Offense
QB Grade: A-

I really like Garret Nussmeier. My favorite part about him is his intangibles: smart, confident, and a leader. Combined with his accuracy, gunslinger style, and coaching background (with his Dad) I think he has what it takes to be a good starter for LSU.

RB Grade: A

Faulk did a good job landing two high character players (you should notice a theme at this point) who fit our scheme in Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin. Both are in the shorter, shifter mold of RB but they aren't small. Both should play above 205 in college. They both can make guys miss and have good contact balance, especially Kiner. Between the two, Goodwin has better long speed. Great work by Kevin Faulk here.

WR Grade: A-

This grade could move higher after NSD, but I'll expand on that in a second. First off, we got Chris Hilton, an uber athletic WR from Zachary HS in Louisiana. He's got great speed, agility, and leaping ability. He looks like a guy that can play inside and out (slot + outside) and he has good character. The next WR we signed is Deion Smith, who looked much better to me in his Senior season in terms of athletic ability. His best attributes from 2019 were his catching radius and high point catching of the football. In 2020, I see the same things combined with improved long speed and better YAC ability. He looks like someone who could be your #1 WR. The staff (Mickey Joseph) deserves a lot of credit for keeping him away from grimy Ole Miss and Moo State. Last is Malik Nabers, who is solid and has position versatility (could end up at CB). The gut punch we got on ESD was Jojo Earle flipping to the gumps on signing day. With him, I would have easily graded this group as A+ given Earle's elite YAC potential. But, like O says, we gotta move forward with the guys we got; and we got some good guys.

Note 1: If we get Brian Thomas Jr., I'll give the group A+ because he's a great talent who rounds out the skillset with his size.

Note 2: I'm considering Bech as a "move" or "big slot" TE.

OL Grade: C-

The guy we signed, Garret Dellinger, is a great OT prospect who I'm thrilled about. But he is the only guy we signed. Depth is key on the OL and we whiffed on Byrd, and likely Leigh too. If we add Moko, Kimo, and another guy I'd give this a C+. Sadly, we just didn't hit the mark this year and Cregg will likely lose his job over it.

TE Grade: B

We didn't land anyone special, but we didn't do bad at all. The two TEs we signed are blue-collar, tough players. Exactly what you want in a TE. First is Jalen Shead, a phenomenal blocker who can play that old-school H-back role very well. I don't know exactly how they plan to utilize him in our new offense, but I'll trust the coaches here. The other is Jack Bech, who I consider the modern "big slot" or "move" TE. He's already listed at 215, and with more growth will probably outgrow his current WR position. The new trend in football are these lighter TEs who you can move all around the formation, such as breakout NFL star Robert Tonyan for the Packers (listed at 237). Bech was seen as underrated by many and he should be solid for LSU.

Defense
Defensive Tackle Grade: A

We only landed one, but we got the big fish: Maason Smith. Combine Smith's elite size/speed combo with the guys we got last year in Jaquelin Roy, Jacobian Guillory, and Eric Taylor (Plus potentially Ika, Farrel, and Logan depending on what those guys do. We should get at least 1 back). This guy is an absolute menace and should be a dominant force who gets early playing time. The other play who could actually be a DT depending on his future growth and development is last-minute signee Bryce Langston. If he plays DT this group only gets stronger.

Defensive End Grade: A

Even with the loss of Keanu Koht (

) and the miss on Korey Foreman, LSU did great here for the second year in a row. While last year brought BJ Ojulari (stud in the making) and Phillip Webb, this year we got some beefier SDEs. First is perhaps the most underrated player in the class in Saivion Jones (apparently he signed in secret). Jones has killer length (6'5), power, speed, bend, and acceleration. Athletically, he is the full package. He just needs to refine his technique and work on getting off the ball a little quicker. In addition, we got Landon Jackson who also has great length (6'6). As Jackson continues to bulk up, he will only get better. We also stole him from the Aggies

. Last is Langston who is probably the best run-defender and bulkiest of the three. Due to this, he could play SDE or DT. His grades are supposedly a risk, but if he makes it to campus, expect him to contribute.

LB Grade: B

This position is another potential riser if we get Raesjon Davis to sign in February (which Vol and others say is unlikely). Incoming freshmen in the group are Greg Penn III and Zavier Carter. Penn seems like a prototypical MLB/ILB with good size and instincts. He is a solid (but not spectacular) player. As for Carter, he is a bit of a tweener and I do not know the plan for him long term. From the JUCO level, LSU flipped Navonteque "Bugg" Strong from Moo State. No one has anything but good things to say about this kid. He is the modern linebacker with great speed, instincts, physicality, and intelligence. I expect him to start day 1 and be a good player for this highly talented 2021 defense. His 3-star rating appears criminal. The reason I gave this class only a B is because Penn is the only freshman who I see contributing in the long term. If R. Davis signs, I'd give the class an A or A+.

CB Grade: C+

The guy we signed, Demarius McGhee, is a very good player. But, like with the OL class, we needed more. Having Wiggins flip to Clemson is possibly a bigger loss than Earle or Koht due to our lack of backup options. The good news is we have good talent on the roster and Sage Ryan can contribute here at nickel.

S Grade: A+

What a phenomenal safety class. We went from melting over losing Sage Ryan to actually signing him (as the #1 safety) and Derrick Davis Jr. (#3 safety). Don't forget about Mathew Langlois either, who is best guy in deep coverage of the group. Sage Ryan will start day 1 as a nickel, SS, or even FS (rumors of outside CB playtime too). What a phenomenal player. We also signed Davis Jr., which might be the most impressive signing in the entire class given his other offers and being from Pennsylvania. He can play SS and potentially linebacker, depending on his physical development while at LSU. Both Ryan and Davis are high character guys. Last is Langlois, a potentially underrated FS with good speed. We've been missing a good deep safety for a bit now, perhaps Langlois can be that guy.

P Grade: A+

Peyton is a great punter. That's all I got.