Brian Kelly and the Tigers ended their regular season 8-4 after defeating Oklahoma. But December has mostly gone into navigating portals for the LSU coaches and staff. Now, they are more than ready to fight off Baylor on Tuesday in the Texas Bowl. But guess what? In the last month, they remolded their roster, and there is no harm in expecting a whole different Tigers in action than the Oklahoma Sooners have faced. Can their depth chart be a threat to Baylor?

Well, Kelly certainly took some bold steps toward refilling the portal, but he has lost 17 players as well. So, the bottom line is the roster looks fresh but full of a group of wet behind-the-ear fellas. Mostly, the tight end remains a major question mark.

Brian Kelly’s offensive woes get brutally exposed ahead of the bowl game

Both of LSU’s starting tackles, Will Campbell and Emery Jones, are currently busy grinding themselves for the approaching NFL Draft, as did tight end Mason Taylor. The defensive line will also lack Sage Ryan, Major Burns, and a host of reserve defensive backs, as all of them chose to depart from the program for their remaining collegiate years.

Giving a clearer picture of their roster loopholes, insider Matt Musso noted, ”There’s no question where LSU is the thinnest. LSU is the thinnest at tight end. You’ve got Trey’Dez Green, and that’s about it; GiVanni Peterson, the other guy, is a former walk-on who just earned a scholarship, I believe, in 2023, But Trey’Dez Green, mind you, was moved over to receiver. You had to move him back here in the bowl game because you need that tight end. That raises some questions for me regarding personnel with LSU. ”

LSU can’t afford injuries on defense in this game, especially with the roster thinning out. However, despite some massive losses under their belt, the Tigers have some fresh faces to rely on, especially on the offensive line, especially with players like wide receiver Chris Hilton. But the insufficiency in the Tight End can get the better of the other positions as well.

”Tight End impacts two other positions on this team though why the receiver is one of them I mean, Aaron Anderson, we know is going to play. Zavion Thomas is going to play, Chris Hilton, then you have Jelani Watkins and Kylan Billiot, guys like that,” Musso highlighted a red zone.

The second area that the insider warned about is the QB position. The past week’s practice videos of QB1 Garrett Nussmeier gave away the major suffering points of Kelly’s shorthanded team. However, Nussmeier, the prized QB, who fought his mind to return to the college amidst the NFL lure, is likely to make sure his decision pays off as early as in the bowl.

Garrett Nussmeier strives to shine more in the purple and gold jersey

Nussmeier retreats from the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he is naïve and doesn’t possess the lofty dream to take his talent to a professional bound. He certainly has, but at the end of the day, he chooses responsibility and loyalty over the short-lived spark. He had a quite decent first season as the LSU starting quarterback this fall, but the prodigy felt it was not something up to the mark. So, he decided to stay and contribute more to his school.

With LSU’s impending Texas Bowl against Baylor, Garrett Nussmeier has confirmed he’ll suit up for the game. In a presser ahead of the game, Nuss was naturally asked to elaborate on his massive decision to return to school. The QB phenom immediately turned to god’s grace and articulated how grateful he is for having another year in Baton Rouge.

If you look back statistically at his season, 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns, including a walk-off touchdown pass against Ole Miss, a fiery performance against South Carolina wasn’t to be thrown under the shadow. But, just like all the great men in history, Garrett wants more on his plate.

The game against Baylor might be a perfect start to it. Regardless of all the shortcomings of an 11-man collective, Garrett Nussmeier’s drive will be a thing to watch out for all the Tigers fans!