LSU opens up the year against a highly regarded Miami team. I don’t think this game will be the telltale sign of our season, but I think we can learn a lot about each position from the game.

Here’s a breakdown of what I think we should look for at each position:

QB- Undoubtedly, this will be the most anticipated position to see. If Burrow shows he is as good as advertised, this could be the biggest boost to the entire season.

RB- I don’t think we are as bad off as most people portray this group to be. There is no Guice or Fournette, but a running back by committee could match their production.
Brossette will be in his senior year “Can he be a nice complementary back to CEH?”

WR- This group might be the most talented on the whole team. Miami has a pretty solid secondary. Curious to see Jerry Sullivan’s impact. A question for me is “Can they create separation to give Burrow throwing lanes?” This group should get better as the year goes on.

TE- Orgeron has raved about Foster Moreau’s leadership this offseason. With Ensminger being a former TE’s coach, I expect the Tight ends to be utilized. I’d like to see Pettigrew get more touches this season as he could be a matchup nightmare at 6’6-6’7.

OL- The question marks are C, LG, and RT. There are talks of Brumfield moving to C and Lewis sliding in at the LG spot. “Can Brumfield make the call outs to direct the OL?” Deculus is the dark horse. If he proves to be a solid counterpart to Charles, the OL could be special. I like Magee as the swingman and Campbell and Traore will give the line solid depth.

DL- They will be dominant. Curious to see how the rotation of Logan-Shelvin-Farrell plays. Knock on wood, but we all know the injury bug will hit.

LB- We know White will be among the nation’s best. Miami should be a strong test to see if Phillips can be a force of his own. BUT don’t sleep on Tyler Taylor. He will definitely see a lot of PT. Similar to Deculus, Divinity is the X-Factor. He had his best performance vs Notre Dame in the bowl game and is said to be in the best shape of his career. Miami should tell us if he can live up to the hype.

EDGE- Chaisson is primed for a big sophomore season. We may see if he has taken that next step. This is also a deep position including Anthony, Moore, Thornton, and Cherry.

S- I am not too concerned with this position as this is also a very deep unit in Delpit, Monroe, Battle, Paris, Stevens, Harris, and Lewis. With the addition of Busch, we should see an improvement in coverage. Most of the breakdowns in the secondary last year came from busted coverages by the safeties.

CB- Greedy will take away the opponent’s #1 receiver week in and week out. The question is who will emerge as the opposite corner? Kirklin could be that guy. Alexander has experience. Joseph stepped on campus last week so we will see if he moves up the depth chart quickly. Miami has a strong WR core so they will likely come out targeting our #2 corner.

ST- Probably the most UNDERRATED position on the field. Orgeron went out and got the best kicker available. We should know early on if Cole Tracey can handle the pressure of kicking in front of large crowds. Auburn had a real weapon in Carlton, so we see what a quality kicker can do. Our 2 punter system will be fine. Culp and the walk-on Avery Atkins will battle for Kickoff duties. It would be nice to have a dynamic returner who doesn’t take negative yardage. A Trindon Holiday, PP7, or Honey Badger can change a game in a heartbeat.

A win should not crown us National Champs, but a loss should equally not mean the season is over. But we should learn a lot about our football team in the first game.