just makes the Tigers that much deeper at linebacker. Talented sophomores Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones and Lamar Louis can all play on the outside along with senior Tahj Jones, who returns after missing all but one game last season for academic reasons.
Don’t forget about: Senior running back Alfred Blue returns to give the Tigers one of the deepest backfields in the league. He injured his knee in the third game last season and was No. 2 in the SEC in rushing at the time. The 6-2, 220-pound Blue has excellent speed and also catches the ball well out of the backfield. He’ll team with sophomore Jeremy Hill to give LSU a dynamite one-two punch. The 6-2, 235-pound Hill had four 100-yard games as a true freshman and led the Tigers in rushing. Following a splendid freshman season, Kenny Hilliard was the forgotten man last season. He’ll be looking to regain his form this spring, while Magee will add some speed to the Tigers’ backfield.
All eyes on: Now that senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger has a season as a starter in the SEC under his belt, can he capitalize on the improvement he showed toward the end of last season? In particular, Miles wants to see Mettenberger get better at throwing the deep ball and understand all of the throws better. Mettenberger struggled early last season, but he didn’t get a lot of help from his receivers. The best news for Mettenberger was the hiring of a veteran offensive coordinator like Cameron, who’s tutored a ton of quality quarterbacks. There’s no question that LSU has to be more consistent on offense if it’s going to return to the SEC championship picture. How much Mettenberger improves from his junior to senior season will go a long way toward determining whether the Tigers will be a part of that equation.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU coach Les Miles took the podium for his pre-spring practice news conference Wednesday with a red left eye he said was the result of a case of pink eye.
It looked, however, like it might have been something else, like a symbolic black eye that came from a jab thrown by Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, or from a hook fired by a couple of surprisingly early departures from his team to the NFL, part of a whopping 13 NFL departures after a 10-3 season.
At any rate, Miles looked ready to put the pink eye, and any symbolic black eye, behind him as LSU begins drills on Thursday.
Here is what we learned from Miles on Wednesday:
1. La'el Collins will get first shot at left tackle: Collins was one of the highest-rated offensive tackles in the country coming out of high school in 2011, but he was the Tigers' starting left guard as a sophomore in 2012.
Miles confirmed that Collins, now a junior, will get his chance to slide over to tackle, but added that redshirt freshman Jerald Hawkins will get a look at the position as well. If Hawkins proves to be the better tackle candidate, Collins would move back inside.
Miles said if Collins indeed wins the left tackle spot, senior Josh Williford would be the likely choice to start at left guard. Junior college transfer Fehoko Fanaika came to LSU at 370 pounds, Miles said, and is more likely to play on the right side, where Trai Turner returns as the starting guard, Miles said.
2. Lamin Barrow gets first shot at MLB: Miles also indicated that Barrow would get the first shot at the vacant starting middle linebacker role, a spot vacated by Kevin Minter's early NFL departure.
Miles said Barrow " can do the job outside," where he excelled with 107 tackles at weak-side linebacker last season. If one of LSU's six Class of 2012 linebacker recruits or another veteran -- Miles mentioned junior D.J. Welter -- steps up at middle linebacker, Barrow can easily move back to his weak side spot.
3. Bolden, Maclin out: Miles said quarterback Rob Bolden, who made news when he transferred from Penn State to LSU last summer following the NCAA fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, will not participate in spring practice after undergoing knee surgery in the off-season.
It looked, however, like it might have been something else, like a symbolic black eye that came from a jab thrown by Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, or from a hook fired by a couple of surprisingly early departures from his team to the NFL, part of a whopping 13 NFL departures after a 10-3 season.
At any rate, Miles looked ready to put the pink eye, and any symbolic black eye, behind him as LSU begins drills on Thursday.
Here is what we learned from Miles on Wednesday:
[+] Enlarge
Patrick Green/Icon SMILa'el Collins might see some shuffling along the offensive line this spring.
Miles confirmed that Collins, now a junior, will get his chance to slide over to tackle, but added that redshirt freshman Jerald Hawkins will get a look at the position as well. If Hawkins proves to be the better tackle candidate, Collins would move back inside.
Miles said if Collins indeed wins the left tackle spot, senior Josh Williford would be the likely choice to start at left guard. Junior college transfer Fehoko Fanaika came to LSU at 370 pounds, Miles said, and is more likely to play on the right side, where Trai Turner returns as the starting guard, Miles said.
2. Lamin Barrow gets first shot at MLB: Miles also indicated that Barrow would get the first shot at the vacant starting middle linebacker role, a spot vacated by Kevin Minter's early NFL departure.
Miles said Barrow " can do the job outside," where he excelled with 107 tackles at weak-side linebacker last season. If one of LSU's six Class of 2012 linebacker recruits or another veteran -- Miles mentioned junior D.J. Welter -- steps up at middle linebacker, Barrow can easily move back to his weak side spot.
3. Bolden, Maclin out: Miles said quarterback Rob Bolden, who made news when he transferred from Penn State to LSU last summer following the NCAA fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, will not participate in spring practice after undergoing knee surgery in the off-season.
As LSU prepares to begin spring practice March 14, we'll take daily looks at aspects of the spring camp. This is the fourth in the series:
BATON ROUGE, La. -- At LSU, things happen quickly.
Players leave early for the NFL in Baton Rouge at a greater rate than just about any program in the country, so young players better come ready to play. In LSU's 2013 signing class, eight of the signees enrolled for the spring semester. Here they are and how they might fit in:
BATON ROUGE, La. -- At LSU, things happen quickly.
Players leave early for the NFL in Baton Rouge at a greater rate than just about any program in the country, so young players better come ready to play. In LSU's 2013 signing class, eight of the signees enrolled for the spring semester. Here they are and how they might fit in:
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As LSU prepares to begin spring practice March 14, we'll take daily looks at aspects of the spring camp. This is the first in the series:
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Spring practice can be looked at as simply 15 extra practices.
The reality is, there's more to it than that. Where August practice is focused more on preparation for a season opener, spring practices are more about evaluation and improvements. There are always areas where new players need to step up. Here are four with something to prove this spring:
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Spring practice can be looked at as simply 15 extra practices.
The reality is, there's more to it than that. Where August practice is focused more on preparation for a season opener, spring practices are more about evaluation and improvements. There are always areas where new players need to step up. Here are four with something to prove this spring:
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Gary Laney took your questions:
From Will (Houston): If Zach Mettenberger is going to be the starting quarterback, the big question is, who will be the No. 2 coming out of spring?
From Will (Houston): If Zach Mettenberger is going to be the starting quarterback, the big question is, who will be the No. 2 coming out of spring?
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- When we last saw Cam Cameron, he was being fired as offensive coordinator of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, taking the fall after an overtime loss to Beltway rival Washington with three games left in the season.
At the time, the buzz was that Baltimore’s offense was vanilla, had gotten away from what gave it early success and perhaps did not feature running back Ray Rice enough.
When we last saw Cameron in college football, he was coaching an Indiana Hoosiers team that put up big offensive numbers with Antwaan Randle El at quarterback, but lost twice as many games as it won because of a porous defense. That was 12 years ago.
The question now as Cameron prepares to begin his new job as LSU’s offensive coordinator is this: What Cam Cameron is LSU getting? The one that won with a dual-threat quarterback at Indiana? The one that mentored the Ravens offense for the first three-quarters of a Super Bowl-winning season?
Or how about the one who knew LSU coach Les Miles when they both were understudies of Bo Schembechler at Michigan? Or the one who helped mold Drew Brees and Philip Rivers with the San Diego Chargers?
Those who covered Cameron in previous jobs say you shouldn’t expect any of it.
At the time, the buzz was that Baltimore’s offense was vanilla, had gotten away from what gave it early success and perhaps did not feature running back Ray Rice enough.
When we last saw Cameron in college football, he was coaching an Indiana Hoosiers team that put up big offensive numbers with Antwaan Randle El at quarterback, but lost twice as many games as it won because of a porous defense. That was 12 years ago.
The question now as Cameron prepares to begin his new job as LSU’s offensive coordinator is this: What Cam Cameron is LSU getting? The one that won with a dual-threat quarterback at Indiana? The one that mentored the Ravens offense for the first three-quarters of a Super Bowl-winning season?
Or how about the one who knew LSU coach Les Miles when they both were understudies of Bo Schembechler at Michigan? Or the one who helped mold Drew Brees and Philip Rivers with the San Diego Chargers?
Those who covered Cameron in previous jobs say you shouldn’t expect any of it.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- When ESPN 150 defensive end Tashawn Bower gave LSU its only signing day drama Wednesday by picking the Tigers over Florida and Auburn, he filled the last spot in the signing class.
That’s true literally -- after Bower’s letter of intent arrived, LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers are done signing players for the 2013 class -- but also in a geographical sense.
Bower, from just outside of New York in Somerville, N.J., gave the Tigers’ class a northeast presence, filling the one region of the country that was previously missing from what Miles described as the “most geographically diverse class in school history.”
That’s true literally -- after Bower’s letter of intent arrived, LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers are done signing players for the 2013 class -- but also in a geographical sense.
Bower, from just outside of New York in Somerville, N.J., gave the Tigers’ class a northeast presence, filling the one region of the country that was previously missing from what Miles described as the “most geographically diverse class in school history.”
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU’s 26-player recruiting class is signed, sealed and delivered.
Well, maybe.
We’ve yet to see where Priest Willis will go or whether Tevin Lawson will accept LSU’s grayshirt offer instead of choosing a conventional scholarship offer elsewhere. And, for that matter, there still might be a scholarship awaiting defensive back Jeremy Cutrer, who did not sign Wednesday because it was unclear whether he will qualify academically.
Well, maybe.
We’ve yet to see where Priest Willis will go or whether Tevin Lawson will accept LSU’s grayshirt offer instead of choosing a conventional scholarship offer elsewhere. And, for that matter, there still might be a scholarship awaiting defensive back Jeremy Cutrer, who did not sign Wednesday because it was unclear whether he will qualify academically.
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LSU landed the No. 7 class in the nation on signing day. Here's a look at each signing as the LOIs rolled into Baton Rouge.
11:50 a.m. CT -- DE Tashawn Bower 
Somerville, N.J./Immaculata
Visit recap
A highly regarded defensive end who could fit right in with LSU. Made a signing-day decision after considering Auburn, Florida and Florida State, among others.
10:42 a.m. CT -- DT Maquedius Bain
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University New School of Nova South
Profile
Part of a deep defensive tackle class, Bain has raw athleticism and size. During his prep career, he also showed a willingness as a team player, taking on the offensive line to fill a team need as a senior.
11:50 a.m. CT -- DE Tashawn Bower
Somerville, N.J./Immaculata
Visit recap
A highly regarded defensive end who could fit right in with LSU. Made a signing-day decision after considering Auburn, Florida and Florida State, among others.
10:42 a.m. CT -- DT Maquedius Bain
Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University New School of Nova South
Profile
Part of a deep defensive tackle class, Bain has raw athleticism and size. During his prep career, he also showed a willingness as a team player, taking on the offensive line to fill a team need as a senior.
BATON ROUGE -- LSU is a big enough player in the recruiting game that it receives its share of big-name decommitments.
But you'll be hard pressed to find one who has affected a program's fan culture like Gunner Kiel.
You might know Kiel as a backup quarterback at Notre Dame, but, a little more than a year ago, he was one of the nation's top prep quarterbacks and he was committed to LSU.
But you'll be hard pressed to find one who has affected a program's fan culture like Gunner Kiel.
You might know Kiel as a backup quarterback at Notre Dame, but, a little more than a year ago, he was one of the nation's top prep quarterbacks and he was committed to LSU.
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LSU passing game buoyed with 2013 class 
January, 30, 2013
Jan 30
8:00
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The last time LSU had anything close to a high-powered passing offense was back in its last national championship season, 2007, with Matt Flynn at quarterback.
Since then, the Tigers have consistently had, at best, mediocre passing numbers, a trend they hope to snap next season in Zach Mettenberger's senior year at quarterback. Whether that happens remains to be seen. One thing that's clear, however, is that the Tigers have invested heavily to try to improve the passing game in the future.
The 2013 class will finish with four receivers, two tight ends and two quarterbacks, nearly a third of the class devoted to an improved ability to pitch and catch.
"It's exciting," said tight end DeSean Smith (Lake Charles, La./Barbe)," the highest-rated of the eight players by ESPN. "When we look at our class, we think we can do a lot with three wide receiver sets and maybe four and we can even get one or two tight ends in as part of that."
Since then, the Tigers have consistently had, at best, mediocre passing numbers, a trend they hope to snap next season in Zach Mettenberger's senior year at quarterback. Whether that happens remains to be seen. One thing that's clear, however, is that the Tigers have invested heavily to try to improve the passing game in the future.
The 2013 class will finish with four receivers, two tight ends and two quarterbacks, nearly a third of the class devoted to an improved ability to pitch and catch.
"It's exciting," said tight end DeSean Smith (Lake Charles, La./Barbe)," the highest-rated of the eight players by ESPN. "When we look at our class, we think we can do a lot with three wide receiver sets and maybe four and we can even get one or two tight ends in as part of that."
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- GTN's Gary Laney took your questions on a SportsNation chat Tuesday, but ran out of time to get to all of them. Instead, he turned them into a mailbag:
Ricky (New Orleans): How is our offensive line shaping up, since we had problems protecting Zach Mettenberger last year and our running game was not as productive as previous years?
GL: The offensive line could be the strength of the offense next year. With so many young players getting playing time, LSU has a lot of guys coming back. There are two key areas.
Ricky (New Orleans): How is our offensive line shaping up, since we had problems protecting Zach Mettenberger last year and our running game was not as productive as previous years?
GL: The offensive line could be the strength of the offense next year. With so many young players getting playing time, LSU has a lot of guys coming back. There are two key areas.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- With national signing day two weeks away, LSU is close to the finish line, but the Tigers still have some big names they are after:
Team needs: LSU was decimated on the defensive line by graduation and early NFL draft entrees.
The Tigers will be without six of the nine defensive linemen who played the majority of the snaps, including three potential first-round NFL draft picks, led by lightning-quick speed-rushing end Barkevious Mingo.
Team needs: LSU was decimated on the defensive line by graduation and early NFL draft entrees.
The Tigers will be without six of the nine defensive linemen who played the majority of the snaps, including three potential first-round NFL draft picks, led by lightning-quick speed-rushing end Barkevious Mingo.
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ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com